Highland Brawn (The Band of Cousins Book 8)

by Keira Montclair

  “He was a fighter, was he not?”

  “Hell, but he’s a big bastard. I’ve not seen one that tall before, and he’s got some muscles.”

  They spoke of Connor! He wished he could thrash them, but they were too many. He knew what Connor would tell him—listen carefully and then find help—so that was exactly what he’d do.

  “True. It took five of us to hold him down for you.”

  “He’s not moving much now, is he?”

  They all laughed until another scream echoed through the stone walls.

  “God’s bones, but that Hord is a sick man. I can’t believe Guy and Dee keep him around. What if he turns on them?”

  “He’s too fat and lazy to hurt them. He prefers to torment women.”

  Another said, “He gives me nightmares.”

  “Poor laddie,” his friend teased.

  “What are we doing with this fool?”

  He hefted something with both his arms, another man helping him. Thorn held back a gasp. They held Connor, and he wasn’t moving.

  “Take him down the path north of the Borderlands. Throw him into a clearing out of sight. Let the vultures and the animals at him. The Grants won’t find him until it’s too late.”

  A man came chasing down the passageway. “You have another passenger to take along.”

  “Who?” the one who appeared to be in charge asked.

  “Sela. Hord wasn’t kind. They think she’ll be dead by morn.”

  Thorn thought his heart might beat right out of his chest. Poor Sela. When Connor got better—and Thorn knew he would—he’d kill them for hurting her.

  “Why the hell would Hord do that? The man is demented. Guy and Dee won’t be happy about this.”

  “He hadn’t planned to hurt her this badly, but now he says we’re to let her and her lover die together in a place where no one will see them. We’re not to tell Guy and Dee just yet. He doesn’t want them to know.”

  One man grumbled, “I don’t like this.”

  “Hurry up,” the new one said. “Guy and Dee will be back soon, and I, for one, don’t wish to wake up to spiders in my bed.”

  “Fine, I’ll get the cart. We can toss the two of them in it and cover them with plaids. We’ll go out the back way.”

  Thorn was so excited that he nearly pished himself, but he figured he owed the bastards for hurting his friend, so he pished in the alcove instead.

  Moving quietly, he crept back down the staircase and out the back. Just like before, there was no one about. He scaled the wall with no problem, then raced through the town. It was so late at night that no one was about.

  He had to get back to The Buck’s Inn and find Connor’s cousins.

  He ran so fast and hard that he tripped going up the stairs at the inn. When he stepped inside the chamber where Braden and Roddy were sleeping, he was surprised to see Braden sitting at a small table.

  “Where’ve you been, lad?” Braden asked, jumping to his feet.

  Thorn didn’t have time to explain—he had to get them to move quickly. “Connor. They beat him and are leaving him in a clearing off the north path to Edinburgh. We have to save him. He wasn’t moving. He’s in really bad shape.”

  “Roddy, get your arse out of bed.” Braden took a swig of ale and said, “Where did you two go?”

  “After Sela. And she’s in trouble, too. They’re bringing her with Connor because she’s nearly dead. I heard a lass screaming and I think ’twas her, but I had to see about Connor. Did I do good?”

  Braden handed him a meat pie he’d hidden away. “You did good. Here, finish this. You look like you’ve earned it. Roddy, I’m leaving in one minute. We must find him before ’tis too late.”

  ***

  Connor groaned when he woke up, the bright clouds overhead telling him it was a new day. Every part of his body ached. Then the previous night’s memories returned. The bastards had beat him to a pulp after finding him in Sela’s chamber. They’d taken Sela away, but to where he didn’t know.

  He did his best to blink both lids, just realizing that one of his eyelids was swollen shut. He managed to roll onto his side so he could figure out exactly where they’d taken him. Fortunately, he was on a bed of leaves instead of a chamber in the cellars of the castle, a small consolation. But where was his horse?

  Then he remembered. He and Thorn had gone to the castle on foot. His horse would still be at the stable.

  As soon as he moved to his side, he froze. Sela lay next to him, barely breathing.

  “God’s teeth, lass. What did they do to you?” He’d never seen anything like it. She was dressed in just a shift under her mantle, and her skin was covered in lesions or bites of some type, her beautiful face marred horribly. He held his hand in front of her nose to see if he could feel her breathing.

  Barely.

  What the hell had she been forced to endure?

  He cupped her face and brought his gaze close to hers. “Sela? Wake up, sweetling. They’ll not hurt you again.”

  He pushed himself up to get a better look at their location, and her condition. Fortunately, a voice called to him.

  “Grant, is that you?”

  Connor breathed a sigh of relief, pleased to see his two cousins coming toward him, Thorn in front of Braden. The wee lad must have saved his arse. “How did you know where to find me? And where the hell are we?”

  “You’re north of Berwick, and you can thank wee Thorn, or we’d never have known you were gone.”

  “I’m not wee,” Thorn shouted. “I’m nearly as big as the both of you, but not Connor. He’s the biggest of all.”

  Connor spat a stream of blood off to the side. “Aye, you must be big or you’d never have been able to scale the wall and follow me. My thanks to you, Thorn. Have you got anything to drink on you?” he asked his cousins.

  The three of them dismounted, just then noticing Sela.

  “What the hell?” Roddy whispered, stepping closer for a better look. “What happened to her?”

  Braden asked, “Is she alive?”

  “I heard her screaming last eve,” Thorn said, his lip popping out. “I couldn’t save her, I had to find Connor. I heard them say they thought she’d die soon.”

  Connor said, “Relax, lad. You did fine.” He took a swig of ale from Roddy’s skin and then moved closer to Sela. “She’s alive, but barely. She needs to see a healer.”

  The other three moved closer, Thorn’s gasp loud enough for all of them.

  “What did that to her?” He took two steps back as if whatever she had could be caught.

  Connor reached for her hands, opening one up that was clenched in a fist. “I’d say it was spiders. It looks like she killed ten with one hand.” He brushed the dead creatures out of her hand, which was also covered with bites.

  “They attacked her with spiders?” Thorn asked, his agitation growing in leaps and bounds. The lad shivered and brushed at his arm, as if he felt a phantom creature scurrying along it. “Don’t let them get me, will you?”

  “I think we just discovered how the Dubh men forced her to do their bidding,” Connor said, running his hands gently over the mass of bites on one leg. “They tortured her, somehow unleashing a mass of insects on her in a small area. Mayhap they had her in a box or a small chamber.” He pushed himself to a sitting position, knowing he had to get himself moving, as painful as it would be. He had aches or pains across every part of his body, including a pounding in his head that would not cease.

  “Promise,” Thorn said, his voice quaking. “I don’t want that.” He backed up until Connor wondered if he’d ever stop.

  “Aye, I promise to protect you, lad.” Connor held his hand up to Roddy. “Help me up, if you don’t mind. They did a fine job on me, I must admit, though I made sure to take a few of them out first.” Putting weight on his sore legs was not going to be easy, but it had to be done. Roddy helped him to his feet and he groaned, leaning over at the waist to absorb some of the pain. He’d have to ignore it in o
rder to help Sela. His injuries were painful, but not life-threatening. Hers could be.

  “How many?” Braden asked. “You look like you fought over twenty.”

  “I know,” Thorn yelled. “At least ten. I saw them. They said you were big and muscular. They said five of them had to hold you down. We need to go after them.”

  Connor ruffled Thorn’s hair. “My thanks, lad. But we’ll be heading to Ramsay land first. “Roddy, help me get her on my horse. Glad you brought him along.”

  “But are we not going back?” Thorn asked.

  “Nay. We need reinforcements. Will and Maggie were going to Edinburgh to assist Gregor, but who knows where they are at present.”

  Thorn interrupted him. “And Nari. Don’t forget Nari. He’s with them, too. I miss him.”

  “And Nari. Don’t worry about your friend, lad. I’m sure they are all hale, but we cannot spare the time to look for them. According to Sela, the Channel men have hundreds of guards, even knights. We need a full contingent of warriors to defeat them. We’re heading to Ramsay land. Aunt Brenna can tend to Sela’s wounds, and we’ll talk with Uncle Logan and come up with a plan for defeating these bastards. They should know where the others are, too.”

  They helped him mount and managed to get Sela in front of him, her back leaning against him. To their surprise, she never moved.

  Roddy took a look at her up close and said, “We need to hurry. Many of those bites are festering already. I know what my mother would say. If they don’t get treated, she’ll not survive.”

  Connor couldn’t help but hold her close. This was his fault.

  He’d slay the men who’d done this to her. Of that much he was certain.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time they arrived on Ramsay land, they had less than a sennight before the rumored shipment was to go out. They had much work to do in a short time. Sela hadn’t awakened, and the longer they traveled, the more Connor worried.

  Roddy said, “Keep giving her water. ’Tis what Mama and Aunt Brenna would say.”

  “I’m doing my best, but I can only get it to drizzle down into her throat.”

  When they reached the stables, Torrian, the chieftain of Clan Ramsay, came out to greet them. “What the hell? Connor, you don’t look like you had a successful mission. And neither does she…who is she? And what attacked her? I’ve not seen anything like it.”

  “Spiders, we think. Or some kind of insect. Aunt Brenna is here?”

  “Aye,” Torrian replied after helping Sela down from the horse. “You’ll be pleased to know that Gregor and Linet are also here, plus Gavin, Merewen, Will, and Maggie. They’re all inside strategizing. The wee lad is in there as well,” he said, his eyes darting to Thorn before they settled back on Connor. “I’m guessing you must have new information.”

  “I do, but first I must get Sela into Aunt Brenna’s healing chamber.”

  If anyone could help her, it was Aunt Brenna, the best healer in the Highlands.

  The expression on Torrian’s face told him how shocked he was by the identity of the person he carried in his arms. Gregor must have told him about why Connor had left for Berwick when he did. He knew his cousins struggled to understand his interest in Sela.

  Thorn called out from behind him. “I’ll get the door for you, my lord.” He hurried and opened the door to the keep, then shouted loud enough to wake Sela, though she didn’t move, “Nari! Wait until you hear all I’ve done!” Once Connor stepped through, the laddie let the door slam shut and ran over to his wee friend, whose shock of red hair made him stand out from the rest of the group. “I’m a true guard. I saved Connor!”

  Nari said, “Me, too! I saved Gregor. I had to find Maggie and send them after him.”

  “I had to find Connor’s cousins after he was hurt.” Thorn’s eyes widened.

  Maggie jumped up, but Connor kept walking, going directly past the two lads. He said, “Roddy and Braden will let you know what’s happened. I need to get Sela into the healing chamber.”

  His cousins all stared at him, and he didn’t need to ask why. His wounds looked far worse than they were, but Sela’s were every bit as gruesome as they looked, her body now swollen in spots from the multiple bites.

  When he opened the door to the healing chamber, he was pleased to see both Aunt Brenna and her daughter Jennet. His aunt turned as soon as she heard him.

  “Oh my…” Aunt Brenna said. “Put her on that bed with the furs, Connor. She’ll be mighty sore.” His aunt had insisted on keeping a large bed in her healing chamber for those who needed it.

  Jennet made her way over and peered at Sela’s wounds, an odd expression on her face. “This is a most unusual case. Do you know her, Connor?”

  “Aye, her name is Sela. She’s the Norsewoman involved with the Channel.”

  Jennet asked, “If she’s with the Channel, then why bring her here?” She never took her gaze off Sela’s wounds, scanning her arms, neck, and face. Always serious, Jennet was devoted to learning aught there was to know about healing from her mama.

  His aunt said, “Jennet, we should be willing to help anyone who’s hurt this badly and ask questions after they heal.”

  “What if…”

  “I’ll explain later, but of course, only if they did not hurt anyone we love.”

  Connor knew his cousin to be a persistent interrogator, always seeking answers for the quandaries of life.

  Jennet then asked, “Connor, she did not get this way from hurting you, did she?”

  “Nay. She was tortured for talking to me, because, as I suspected, she was forced into working with the Channel.”

  Aunt Brenna’s lips drew down. “I think we can guess how they forced her to be compliant. What kind of insect bites, Connor? Have you any idea?”

  “Some kind of spider. When I opened up her clenched fist, there were multiple dead spiders in her hand.”

  Aunt Brenna said, “Jennet, please get clean linen strips and a basin of water. Connor, I’ll have you step out so I can examine her completely.”

  “I’d like to stay if you don’t mind. She’ll panic when she awakens.”

  His dear aunt patted his shoulder. “She won’t wake up anytime soon. She’s in a deep slumber, her body fighting for survival. Some spiders carry verra strong poison, causing the swelling. Go speak with your cousins. If she awakens, I’ll come and get you.”

  Connor wished to kiss Sela’s forehead, but he wouldn’t do that when she was asleep. Nor was he ready to declare himself in front of his family.

  He didn’t understand his feelings for her, so it was much too soon to publicly declare them.

  Jennet, who’d come back with the things her mother had requested, came to a stop in front of him. “Here is some salve for your facial wounds. You will not want them festering as hers are. You may apply it yourself.”

  Connor peered at his serious cousin, not quite sure how to take the directive. But he thanked her for the salve and the linen square. Aunt Brenna said, “Why don’t you wash your face over there?” She pointed to a small table where a pitcher of water and basin had been left out. “If not, Jennet will see to it.” She did her best to hide her smirk.

  “I’ll do it,” he said, taking the linen square and salve over to the table. He dipped the linen into the water and picked up the sliver of soap beside the basin. “You tend your patient, Jennet. She needs you far more than I do.”

  Once he finished, he headed back out to the great hall, anxious to see what the others in the Band of Cousins had to say about the Channel. He was particularly curious to hear how Gregor had fared, as he’d parted ways from his cousin to follow Sela. As he approached the trestle table, he stopped in his tracks.

  His sire, Alex Grant, was descending the stairs to the great hall, followed by Uncle Logan. Connor had just seen his sire on Grant land, and nothing had been said about a visit. Nonetheless, it was a relief to see him—they needed all the help they could get, and no warrior was better suited to ride into battle t
han Alex Grant. Even now. The cousins all quieted as the elders sat down at one end of the table.

  “We found Linet,” Gregor said as Connor clasped his shoulder in greeting. His face split into a grin. “We’ve handfasted. She is with her parents at present, but we wish to hear what you’ve discovered. According to Linet, the count is now five days. A large shipment is due to leave the port at that point, but from where?”

  Connor sank into a chair after congratulating Gregor on his good fortune, Maggie motioning for a serving lass to find him food and something to drink. “Greetings to you, Papa. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, but it pleases me. We’ll need your advice and assistance. Uncle Logan’s, also.”

  “We need to know all of it, Connor,” his sire said. “Who did this to you? To the lass?”

  He filled them in on what he’d learned, which wasn’t much more than they had already heard from Linet. “The only thing I can add is that their primary center is Berwick Castle. There are two Englishmen in charge, and they are operating out of the castle. ’Tis where the Dubh men are, and likely where the ships will berth. ’Tis well fortified.”

  As he finished, his mother entered the great hall, something that surprised him even more than seeing his father. He heard her slight gasp once her gaze settled on him. He didn’t look his best, and he guessed he’d shocked his poor mother. Aunt Gwyneth followed her in. Connor greeted them both, then asked for the explanation his sire had been slow to give. “I’m happy to see you, Mama, Papa, but why are you both here?”

  “Because this is finally about to come to an end,” his sire said. “Three hundred Grant warriors are on their way to join us. Your brothers will stay at home to protect the clan, but your mother and I did not wish to sit comfortably at home while our son and our niece and nephews rode into battle. We came to help strategize. I see that was a wise decision, based on your condition and the woman’s. I’ve heard but not seen her yet. These bastards need to be stopped.”

  Uncle Logan stood and paced behind the table, his stomps hard enough to wear a path in the stone. “Uncle Micheil and Uncle Drew are bringing fifty guards each. We’ll be sending two hundred. The bastards aren’t getting away this time. You’ve told us what you learned, now tell us what happened to you.”