20. The Tipping Point

20

THE TIPPING POINT

“ T his is a trap!” Lachlan accused, pointing a finger at James. “How can we trust anything he says?”

“Now ye ken how I felt about ye,” Finn quipped.

“It is nae a trap, I swear. If ye find anything false about my story,” James pleaded, “then I will stand here and let ye run yer sword through me without a fight.”

“Trust me, I will.”

Finn’s threatening look had Aila frightened, even though it hadn’t been directed at her.

“The lad, where did ye find him?” Lachlan asked.

Aila still had a firm grip on Christopher, both bundled in the chair closest to the fire to warm the boy up.

“I found him camping in the woods just beyond the castle gates. He startled me as much as I did him. When I asked what a lad his age was doing out in the woods by himself, he told me he was waiting for Lachlan and Aila. I could nae have left him out in the cold like that. So I brought him in with me.”

“Is that the truth?” Aila asked Christopher gently.

He nodded, his eyes full of tears and the fear of being a disappointment.

“How did ye even get this far?” Lachlan asked the boy.

Opening his mouth to answer, Christopher was cut off when Arran bolted inside, the MacKenzie children trailing after him, all covered in snow, smiling with glee. He skidded to a stop, his smile dropping as soon as he took notice of the expressions on all the adults’ faces. His eyes went wide when he noticed just who was sitting in Aila’s lap. Lachlan looked between the two boys, slowly putting things together.

“Arran, did ye ken about this? Did ye have some part to play in Christopher following us?”

Arran’s eyes found the floor before coming back up to meet his godfather’s stern look.

“Aye,” he openly admitted. “I discovered him in the woods the first night we left.”

“I begged Arran nae to tell ye,” Christopher blurted out, distressed. “I could nae let ye go off to save Taryn without me. I-I could never forgive myself if something happened to her and I did nae try to help.”

“So ye took off after us in the dead of winter? That is the most reckless, foolish thing I have ever heard,” Lachlan lectured. “Ye could have been caught by some verra unfriendly people. Ye could have gotten frostbitten. A thousand other things could have happened to ye, and then where would ye be. What were ye thinking?”

Christopher sat straighter, jumping out of Aila’s lap to face his Laird head on.

“This is nae the first winter I have been stuck out in the cold. I ken how to take care of myself without any help. Besides, Arran would bring me food and make sure there was a path for me to follow. I have nae had a mother before. I-I,” he sniffled, all bravado gone from his speech. “I could nae lose Taryn too.”

Tears streamed down his face, his admission striking them all deeply. Aila pulled him back into her lap and whispered assurances that everything would be alright. Lachlan let out a heavy sigh as he turned towards Arran again.

“We will deal with both of ye later. For now, take him to the kitchens, Arran. See that he gets enough food to fill his belly and warm clothes. Then both of ye, get to yer room and stay there until I come get ye.”

Nodding, the boys scampered off, leaving James to still be addressed.

“Just because ye were telling the truth about Christopher,” Lachlan said pointedly, “does nae mean ye are telling the truth about everything.”

“I agree with Laird Kincaid,” Finn chimed in. “Yer story does nae make sense. If ye were the one to capture the lass in the first place, why would ye be coming to them now to help ye save her?”

Aila’s mind was racing at everything James had already told them; Taryn’s capture, his change of heart, and that she was now imprisoned by her uncle, but she was glad that at the very least, Lachlan and Finn finally agreed on something.

“Because I did nae see the full picture. I thought that she was this selfish woman who kent all that would happen when she left. I let her family convince me, as they have the rest of the clan, that she was the perpetrator of this entire situation.”

“She is nae?” Finn questioned, still unbelieving.

“Nay! She was just scared; a young woman being sent to marry a man with a reputation for murdering his wives. I would have run too, had I been in her shoes. It is nae her fault my clan is in this situation. The blame lies solely on the Laird’s shoulders. But he refuses to accept that and continues to blame Taryn. The entire clan does. They are all in an uproar.”

“What are they planning to do with her?” Aila asked, horrified at the turn of events.

“The Laird sent Baron Dudley a letter, asking to reinstate the original terms of their agreement. But the Baron denied him. He is now insisting that the only thing to appease him is Taryn’s head.”

Aila felt her knees give out. Were it not for the chair behind her, she would have crumpled to the ground.

“Dinnae let this man’s words get to ye, my love,” Lachlan told Aila, his words bitter and cold. “He is a liar. This is exactly the kind of thing the Baron would think to do; send a man in to gain our trust so that we follow him into a trap.”

“What if it is nae a trap?” Aila pressed, her eyes wide with desperation. “What if Taryn truly is locked in a dungeon, on the brink of losing her life?”

Lachlan sighed heavily, but it was Finn who answered.

“This is exactly what he wants ye to think. Ye must trust us, Aila. He cannae be trusted.”

James launched into his defense anew, repeating the things he had already told them. Aila turned to Lachlan to try to convince her husband that they needed to do something to help Taryn. Lachlan, swayed by Aila, turned to Finn to weigh the risks and benefits while the rest of the room erupted into chaos, each man vying to have his opinion heard.

If she had found the room dizzying before James had entered, it was an absolute mess now. Just when she thought the room couldn’t get any louder with shouted thoughts, a shrill whistle cut through the air.

One by one, each conversation halted and heads swung to locate the source of such a powerful whistle. Iona stood at the end of the table, two fingers in her mouth, keeping the impossibly high pitch going until it was the only sound in the room.

“In all my days as the daughter of the Laird and Laird myself, I have never seen a war room in such disarray.” Her words held the tone of a mother’s strong disapproval. “If ye had told me this morning that I would need to whistle as if we were on a battlefield to gain any kind of decorum, I would have argued that my council has more manners than that. How worrisome it is that I have been proven wrong. Perhaps it is time I consider changing some of these seats to clansmen who ken their position in this room.”

Every pair of eyes lowered to the floor, save for Finn and Lachlan’s.

“This is my Keep, need I remind ye,” she continued, cutting off whatever Lachlan was about to say. “I am the Laird in these lands and my word is final. I am tired of deliberating our next steps. We have been too busy arguing when we should have been preparing ourselves for battle.”

“Does that mean ye will help us?” Aila blurted out, too relieved to keep silent.

Iona nodded, a small smile gracing her face.

“But, Iona—” Finn tried.

“It was nae so verra long ago that I was in Taryn’s position,” Iona reminded him, “that I have forgotten the fear that goes along with it. My father had also decided that I had to marry for the benefit of the clan, even if that meant surrendering my life. I, like Taryn, ran for help.”

The room grew still as they all listened to Iona’s story, each face a mixture of awe and amazement.

“Without the aid of my kin, Seamus Murray, and those brave enough to stand in rebellion against a tyrant, I have nay doubt that I would nae be here today.” Her features turned stern as she stared down everyone at the table. “I have heard enough of yer arguments. James’ arrival is the last piece of this puzzle for me to ken that we are in perilous waters. If the Baron is bold enough to attack the McGregors and Kincaids, then Lachlan is right. He will soon set his eyes on us and then to the Murrays. We cannae allow him to get that far. We must intervene now.”

Had she not already been sitting, Aila would have collapsed with relief. Someone was going to help them, to stand against the Baron, to save Taryn.

“I was biding my time, waiting for Seamus to voice his support before I made my mind up, but we can wait nay longer. My conscience demands that I extend the same aid to ye that I was so graciously given when I needed it most.”

She cast a warm, intimate look at Finn. Aila watched in amazement as his face transformed to something equally warm, and even a little handsome.

“Laird Kincaid,” Iona addressed Lachlan formally, shifting the tone of the room once again. “I cannae imagine what it has been like for ye to watch yer clan endure such hardships and ken that ye must prepare to endure them once again. My heart truly aches for all that ye have lost, all that yer people have lost. If I had to rebuild my clan, the way ye are now, if I had to ready them for battle when they have already suffered so greatly, I dinnae ken how I would find the strength.”

Bowing his head in a silent thanks, Lachlan took in their host’s words with an air of mourning that Aila knew was never too far beneath the surface. A tight hand wrapped around her heart and squeezed it.

“The humility and determination ye have shown me in the short amount of time that we have kent each other tells me all I need to ken about ye. I am honored to consider myself yer ally. Honored that ye would come to me to ask for aid. Nae many men would do what ye have done. I applaud yer commitment to leading yer clan well, nay matter the cost.”

“’Tis nay cost but a reward to create a friendship with ye,” Lachlan said earnestly.

“Yer people are welcome within my borders. We will open our homes, our Keep, and our stores to them. Whatever they need, they will find here. We will give them shelter for as long as it takes to see yer lands settled and well-defended once more.”

Aila’s hands covered her gaping mouth. She turned her head so that her eyes could find Lachlan’s. He was just as overwhelmed by Iona’s generosity as she was. Too speechless to reply, Lachlan reached out a hand to Iona and shook it.

“Now, as for ye,” Iona continued, turning her attention to James. “I will nae ally myself to yer Laird. He is nae worthy of the title nor the lands and responsibilities that go with it. Any man willing to sacrifice the life of a woman as a solution to problems that he created, any man willing to sacrifice any woman or child for any reason whatsoever, will never have my support. I find Laird McGregor a spineless coward who deserves the fate coming to him.”

She paused, and the entire table leaned in, waiting to see where she was going with her speech. James didn’t bother arguing, clearly agreeing with everything Iona had accused his Laird of being. But Aila couldn’t help but wonder what that meant for the rest of the McGregor Clan, what that meant for Taryn.

“However, yer clan is nae at fault for having a poor leader. They are nae to blame for the current circumstances. So, this is what I will offer them: anyone willing to leave the McGregor Clan and come here, anyone willing to pledge themselves to our cause, will have refuge. We will give them shelter, food, and work. And when it comes time to return home and start rebuilding their lives, we will help them do that too.”

James’ mouth opened and closed a few times as he struggled to find a response adequate enough to convey all that he was thinking and feeling.

“When I left my clan,” he finally answered, “it was in disarray. They had only been given two options, and neither of them were acceptable. I ken there are many who disagree with the way Laird McGregor is handling this, but they dinnae ken that there are other clans willing to fight against the English. These past three years have made it seem as though we were the only ones. Ye have given me hope, Laird MacKenzie, that with another clan at our side, my people will gain the courage to fight back too. Thank ye.”

For the first time all day, the room settled into an atmosphere of peace and quiet understanding. There was no bickering or debating. There was no fear over what would happen next. Aila felt the tension that had been coiled in between her shoulders ease as she sat back further against her chair.

“Well,” Lachlan said brightly. “What do ye say about showing these McGregors what a true clan looks like? One that stands up for what is right and protects its people?”

The question was directed at Finn, who already had a wry grin spreading across his face. He took Lachlan’s outstretched hand and shook it, their disagreements a thing of the past.

“Nothing would give me greater pleasure.”

The boys sat on the bed side by side, scarfing down their food in companionable silence. Arran had dozens of questions flying through his mind, begging for answers. But the demands his stomach made to be satisfied won, keeping him busy with the extra breakfast. When they both finished, the silence turned a bit awkward. It was clear to them both that they were in trouble with Lachlan and Aila. The thought of Lachlan’s disappointment made all the food Arran had just eaten threaten to come back up again.

“I am sorry I was nae able to bring ye more to eat,” he said at last.

Christopher shrugged, still licking the crumbs off his fingers.

“That is all right. I ken ye did yer best. I am used to being hungry.”

Arran nodded, well acquainted with that feeling too. It was one he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy, let alone his best friend.

“Christopher, I?—”

“Is it true?”

“Did ye really survive on the road by yerself?”

“How many days were ye out there?”

“Was it awful? Was it amazing?”

The bombardment of questions came from behind the still swinging door that Rory had shoved open, Alexandra standing right beside him. Arran pushed himself off the bed to welcome them in, but Christopher kept his eyes on his feet.

“He was nae by himself.” Arran puffed his chest. “I discovered he was following us the verra first night and I vowed to help him. I would sneak him food and water whenever I could. I left a trail so he would ken how to follow us. I helped him.”

Alexandra’s brown eyes went wide with innocent admiration. Rory, his father’s double, crossed his arms with a skeptical look. Arran stepped to the side and made the introductions for Christopher. The young orphan found it very odd for the daughter of a Laird to dip into a curtsey for him. Rory’s analytical stare was much more what Christopher had expected.

“How did Laird Kincaid nae find out what ye were doing?”

“I am verra quick,” Arran shrugged.

“I could have done it without yer help,” Christopher muttered.

Arran spun around, his ego wounded, and turned to his friend.

“What are ye saying?”

“I am saying,” Christopher answered, finally pushing himself off the bed to face their guests. “I survived on the road without yer help for years. It was nae hard to do it again for a few days. Nae for something as important as this.”

“I still helped ye,” Arran quipped. “Even if ye could have done it by yerself, ye still did nae have to. Is that nae what brothers are for?”

Christopher held his ground for a moment as he let Arran’s words wash over him.

“I ken there is nae much I could do without my brother,” Alexandra chimed in, desperately wanting to diffuse the male tension.

“Do ye think ye could teach us?” Rory asked after having assessed the strange boy.

“Teach ye?” Christopher asked. “Why would anyone ever want to ken how to survive for months without much food?”

“There might come a time when we will need to ken how. We play a big part in our clan’s continuation. I am the heir and Alexandra must marry to give us more allies. But if one of our enemies ever tried to attack us, if we were ever in danger, it would be good to ken.”

Arran and Christopher exchanged dubious looks. Neither of them had ever considered themselves worthy of having powerful enemies. They had only ever been a couple of boys doing their best to survive. Yet, now they were being asked for help by a future Laird.

“All right,” Christopher said with a toothy grin. “I will tell ye all that I ken on one condition.”

“Anything,” Rory answered, serious as always.

“Show me where I can get some more of those raspberry biscuits.”