by Fiona Faris
“’Tis nae likely that it will be a smooth transition, but I will feel much better kennin’ that ye are with Marra. ‘Tis better tae have my best man with the woman I love, than tae have ye here sortin’ through the treacherous waters o’ clan politics.”
“Aye, I dinnae envy ye that tae be sure. I will return tae Jura upon the morrow. Until then let us do what we can tae strengthen yer position among our people. Ye are goin’ tae need all the help ye can get.” Ewen drew his sword, backing away with a crooked grin.
Duncan smiled and did the same. The two men squared off and then advanced. The ring of metal upon metal drew the attention of passersby and before long a crowd had gathered to watch. Wagers were made among the crowd as their fellow clansmen cheered on their choice to win. Duncan knew that Ewen’s intent was to remind the fighting men of the clan that the laird’s son could indeed hold his own when needed, which meant that he would not go easy on him. An experienced eye would know the difference between a true fight and play acting. When Marra had broken up his fight with James, she had denied him the opportunity to show his clan what he was capable of. Now Ewen was offering him that same chance.
Duncan spotted his cousin Lachlan on the edge of the crowd, his eyes glinting with the thrill of the fight as he handed a fellow clansmen a bag of coin. Duncan wasn’t sure who he had placed his money on, but he had a feeling who it might be, and if he lost, he would never hear the end of it. Turning his attention back to Ewen he narrowly missed getting hit. “Ye better pay attention, lad, or this wee exercise will end afore it has begun,” Ewen warned.
“Aye, I can see that,” Duncan tightened his jaw and centered his concentration on the task at hand. Ewen was an experienced fighter. Defeating him would not be an easy task.
The two circled each other, thrusting and parrying at will. They felt out each other’s strengths and weaknesses, then settled in to more serious fighting. As the fight progressed, Duncan fought for all he was worth, attempting to keep up with Ewen’s onslaught. Seeing an opening he attacked bringing the sword up and stopping just before he severed the skin of the other man’s neck. “Check mate,” he announced grinning.
Ewen smiled with a mischievous glint in his eye and gestured with his head to Duncan’s lower regions. Duncan looked down and found Ewen’s blade between his legs. A mere flick of the wrist, and he would have been unmanned long before his sword would have made contact with Ewen’s throat. Both men removed their blades chuckling in comradery. “Shall we call this one a draw?” Ewen asked, slapping Duncan on the back in good humor.
“Aye, let’s do that,” Duncan agreed somewhat sheepishly. He resisted the urge to check and make sure that everything below his waist was still intact.
The two of them walked into the castle together and ascended the stairs. They entered the laird’s bedchamber and found the healer, Idonea, tending to him. She looked up upon their entry and shook her head. They paused in the doorway. The laird’s every breath was labored, and the pillow beneath his head was splattered with blood. His chest rattled as he coughed. His skin was pale and drenched in sweat from the exertion. His eyes were pinched shut from the pain. Idonea walked over to them and whispered softly. “Now is no’ a good time tae speak with His Lairdship.”
“Is there anythin’ that we can do tae be of aid tae ye,” Duncan asked, concerned. It broke his heart to see his father in such a state.
“Nae, for now he just needs rest and quiet. I will send for ye if there is any change,” she promised.
“Will he make it through the night?”
“Aye, but I dinnae ken how many nights thereafter.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Marra groaned as she awoke rolling over onto her side. The hard floor of Ian’s croft had made for a terrible night’s sleep. She looked over toward James’ resting place and found it empty. She could not blame him for wanting to leave the premises as soon as possible, as the combination of smoke and unwashed human bodies being crammed into one room made it nearly unbearable to breathe. Rising, Marra exited the croft and went in search of their guest. She found him near the castle ruins standing over the graves that dotted the landscape.
Hearing her approach, he looked up. “How could anyone do such a thing?” he whispered, his eyes filled with anger and sorrow. “Killin’ warriors is one thing. Killin’ innocent women, children, and auld men is another thing entirely.”
Marra walked over to her father’s grave and knelt down placing a hand upon the charred soil. “I dinnae ken,” she answered softly, willing her sorrow and pain into the earth.
“I am so verra sorry for yer loss, lass. ‘Tis a terrible thing that happened here. My faither has done ye a great wrong refusin’ tae render ye aid without forcin’ ye tae sacrifice all that ye have left in the world. It is clear tae me that he does no’ ken the full nature o’ the loss ye have suffered. I have made the decision tae return tae Skye and do all within my power tae change his mind. In the meantime, I advise ye tae take shelter among Ewen’s people. He is a good man, and if he says that Duncan is a good man as well, I trust his word. Ian’s croft floor is nae place for ye, lass. I will return as soon as I am able tae change faither’s mind and make him see reason. Promise me that ye will seek refuge as I have advised?”
“Aye, I will do as ye ask if my people will agree tae do so,” she promised, standing up.
“I ken well enough that yer heart belongs tae another, Marra, but mine belongs tae ye. I will no’ force ye tae honor the agreement between our faithers, but ne’er forget that I am here for ye. If e’er ye need my aid, all ye need do is ask, and I will come, my faither’s wishes be hanged.”
“I thank ye for yer kindness, James, more than I can e’er say. I will miss yer steady, comfortin’ presence. I wish ye well with yer faither, but please dinnae do anythin’ that will cause ye harm in any way. We will find a way tae survive this. I will no’ allow what happened here tae be the end o’ us.”
James walked over to her and took her hand in his. He bowed and kissed it tenderly before releasing it. “I bid ye adieu, fair maiden.”
Marra smiled. “And ye, kind sir.”
James turned and walked down to his boat, climbed aboard, and set sail for Skye. Marra could not help but feel a slight wave of sadness at his parting. When she had first met him, she had wanted nothing more than to be rid of the man, but she had grown fond of him in the brief time that they had spent together. I miss Ewen as well. His steady presence is a boon tae the spirit. She was not sure how she felt about Duncan. She knew she loved him. That was not in question. What she was not sure about was everything else in between.
Sighing, she turned to survey the ruins. Her people had worked hard to clear away anything salvageable from the fire. They had sifted through the ashes removing every piece of metal they could find for future use. The men that remained had begun to repair the stone work. It would be a long and slow process, but it would be worth it if they could restore the keep to any semblance of its former glory. The sound of oars slapping the water caught her attention and made her turn back toward the shore. Through the morning mist she could just make out the shape of a rowboat cutting its way through the water. A flash of Stuart tartan caught her eye, and she ran down to the water’s edge.
“Ewen?” she called out across the water in question.
“Aye, lass. ‘Tis I,” Ewen called back. “And I have brought some supplies with me.”
“’Tis glad I am tae see ye, Ewen,” Marra greeted with a smile.
When he reached the island she helped him to pull the boat ashore, then hauled the supplies up out of the boat and carried them inland. They walked together to Ian’s croft and were met by several of her people rousing themselves for the day. Several of them were coughing and wheezing as they exited the croft, their faces pale and drawn. Food had been limited, and a majority of those who remained were too young or old to fend for themselves. Marra and Ewen passed out the supplies he had managed to bring, but it was barely enough to feed
them all for the day.
Marra pulled Ian aside and gestured toward the gathering assemblage. “They are no’ strong enough for this, Ian. They need a safe place tae rest with plenty o’ food tae eat and a comfortable pallet tae sleep upon. If we continue as we are, many o’ them will no’ make it tae next winter. Those that are able bodied who wish tae stay behind may do so, but it is time that ye accepted the aid o’ our neighbors for those o’ our people who need our help and guidance. I would much rather do it with ye rather than without ye. Anyone who remains behind should be made aware of Alexander MacDonald’s threats. ‘Tis possible that he will come for what he believes tae be his son’s interests. James has gone tae make him see reason, but it is doubtful that he will be successful. The Laird o’ Skye was quite adamant about his wishes on the matter.”
Ian surveyed the struggling group and sighed, nodding his head resignedly in submission. “I ken what ye are sayin’ well enough. We are no’ strong enough tae fight off a cold, let alone Alexander MacDonald or any other person who might decide tae take advantage of our weakened state. I will speak with them and prepare the weakest among us for the journey tae Campbell lands. Better the enemy ye ken, then one ye dinnae.”
“Exactly,” Ewen agreed, nodding. “I will help ye tae ready for departure.”
Ian and Ewen moved through the group, speaking with each person in turn, reassuring them that they would be well looked after once they were across the water. Marra looked on with tears in her eyes for the suffering they had endured and for all that was still to come. Once everyone had gathered their things, they all walked down to the boats together. They filled the boats to brimming and then set off for the opposite shore.
* * *
Duncan was sitting with his father in the laird’s bedchamber when news of the MacDonald’s arrival reached his ears. One of the castle guards had burst through the door to inform them of the impending arrival. “Ewen is bringin’ them up from the sea,” the guard panted out. It was clear that he had run the entire distance from the shoreline to the castle.
“And so it begins,” Fergus remarked weakly from beside him on the bed. Duncan had informed his father of all that Ewen had told him of his time on Skye, so that the laird would be kept informed of all possible dangers where Alexander MacDonald was concerned. Looking at the guard, he instructed, “Inform the kitchen that we will be feedin’ guests this evenin’.” The guard nodded and left the room.
Duncan arose from his chair beside the bed. “I will go and see tae their needs.”
The laird nodded and coughed. “Aye, that would be best,” he agreed, then waved his son out of the door.
Duncan left the castle and made his way through the village down to the shore. His heart quickened at the sight of Marra, and he rushed forward to assist her in disembarking the boat. Several others climbed out, separating them before he could pull her into his arms. He leaned forward to speak with her and instead came face to face with a goat. The elderly man carrying the goat glared at him and then moved on. Were the situation not so dire, he would have laughed at the absurdity of the moment. When he turned back to speak with Marra again, she was already a fair distance ahead of him assisting Ian with Diana. Ewen exited the boat and came over to stand beside him.
“How did ye manage it?” he asked, relieved to have her back. “I ne’er thought that Ian would allow it and the others listen tae him.”
“Many o’ their elders and young ones are unwell. It was a matter o’ survival. Alexander MacDonald’s threats did no’ go o’er well with Ian. Once he agreed tae leave the island the others followed, but ‘tis only for a time until the first harvest, ye ken.”
“Aye, I ken well enough that she will nae remain here with me for verra long, but I am glad tae have her here for as long as she is willin’ tae remain. I will simply have tae take advantage o’ the time I am given.”
“Marry her, lad, if ye can. Dinnae let her get away. She is the kind o’ lass that ye ne’er get o’er once ye have loved her.” He spoke with the voice of experience, as a man who had loved greatly and lost much.
“Aye, that she is.” Duncan knew he was right, but Idonea’s words of warning flashed through his mind, and he frowned. “But it will come at a price.”
“Great love usually does, but ye will find it is worth it in the end.”
“If any lass is worth it, it would be she,” Duncan agreed, watching her retreating back.
“Aye,” Ewen nodded. “’Twill no’ be an easy time o’ it tae be sure.”
The two men assisted the remaining MacDonalds from the boats, taking those who needed a healer to Idonea’s croft. Marra was there with Diana. Duncan gently took her by the arm and led her outside. He did not wish to have his efforts to speak with her thwarted a second time. They moved away from the crowd of people, both newly arrived and curious observers. “I have missed ye,” he admitted once they were out of hearing from the others.
“I was no’ sure ye would after our last parting,” Marra referenced the loft incident.
“’Tis sorry I am that we left things between us in such a state.”
“We did no’ leave anythin’. Ye left me in a most indelicate position. I barely escaped havin’ a stable lad seein’ all that God has blessed me with. ‘Tis the second time ye have refused me. I am no’ a lass tae throw myself at every lad who looks my way. If ye were no’ interested in me, all ye had tae do was tell me, no’ humiliate me beyond all repair.”
The hurt look he saw in her eyes made Duncan’s heart feel as if she had ripped it out of his chest and stomped on it. “I ne’er intended tae make ye feel such a way, lass. ‘Tis no’ that I dinnae desire ye. I desire ye more than I have e’er desired another, but I have seen what comes o’ lyin’ together afore ye are wed and that is no’ a life I wish for ye. I will have ye properly, or I will no’ have ye at all.” He shared with her the story of his aunt, Margaret, and the promise he had made to his mother before her death.
“Why did ye no’ just tell me that instead o’ runnin’ scared like a cat with his tail afire?”
“A mistake I deeply regret.” Duncan took her hand in his and kissed it. “Can ye forgive me, lass?”
“Well I can tell ye one thing, Duncan Campbell, ye will no’ be leavin’ me in a state o’ undress e’er again.” She sighed and looked him up and down from head to toe and back again. “I suppose I forgive ye.”
He smiled, relieved, and continued to hold her hand in his. “Will ye come tae supper this eve? Faither has instructed that a dinner be prepared tae provide for all o’ yer people. Then after, I believe, he wishes tae discuss the future o’ yer clan. He is dyin’, Marra, and does no’ have much time left tae him upon this earth.”
“Aye, I will attend, and then afterwards, I will speak with yer faither.”
“In the meantime, let us find appropriate shelter for yer people. We have been workin’ on repairin’ some o’ the auld crofts since last we spoke and are better prepared tae house them.”
They spent the next several hours ensuring that everyone had a safe place to lay their heads come nightfall. They made several trips back and forth between Idonea’s and the repaired crofts in order to aid the elderly and infirm. Marra went to great lengths to make her people as comfortable as possible. Duncan got the impression that things on Jura had begun to deteriorate very quickly after they had lost their food stores. Small farms like Ian’s would not have been much help so early in the spring with the seeds barely planted and the animals nursing their newly born offspring. The very thing that he and Marra had feared after the attack had begun.
Alexander MacDonald’s attempts at extorting the poor people before him flashed through his mind, and he tightened his fists in anger. Turning to Marra to say something about it, he found her cheeks glistening with tears. Apparently she had been having similar thoughts. He stepped forward and took her into his arms. “Shhh. Dinnae fash, my bonnie. Ye and yer people are safe and cared for here among my people. I swear tae ye that w
e will get through this, together.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
That evening Marra descended the stairs from her room in the castle down to the great hall. She had bathed and dressed, but had not had time to rest. Her body was heavy with fatigue, but she squared her shoulders, determined to make it through the dinner ahead. It was important for both of the clans to start out on the right footing. It would not be easy to have both clans inhabiting the same space, but it was imperative that they do so, and it was up to Marra to see that it was done in a congenial manner. Her people, after all, were merely guests.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she was met by Ewen who offered her his arm and escorted her to the laird’s table. “Duncan is above stairs with his faither. The laird is quite unwell but insists upon makin’ an appearance for dinner. He has asked me tae be yer dinner companion ‘til he is able tae join ye himself.”
“And a most gracious companion ye are, Ewen,” she smiled and took her seat in the offered chair. Ewen sat down beside her and they surveyed the room together.
The great hall was divided, Campbells on one side and MacDonalds on the other. Long wooden tables had been set up to accommodate both the local inhabitants and the newcomers. “It will take time,” Ewen murmured in her ear. Her disappointment must have shown on her face.
“Aye, indeed it will,” she agreed nodding. “But at what sacrifice?”
Ewen frowned at such a thought. “That I dinnae ken.”
A stir at the end of the hall caught their attention, and they stood to see Fergus leaning heavily on Duncan’s arm. The hawk faced man that Marra had seen at the gathering moved forward and took the other of the laird’s arms. Marra remembered that he was Duncan’s cousin, Lachlan. The trio made their way through the crowded room and up onto the dais. The laird moved to the center of the table and raised his hand for the room to be quiet.
