Chapter 25

"Chase the wolves!"

Slayer heard the man yell as he moved closer to the opening of the cave to listen, fighting to stop himself from rushing out to protect his wife and unborn bairn. But that would be foolish, and Sky's sacrifice would be in vain. He would wait, find her, and have his revenge.

Sky turned her head as she pointed to the cave behind her and whispered, "Protect and help him."

The wolves did not hesitate, they entered the cave.

The two wolves lay by the entrance, watching Sky, and ignoring him.

Bloody hell, if his wife did not continue to protect him while sacrificing herself, sending the wolves to protect him so that the men would not come near the cave and find him. She was foolish, stubborn, and brave.

"She commands the wolves!" a man called out sounding frightened.

"Don't look at her!" another man ordered.

"Cover her eyes so she cannot curse us," another yelled.

Anger had Slayer clenching his fists and his jaw, the thought of her blind while with her captives infuriating him.

"It is how she commands the wolves and other animals, you fool," a man called out.

Slayer had not given thought to that and wondered if it was the reason for her strange abilities with animals.

"We head home," the man commanded. "Get her on my horse."

"Let her walk," someone called out.

"She will slow us down with that limp," another said.

"I did not ask your thoughts on it," the man said with a snarl. "Now do as I command."

Slayer did not like that his wife would ride on a horse with the man, but it was better she did. Her injured ankle would only get worse and then there was the bairn to consider. He hoped whether it was a son or daughter who nestled within her that he or she would continue to fight and survive.

"Halfdan will be pleased that we have been successful in finding her."

"We have yet to reach home."

"Once we join the other two troops no one will be able to stop us."

Slayer listened, glad to hear what the men were saying as they rode away. He knew who Halfdan was, Chieftain of Clan Scylding. A clan to the north comprised of a mixture of Northmen and Scots that settled there after raids from the north stopped. Slayer's father traded with him from time to time and he wondered if the old chieftain had anything to do with his father and brother's deaths.

When the men and horses could be heard no more, Slayer attempted to leave the cave, but the wolves growled and would not budge. So, he waited, trusting them. Only a short time later, he heard two voices.

"I told you no one else is in that cave. Come on, let us go. I do not trust those wolves even from high up here in the trees. Let us get to our horses and get out of here."

Slayer remained where he was until the wolves moved, then he cautiously left the cave and made his way back toward the ravine, hoping to meet his warriors on the way. He did not need anyone to track his wife. He knew where they were headed. Besides, he knew the wolves would follow her, leaving their tracks for him to follow.

* * *

Slayer was pleasedwhen it wasn't long before he spotted his men and joined them. It also pleased him to hear that Lester's wound had been tended to and he had been taken to the village. Whether he would survive was still unknown. He returned to the top of the cliff where Olin and the other two men were being held. He was already forming a plan in his mind on how he would rescue his wife. He did not know if Olin had any more information that might help his plan, but he intended to find out.

Once he was done with that, he would return to the keep and set his plan in motion and be ready to leave at dawn tomorrow. He wanted to follow now, not wait, but that would not be wise. He needed the Gallowglass with him. He needed to ensure victory.

Angus approached Slayer as he headed toward Olin. "I see the other two men are gone. I assume you discovered that they were just as responsible for Clyde's death as Iver?"

"I did and they wait to go to the Gallowglass compound to meet the same death Clyde was made to suffer and where there will be no lack of volunteers to take part in their punishment and death."

"You did well, Angus. Clyde would be pleased that the Gallowglass revenged his death, though the one who delivered the final blow has yet to meet his fate," Slayer said, intending to find out who the culprit was and see to the man himself.

"As soon as you give the word, my lord, I will send them off to get what they deserve," Angus said.

"First, I need to know one thing from them, then you can take them away," Slayer said, and Angus followed alongside him to the three men. He stopped in front of the two men, their heads tilting back to look up at him, their faces bloodied and bruised. "Tell me about the man who delivered the final blow to the vicious attack on the Gallowglass warrior."

"He was a big, wide man" one man said without hesitation in an effort to save himself.

The other man spoke up just as eagerly. "He had a few old scars on his face, and he had long gray hair."

The man who had spoken first shuddered. "He was an evil looking one, snarling and snapping like a dog."

"I have heard enough. Take them away," Slayer ordered.

"He tried to poison one of your hounds," one of the two men called out when Slayer turned away from them.

Slayer turned back.

"I did not," the other man protested. "He did. He thought it a funny thing to do, killing the hound of the mighty Gallowglass warrior."

"Nay! Nay! It was him," said the other man with a nod to his cohort. "He thought it would make you look like a fool that you could not protect your hound."

"You two truly are fools if you think trying to save yourself by accusing the other of attempting to kill my hound would work. Since I cannot be sure which one of you it was, you both will die as planned." Slayer said, ignoring their pleas for mercy as he walked away, too busy thinking about the man the two men had described… Halfdan. Now he had another reason to see the man dead. Though he could not help but think how pleased his wife would be to learn how Fane had been poisoned, having worried over the incident. And he was pleased as well to know that Fane's poisoning attempt would be avenged.

"Ready to tell me the truth, Rory or Olin or whoever you are?" Slayer asked, approaching the man sitting on the ground bent over in pain, his broken wrists resting at his sides while blood soaked his sleeve and shirt from the wound on his arm. His face was bruised and battered, his mouth bloody and one eye swollen shut. One ankle was twisted at an odd angle as were a few of his fingers. His men had made sure he would be ready to talk.

"I will tell you anything you want to know," Olin said and spit blood along with a tooth from his mouth.

Slayer grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. "Make sure it's the truth this time or I'll have my men start pricking your body with their daggers." He shoved Olin's head as he released his hair and stepped in front of him, waiting with his arms crossed over his chest and a furious scowl on his face.

Blood dribbled from the corner of Olin's mouth as he spoke. "I sign my fate with what I am about to tell you." He paused for a moment as if questioning if he should continue, then shrugged and winced in pain. "It matters not. I am already a dead man." He attempted to grin but only caused himself to wince again. "I was hired to kill your brother and father."

Slayer took a swift step forward, keeping his hands fisted tightly.

Olin cringed waiting for the blow he was sure to come and was surprised when it didn't.

"Who hired you?" Slayer asked, containing his anger so that he would not do anything foolish before he got what he needed from him. "Why did this person want my father and brother dead?"

"You know it does not work that way. Mercenaries are given a mission but not a reason and seldom, if ever, is the person behind the mission revealed."

"Tell me everything," Slayer demanded.

Olin was quick to explain, his pain worsening by the minute. "My mission was to see both your brother and father dead. The attack on your brother was swift and brief thanks to the skilled warriors I hired. Your father on the other hand presented a problem." He paused in pain.

"You got help," Slayer said.

"I did."

"Verina, our clan healer."

"Aye. Verina, but she was no healer. She posed as one, going from clan to clan. I posed as a cleric who sought shelter for a few days and spotted her when she was outside the castle walls. I saw soon enough how your father favored her." He paused again due to the pain.

"And threatened her if she didn't help you?"

"And chance exposing myself? Nay."

"You promised her coins," Slayer said, having learned most people could be bought for a price and knowing those who had coin barely parted with it which meant. "Coins you never intended to give her."

"You are wiser than I'd been told," Olin said with a bit of admiration.

"You had her poison my father and unwittingly poison herself," Slayer said.

"I did. I gave her two mixtures of herbs, one to sprinkle on a favorite food of his. Wild pottage, I believe she said he favored, and another mixture for her to take in case she received the poison accidentally. I knew she would take it out of fear, not need."

"Who approached you about this mission?" Slayer asked.

"A monk, though like me it was a disguise. I was offered far more coins than seemed reasonable, so I asked why such generosity. He only had to say one word. Gallowglass. I warned myself to refuse the mission, but I thrive on challenges, and it certainly was a challenge to go against the Gallowglass."

"So, when you finished your task, you decided to add to your wealth by going after the coins offered for one of the Murdock sisters?" Slayer asked, assuming his greed got the best of him.

Olin looked puzzled. "Nay. The sister with the two different colored eyes was part of the task."

That news stunned and enraged Slayer, though his expression remained unchanged. That meant Halfdan was also responsible for his father and brother's deaths. But why?

"It would have been an easy task and a successful one if I had reached Dundren Abbey before you."

Never. Never would he have allowed that to happen even though he had never met Sky. It was his duty. She was his wife. Besides, no one took what belonged to a Gallowglass warrior and lived. And no one, not a soul alive, would take the woman he loved from him. He would have his wife back in his arms and soon.

"Tongues carried news throughout the Highlands about you searching for any word on your brother and father's deaths. All I needed to do was spin a tale that your men would eventually hear, and you would come to me."

"And you played the fool once you were found."

"I did. A fool is less likely to suffer torture since he answers endless questions without much prodding. Though I did worry when you had me taken to the Gallowglass compound. But once you had me brought to Clan Ravinsher, I knew I had a good chance of success. The others who hunted her were too foolish to succeed. Besides, they would never get past you. I was so close to the end of my mission and wealth."

"Who were you to turn Sky over to?"

"I do not know, and I don't care. I was given a location where a man would be waiting for us. I would go with him to collect the rest of my fortune."

More than likely it was where Olin would have met his death. Halfdan was not known for parting easily with his wealth.

"That is all of it, though I do hate dying without accomplishing my mission. But that was my own fault for hiring idiots to help me. Instead of sticking to my plan and waiting until I signaled them to free me, they took it upon themselves to take advantage of the attack. And I paid dearly for their stupidity. Grant me a swift death and I will share my thoughts on who I believe is behind it all," Olin offered.

Slayer was far too concerned with rescuing his wife to care if Olin suffered any more pain than he already had and he was curious as to what the man thought. So, he granted his request. "You have my word."

"The one thing said about you is that you are an honorable man, so I trust you to keep your word," Olin said. "I believe it was?—"

Olin fell to his side, an arrow lodged in his back and not another arrow fired.

"Find the archer!" Slayer yelled, his warriors already in motion.

He quickly crouched down by Olin, seeing the man struggling to speak.

"Hal-half," Olin said with his last breath.

Slayer stood.

"Did he say anything, my lord?" Angus asked.

"Not a word," Slayer said loud enough for whoever hid in a nearby tree to hear him. News would reach Halfdan's men that Slayer did not know who had the woman or where they were taking her, which meant they would not be prepared for his arrival.

* * *

"Everything was seen to, Reed?"Slayer asked the next morning in his solar.

"Aye, sir, all is ready."

"And the hounds?"

"Stand ready, sir," Reed said.

"Good. You know what to do," Slayer said and turned to Fane waiting patiently beside him after Reed took his leave. "We go to rescue Sky, Fane."

Angel jumped up on the table next to where Slayer stood and meowed soulfully at him.

Slayer scooped her up. "Worry not. Fane and I will bring Sky home."

She rubbed her face against his and he thought he caught the scent of Sky on her, and a wave of sorrow and anger washed over him. He missed his wife. He ached to hold her in his arms, wrap himself around her in bed and feel content as the sweet scent of her hair tickled his nose. More so, though, he worried about reaching her in time.

He found little sleep last night, though he would need it, too busy fighting with himself for not having followed her when she had been taken. A foolish thought and one Sky would have agreed with. Following her would have wasted precious time, his warriors not knowing what had happened to him would have prevented timely help from reaching him. And hearing that the men who took Sky were to meet a larger troop would have made it unlikely that he would have been able to rescue her without help. He needed a contingent of Gallowglass warriors to set his plan in motion.

Raised voices outside Slayer's door caught his attention and he placed Angel on the floor just before the door opened and Ross entered. Storming in behind him was an attractive woman with red, blonde hair and he knew immediately who she was and the words she shouted at him proved it.

"Where is my sister, Sky? Why isn't she with you? I was told you would keep her safe."

Fane snarled, baring his teeth in warning.

"Nay, Fane!" Slayer ordered and the hound stilled, though kept one side of his mouth raised in warning.

"I demand to know what happened to Sky!" Leora shouted at Slayer.

Slayer grabbed the woman's arm. "You demand nothing from me."

"Take your hand off my wife, Slayer," Noble warned, having hurried in behind her.

Slayer shoved Leora toward Noble. "Tell her to mind her tongue around me, Noble, or I will see you both put off my land."

Noble took hold of his wife's arm and pulled her against him. "Enough, Leora. Your angry tongue will not help Sky."

"You assured me he would keep her safe," Leora said, her lovely face flushed with anger. "The message said Sky was abducted, yet here you stand without her." She threw her hands up in the air. "I doubt many here even care if she does return. What if she was treated so poorly while here that she prefers to remain with her abductors?" Leora shook her finger at Slayer. "Everyone knows you are a brutal warrior without an ounce of kindness to you. What harm have you brought upon my sister? What have you done to her?"

Slayer lurched forward and Noble quickly stepped back, pulling his wife along with him.

Slayer gritted his teeth as he spoke, fighting to contain his anger. "I have fallen in love with Sky."

Not a sound was heard in the room as Noble and Leora stared in shock at Slayer.

"Hear me well, woman," Slayer said, his eyes intent on Leora. "Sky is my wife and I love her, and she carries our bairn. I will not rest until I hold them both in my arms again. On that you have my word."

"Bloody hell," Noble said. "I didn't think you were capable of love."

Ross smiled. "He didn't have a chance against Sky's kind nature and her loving heart."

"Are you saying my sister loves this savage in return and agreed to the marriage?" Leora asked, shocked at the thought.

"Sky had no choice in marrying me. It was done before I rescued her from the abbey. She wisely chose to accept the marriage and make the most of it. She chose to love me of her own accord, though I still cannot understand why but she does, and I am grateful for her love."

"And you did not think to tell us this?" Leora asked, annoyed.

"I ordered the marriage kept secret, fearing it could place her in more danger than she was already facing. Ross and Euniss, the woman who runs the keep, are the only two who know about it." Slayer pointed a finger at Leora. "And I expect you to hold your tongue until I say otherwise."

"Is she happy with you?" Leora demanded to know.

"Very much, but I do not know how she can be and again I am grateful that she is."

Tears clouded Leora's eyes. "The message said she suffered a great fall. Do you know if she and the bairn are well?"

"An ankle injury, a scratch on her face, and, so far, the bairn remains safe inside her."

Noble's brow creased in question. "How do you know this?"

Slayer looked directly at Leora. "Sky chose to save me so that I could rescue her, and we both could live. She told me if our bairn was strong enough to survive the fall and fight to stay alive then we could do no less. Your sister is not only kind. She is courageous as well."

"Aye, she is," Leora said, her tears beginning to fall as she stepped forward and reached out to poke Slayer in the chest. "You better bring her home safe and sound."

"I intend to and never, ever, poke me again, woman," Slayer ordered.

Leora lifted her chin, not an ounce of fear in her eyes. "I will have your word as a Gallowglass warrior on that."

"You have my word as a Gallowglass warrior, and you have my word from the man who loves your sister from the depths of his heart and soul that I will bring her home unharmed." Without another word, Slayer left the room, Fane following at his side.

Leora looked at her husband. She need not say anything, Noble knew what she wanted.

"I will go with him and make sure he and Sky return home safely."

She hugged him and went to tell him to stay safe when a horn sounded alerting the clan that an attack was imminent.