Chapter Thirty-Eight

Dyna

After the group left for the western part of the isle, Dyna had a bad feeling about everything that was happening. She couldn't quite pin it down yet, but something wasn't right about what Logan had told them.

"I don't like this, Derric. Take the bairns inside. Have Astra take them to the cellars to play the hiding game. You know they love it. Take Magni and Lia too. Magni can help Astra with Sandor."

"Great idea, Diamond. Then I'll be back to help you."

Maitland headed toward the front gates, so Dyna caught up with him. "I have an odd feeling, but I can't define it yet."

"That's enough to get my attention. I'll talk with the guards, put them on alert."

"I'm going to walk around the wall as far as I can on the outside. Look for anything that has changed, any easy points to breach."

"Hold up, Dyna. Look who's coming up the path."

Logan and Gwyneth rode two horses abreast, Gwyneth waving to them. Dyna raced to their sides. "I'm so glad you're here, and I'm so pleased to see you, Gwyneth. I'd like to chat, but I'm having a bad feeling, so I'm going around the curtain wall. Derric took the bairns into the cellars."

"Say no more. We'll head inside and help in any way." Logan took the reins of his wife's horse to lead them to the stables. "I'm sensing things are not right. Could be the bastard used trickery to divide our forces."

"Dyna, do what you and Maitland must do. Do not worry about us." Then she turned to her husband. "Logan, we're going up on the wall," Gwyneth said, pointing to a spot. "Right there. I want that spot. Find me a stool."

They went their separate ways, and Dyna's unease grew. Something was about to happen, but what? She took the time to stroll around Duart Castle's curtain wall. It was her favorite walk because one could see water on three sides, almost. The Sound of Mull, the Firth of Lorne, and Loch Linnhe surrounded the coast. She'd even promised to one day take the bairns down on a stretch that looked quite serene.

Not today. She held her bow with such a tight grip that she knew she was missing something. Opening the back gate, she rounded the side of the keep just as the goat herder crossed the entrance to deliver the day's milk, but he headed toward the stable, not his usual path.

Perhaps he'd seen someone inside he wished to speak with.

The man disappeared, and within seconds, she caught the flash of fire when the back of the stable ignited.

"Maitland! The horses!"

She ran to the stone building, opening the side door and rushing in, opening up each stall and slapping the horses. Midnight Moon wouldn't move, so she tugged on him, finally getting him outside. He acted strange but there was no time to figure why the beast was fussing, just get him safe. Once he was out, a voice caught her.

"Diamond! She ran away! Catch her."

Tora was headed straight for her mother, way ahead of Derric, so Dyna waved him back inside. "I'll get her. Go back with the others, Derric. The attack has started."

Tora said, "I don't like that man, Mama." She pointed to the back of the stable. "He went in there. I save you."

A man charged out from behind the wooden building, the goat herder, and the worst happened. He headed straight for Tora, still a good distance away from her.

Dyna screamed, grabbing Tora before the man could get to her, but he lunged for Dyna instead. She tossed her daughter up on Midnight Moon's back and said, "Ride horsey out back, Tora. Go!"

Tora took the reins and to Dyna's utter surprise, the animal calmed right down. The man came straight for her, a sword in his hand.

An arrow sliced through the air over her head and into the man's leg, but it didn't stop him. Midnight Moon changed his direction and danced behind them, and then did something that totally surprised Dyna. He reared, Tora hanging tightly to the reins as the beast came down on the man's back, knocking him to the ground at the same time that a second arrow hit him in the neck.

Maitland was behind her. "Get your daughter! I'll get the rest of the horses out."

Gwyneth yelled, "Get your daughter and get up here, Dyna. There are ten more men coming this way, and they don't look friendly!"

Maitland cursed, but the gates were already locked. Dyna took her daughter off Midnight, and she kissed him. "Many thanks, Moon boy."

"I ride horsey, Mama."

"You did, and you did a fine job hanging on. Now get your bow ready. We have men to stop." Tora's arrows wouldn't hurt anyone, but the lass didn't know that. Dyna raced up the stairs to the top of the wall, carrying Tora, then found a spot a distance away from Gwyneth, arranging herself, her daughter, and her arrows before firing.

Logan joined them, cursing, pulling his own bow out. "Bastards. The threat to MacQuarie was a diversion. I heard them planning to get the girl." He peeked over at Dyna. "What the hell do they want with Tora?"

"Was Tora the one they wanted? He was going to grab her, but one girl looks the same as the others next to strangers," she said. "Which one was he after? There are four here."

The answer came to them sooner than expected. Three men came close to the gates and said to the two guards there, "Give us the faerie, and we'll let you live."

They were all dead within seconds, enough arrows protruding from their bodies, but they weren't done yet. Broc came around the parapets, bellowing, "They're coming in the back entrance!" He raced down the staircase, his weapon readied.

Five men came around the side of the castle inside the wall, swords in hand. Maitland, Broc, and two other guards charged them. Broc took on two men, parrying and thrusting at both until he struck one in the leg, forcing him to the ground.

Maitland went after another man but chuckled. "You think to take me down with that paltry weapon?" The two fought while the two guards took on the remaining two invaders.

Clashing swords rent the air and arrows flew, but they weren't finding their target.

Dyna reached for Gwyneth, staying her hand. "You're getting too close to our men. I'll get them."

"Blasted eyes," Gwyneth cursed.

Logan said, "Mine are no better. I'm moving." He took off down the walk on the curtain wall to gain closer access. His first arrow struck the man one of the guards fought, catching him in the back and he yelled in pain, falling to the ground.

Broc took a wide swing and struck his opponent in the side, nearly slicing him in half. He was dead in seconds. Logan took another man out, then Maitland's attacker fell next by his sword.

Dyna and Gwyneth jumped when a lone invader come across the wall, landing in the walkway. Dyna shoved her daughter behind her, but she caught the man's excitement when his eyes found Tora. "Give me the lass!" he cried, running straight at them. They both fired at the same time, hitting him in two places. Tora called out, "I got him, Mama."

The battle was over.

Dyna hugged her daughter tight, then leaned back against the wall and said, "Nice shot, Gwyneth. I know it was yours that hit him in the leg."

"Damn eyes. I was aiming for his heart."

Dyna smiled and sat down, but said, "Doesn't matter. You got him." Then she thought of her daughter running to her, away from Derric, something unusual.

"Tora, why did you run outside?"

"I had to save you from the bad man."

"How did you know he was bad?"

She pointed to her forehead and said, "I saw him here."

Logan returned in time to overhear the conversation. "Does that mean she's the faerie?"

Dyna said, "There are four girls here. Astra, Sylvi, Tora, and Lia. I don't know which one is the faerie?"

Tora said, "I know, Mama." She glanced at her mother, a wide smile on her face.

Dyna, sitting a short distance away, whirled her head to look at her daughter. "Who is the faerie?"

Tora looked at her mother and smiled. "We all are. But I'm this kind." Tora pointed to her forehead again, then walked over to her mother, bent over to look in her mother's eyes, tipping her head upside down, and pointed to Dyna's forehead. "Just like you."

"The others are different."