Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

" L et's go riding." Mariota hooked her arm through Seamus's when she found him in the middle of the bailey, and turned him toward the stables. "I want to get out for a while and 'tis a fine morning."

"Yer father does no' want ye to leave the keep."

"Da does no' want me to leave alone. I willna be. Ye will be with me."

Seamus didn't look convinced, so Mariota stuck out her lower lip, doing her best to look pitiable and sad. When Seamus sucked in a breath, she knew she'd won.

"We'll go," he told her, "but we must return before noon."

"Why do ye say that? We always do."

"I'm meeting someone."

"Perfect. If ye'll beg Cook for some food so we can break our fast, I'll fetch Valkyrie."

He stood firm when she tried to turn them back toward the keep. "I dinna ken if this is such a good idea."

He couldn't back out now! She could taste freedom. And her favorite mount, Epona, needed to run. Chafing over her father's restrictions, Mariota hadn't been able to ride her in weeks, and she was used to more freedom. She thought she'd found a champion in Seamus, and feared he was wavering. "I promise we'll be back in time. With Valkyrie along, we can hunt and make the morning worthwhile. She might take another coney for the pot. Da canna complain about that."

Mariota kept her expression neutral as Seamus considered. He feared her father's wrath. Everyone did. But the gate guard would not let her ride out without an escort, and Seamus was the most amenable to her of the MacKay men.

Just as she was becoming tempted to stamp her foot in frustration, he nodded.

"Fetch her, and yer bow. I'll meet ye in the stable."

Elation filled her, but she kept it off her face. "Thank ye." She headed for the mews to collect Valkyrie. She kept her bow there, too, so in minutes she was in the stable, instructing the lad working there to saddle Epona and Seamus's favorite mount.

By the time the horses were ready, Seamus arrived with a packet of food and two skins. He held up one of them. "Wine."

Mariota nodded. He knew her preference for watered wine over ale. They mounted up and Mariota settled Valkyrie on the bow perch pommel the hawk master had carved for her. She led the way from the stable to the gate and called, "Open up."

"Ye are no' to go riding," the guard answered.

"No alone, nay. But Seamus is with me."

"Open up," Seamus added. "We will no' be gone long."

Mariota held her breath. With Seamus by her side, she hadn't expected resistance from the guard. "What did Da threaten all of ye with?" She kept her voice low enough only Seamus would hear her.

"Trust me, ye dinna wish to ken."

"Ouch."

"Pitch yer voice higher and ye'll have the right idea."

Mariota scowled at that. Surely her da wouldn't do anything so barbaric. Her expression smoothed into a smile as the gate inched open. As soon as there was enough of a gap for the horses to slip through, she kicked Epona into motion. In moments, they were free.

They rode hard across the open field outside the gate, but had to slow when they entered the woods. At the first clearing, Mariota stopped and loosed Valkyrie. "Hunt," she told her. The raptor eyed her, then took to her wings and was soon lost to sight above the trees.

"She'll call if she spots something," Mariota reminded Seamus. "Until she does, let's ride."

They continued into the woods. In moments, Valkyrie's piercing call sounded above them. "That way," Seamus said, pointing.

In the next clearing, they found Valkyrie perched on her kill, a young fox kit. "Fox is not good to eat, but the fur will be welcome," Mariota commented as she dismounted.

Seamus pulled his dirk, skinned the carcass, and left the meat for Valkyrie. The fur he rolled and tied behind his saddle. "She didn't take long. Will she keep hunting?"

"Aye." Mari took the water skin from Epona's back as she watched Valkyrie tear strips of meat from the fox's haunch. She looked away long enough to rinse Seamus's hands and knife of blood. "She won't take much from that."

In moments, the bird launched skyward and they remounted.

Seamus picked up his reins. "Which way?"

"Toward the burn, I think," Mariota said. "We can wash up, refill this, and water the horses there, even if Valkyrie doesn't spot any prey."

At the burn, Seamus checked his horse's hooves. "Damn, I thought so. He's thrown a shoe."

"He's lamed?"

"Nay, but I canna ride him back to the keep without risking him. I'll have to walk him back."

At that moment, Valkyrie called. "She's spotted something. I'll go check," Mariota said.

"Dinna go far," Seamus warned. "Ye need to come with me. I canna leave ye here or yer da will have my cods, and I canna get to ye with any speed if trouble finds ye."

"I'll come back as quickly as I can." Mariota rode away, leaving Seamus to deal with his mount. Relishing her freedom to be alone, she forgot her promise to stay close by. She kept going, following Valkyrie's cries until she realized how long she'd been wandering away from Seamus, and called the bird down.

Mariota knew she would be in trouble going so far from the keep. Seamus was well behind her, stuck waiting for her with a lame horse. If he got worried and didn't wait, he'd be hours walking trying to find her. Though she relished the time to herself, away from everyone, out of the keep, and away from her father's odious commands, it wasn't worth the punishment her father would mete out to Seamus if he found out.

This solitude, and feeling almost as free as Valkyrie on the wing was an illusion, and there would be consequences if she didn't get back to Seamus soon. She dismounted and walked across the clearing toward where Valkyrie had landed with her kill, another bird. Mariota would let her feast on it before they headed home. She had earned the treat. But they needed to head back, or Seamus would indeed start searching for her, and he'd never go with her out of the keep again.

An arrow came out of nowhere and buried itself in the ground next to Valkyrie. The hawk dropped her kill and launched herself into the air.

Mariota spun, searching for cover and for where the shot had come from. Before she could pick a direction and move out of danger, Alber showed himself.

"Ye are a long way from home, lass," he taunted her. "And alone. Ye dare to claim I canna fight? I can best any man, but soon, I willna need to."

He laughed, making Mariota's blood turn to ice in her veins. What was he doing out here? He'd followed her. Her taunt had hit closer to the mark than she realized.

"Yer lap dog, Seamus, is far away," he said.

She didn't need the reminder. If she wasn't so focused on Alber, she'd curse herself for ignoring Seamus' warning and wandering so far. What price was she about to pay for her taste of freedom?

"He can do naught to help ye, now can he? And I can do with ye what I will. For as long as I want." He stepped closer, lips pulled back in a malicious grin. "Ye'll have to marry me by the time I'm done with ye. Go on, scream if ye wish. Ye willna be heard."

What? All this was so he could take over the clan? "I dinna need to scream," she ventured, anger welling, though she fought the urge to run. Alber would be on her before she could take three steps. All she could do was hold her ground and keep his attention on her. Fear made her knees weak and her heart pound, but he wouldn't expect her to have the strength to defy him, and she had a secret weapon.

She whistled, calling Valkyrie down to attack, and swept her arm toward Alber.

He laughed and grabbed her hand.

Mariota tugged, fighting to get free, knowing she was too close for what was to come.

Valkyrie's attack was as swift as it was unexpected— at least for him. Before he could pull Mariota against him, the hawk's steep dive ended in a rush of air that blew Mariota's hair back. As Valkyrie's wings flared out around Alber's head, he dropped Mariota's hand. She stumbled back as he tried to protect his throat by grabbing at Valkyrie's claws, but he was too slow. Valkyrie raked his neck and pecked his face, tearing a chunk out of his cheek. Mariota whistled her away before his frantic grabs could harm her.

Valkyrie launched herself skyward.

At least her bird was safe. Mariota wasn't. The look on Alber's torn face promised a painful death if he managed to get his hands on her. He staggered a step, his hands outstretched to throttle her, but he swayed before he reached her. His skin, what of it that wasn't bloodied, had gone a pasty white. Mariota forgot her fear of being grabbed. She might see this man die before her— so much blood coated Alber's face and neck. Instead of rushing Mariota, he pawed at his face, then turned back to his horse, and clung to its saddle, no longer able to taunt or threaten her.

Valkyrie had given her time to escape him. She dared not waste it. Mariota ran to her mount, heart pounding louder in her ears than her footfalls. She glanced back and took her first easy breath since Alber's arrow had narrowly missed her hawk. He still clutched his saddle. She mounted and rode hard the way she'd come, her hawk pacing her in the sky above her.

Still at a gallop, she found Seamus, pulled on the reins and wheeled Epona to a stop.

"Mariota! What's wrong?"

Breathless, she told him what had happened. "He may be coming behind us," she warned, "but Valkyrie did some damage. He's bloodied. I dinna ken how bad."

Frowning, Seamus said, "I'll ride double with ye. My mount can run without a rider on his back. We need to get back to the keep. Ye are nay safe out here."

"Da will never let me out of MacKay's walls again."

"If Alber catches ye, yer da will be the least of yer worries." He mounted up behind her. "Now let's go."

They reached the keep safely, but Mariota knew that wasn't the end of her peril. She still had to tell her father what happened.

"I told ye to stay inside the gates," he raged, pacing his solar after he sent men to look for the injured Alber. "Ye disobeyed me yet again. Must I lock ye in yer chamber?"

"I did as ye asked, Da. I wasna alone until Seamus's horse threw a shoe. And Valkyrie spotted prey, so I went after her. But Alber found me. He threatened me. I had to call Valkyrie down to stop him from… hurting me."

His frown and the way his jaw clenched told her he understood what she hadn't said. Alber would not get out of this unpunished, either.

"If ye had stayed in the keep as ye ought, this wouldna have happened. Seamus will be punished for aiding ye."

"Ye canna do that, Da. Blame me if ye must. I convinced Seamus to ride with me. But no' for what happened to Alber. He did no' have to follow. Or threaten me. He tried to kill Valkyrie, first, but his arrow missed. He got nay more than he deserved."

"And so shall ye. Get ye to yer chamber. I'll deal with ye after the men return."

Mariota realized she'd get nowhere arguing with her father. Meekly, she nodded and did as he ordered.

An hour later, he called her back. His men had found Alber.

As she approached the solar, she heard her father's voice and one of his councilors, as well. James was one of the men her father trusted to advise him, a strong and experienced warrior. Mariota paused outside the door.

"Ye are going to have to do something about him," James was saying.

Mariota knew who he meant.

"I am considering it. He would deserve lashes, but according to my daughter, her hawk may have taken care of that already."

His bark of laughter elicited a chuckle from James, but sickened her. Would her father do something to Valkyrie?

"Perhaps he'll have a scar on the other side of his face to balance the one he got at Harlaw," James said. "'Twould only be fair."

"He canna go unpunished for this," her father said, "but nay matter what I do, lashes, time in the dungeon or the stocks, it will just make Alber angrier and more determined to do harm. He hasna been himself since Harlaw, but never this bad."

The silence stretched long enough that she knew James must have simply nodded or shrugged.

"Ye might want to name a tanist ," James said.

The change of subject surprised her. Why had he brought that up?

"If the worst happens, he can take over, and Mariota willna have to be in control," he continued.

Her father gusted out a heavy sigh. "Aye, I've thought of it."

He had? Why hadn't he discussed the idea with her first? She could have been open to the assistance a tanist would give her, but now? She could feel her muscles tensing and her heart race with her growing fury. She considered bursting in on the meeting and confronting her father over his betrayal, yet again, of the trust that should exist between a laird and his heir.

Before she could take a step in that direction, sanity returned. He wasn't alone.

The council wanted her to be passed over? Her stomach sank. Whether she wanted to be heir or not, she didn't know how she would bear the embarrassment of having her father's council refute her. She'd always imagined refusing to become laird on her own terms, or abdicating after she found a man who truly loved her. The idea of marrying for love and leaving MacKay in the control of her hand-picked successor was a pleasant fantasy. Hearing the reality of her father and his council preparing to replace her made her long to return to her chamber.

But she'd been summoned, and making her father send for her again would only make matters worse. She cleared her throat to warn them of her presence and took the difficult paces to and through the door.

"Yer men found my attacker?" She was still angry enough to challenge him.

"My men found Alber unconscious, blood still seeping from the wounds on his neck and face. No matter what he said or did, he does no' deserve to die," her father raged once he gave her the news. "Certainly no' in this way! Killed by yer damn hawk? If the lads had no' found him when they did, he could be dead."

"He threatened to ruin me. I had to defend myself."

He stood and leaned over his desk toward her. "Ye, lass, are of an age to cause more such trouble. There are rough men here. More since Domnhall sent troops to fight Mar. I'll put an end to this nonsense. I will see ye married. Soon. Then yer husband can keep ye out of trouble."

"To Alber?" Mariota gasped. This was to be her punishment? Mortified, she glanced aside at James, who was sitting quietly off to one side. He watched her with an expression she could only interpret as disgust. She straightened her shoulders. She used to think he liked her. Now that she knew better, she would not betray her feelings in front of him.

"Nay. And no' to Seamus," her father continued, drawing her attention back to his words. "He may be yer friend and protector, but marriage to him does naught for MacKay. We need an alliance. And I know where to seek one."

Mariota drew a relieved breath. She'd misunderstood his threat and feared he would go along with Alber. She should have known better. Still, she couldn't believe she had to have this conversation in front of one of the council. "Nay, Da, I willna. I dinna wish to marry. No' with Seamus, and certainly no with a stranger."

"Ye ken yer place, daughter. Ye will do yer duty for the clan."

She fought to keep from fisting her hands. Even if her father didn't notice, James would. "Ye are punishing me for Alber's actions."

"Perhaps I am, but for yers as well. Ye must learn what ye do has consequences. In this case, ye nearly cost a man's life."

"I told ye what happened. He brought that on himself. Why are ye protecting him rather than me?" If nothing else, she had to make her father understand how dangerous Alber was to her.

He glanced aside at James, and the two exchanged a frown, then he turned to glare at her. "I will no' argue with ye, daughter. Leave me now, or there will be even more consequences."

He'd confine her to her chamber, or deny her Valkyrie, or something else she couldn't bear. She lifted her chin, turned, and left the solar.

"A lass like that needs a very strong husband," she heard James say before she'd taken three steps past the doorway.

"Aye, she does," her father said. "I'd hoped to find one at Sutherland, but I may have to look elsewhere.

Mariota could easily imagine they would consider a brute like Alber to be just the type of man to tame her.

She would go to her chamber, but not for any longer than necessary. She needed time to gather her things, and to find a way to get out of the keep's walls without being seen. Running away was dangerous, even foolish, she knew, but she also knew her father. He'd do what he'd promised and marry her off, probably to some old laird of an enemy clan, for the sake of one of his damned alliances. She couldn't bear the thought. She'd rather live on her own in a hut in the woods. With Valkyrie to help her hunt, she'd never starve. But first she had to free Valkyrie and get away.

Then she'd deal with the rest of her life.

Stellan raised a hand, ordering the hunting party to halt just below the next rise. They'd tracked the huge stag for three days, headed north toward MacKay. Stellan knew they were still on Sutherland territory, but they couldn't go much farther. If they didn't get lucky soon, the stag would escape them.

Their horses nickered softly, but no one spoke. Stellan dismounted, crept to the crest and stretched out on the ground to peer over it. The big stag had disappeared over the hill and into the thicker woods just beyond a wee glen that marked the boundary. Into MacKay territory.

His friend Tormund crept up and stretched out beside him. "See him?"

"Nay, and we're at our border with MacKay. If he doesna wander back this way, we willna be able to keep after him."

"Bollocks. We've been chasing that bastard for days. We canna lose him to the MacKays."

"We can and we will. He's crossed the border." Stellan raised a hand to forestall Tormund's objection. "Likely he wanders back and forth at will. If we wait, we'll see him on this side again."

Tormund eyed the sun's position low in the southwestern sky, snorted and pushed up onto his knees. "Unless the MacKays get him first. That's it then. I'm for making camp. Let's let him live another day."

Stellan nodded and got to his feet. As he did, the stag meandered out of the trees and back across the glen's small clearing well ahead of them, nibbling at green shoots as he went. "He does no' bloody care that he's run us all over the countryside. Look at him."

Tormund crossed his arms over his massive chest. "He kens we're here."

"Aye. And if we go at him, he'll duck back into those trees in MacKay territory."

A hawk circled over the stag and emitted a piercing cry.

The stag's head came up and he froze.

"He's too big for the likes of ye," Tormund muttered, clearly addressing the raptor.

Before Stellan could answer, the stag bolted— straight for them.

"What the hell?" Tormund raised his bow, but Stellan put a hand on his arm.

"Wait till he's well on our side. Wait." Stellan's gaze swept the area between their hilltop and the stag, looking for the stone marker he knew was in the glen. He spotted it as the stag crossed into Sutherland and began to run uphill. "Now!"

Tormund loosed his arrow and struck the stag in the throat.

It went down, stumbling, onto its foreleg knees, and rested there, wheezing, as blood began to soak its shoulder.

Stellan nocked an arrow and loosed it, finishing the beast. "I didna want to see him suffer," he said, waving at the others to bring the horses up.

Tormund nodded and they started down the hill. An arrow whizzed by and buried itself in the ground behind them. They ducked and scrambled for the cover of a tree trunk.

"Sodding Sutherland thieves!" The angry call came from MacKay land. Another arrow followed it.

"Stay back," Stellan warned his men, turned and faced toward the buck. "We've stolen nothing."

"The buck was on MacKay land. 'Tis ours!"

"We've chased that buck over half of Sutherland. It crossed into MacKay and back out again before we killed it. Ye have nay claim."

The rumble of deep male voices came to them, none clear, until one rose above the others to object, "That blasted bird spooked it and it ran. We'd have it but for the hawk."

"Ye did no' ken the buck was even there until the hawk screamed a warning," another said.

The voices dropped, but continued wrangling. Stellan sat back against the tree trunk and looked across to where Tormund was doing the same. They traded a look and shrugged.

"Think we can retrieve it?" Tormund's grin gave away the sarcasm in his question.

"Go right ahead," Stellan told him. "It ye want yer arse shot full of arrows trying to pull it up here."

"Guess we'll have to wait until they give up and leave."

"Aye. If they do. MacKays are no' kenned for being reasonable."

The arguing continued in the MacKay camp with occasional forays to yell insults at the Sutherlands. With dark encroaching, the MacKays lit a campfire that glowed through the trees on their side.

Tormund groaned when the glow of the fire became visible. "Damn MacKays. That's our buck."

"They'll be watching it from under the cover of those trees. Let's make a show of withdrawing."

Tormund grinned and nodded. "Anders is going to be sorry he missed this."

Stellan stayed down but ordered his men back over the hilltop. He didn't bother to lower his voice, wanting the MacKays to hear him.

On the other side of the hilltop, out of earshot of the rival clansmen, he told his men, "Let them drink themselves pished. Once they do, we'll haul the buck over the hill and be gone before the sun comes up. Tormund and Gregor, ye've got first watch. Wake me when they get quiet."

Two hours later, Stellan took four men to pick up the buck and bring it back over the hill. It was a Sutherland victory his da would appreciate. The only life lost was the buck's.