Chapter 6
Duncan set a fast clip, wanting to put as much distance as possible between him and the town.
Since he first set eyes on his enemies, he struggled to contain the anger and hate that had surged to the surface.
His fists clenched over the leather reins.
Somehow seeing the prisoners brought back the dark and painful memories that he had fought so long to bury.
And even though he tried his best to rule over his responses, the hatred took over, consuming him.
God knew that if he stayed in Cannpach, all reason and sense of honor would have fled his mind.
No doubt he would have slit those English throats.
Of course the queen’s men wouldn’t get the opportunity to question the prisoners.
And Duncan would have had blood on his hands.
Fortunately his head cleared enough for him to revert back to his analytical ways. The knowledge that could be extracted from the spies might be invaluable in defeating their foe. Conquering the English was a must, and he couldn’t allow his feelings or his past to jeopardize this.
After a while, he slowed his horse, satisfied that there was enough space between him, and the dark memories that were roused by the recent event.
Adrina reduced the speed of her horse as well, and sidled next to him.
“I didnae think ‘twas a guid idea tae go into Cannpach in the first place,” she said.
“But we went, and the savages that we met there were subdued. We could have stayed at the tavern a wee longer, and had a bite tae eat. Instead, we flew out of the town as if demons were after us. I still dinnae understand why we left in such haste.”
“’Tis because I would’ve murdered those bastards if we lingered,” he said shortly. He stared straight ahead, not wanting her to see how close to the truth that she had come. He did have demons after him, but they weren’t what she thought.
“Ye said ye didnae want tae execute them,” she said quietly.
“Och, I verra much wanted tae destroy them.” He breathed in deeply through his nose. Once more, the fury and enmity churned in his chest. “I have half a mind tae turn around, and finish the deed.”
“That wouldnae be wise,” she said, frowning. “What if ye get hurt? After all, there are two of them and one of ye. I think that the queen’s men are best equipped tae handle the prisoners. As for me, I only want tae return home, nae go looking for more trouble.”
“Aye, ye are right, I have enough trouble as ‘tis,” he said, looking pointedly at her.
She snapped her mouth shut. “I was merely voicing my concern over your welfare, but I see that I shouldnae have bothered.”
“I never asked for your concern.”
She sucked in a sharp breath and glared at him. “My view of ye hasnae changed, MacGregon. I still dinnae like ye.”
“Well, ‘tis unfortunate for ye,” he said. “Because I dinnae care.”
“Aye, ‘tis unfortunate that I ever met ye,” she said under her breath. Giving him a scornful look, she brought her hand to her hair and flicked it over her shoulder. “I understand now why I dislike ye.”
“It disnae appear that ye will spare me your opinion,” he said, his tone mocking.
She raised her chin a notch and ignored his comment. “’Tis your gilded tongue,” she declared. “I dinnae trust it.”
“I assume that ye would rather pin your trust on the prisoners in town.”
She glared at him. “I didnae say that,” she said fiercely.
The distress that she displayed in the tavern was gone, and the fighting woman he had come to know showed herself once more.
At the moment, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were set in a pout.
His gaze dropped down to her mouth, and he felt a sudden urge to kiss away the anger.
Any thoughts he had of the past seemed far away…
What the hell was wrong with him?
He compressed his lips into a thin line as annoyance swelled in his chest. Somehow he had allowed Adrina to get underneath his skin, and he struggled with wanting to wring her neck one minute, and lusting after her in the next.
He didn’t have time for this nonsense. Once again, he regretted the burden that Rory bestowed upon him.
At the time, it seemed logical for Duncan to take up the assignment.
The chief needed a man to uncover the true allegiance of Tevon MacGill.
And everyone knew that Duncan would discover the facts using his methodical ways.
But now that he thought about it, Griogair should have been the one to play the escort.
And while his younger brother’s methods were different from his own, Griogair had skill enough to obtain the necessary intelligence.
“Why must we fight the English?” Adrina asked, cutting into his thoughts.
“Ye dinnae ken?” He blinked at her, surprised.
The earlier irritation he felt abated slightly.
Most people were taught to dread the enemy, and were clever enough to hide away from them when they were close.
Perhaps Adrina’s life in Castle Dunnvie had sheltered her from hearing the recounts of horror and abuse.
It was the women, children, and the elderly that suffered the most during the raids.
Was it possible that Adrina was unaware of the menace that the English represented?
But she shook her head, and clarified her position. “What I mean tae say is, why cannae our countries live together in peace?”
“Ye have high ideals about peace,” he said slowly. “Ye speak about harmony between our two countries, but concord is impossible if the goal of one country is tae oppress the other.”
He watched as a red squirrel scampered up a hazel tree, its feet scraping along the rough bark.
“’Tis in our best interest tae fight, and keep our independence.
” Duncan paused, uncertain whether he should continue.
But then he hardened his heart. War was nigh, and she needed to be prepared for it.
It was beyond his conscience to allow her to think that all would be well.
If he injected fear into her, then perhaps she would no longer hold onto her ideals.
He looked ahead to the skyline, the information from the past unfolding in his mind.
“’Twas nae too long ago, I followed Rory into England in search for a Scottish healer. ”
“’Twas Lady Venora ye were trying tae find,” she said.
“Aye,” he nodded. “’Twas she. As we were returning tae the highlands, we came across an English cavalry that camped several miles from the Scottish border.
I went tae scout the enemy, and when I saw the many cookfires that lit the forest, I became sick tae my stomach.
There were more than a dozen, and ‘twas obvious that they were waiting for more troops tae join them. I surmised that once they gathered their numbers, they would cross into our land.”
“Does the queen know about this?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“She does.” He shifted his focus back to her.
“I’ve already informed her of the oncoming attack.
‘Tis the reason why we’re heading tae Bracken Ridge — tae join forces with Gertrude’s men, and tae lie in wait for our enemy.
The English dinnae ken that we’re aware of their presence.
Sae when we intercept them at the pass, the element of surprise will be on our side, and those bastards would be defeated once and for all. ”
“Are King Harold’s men now making their way tae the Ridge?”
“Nay, I dinnae think sae, but they’ll be here soon. The Scottish terrain is unknown tae them, and they’ll need tae get the lay of the land first before they maneuver inland. ‘Tis likely why they’re sending scouts.”
“Then all clans must join together in this fight.”
“Aye, ‘twould be the only way tae squash the invaders.”
She became silent for a long while. “Ye suspect that my father willnae side with ye in this war,” she said. There was no question in her tone. “That’s the true reason ye are coming tae Dunnvie Castle, is it nae?”
He gave her a curious look. Indeed, they did need to confirm MacGill’s allegiance to the country.
The worse thing was to discover traitors in their midst. Still, Adrina’s moments of astute observation startled him.
There were a few times he caught her staring vacantly into the horizon, and he wondered whether she only possessed beauty but little intelligence.
However there were other times where she demonstrated keen intelligence, and seemed to comprehend situations that were beyond the capacity of an average lass.
“I can assure ye that my father is true tae Scotland,” she continued, and didn’t appear to notice that he hadn’t answered her question. “However I despise war. ‘Tis my belief that many will die.”
“That’s the way of it,” he said, his tone a matter-of-fact.
“We lost many guid men in the last battle with the English. My da and Rory were at odds about fighting in the war. On the one hand my da insisted that we joined the queen’s cause.
But on the other hand, Rory refused tae lead the men into combat, believing that the queen was a poor ruler.
” He frowned as he recalled the quarrel.
“I sided with my sire, of course. For centuries, the English coveted our land. The way I saw it, ‘tis better tae have a familiar ruler, rather than one that’s foreign and a tyrant. Under nay circumstances can we hand over our land, and willingly enter into slavery. Tae me, being under Harold’s domination would be equivalent tae death. ”
Adrina opened her mouth to respond to his impassioned speech. But her brows furrowed, and she fell silent once again.
He had a distinct feeling that she had more to say than she was willing to reveal.
Venora had confided in him that she believed Adrina possessed mystical gifts.
However he scoffed at the idea. He had seen too many people profess to have these so-called gifts, but they were impostors.
If they had any role in society, it was to give people false hope, and that was all.