Legacy of the Mist Clans Box Set (71 page)

“Practiced?” he asked, surprised, but then wondered why. Of course they had practiced; skills such as he had witnessed didn’t magically appear overnight. Nay, what Kenna had demonstrated was only achieved through tireless hours of work.

“The old keep,” she said softly. “Raven and I practiced there. We didna want anyone tae see us dressed like men and using real weapons.”

“That was wise.”

“I started off with a short sword, like Raven, but the more we worked, the more we realized the weapon wasna the right one for me.”

Aidan inclined his head curiously. “I met Raven a few years ago and brought her into my nest of birds. I spent about three months teaching her and Nevin all I could. Raven surprised me. She picked up on the sword work faster than Nevin did.”

Kenna’s lips quirked in a fond but sad smile. “The more we worked together, the more Raven realized that because of my size and speed, the biodags would work better for me. Did ye teach her tae strike and run?”

“A bit, but methinks she took what I gave her tae a new level, especially after watching ye.”

The blush returned to her cheeks but not as brightly. Her lips tugged up even more. “Right before—” Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard. “Raven was quite the sword-mistress. I couldna beat her no matter how hard I tried. We practiced that day . . . before she was murdered . . . that was the first time I won. Startled both of us.” A huge tear dripped down her cheek, and she hastily wiped it away.

Aidan’s heart twisted, and he moved from the chair to sit on the bedside. He pulled her now-empty bowl away, placed it on the small table beside the bed, then wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

“She was a sister tae me, Aidan,” Kenna whispered so softly he could barely hear her. “I managed tae pull her out of the fire and get her tae the abandoned keep, but she was so terribly wounded. She died in my arms.”

“I am sorry, Kenna,” he murmured, pressing his lips to the top of her head. He drew a deep breath into his lungs. “Forgive me, lassie, but I must ask one question.”

“Aye?”

“Why did ye leave? Why didna ye send word tae me? Gordy was due tae meet with Raven in a matter of days. Why didna ye wait for him?”

“Raven was teaching me all she kenned, but she hadna brought me with her tae meet Gordy yet. I didna ken where ye were.” She paused and shivered against him. “And tae be completely honest, I wasna thinking clearly.”

“Understandable.”

“I didna ken exactly what happened. All I kenned was I had tae find Mairi. My worst fear was that she led the brigands tae Raven.”

“Do ye still believe that?”

“Nay,” she said shaking her head. “And there was another fear.” She paused and looked up at him, her green eyes liquid with unshed tears. “We rebuilt the nest, Aidan. With the rumors we were hearing, if the Bruce returns from hiding like so many believe, the war will reignite. This time it will be on the west coast, not the east. Raven and I kenned ye’d need yer birds here more than ever.”

He smiled down at her, unable to stop his fingers as they caressed the smooth silk of her cheek. “Aye, that be very true.”

“So we worked tae find people ye could rely on. Yer nest now has fifteen birds in this area.”

He blinked at her, stunned. “Fifteen?”

She smiled and nodded. “But it was all so new, untested, like a blade that has not yet been tempered with fire. I was terrified if the other birds learned Raven had been murdered, the nest would collapse. It wouldna matter why she was slain, only that she was. We canna afford that right now, not with things so unstable.”

Aidan hugged her tightly. “My beautiful sparrow, ye are amazing.”

“But there’s more tae it than that, Aidan. We worked so hard, not only with me learning how tae fight, how tae be one of yer birds, but rebuilding the nest, making sure everything was right. I have ne’er been a part of anything like that. I’ve ne’er been a part of creating something important, that will make a difference. I was proud of that fact, Aidan, and I didna want tae lose it. I had just lost Raven, I couldna lose her legacy as well.”

Legacy.

An old, painful memory rose. He would never leave a legacy of his own, at least not in the form of an heir. Aidan also recalled the humiliation that prompted him to make that vow. It had happened not long after the Bruce’s father had stolen the land that was to be his inheritance. In his youth, Aidan had not truly realized its impact and what it had meant for his future.

Aidan had just turned thirteen when a bonny lass caught his eye. She had been a second daughter to a laird who was friends with his da, equal to Aidan in station. They had visited often, and it wasn’t long before Aidan fancied himself in love. But his own ego had trapped him, and when he had broached the subject of their future together, she had laughed and haughtily rejected him.

“All ken the Bruce took yer inheritance. Yer brother will inherit everything, and ye will live here only by his leave. Why would I marry the likes of ye? Ye have nothing.”

She had turned her back on him and walked away. After that, Aidan had forever known his place and vowed he would never risk his heart again, no matter how beautiful the lass might be.

“Aye,” he said softly. “I ken exactly what ye mean.”

“Aidan?” Kenna asked, gazing up at him, her emerald eyes liquid.

“Aye?” he asked, struggling to master the old heartache that had never truly faded, but no matter how hard he tried, his voice was still not his own.

“What’s wrong? Yer expression just turned as black as a thundercloud.”

Despite his promises to himself, his arms tightened around her. She was a daughter of a laird, but she had willingly rejected that life and embraced a future so totally different from the one she should have lived. He knew that decision had been frightening for her, but she had not quailed. Instead, she had seized the freedom offered to her and become more than she was born to. There was a lesson there that Aidan could appreciate.

His lips lifted as he gazed down at her, and he returned his attention back to the matter at hand. “’Tis the same reason why I have birds in the first place: I can help my brother. A better laird I have never seen; he puts the needs of our clan first, and the information my birds gather help him guide our clan safely through these tumultuous times. It is a lasting legacy and one I am proud tae leave.”
Especially since I canna marry, since I willna have any issue tae see that the legacy continues,
he wanted to add but kept his jaw clamped shut.

“I should have tried tae send word tae ye,” Kenna said. “But all I could think about was Mairi. I had tae find her. I had tae learn the answers.”

Aidan thought for a moment, remembering what she had told him when he rescued her in what now seemed a lifetime ago. “It was because of ye that Mairi escaped the brigands that attacked yer wedding train. If ye hadna led them away, they surely would have slain her.”

“But why?” Kenna asked, a frown blurring her pretty brow. “Why would they take such an interest in a common lass with a wee bairn?”

Aidan looked at her, her words sparking a new thought. “Perhaps she be not as common as we believe.”

“Not common . . . ?” The furrow in her brow deepened. “She does speak strangely at times, but I thought that was because she be a Lowlander. She doesna have the accent of nobility.”

Suddenly, Aidan identified what had been bothering him about her speech, and he had his sister-by-law to thank for the realization. “Not nobility,” he whispered. “English.”

“English?”

“My sister-by-law, Lia, she was raised in England but as a healer. Her speech is much different than ye’d expect. She wasna raised as nobility, but she doesna speak as an English commoner either. Yet since arriving at our keep, she has grown quite adept at mimicking the brogue, especially when she wishes tae harass my brother.”

Kenna gazed at him curiously. “Ye act as if he deserves this harassment.”

He chuckled, understanding that with Kenna being persecuted in her own house, she would not understand the unique relationship Lia shared with Ronan. “My brother is laird; it be in his very nature tae be stubborn and hardheaded. Lia is the only person I have ever met more stubborn than he.”

Kenna’s curiosity grew. “And the two are married?”

“Happily, my bonny lass.” He paused, thinking for a moment. “Understand, had it not been for Lia’s stubbornness, for her conviction tae fight for what she believed, my brother would probably be dead. Because the English had captured and tortured him, he mistrusted all Sassenach.”

“Ye told me they held him for three days.”

“Aye.” He shook his head, still marveling at all Ronan had overcome. “They nearly killed him,” he said softly. “I heard a tale of a healer in England whose reputation bordered on that of a miracle worker. Fearing for my brother’s life, I summoned her tae the keep. Thank the Almighty she came with her courage and conviction. My brother hated her, refusing tae allow her near him, but she overcame his doubt and distrust. She not only healed his body, she healed his soul.”

“She sounds like a remarkable woman.”

“She is. Ye would like her, I think.” He shook his head again, pulling his thoughts from his memories and back to the matter at hand. “But yer words, ye are right that Mairi speaks oddly at times, especially when she is quite fearful. I didna recognize it at first, but now I ken she sounds very much like Lia. And if Lia can learn tae mimic our brogue, so can Mairi.”

Kenna fell silent for a long moment, her head resting comfortably against his chest. “English, but not nobility, ye believe?”

“Aye.”

She rubbed her eyes, and Aidan abruptly realized she was wiping away tears. “Kenna?”

“Forgive me, but I am trying tae remember something Raven said.” She sucked in a deep breath. “She was dying, trying tae tell me something, but her words . . . she wasn’t making sense.”

“’Tis all right, Kenna, dinna vex yerself over it.”

“It’s important,” she said softly, but her voice was firm with conviction. “She kept saying the word
bairn
. I thought she was worried more over Mairi’s child. Then she said something that sounded like
succession,
but I couldna be certain.”

“Succession?” Aidan asked, confused. He remembered his own conversation with Raven.

But what of the line—

Connell pounding on the door had forced her to cut off her sentence.

“Kenna, before we rescued ye, I asked Raven why she had investigated the knights-errant and exposed herself tae such danger. She had heard a rumor and was trying tae track down the validity of it, that’s how the brigands started hunting her.”

“She didna tell ye what it was?” Kenna asked.

“Nay, she started tae, but Connell had tae fetch me because Mairi was trying to leave. But afore that, she spoke of Prince Edward.”

“Prince Edward? Not Longshanks?”

“Aye. Ye ken there be some foul rumors over his preferred bedmates.”

Kenna nodded. “But what does that have tae do with anything?”

“I asked a similar question. Raven spoke as if she believed otherwise.”

“Raven was my sister for only a brief time, but I grew tae ken her well. She didna pursue folly. There was enough tae this rumor for her tae take great interest in it.”

“And now I’m thinking there be enough tae it tae have caused her death.”

Kenna pulled away slightly and looked up at him. “Really?”

“When did ye bring Mairi into yer house tae serve ye?”

“About six months before my betrothal.”

“And English knights-errant attacked yer wedding train. But they werena after ye. If they had been, they would have pursued only ye and not bothered with chasing Mairi, but ye were forced tae lead them away from her.”

“Aye, and they werena happy for the trouble I caused.” She shivered.

Aidan pulled her back, holding her tightly. He was glad to note she burrowed closer instead of pushing him away.

“Ever since I have kenned Mairi, she has been afraid of her own shadow,” Kenna said. “She jumps at every little noise as if . . . ” Her voice faded.

“As if she expects one of the bastards tae emerge from the dirt like a worm,” Aidan replied, borrowing Kenna’s own phrase.

“Why would they be hunting her?”

“If Raven had learned rumor as tae why—”

“That explains why they killed her as well.”

“Why would a lass be so terribly important, especially one with a wee bairn?”

“One she barely kens how tae take care of,” Kenna said, her voice taking a sharp edge. “Never have I seen a lass so ill prepared tae be a mother.” Abruptly she sat up, pulling away from Aidan, her eyes wide. “Raven’s words . . . ” she whispered in soft amazement. “The bairn . . . succession . . . Aidan, what if it isna Mairi they hunt, but the babe?”

Aidan blinked at her, confusion still assailing him. He rubbed his eyes wearily. Hell, he was exhausted and knew Kenna had to be the same. “The answer be here, I’m just no’ seeing it. Let’s get some sleep, Kenna, we can continue this in the morning.”

She nodded, burrowing closer to him.

T
he first gray light of dawn brightened the eastern sky as Connell trudged slowly back to the small township. At least it had stopped raining, but now the wind tugged at his damp clothing. Although, judging by the low-hanging black clouds, the respite wouldn’t last for long. He had checked every barn, shed, and outlying building he could find but had not been able to locate Mairi.

As he walked the muddy, rutted road leading to the heart of the small town, the smell of eggs cooking made his belly rumble. He was cold, tired, and hungry. He also didn’t wish to admit that Mairi and her wee bairn worried him. He tried to force down the disturbing sensations within him before they awakened painful memories. But Mairi reminded him very much of his late wife.

Connell flinched as his heart pained him, and he cursed himself. He didn’t want to remember the pain of her death, his suffering as his young son, William, gave up the fight against the same illness that claimed his mother a few days earlier. But the plague caused from eating blighted grain was not finished. It had stolen all Connell held dear, even his younger brother. Now Connell walked this world alone.

He had made so many mistakes, most due to the naivety of youth and being married so young. He would give anything to right those wrongs, especially now that he better understood Ina’s fear. He regretted deeply each time he had grown impatient with her. But that was because he didn’t understand. He had not seen it then, but the moment he saw Mairi with her wee bairn, terrified and alone, unable to trust anyone, he recognized her plight because he had seen a similar fear in his wife’s eyes. Fear of the unknown, inexperience, of feeling tiny and vulnerable in the face of a wicked world.

Over the years of their marriage, that had changed; Ina had come into her own. Connell had tried to be patient with her, encouraging her to stop being so afraid and start enjoying life. His efforts had reaped rewards. But because Connell’s duties to his laird kept him at the castle and away from home far too much, he had not been able to truly experience them. Then Ina had died.

As Connell walked the street, he kept near the buildings lining it. The main street traveling through the tiny village was short, only a handful of buildings, but there were several alleyways in between them. Should he gain attention he did not wish, he would be able to step into an alleyway and remain fairly hidden. He focused on a building he had seen last night and now moved to check before he gave up his search completely.

A young lass with a bairn should not be able to escape, to lead seasoned warriors on a merry chase, especially in this foul weather. But she had, and Connell thought he knew how she had managed it. She hadn’t run as all believed. Instead, she was hiding in plain sight.

At the edge of the village, where the road turned and headed from the woods into the town, stood the stock pens. They were small and relatively simple. When the farmers brought their sheep in to be sheared or sell them at market, when they wished to add to their herds of cattle, or bring one in to be slaughtered and packed, they brought their animals to these small stock pens. As the village grew, so would the pens, but for now, they were deserted and quiet.

But not completely abandoned. Someone kept a coop of chickens here, about twenty birds in all. And Connell thought this might be a good place for a terrified lass with a wee bairn to find what she needed most. Shelter and food.

He turned from the road and silently approached.

The chickens were awake, but only a few made a foray out of their coop and into the enclosed pen where they could scratch for bugs. The coop was actually quite large, big enough that he could enter and remain standing, deep enough that he could hide three people if he wanted—after he threw out all of the chickens, of course.

Connell opened the gate to the pen. He closed it securely and approached the coop, listening.

The hens clucked calmly, entering and exiting the coop through a small door cut into the bottom of the larger one. The larger one had been made so that the owner could enter and more easily collect eggs or fetch a bird if he wished. It was not locked, and Connell noted the latch pin dangling on a string.

If he was right and Mairi was hiding in the coop, he knew he would give her a frightful scare, but there was no help for it. Silently, he opened the door and stepped inside.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. At least he could stand in the coop without braining his head. He heard a soft noise to his left, in the corner, and spotted movement.

Mairi stared at him in terror. She held an egg in each hand. On the straw-covered floor beside her was her bairn, sleeping in a basket. She wore a plain woolen dress with a dirty apron, but she had gained a threadbare cloak, the cowl pulled over her head. Connell realized she could carry the bairn in her basket and keep herself covered because of the chill. No one would pay any mind to a woman, bowed and stooped against the weather, going about her business. It was a sight so common in villages such as this one that no one would bother to look any closer.

Connell opened his mouth to speak, but Mairi squeaked, and suddenly one of the eggs sailed straight for his head. He ducked and it smashed against the wall, oozing slowly downward.

“Peace, lass,” he said, trying to keep his voice even.

“Leave me be,” she cried. The second egg followed the first.

Connell stepped back as this egg shot past his chest, smashing into the wall behind him. He eyed the nests near Mairi. Glory, she had plenty more close at hand.

“Mairi, peace, I willna harm ye,” Connell said as she seized a third egg. Mairi lifted it, preparing another throw, but Connell held up his hand. “If I truly meant ye harm, do ye think a few eggs would stop me?”

She stared at him, her hand still raised, her dark eyes wide with fright. Her body visibly trembled. “I-I remember ye,” she whispered. “Ye are Connell.”

“Aye.”

“Ye are Aidan’s man.”

“I am. I returned with him when we learned Raven and Kenna had been attacked.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she shook harder. Slowly, she lowered the egg and returned it to the nest. “I didna mean for it tae happen. I didna ken they followed me.” She choked on a sob. “Milady has been so kind tae me. Now Raven is dead and it is my fault.”

“Nay, lass, ye had no way tae ken.” He took a tentative step forward. “Kenna be worried about ye. She and Aidan bade me tae find ye.”

Mairi stared at him, her tears slowing, but her trembling did not ease. “Why?”

“We’re worried for ye and yer bairn. The men who hunt ye . . . if I can find ye, so can they.”

“Please, just let me go, I will take Adam and leave.”

“I canna in good conscience do that, lassie. Ye need help; ye need a strong sword arm tae stand before ye and yer bairn.”

She didn’t move, and Connell knew only her desperation would overcome her fear.

“I will be that man, lass,” Connell said gently.

“Why should I trust ye?”

“There are still some good people in this world. Ye must believe that, for when ye stop is when yer hope is lost.”

Her bairn grunted, stirring in his basket, and coughed terribly. Mairi looked down at him, her expression stricken. “If they find me, they will kill him.”

“I willna let that happen,” Connell said firmly. Still, he marveled at himself. What in the hell was he doing? Forcing his emotions down, he wished desperately to utter the words she needed to hear. But what were they? “Ye fear for his life, but this weather isna good for the wee lad. He needs warmth and shelter.”

“Aye,” she said, another huge tear dripping down her cheek. “’Tis a devil’s choice. If I dinna hide, they will find him and kill him. But this weather will be his death.”

“Come back with me. Yer lady and young MacGrigor are at the inn. Ye ken they will help.”

To his surprise, she shook her head firmly. “I asked help of milady one too many times. Edana and Raven died for it. Dinna ye see, Connell? I bring death with me. No one else should give their life for me and Adam.”

“How I live my life and the cause I devote myself tae is mine tae decide, not yers,” he snapped then gritted his teeth. His anger would only make her more afraid of him. “Mairi, I ken how ye feel.”

“How can ye?”

“Not long ago, I met a lass only a few years older than ye, who faced a journey as daunting as the one that lies before ye. She faced leaving the only safety she had ever kenned and traveling tae a land torn by war, tae treat a man who had no hope, a man who at first hated and distrusted her. But she made the journey even though she kenned the English would hang her as a traitor if they caught her.”

“What happened tae her?”

Connell felt his lips tug upward. “She now be the wife of my laird.”

Mairi stared at him as if that was the last thing she had expected to hear.

“I was the one sent tae fetch her tae my home. I was the one uprooting her and throwing her into chaos. I give ye the same vow I gave her. On my honor as a Scotsman and the honor of Clan MacGrigor, I will defend ye with my life, I willna forsake ye or yer bairn.”

“Why . . . ? Why are ye doing this?”

Connell shrugged. Why indeed? But the answer startled him with its simplicity. “Because ye need me, lass, and I couldna live with myself if I turned my back on what is right.” Slowly, he extended his hand, praying she would heed his words.

For a moment, she remained so still Connell feared she would refuse yet again. But her bairn coughed a second time, whining and fussing—fussing that threatened to grow into ear-piercing wails.

Mairi looked at her bairn. She picked up the basket. Slowly, shaking with every step, she moved closer to Connell. She reached out and timidly placed her fingers in his. “I . . . I accept yer oath, Connell,” she whispered, “and I thank ye for it.”

He smiled and gently tugged on her hand. “Come, make certain yer wrap hides ye and yer bairn is well protected. I will take ye tae the others.”

She nodded and pulled her cowl low, wrapping the plaid around herself so it also covered the basket.

Connell peered out the door but saw nothing out of the ordinary. There were only a few more people on the road; the darkening clouds and the threat of rain no doubt kept many inside. He helped Mairi from the coop and out of the pen. Wrapping his arm firmly in hers, he guided her back to the tiny tavern. But his gaze swept the area with new vigilance, waiting for the brigands to emerge as if formed from the misty air surrounding them.

HHH

Aidan blinked open his eyes and lifted his head, wincing as a muscle spasmed in his neck. He sat on Kenna’s bed, his back braced against the headboard, where he had fallen asleep. He looked down at Kenna curled in his arms, finally resting without worry, and his lips lifted. The sore neck was worth it. He couldn’t stop himself as his fingers reached out to gently stroke through her honey-gold hair. But as his fingers brushed her skin, he hesitated. She felt unusually warm.

He looked again, noting she huddled against him, buried under the blankets. She had told him she couldn’t seem to get warm last night. He had thought it simply her exhaustion and being soaked to the bone. But if she had been developing a fever, that would also explain it.

He was loath to move and disturb her. Besides, despite the sore neck, he was quite content with where he was at the moment.

She stirred slightly, a frown blurring her brown, then turned sharply away from him as her body was wracked by a vicious cough.

“Kenna,” he asked, suddenly alarmed. He slid down a bit in the bed, reaching for her, even though he told himself not to. The last place he needed to be was lying in bed, holding her close. He still wanted her, and placing himself in such a position would only push his control to the breaking point.

She continued to cough, curling into a small ball.

In spite of himself, he slid next to her and curled around her, holding her tightly. His fingers traced over her soft skin. She definitely had a fever.

Finally, the coughing spasm passed. Kenna only groaned and snuggled more firmly against him. “Ye be warm,” she said softly.

“Ye be warmer. I fear ye have a fever, lass.”

“Aye, if the body aches be any judge.”

Sure enough, now that he was beside her and comfortable, he had no desire to move. Damn himself to hell, he knew better but did it to himself anyway.

He felt her forehead and her cheek with the back of his hand, telling himself it was to gauge her fever and not satisfy his desire to touch her silky skin.

But an old memory intruded, sending his pleasant thoughts spiraling. His mother had suffered from an ague that had settled in her lungs. It had started innocently enough, a cough and a fever, but despite battling it for months, Mother weakened and died. He suddenly wished his sister-by-law was here.

Aidan knew something of what Lia would have done in this situation, but Kenna needed a real healer. “I am going tae speak with the innkeeper; surely there is a healer in the area.”

She nodded and coughed again, the flux squeezing through her lungs.

Aidan shivered and rose, changing into clean clothes, then left the room. Below stairs, the innkeeper and his wife sat at a table with six other men, breaking their fast. As Aidan descended, the door opened and Connell entered with Mairi sheltered under his arm.

“Praise the saints,” Aidan said and stepped toward them. “Mairi are ye well?”

She nodded, looking around the small common room. “Where be milady?” She placed her basket on the floor and picked up her bairn wrapped in warm blankets, but as she lifted him, Aidan heard his frightful cough.

“Nay,” he said softly. “It appears we have two for the healer now.”

“Two?” Connell asked.

“Kenna has the same cough and a fever. I need tae locate a healer.”

“There be a fine one in Glen Trool,” the innkeeper’s wife said as she rose. “But ye need tae break yer fast. I shall fetch ye some food.” It didn’t take her long to return with a tray with plenty of food for everyone. Aidan carried it upstairs.