Chapter 8

8

I sobel wondered if the visitors coming to see Alasdair would mean the trouble had to do with them. With her and her kin. She had hoped she and her cousins might fit in with this pack.

After hearing their story, Alasdair’s people had been kind to her and her family, even trying to help her improve her Gaelic so that no one would think she was from the Northlands. Providing them with clothes so they appeared to be Scots, too, was a godsend. Though Conall needed clothes also.

And a bath? She and Elene had been ecstatic about bathing to remove the irritating sea salt from their skin and hair. She couldn’t imagine what the Scots had thought of them looking as wild as could be. At least Drummond and Libby would get baths too, but Conall still needed one.

“Dinna speak to anyone,” Alasdair warned her and Conall. “Hans, I’ll go talk to them. Keep Isobel and her cousin here.”

“Aye.”

But two men came riding up to greet them before Alasdair could meet them away from Isobel and Conall. Were the brothers gossipmongers who would tell anyone who would listen that the pack had taken in the enemy? Or had they suffered at the hands of the Vikings—as well they might have—and would want to kill anyone who had Viking blood?

“Alasdair,” one of the men greeted him, a redhead with green eyes and a scowl.

“Cleary,” Alasdair said, inclining his head a little, then acknowledged the other man, “Baine.”

Baine was black-haired and bearded and looked as wary as the other man.

“We heard you were going on a hunt. May we join you?” Cleary looked over Isobel and Conall, but she didn’t like how he observed her. Then his eyes widened as he considered Conall’s clothing.

“We have enough clansmen on the hunt. Another time,” Alasdair said.

Cleary again eyed Isobel with speculation. “It appears you have gained some new clansmen.”

Alasdair smiled at him. But it was a look that told the men to leave. That he didn’t want them involved in his pack business. The two men were human, so they wouldn’t know Alasdair and his people were wolves.

Alasdair told Hans, “Take Isobel and Conall on the hunt with the others. I’ll join you shortly.”

“Aye.” Then Alasdair motioned to Isobel and her cousin to head out with them.

She was ready. So was Conall. They would hunt for the meal to prove they could provide for the pack, and she was eager to get out of the human’s sights.

While she and her cousin rode with Alasdair’s men through the woods searching for game, Isobel wanted to know what Alasdair would say to Cleary and Baine.

She wondered where the men were from. Probably not far from the pack’s territory, or they wouldn’t have known they were out here hunting. Then she heard hounds barking, and she wondered if they were Alasdair’s. Most likely.

She hadn’t seen the hounds before, but she suspected they were alerting the hunters that they had found game. She and her cousin hurried to find it, realized it was a wild boar, and helped take it down. She was elated, and so was Conall.

She realized Alasdair hadn’t rejoined them. She hoped the men he’d been talking to had left and wouldn’t cause any difficulties. Then she saw Alasdair, and Hans joined him to speak with him. Pack leader business, she suspected.

After they spoke, Alasdair rode up to join her and Conall while Hans oversaw the men bringing the beast to their keep for the meal.

“Hans said you and your cousin helped to take down the boar,” Alasdair said to her.

“Aye. What was the trouble with Baine and Cleary?” She wanted to know what she and her kin were up against if the men were going to be trouble for her as they rode in the direction of the keep.

“Viking raiders killed their parents. They have made it a vendetta to kill any Norsemen or women they see in the Highlands.”

“So we’re no’ safe here.” Isobel figured being here with Alasdair’s pack was too good to be true.

“You are safe here with the pack. We wouldna give you up to the men, no matter what. You are wolves, first.”

“Thank you.”

“Aye. You saved a Scotswoman because she was a wolf and freeing her would have endangered you and your kin. We do the same for you and your kin.”

Isobel was glad he saw it that way and not that they were the same as those they had lived with. She’d never participated in a raid, only in trade when she was young.

“Conall told me something of your family. I wanted to know why you killed the Viking guarding the longships.”

“For the same reason you killed the other, I suspect. To burn their ships and free the hostages. I couldna in good conscience allow raiders to take anyone else hostage.”

“You must have swum around the cliffs to reach the beach where the longships were.”

“ Ja , aye, we’re very good swimmers.”

“And a very good fighter. The guard didn’t have a chance to defend himself.”

“That was the only way I could fight him when the other was still prowling on duty.” She appreciated Alasdair for the compliment.

She praised her cousins when they did exceptional work, but no one else in the clan, including her uncle, ever praised them.

When they arrived at the keep, Alasdair said to Hans, “You’re in charge of finding work for our new pack members.”

“Aye,” Hans said. “Conall, you can help with building the wall for now.” He motioned to Rory. “He’ll show you what you need to do.”

Then Hans left Isobel’s cousin with Rory and escorted Isobel into the keep. “Can you cook?”

“Elene can. She’s a good cook. I’m a fighter, a hunter.” Aye, Isobel could cook, but she would rather fight.

Hans smiled. “If Alasdair is agreeable, you can guard the keep or the wall walk.”

“Good.” She was glad they wouldn’t just put her to work at something she didn’t know how or want to do.

“Your younger cousins have washed up and are milking the cows and gathering eggs from the chicken coops.”

“They love animals.”

“They do. Drummond wants to handle the dogs.”

“Will he be allowed to?” Isobel figured someone Alasdair had trained would be the one to do that.

“Aye. We start them out young and Drummond has a real gift with the animals already.”

“About the men who came to speak with Alasdair, what was that all about?” She wanted to learn if Alasdair’s brother knew anything further or would tell her more than Alasdair had done.

“Their parents died in a Viking raid. You can imagine how they feel about them,” Hans said.

Isobel took a deep breath. “I understand.” She was just glad Elene had accepted Isobel and her cousins’ friendship after what had happened to her and her family.

An older man, about her uncle’s age, was arguing with a younger man, stealing Isobel’s attention. “I can do my work.”

“Your leg is broken, Dawy. You canna manage. Others have had to help you with your animals and crops. Agnes can’t handle all the work on her own. Stay here with us until your leg is fully mended.”

“Nay,” Agnes pleaded. “We can do it.”

“Someone else will manage your croft until you can work again.”

“Nay,” Agnes said, shaking her head.

When Drummond finished helping Libby milk the cow, they went to pet a goat and a boy about Drummond’s age came up to him and shouted at them, “You are murderers! You shouldna be here!” The redheaded boy shoved Drummond down on the ground.

Drummond was instantly on his feet and tackled the boy to the ground.

Isobel ran to stop them, knowing Drummond could hurt the other boy in retaliation. If anyone had done that to him back home, he would have to react or be seen as weak and unworthy of being part of the clan.

Before she could separate the boys, Alasdair was there, grabbing each of the boy’s arms and pulling them apart. They were still trying to get to each other, Drummond kicking and trying to strike the other lad with his free fist. Likewise, the redheaded boy was trying to kick back, but he had a black eye and a bloodied nose.

Good for Drummond. Even though they had to try and live with the Scots, they had to also show they wouldn’t be mistreated or bullied for their heritage. They would work side by side with them or leave and find somewhere else to live.

A red-bearded man hurried to grab hold of the boy who had started the fight. “Off to muck out the stable, Oran.”

Alasdair looked apologetic and released Drummond’s arm. “I will talk to my people and ensure that no one mistreats you because of your heritage. We’re all wolves and that’s all that matters.”

“I believe Dawy and Agnes could use our help.” Isobel noticed Dawy and Agnes watching them, smiling at the children.

Alasdair’s eyes widened a little.

“If they could put us up, we could stay there until Dawy’s leg has properly healed,” Isobel said.

“No one will bother you here,” Alasdair insisted.

Isobel shook her head. She was determined to prove to his people they could fit in, but maybe easing into meeting them and getting to know them would be better. “This will give us time to get to know your people and prove we’re no’ a threat.”

Alasdair frowned but didn’t object. How could he when Isobel offered to help his people who needed assistance?

“What kind of help would you need?” Isobel asked the crofters.

She suspected they were afraid they would lose their croft to another family more capable of managing it if they had to leave it behind, even for a brief period.

“Milking the cow,” Dawy quickly said, as if he realized the children were already skilled in milking one.

Libby was wearing cow milk on her dress after milking the cow, but both she and Drummond had washed before she had made a mess of herself with the chore, their hair clean and combed.

“They love animals. They took care of the sheep and goats back home. And chickens as well. Conall can do any number of chores, help with the farming, whatever you might need.” Isobel thought that her cousins might feel more comfortable staying with a couple of Scots in a home of their own rather than the castle, where others might believe they got underfoot.

As long as they didn’t overwhelm the couple—at least until Dawy could walk again—Isobel would help them until they didn’t need them.

“Aye, we would be thrilled to have you stay with us. Honored, truly,” Agnes said.

“Aye,” Dawy said, smiling.

She hoped Alasdair would allow it and hoped this wasn’t a mistake. That she and her cousins wouldn’t get in the couple’s way or wear them out. It would be extra mouths to feed, too, so they had to do whatever they could to ensure it wasn’t a strain on Dawy and Agnes.

She watched as Alasdair listened to the man and then turned to look at Isobel, and he nodded. “You are all mutually agreeable that you stay with the MacEachens?” Alasdair asked.

“Oh, aye,” Agnes said.

Dawy quickly agreed.

“We can do it until they no longer need us,” Isobel said, “but I will pull guard duty also at the keep.” She wanted to prove her worth that she could do multiple tasks as she did at home.

“Aye. I want you to be at the keep so you can learn more of our ways, meet more of our people, and become part of the pack,” Alasdair said.

“Oh, I agree.” For now, she liked being part of a smaller family unit and getting to know the rest of the pack members over time. She guessed she was a little apprehensive that some might not like that they had lived with Viking raiders. “We heard fighting above the cliffs. Did you engage the marauders?”

“We saw them early on and were prepared to protect our people. Not so last year. We lost seven of our people while trying to get our villagers and crofters into the keep. The boy who attacked Drummond lost his da in the fight.”

“I’m so sorry.” She realized that the other six people most likely had families, too, who would resent the Icelanders in their midst. “Did you see our longship from the cliffs?”

“When Conall was with you, I thought I had. The fog rolled in, and I didna see the ship again and believed it had just been my imagination as small as it was. But I had watchers observing the ocean in case you had been sailing there.”

Isobel smiled. “You were a wolf.”

“Aye.”

She shook her head. “When you surrounded us as wolves, I didna know what to think.”

“When we smelled that you were wolves also, we were just as surprised. We didna smell you on the beach after you got rid of the guard. The wind had taken your scents out to sea,” Alasdair said.

Then riders came into the keep and looked over the newcomers. Alasdair greeted them and gave introductions to Erik and his men to Isobel. “They have a castle a couple of days' ride from here.”

Immediately, she smelled that Erik and his men were white wolves, and she wondered where they were originally from.

Erik smiled. “So we meet. We were with Alasdair when you killed the guard on the beach. We were much impressed.” Then he turned to Alasdair. “The people who had escaped the village and hid from the marauders have returned. They are eager for their people to return home.”

“Good.” Alasdair said to Rory, “See that they get an escort home. You can also take our villagers to their homes.”

“Aye. Right away.”

Isobel noticed a familiar scent wafting through the inner bailey as people began to gather to leave. It was the smell of human beings, the same ones she had seen on the beach when the Vikings had taken them captive. She was relieved to know that Alasdair and his men had rescued them.

Then another group of people assembled with them, but these smelled like wolves.

Rory organized a group of guards and secured a wagon for the women and children. Then, they departed from the castle grounds.

“The ones taken prisoner were human,” Isobel said.

“Aye, worthy of saving, but it made it difficult to go about our business as wolves.”

“We had to live like that always,” Isobel said.

“Conall didna tell us that.”

“Aye, we had lived with a human clan.”

“That would have been challenging and dangerous.”

She watched as the guards escorted the second group of people out. “They are wolves.”

“Aye. They are the crofters and villagers under my protection. Whenever we have trouble, we bring them here to protect them.”

Then Hans introduced her to the guard in charge of making assignments, and he smiled. “I’m Lorne.” He turned to Hans. “Dinna tell me she is looking to guard the keep. I was hoping she was seeking a husband. Me, in fact.”

Hans slapped him on the back. “That’s something I’ll leave you to work out between the two of you.” Then he left.

“Guarding the keep works for me,” she said.

“Nay on being my wife, eh?” Lorne said.

She smiled, amused at his jest. But she glanced in Alasdair’s direction. Something about him just drew her to him. What if she could be the pack leader’s mate? Her kin would be secure, Alasdair and his people protecting them without hesitation.

That’s the role she had always envisioned she was destined to play. A pack leader. Especially now that they could live with a large pack like this. The problem was—she was still of Icelandic breeding—and many would think of her as a Viking first, a wolf second.

The way three pretty young women nearby were eyeing Isobel with contempt made her believe they were interested in mating Alasdair. But if she decided he was the one for her and he was of like mind, no one would stand in her way to get what she wanted.