Chapter 33

33

The Attack

W illiam rode at the front of the troops and tried not to get too far ahead. He was eager to get to the fight but knew he could not win this all by himself.

They did not have the element of surprise on their side, but they had numbers. It would all come down to how many reinforcements Conall had called on from south of the border.

William hoped he could stave off war by engaging in talks with Conall when he got there, but he was certain the Englishman was beyond that now. There was also the chance of getting his wife out of there and then retreating to save losing additional soldiers.

But that meant getting into the castle and finding his wife, who was likely in the dungeons. Getting down there and then getting out again would not be easy. Conall would know he was coming, so Dakota would be well hidden and secured.

"How are ye feelin'?" asked William as Dominic pulled up alongside him.

"Aye, all right," replied Dominic. "I am more nervous than I would care to be, and I would feel a lot better if I wasnae worried about losin' me head. How are ye supposed to remain brave durin' battle?"

"The key is to be scared," said William. "I might nae have fought in many wars and battles, but I have been in a few, and it is when ye go in without fear that ye are at risk. If ye think yerself unbeatable, ye are nae lookin' for the danger. Be scared as we march to battle, and use that to keep yer wits about ye."

"Aye," agreed Dominic, and as he rode toward the enemy, he sat a little taller on his horse.

They were three miles from Conall's castle when the large group split.

Cameron took the McDulloch and half of the Downy Clan to the south, while Hudson led the other half and the entire Ritchie Clan to the north. They would attack from those sides first, distracting Conall's forces, and then William and Dominic would lead the Rottrich and McGunn Clans from the east. Hopefully, they could strike with enough force to plow a way into the castle.

"I hope to see ye in there, William," said Cameron before he rode off.

"Aye, ye too," replied William.

Hudson spent some time in conversation with Dominic before he cast a final glance and nodded toward William. He left with a third of the troops, and the small army William was leading suddenly felt a lot smaller.

He rode with Dominic, and they chatted along the way, but neither mentioned Dakota. They both feared that something would happen to her, and if it had not already, it would when they approached.

"Ye are goin' to make a fine leader when ye take over from yer faither," noted William.

They had not seen a house or animal in nearly two miles, and it felt peaceful to ride through the countryside as if they did not have a care in the world. It was the tranquility before the storm.

"I hope so," replied Dominic. "What can ye tell me about bein' a good Laird?"

William could tell from the lad's voice that he wanted his mind taken from what was to come.

"Ye need to love yer people, and ye need to be able to die for them. Ye might be seen as the most important person in yer clan, but ye are the most expendable too. Ye need to put everyone else's needs first and ken that there is someone else just as good as ye ready to take over."

"Ye daenae make it sound all that good," commented Dominic.

"Nay, daenae get me wrong. It is all those things and hard, but it is the most rewardin' thin' in the world. When ye are Laird of yer clan, ye get to make everyone's life better. It is filled with trouble, but it is worthwhile. I can see how much ye love yer family, and yer clan is yer family too. Ye are goin' to have nay problem leadin', Dominic."

"Thank ye," said Dominic. "I can see that ye love yer clan too, and they must love ye and Dakota to follow ye into battle for this. And, ye must love me sister also."

"Aye, I do. I cannae wait to tell her that again in person."

"Aye, me too," said Dominic.

They rode in silence again now that Dakota had been mentioned. The clan had not known Dakota long, but they loved her. And she had not been Lady of the Clan for long, but she had done a great job. William knew the cla would follow him into battle for most reasons, and it was a slight against the clan for Conall to have taken Dakota as he did, but he knew the clan was also putting their lives on the line because of what she meant to everyone.

When he had her back in his arms and would not let anything stand in the way, he would show her how much he loved her. He would start a family with her and bring stability and a long, prosperous future to the clan .

And he had bigger plans than that too. The actions of Conall had not only brought the clans together in battle but had brought them together against a common enemy. They might not be fighting against the English, but Conall represented that enemy, and when the fight was over, William could use it to create more unity in the south of Scotland.

There was a long-standing dream by many Scots to bring Scotland together as one united county instead of many individual clans, and while that was a long way off still, this could be the catalyst.

A rider appeared in the distance and came straight for them—one of William's advanced scouts.

William and Dominic rode out to meet him.

"What say ye?" asked William.

"He has called in reinforcements, but nae as many as we thought. The English back him, but they still daenae like him."

"That is braw," said William.

Dominic had a smile on his face at the news.

"But he is ready for us, aye?" asked William.

"Aye," responded the rider, "but he's nae goin' to be able to fend us off on three sides. Once the two advance forces hit, ye should have a clear run at the castle.

"How far can we go without bein' seen?" asked William.

"I daenae ken. Another mile or so without the castle seeing ye, but I would bet they have scouts out in the trees too. Ye might have already been seen. I daenae think it matters. They daenae have the numbers anyway."

"How long until the clans get there from the north and south?"

"From reports, I guess an hour, and they look to be makin' the same time to the castle."

"All right, then we attack in a little over an hour. As soon as they see the forces comin' from north and south, they will reposition as best they can. They might try and do the same when they spot us, but it will be too late by then."

William turned to Dominic, and he received a nod of agreement in return. The scout rode on past and rejoined the rest of the men, ready to fight. Dominic rode back, too, to check on the men before they plowed ahead.

William did not need to give any sort of speech to rile up his men. They were fighting their oldest enemy, and that was motivation enough. He dipped into his pocket and took the salve, spreading some more on the wound on his stomach. He did not feel a thing with the medicine applied.

Once the checks had been made, and they had delayed enough to arrive just after the other two forces, they set off at a canter down the road toward the castle.

When the castle came into view, William gave a battle cry, and they took off at a gallop. Dominic and William drew their swords and rode straight for the meagerly-guarded gate.

Arrows whizzed all around, and William felt one fizz past his ear. Dominic kept pace with him. The boy might have been afraid, but he was as brave as any man William had fought beside.

It was chaos in the castle and the surrounding area. Scottish clans closed in from all sides, and William tried to spot Cameron and Hudson, but he was unable in the melee.

The Laird swung his sword and cut through one of his attackers. He switched his sword to the other side and hung to the side on his horse, cutting down another.

Arrows still came from the battlements, but they were slowly lessening. Ladders were stacked against the walls, and some clansmen had already infiltrated the walls and were ascending to take down the archers.

William and Dominic cut a swathe through the small force waiting to stop them, and the Laird was sure he saw some of Conall's men fleeing for the trees. They knew the battle would not end favorably for them.

And then they were into the castle, and it seemed eerily quiet. Most of the men had been sent out to stop the Scottish forces. William and Dominic rode as far as they could into the castle before dismounting. They kept their wits about them and their swords drawn. William scoured the area, looking for a way to descend.

William spun and pointed his sword, but the man dropped to his knees. He was dressed like an Englishman, but when he spoke, he was obviously Scottish.

"I'm one of Cameron's men, m'Laird. Yer lookin' for a way down, aren't ye?" asked the man.

"Aye, where is—"

"Nay, she is nae down there. I daenae ken what Conall is up to, but he took her up to the chapel with some of his men. Come on; I can lead ye there."

The chapel? I need to get there before it is too late!