Chapter 19
“W
e cannae gae that way. I tell ye, he is leading us intae a trap,” Allan said, reaching out a gloved hand with a pained expression on his face.
Logan stood mute, head hanging low, lips pursed.
Where the soldiers used to look at him in awe, reverent of his skill, they now glared at him with betrayal in their eyes.
His shoulders had been bruised by being shoved time and time again, and he bore it all with silence.
He could have killed them all, wagering that he would have decimated their numbers before they killed him, but he kept his sword sheathed and his hands by his side.
He would not raise a sword until he saw his father again.
There was a treacherous path winding along a mountain path and another path that led into a forest. Logan directed them towards the former, and Allan was proving himself a coward by refusing to listen.
“Allan, ye cannae stand against every direction,” Elliot said. “It is only slowing the journey down.”
“I will nae send our men intae certain death,” Allan protested. “He is making a mockery of the trust Da showed him. If we gae that way, we will all fall.”
“It hae been a long day of riding for all of us. Let us make camp before we make any decisions. We hae made good time, and we will be nae good tae anyone if we arrive at the Keep exhausted,” Keith said, standing in between the two brothers.
He spoke in a reasoned tone and placed one hand on their shoulders.
“And in the meantime we can send scouts along either path. They will tell us what danger awaits.”
Allan seemed mollified by this. He flicked his hand through the air and brought four scouts, who paired off and went down the different routes.
The men started to make camp. Fires were lit, and the warmth pushed back the chill for a time.
This part of the Highlands was bleak. Grey clouds scudded across the sky, covering it entirely so it was impossible to tell if it was day or night.
The trees were like silent, dread guardians, spreading long shadows across the ground that might well have swallowed someone up.
Boar and other game soon sizzled over fires and meat started to be handed out.
Logan’s stomach grumbled, but he clenched it tightly and tried to ignore the hunger.
He wasn’t going to eat, and he didn’t deserve to eat, not after what happened to Beitris and Brody.
He had half a mind to ride off on his own and strike at the Keep himself if he hadn’t been sure that half a dozen arrows at least would puncture his back.
There were people watching him at all times, and while he had more attention on him than ever before, he had never felt so alone.
Out of the corner of his eye, Logan noticed someone coming towards him. He tilted his head, ready to brace himself for a punch.
“Here,” he held out a plate filled with meat, more than Logan had been given during the entire journey.
“What’s this?” Logan asked.
“What does it look like? Are ye gaeing tae take it or nae?”
Logan licked his lips. It was even harder to resist now that the meat was in front of him.
The smell invaded his nostrils and he could imagine the rich taste, the explosion of fat upon his tongue, the juices sliding down his throat.
His nostrils flared and it almost drove him mad.
The man pushed the plate again, practically forcing it into his lap.
Logan relented, grabbing the meat and tearing it apart with his teeth. The man sank beside him.
“I ken they are nae gaeing tae thank me for it, but ye are gaeing tae need yer strength now that we’re this close tae the Keep.”
“Who are ye?” Logan asked.
A strange smirk came across the man’s face. He had a broad forehead and a nose that looked as though it had been broken at least three times. There was a darkness in his eyes that Logan thought mirrored his own. A wry eyebrow arched.
“Well, I was to take yer place by Warnock,” he chuckled, although there was no humor in his laugh. “I’m Angus.”
Logan paused eating for a moment. He wiped the juice from his lips. “Ach, I wondered if we would meet.”
“Sae ye hae heard of me then?”
“Beitris mentioned ye.”
Angus pursed his lips and nodded, then glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the camp. There were a few suspicious glances cast their way.
“I think some of them still believe I am under his sway. I suppose I cannae blame them. I did kill their friends in battle.”
“Ye dinnae ken who ye were killing.”
“But I killed them all the same,” Angus snapped.
He placed his hands on his thighs and took a moment to compose himself.
“They can think what they want, but I thought ye hae been through enough without being starved along the way. They might think they ken how bad Warnock is, but none of them truly dae. None of them hae stood beside him and see the look in his eyes and heard his laugh.”
“Aye,” Logan rasped, hanging his head as he remembered it all too well.
“Ye are his heir, though. Always thought he did what he did tae me because he never hae one of his own.”
“I’m a bastard, and he treated me like one until he needed me. But I left home on my own mission. He was concerned with a war and the Highlands, whereas I only wanted one man’s head.”
“Aye, my uncle’s,” Angus said, although he did not seem to be as angry as the others. There was a certain acceptance to his tone, an understanding, even.
“I only wanted tae avenge my sister.”
“Aye, sometimes we dae terrible and rash things for our kin. I wanted tae prove myself sae I raced intae battle when it was nae my place tae dae sae, and I almost lost myself. I was turned intae his weapon and the way he treated me, well, I think I ken the way he treated ye. Whatever ye think of yerself Logan, ye are better than him.”
“I dinnae ken about that.”
“Aye, ye are because ye are here. It’s easy tae be like Warnock, lashing out at whoever ye want. It’s a lot harder tae care because it means ye put yerself in danger.”
“I fear it might be too late.”
Angus shook his head. “It’s never too late tae dae the right thing. And let me tell ye something about Beitris; if she feels something for ye, then she feels it with her whole heart. She’s never been one tae hold back.”
Logan laughed darkly and shook his head. “The only thing she feels for me right now is hatred.”
“Just be honest with her. Tell her everything, and I mean everything.”
Angus looked him directly in the eye. In that instant, Logan did feel a certain connection with him, as it became clear that Angus had seen and experienced the very worst of Warnock’s behavior.
Oh yes, Logan indeed knew how Warnock treated his sons, and the trauma he had endured was reflected in Angus’ eyes.
“Well, just bear what I said in mind, and when the time comes, make sure ye save Beitris.”
Angus rose and returned to another part of the camp. Logan finished the meat and ruminated on Angus’ words. He then took himself to the far corner of the camp and settled in his bedroll, knowing that there would be eyes watching him all through the night.
Logan awoke in the morning from a restless and fitful sleep. The men were already preparing the horses. He strode through them all and came to stand before Allan, who had a surly look.
“I take it the scouts returned?” Logan asked.
“Aye, that way leads tae thick, impassable nettles. Our horses would hae been tangled up and it could hae delayed us by days, while that path straightens out and is nae as dangerous as it seems. Looks as though ye were right,” Allan said.
“I hope ye learn tae listen now. Look at the time we hae wasted,” Ryan muttered.
Allan looked abashed by his father’s words and quickly marched away, barking orders at other men. The camp was hurriedly packed up and then the army was once again moving.
They had to slow as they made their way across the rock path.
It wound around a mountain and the path was only wide enough for horses to ride two abreast, and even then it was cramped.
Rocks skittered off and fell down the side of the mountain, sinking into oblivion.
If anyone lost balance it meant certain death, and they were given a sobering example of this when one rider failed to pay proper attention.
He tried to move more quickly than the path would allow.
The horse lost its footing. There was a horrible, frantic whinny from the horse as it tumbled off.
The rider fell upside down, and his helpless cry echoed around.
It all happened too quickly for anyone to offer assistance. The horse and rider slammed and scraped along the jagged rocks of the mountain as they plummeted down, disappearing from sight. The echo of their screams outlived them.
“Careful!” Allan cried, and grim mutters moved through the army, with vile looks cast towards Logan, as though he was the one responsible for the man’s death.
As with so many other deaths, Warnock was the one responsible.
He had made the land approaching his Keep as inhospitable as possible to prevent any advancing armies.
Logan grit his teeth and moved slowly at the rear, knowing that there were many warriors who wouldn’t have minded him “accidentally” falling down the mountain.
Thankfully after a period of caution the path did widen and became easier to traverse.
The mountain joined the land and they were soon on solid land again.
The army increased their speed, following Logan’s directions.
They followed a winding river towards a forest, which Logan had described as being thick and brittle, a hazard in itself.
He advised them that they were going to have to carve their way through this barrier, but as they approached, a sense of awe came into his eyes and his mouth dropped open.