Chapter 19

19

E rik sat by one of the campfires near the women’s and boys’ tent, listening to the crackle of the logs burning, everyone silent, watching for any signs of trouble. He was in his human form, sword and bow ready for action.

When he wasn’t on guard duty in a couple of hours, he would sleep in his wolf coat outside their tent. That way he could howl a warning and tear into anyone who might be a threat to any of them without a moment’s hesitation.

Logan joined him at the fire and inclined his head, not saying a word. Like Erik, he was listening for anything that would clue them in that trouble was on their way. Erik would be glad when they arrived at Accalia’s castle.

As much as he wanted her to enjoy a celebration of their marriage with her kin, he wanted more to be with her at Whitehaven. He hoped for their sake that everything would go smoothly as far as making the alliance and welcoming her pack as an extension of his own.

If they could leave in a few hours, they would get there by the midday meal. That’s what he was hoping for. Isobel looked like she needed to rest, and the boys did. He wasn’t sure how long they would stay, but hopefully long enough for everyone to feel rested up before they journeyed home, and not too long that they would irritate her da and his people.

“Are you worried you might no’ be welcome for spiriting the lass away like you did?” Logan said.

Erik smiled at his brother. He had risked a war with her da when he did it, but he knew he had to do it. Well, mayhap he should have discussed the matter with her da first. But he hadn’t wanted him to say no to the plan. Erik could be a wee bit impulsive when he came up with an objective at times, he had to admit.

“I would be,” Logan said, tossing a few sticks onto the fire.

“The outcome is all he’ll care about. He gets an alliance, his daughter has a mate, and if he cares, which I hope he does, he’ll be glad we are happy with each other.”

“Aye, I’m sure he will be. If we were just human, it wouldna be an issue. Young girls and boys would be promised to each other and usually wouldna even meet until it was time for them to marry on their wedding day. But as wolves, we mate for life, and it’s important that we are there for each other forever.”

“Aye, true.”

They stopped talking and once they were relieved of guard duty, Logan and Erik stripped off their clothes and shifted into their wolves. Logan went to the other side of the tent and stretched out. Erik stayed near the opening.

It was quiet during the night, though Erik had trouble falling asleep. He was anxious to get to Hillshire Castle and get this over with. Unable to sleep, he barked to let everyone know it was time to get up. It might be a wee bit early. He heard groans coming from inside the tent—from the lasses. The boys were still sound asleep. Getting them up would be a chore, he figured.

Then he shifted and dressed. Isobel came out of the tent, looking tired. “Do we have to get up so early?”

“Aye, to get on our way so we can rest at the castle.”

Isobel groaned.

“Up, up, all three of you,” Accalia said.

“Listen to your mother,” Erik said, poking his head inside the tent.

They hurried to clamber out from under their furs and dressed.

Accalia smiled at him and joined him outside the tent to give him a good morning kiss. “I’m glad you said something. I dinna think any coaxing or threatening would have gotten them up like a word from you.”

He laughed. “You have been able to motivate them much more than I have since you joined us.”

Then she kissed him and whispered, “Mayhap they’re not ready to call me mother yet.”

“Aye, but we shall never know if we dinna try it out.”

Then Bessetta ushered the boys out of the tent and followed them out.

“Let’s eat,” Erik said. He hurried the boys to the closest campfire.

Everyone ate smoked boar, then they packed the camp, and headed out.

Even though everyone was tired, they were sitting higher on their horses, ready to finish the journey.

“Are you all right, Isobel?” Accalia asked.

“I feel better this morn. And knowing we’re going to be arriving at your da’s keep by the nooning meal makes me even more cheerful.”

“Oh, aye, me too.”

“Count me in for that,” Bessetta said.

They all glanced at the boys, but they didn’t look happy at all. Accalia smiled at them. “You dinna have to ride a horse for days once we arrive at my da’s castle.”

“Aye,” Thorfinn said.

The other boys nodded. They took breaks to water the horses and let them rest, but when they were a couple of hours from the castle, a redheaded, bearded man rode toward them. Accalia recognized him as one of the men with Erik’s wolf pack. Hers now, she had to remind herself.

He must have been the messenger Erik had sent to tell her da they were coming. The man looked anxious; his brow furrowed. She didn’t think he would return to speak with Erik, but he would have remained at Hillshire Castle until they arrived.

“What news have you, Colin?” Erik asked, sounding concerned as everyone waited to learn what he had to say.

“I didna reach the castle to give the message to Accalia’s da’s that you were coming with his daughter to make the alliance and to tell him you were wed. As soon as one of the farmers saw me riding toward his croft on my way to the castle, he learned who I was and my reason for being there. He warned me that Freigard and his men are at the castle.”

“Nay,” Accalia said. This was so not good. Were they holding her people hostage? Her da wouldn’t be entertaining the man, she didn’t believe. “Does he know we’re coming to see my da?”

“No’ from me. Mayhap Freigard believed you would mate and marry since he’d failed at carrying you off before, and this is the only way to change the way of things,” Colin said.

“By killing Erik and his men when we arrived,” Accalia said, horrified. Not only because of Freigard’s deviousness but because they had the boys with them and Freigard would not hesitate to kill them, she was certain.

“We are still a couple of hours from your da’s castle. You stay here with the ladies and our lads with a small force to protect you,” Erik said.

“I’ll go with you. You canna lay siege to the castle. What if Freigard starts throwing my people off the parapet? I wouldna put it past him to command it and then I would have to stop it.”

“We have to free your wolf pack,” Erik said.

“Through a secret passage. Only my da, uncle, aunt, cousin, and I know the way in and out of there. Once we’re inside, I’ll know those who are members of my pack and those who are no’. If Freigard doesna know we’re coming yet, he wouldna believe we would be sneaking into the castle.”

Alasdair said, “I believe Accalia has a good plan. My mate and sister will stay with your lads and a guard force.”

“We canna take horses. They could hear them and see them. We need to keep out of their sight, in the event they’re watching. We’ll find the passageway at a croft nearer the castle,” Accalia said.

“We’ll ride for an hour and then a couple of riders will return our horses to the camp,” Erik said. “It would take us too long to reach the castle otherwise.”

“Let’s go then,” Accalia said.

Erik didn’t want Accalia in harm’s way, but he knew she was right about knowing her people and how to secretly gain entrance into the castle, hopefully giving them the advantage. Though he didn’t want her with them in harm’s way.

He spoke to Alasdair about who they would leave behind and who they would take with them.

Isobel said, “If I wasna carrying our bairns, I would go too.”

Erik knew she would. If Alasdair hadn’t been with them, she probably would have joined them. With her sword-fighting skill, she would have been welcome. But she could protect the boys and Bessetta by remaining at the camp.

Once Erik’s brother Finlay agreed to stay and help protect the lasses and his lads, Logan gathered the rest of the men who would go with them. Alasdair was taking his brother Rory with them and Hans would stay behind to help organize Alasdair’s men, though Isobel was right there giving her advice on what they needed for protection.

Accalia gave the boys hugs. “Turn into your wolves if anyone enters the camp and make yourselves scarce.”

“All right,” Thorfinn said. “And we’ll bite the brigands.”

“You hide,” Accalia said. Then she hugged Bessetta. “Keep yourself safe.”

“Aye, you as well.”

Last, Accalia hugged Isobel, who took a moment to wish her well. Then Erik helped Accalia onto her saddle, and they headed out.

“When we get within an hour of the castle, it will take us a while to walk the last hour,” Erik warned Accalia.

“Aye, that’s why I’ll run as a wolf. Someone can carry my clothes. I willna slow you down that way.”

No, she would be well ahead of them if she ran as a wolf. “I will also,” Erik said.

She inclined her head.

“I dinna want you hurt,” Erik said.

“Aye, and I dinna want you harmed either.”

“I was ready to go straight into the fray.”

She smiled at him. “I knew you would. I can be sneakier.”

He chuckled. “You would be right in doing so. We dinna know how many men Freigard has at his beck and call. Or if some of your people are dead or injured.”

“I canna imagine my da allowing Freigard into the castle without a fight, but I’m trying no’ to think about what might have happened.”

In silence, they rode for an hour, and then when they were an hour away from the castle, the men going with Erik and Accalia grabbed their weapons and anything else they required off their saddles.

Erik glanced at Logan, and he said, “I’ll take your things.”

“I’ll take the lass’s,” Rory said, smiling at her.

“Dinna drop them along the way to get back at me for the mischief your sister and I played on you over the years,” Accalia warned as she stripped out of her clothes.

Rory smiled. “I wouldna think of it, no’ when you now have a mate, and Erik is no’ one to cross words—or swords—with.”

Then she finished stripping and shifted. Erik finished removing his clothes, and so did five other men. They turned into wolves and Accalia and Erik led the way.

The wolves moved much faster, able to stay low and well hidden in the bracken and woods. They managed to reach the croft that was out of view of the castle. A farmer was mending a fence when he saw them.

When he noticed Accalia, he raced to his croft and opened the door, waving at her and her companions to go inside.

The wolves ran toward the croft and loped inside the small abode where the crofter’s wife was preparing a meal, and the children were helping her.

The woman, her daughter, and her son were wide-eyed as they saw Accalia and the male wolves enter the croft. She grabbed a fur blanket off the bed and waited for Accalia to shift.

Accalia shifted, took the fur blanket she offered her, and wrapped it around herself. “Tell us what has happened.”

“Freigard and his men went to the castle. We do no’ know why, but they were allowed into the castle and the gates have been locked ever since. We believe everyone inside has been taken hostage.”

Erik shifted. “We were coming to celebrate my mating to Accalia and to agree on an alliance with her da, but we were warned this had come to pass. No’ exactly how or why, but we have men following us in their human form, some from Alasdair’s pack.”

“You are going through the secret tunnels?” the woman asked.

“Aye. You know about them?” Accalia asked.

“No’ where they are but that they exist. Most castles have escape routes, aye?” the woman asked.

Erik nodded.

“What can we do?” the crofter asked.

“Take care of your family,” Accalia said. “If any of Freigard’s men manage to escape the castle and come this way, do what you must to keep your family safe.”

“Aye,” the crofter said. “May you be successful, my lady, my lord.”

Erik prayed no harm would come to his mate or any of the rest of their people, that no one was guarding the tunnel, and that they could free her people without too much bloodshed.