Chapter Twenty-One #2
Niall settled back in his chair, wearily.
“Because it was the Lindsay who burned Netherton,” he said simply.
“His men were dressed in the wool that we sell. They struck after dark and killed the men of the town first, or at least the ones they could find, before setting the town alight and burning the women and children. Those who tried tae flee were cut down. All the while, they wanted everyone tae think it was the Keith because of what they wore.”
Cam stared at the man, struggling to comprehend what he was being told. “Are ye saying that the Lindsay…?” He couldn’t even finish, closer than he’d ever been to revealing his true feelings on the entire matter. “But that canna be. It makes little sense.”
Niall held up a hand, pleading for understanding.
“It makes sense if ye know the history between Lindsay and our clan,” he said.
“The land we sit on used tae belong tae one of the last great Lindsay chieftains, many years ago, and when he died, it went tae his daughter. She married a Keith, and the land has been ours ever since. But in that time, many a Lindsay chieftain has tried tae gain the land back until I was born, and then they seemed tae stop trying until Drostan became the chieftain. Since then, he has renewed the efforts worse than his forefathers.”
“The burning of Netherton is not all of it,” Tyrone, Niall’s brother, chimed in with his heavy Scots brogue.
“When Drostan became the chieftain, they started wandering intae our lands, stealing our cattle or our women. Then we’d find our lasses days later, beaten and sullied.
Drostan denied it was the Lindsay, but the women they assaulted told a different story.
They told of being taken tae Kirkburn Castle and attacked. ”
Niall put a hand on Tyrone’s shoulder to silence his emotional brother, who would start yelling at some point because his daughter had been one of those women damaged by the Lindsay.
“They would raid our farms on the outlying lands,” Niall said. “The harassment was constant. Then, Drostan sent a man tae make us an offer of money if we would vacate the land. I refused. A month later, Netherton was burned tae the ground. That’s when it became quite interesting.”
Cam was hanging on every word, shocked to the bone by what he was hearing. “What do ye mean?”
Niall drained his cup before answering. “We have ties tae Clan Murray,” he said.
“Some of our women have married intae their clan. Angus Murray, the chieftain, was told that the Keith had burned Netherton. More than one person told Angus that they saw Lindsay men burning the town and wearing our wool.”
Cam had to make a conscious effort to keep his jaw from going slack. “Is that true?”
Niall nodded slowly. “If ye dunna believe me, I can produce several men who will tell ye what they saw.” He sat forward in his chair, his intense gaze on Cam.
“Ye lost yer village tae a clan that was supposed tae protect ye, Cam. I suppose they felt it was a small price tae pay for running the Keith off lands they believe are theirs.”
“But why should they want the land so badly?”
“Because there is a silver mine here, mined by generations of Lindsay and then Keith. ’Tis not a great deal of wealth, but it is enough tae keep us comfortable. ’Tis how we paid for ye. And Drostan Lindsay wants it.”
“And it doesna stop there,” Tyrone spoke up again, firmly but quietly.
“The Lindsay grow bolder still. Look at Ailbert. See the gash on his cheek? ’Twas a Lindsay patrol who did that while he was out tending his sheep.
They sliced him with a sword and beat the young shepherd who was attending him.
The harassment goes on and it will continue until something is done. ”
Cam was in a fog of confusion. He looked at the older man with the big gash in the side of his face, having a difficult time believing any of this was real. But in the same breath, fragments of the situation were starting to make sense.
He began to think back to his encounter with Drostan after the destruction of Netherton.
Back to that day of days when he’d staggered to Kirkburn Castle to beg Drostan for help in punishing those responsible for his grandfather’s death.
Drostan had been sympathetic. He’d been more than supportive about Cam going to the Ludus Caledonia to learn to fight, to prepare himself for his vengeance against the Keith.
If what Niall said was true, then Cam would have played right into Drostan’s hands.
He would be the instrument of continued harassment against the Keith.
The realization hit him like a hammer.
“I couldna tell ye any of this,” Isadora spoke up, piercing his thoughts. “I told ye that we needed a man tae lead us because of some trouble, but I couldna tell ye what the trouble was. Ye had tae hear it for yerself once we reached Auchnacree.”
Cam looked at her. “Ye knew I was from Netherton,” he said. “Ye knew because I told ye. Ye also knew that I lived on Lindsay lands.”
She nodded firmly. “That is why I knew ye would be the only one we could trust. The Lindsay killed yer grandfather, Cam. If ye want vengeance, that is what we’re offering. A chance tae punish those who wronged ye.”
Cam didn’t know what to say. He’d come into this arrangement with vengeance on his mind, but not the way Isadora was suggesting it.
But these people had no reason to lie to him and as he looked around him, he didn’t see violent or warring men.
Not even Ewan and Ossian, who had remained surprisingly quiet through it all.
All he saw was desperation.
Now, the winds of war were shifting.
If what they said could be believed, Cam was coming to understand who the true enemy was.
Drostan Lindsay.