"If you would be so kind as to arrange baths for us, we would be grateful. We smell of the horses and men that brought us here."
The tall, handsome stranger walked over to Eleyne. He picked up a strand of her hair and rolled it between his fingers. "All will be arranged," he stated, never taking his eyes off Eleyne, "and when ye be rested, we will talk. Please refrain from attacking me men until then," he said, turning his brilliant smile on Kara.
"We'll try to restrain ourselves," she replied sweetly.
With a bow, the stranger left the room. Kara stared at the door for a moment and then waved her hands in front of Eleyne's face. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Did you recognize that man?"
"Nay. I have never seen him afore, but he 'tis most handsome," Eleyne whispered.
"He's the warden to our prison, Eleyne. Remember that."
"Aye, I shall."
Kara feared their situation just got worse.
Later, they were shown to adjoining rooms, but Kara refused to allow Eleyne out of her sight. "Set the tub here in front of the fireplace," she told the young maids. "We will not need the other room."
The girls stared open-mouthed. Next, several strapping boys marched in, straining under the weight of buckets filled with hot water. The boys raked them with glaring eyes then left. The children looked malnourished. Come to think of it, the men weren't bulky either.
"You take your bath first, Eleyne," Kara suggested. "I'll stand guard." Feeling like an Amazon, Kara stood rigid, watching as Eleyne sank into the steamy water.
After bathing, Eleyne hurriedly washed her hair and rinsed it with fresh water from a bucket on the floor, then got out and toweled off. Two gowns had been left on the bed.
While Eleyne dressed in a peach gown, Kara stepped into the tub, intending to quickly cleanse her body. The lukewarm water felt wonderful, so she lingered an extra couple of minutes. It had been a while since she'd had a hot bath. She washed her hair and body, luxuriating in the ecstasy of the tub and the relaxing effect on her aching muscles.
After several minutes, she reluctantly left the now cool water and dried off before slipping into the cream-colored garment. Poised in front of the fire to dry her hair, she ran her fingers through the tangled mess. "Our host has good taste," Kara commented. "Although the place looks a bit rundown."
When the door burst open, a huge hulk of a man barreled into the room. "What the bloody hell are ye doing in this room? I ordered ye put in the tower." He glared at the women.
"Who the hell are you?" Kara glared back.
The stranger was stunned quiet for all of a moment. His neck and face filled with red rage and he slapped Kara across the face. "Keep your tongue, woman. I be the chief and ye'll do as you be told. The dungeon be a good place for ye."
Kara pushed up from the floor. "If you are the chief, then who was the other man who moved us to these quarters, and ordered the bath and food?"
"Carrick!" The chief bellowed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door.
Eleyne said, "There be dissention in the castle."
They looked at each other and giggled. It was the first time since being taken that they'd been able to find humor in their situation.
"Did you recognize that man, Eleyne?"
"Aye, I know of him. I recognized the crest he wore. MacKay. He be a nasty one. I have heard the men speak o' the bastard. That must mean that we be at Strathnaver Castle. I have heard evil stories about this place."
"I guess we've found the enemy. I wonder what will happen now."
The door opened again and the boys drug the bathtub out. They didn't look at Kara or Eleyne, nor did they speak. A strange silence fell over the place, an eerie calm. The calm before the storm.
A long time passed. Kara's fear played havoc with her nerves. A knock sounded before the young stranger entered.
"How be ye faring, ladies? 'Tis the room to your liking?"
"Do you want to explain now, MacKay?" Kara said evenly.
His right brow arched as he cast a look in her direction.
"Yes. We know who you are. Will you explain why we're here?"
"Ye be here 'til the chief strikes a deal with the MacLeod."
Eleyne snickered. "Ye willna make deals with me father. All will die by the hand of the MacLeod for slaying our clansmen." With her chin in the air and her shoulders back, she sauntered proudly over to stand before him.
"I had not heard of this." A look of concern etched his face.
"Two MacLeods were killed during a raid on the livestock. Then there were terrible fires which almost killed several more."
Confusion, anger, and worry played across his handsome features. Kara believed he truly had not been aware of the events. "Who are you?"
He sighed. "Carrick MacKay, first-born."
"Ah, so the red-faced blowhard is your father."
"Aye," he chuckled.
Not the response she would have expected from a barbarian. Perhaps this would work to their advantage.
He bowed and strode from the room. Duncan appeared and slammed the door in Kara's face.
Two MacKay clansmen brought more logs for the fire to keep the room warm and bearable that night. The huge bed easily provided comfort for Kara and Eleyne. Somehow, Kara felt more at ease with the situation now that she knew of the conflict between Carrick MacKay and his father. This could benefit them.
* * * *
Alaxandar had taken several of the men and searched every inch of the stone wall surrounding the keep, until they found the hole Eleyne and Kara had snuck through. After breaking out an area wide enough, he replaced it with new stone. At least this wouldn't happen again.
Another full day had passed and still no word from Jamie. Alaxandar's mood grew dark and he felt a hole in his heart. A hearty fire bathed the hall in light. Shadows danced across the walls like ghostly figures. Exquisite tapestries held stories of battles and the courageous Scots who fought them. Despite all this, the warmth he thought once filled this great hall now eluded him. Clan members wandered in and out, but he took no notice. His mind caught in a frenzy of self-punishment and accusation. He stared into the crackling flames and clasped his mug without partaking of its sweet nectar.
Outside, a rider raced to the keep and jumped from his mount. Everyone gathered in the hall to hear his report.
"What have ye found, man?"
"We tracked them to the MacKay stronghold, Chief."
"MacKay," Katherine said. The breathless whisper spoke volumes.
His father fell into a chair. Running his hands over his face he said, "Iain, send a messenger to MacKenzie and Sutherland. They ride with us to seek out MacKay." He passed before each of his sons. "I will have an end to this."
Turning to Cuilén he said, "Pick a score of men to stay at the keep while we be away."
"Aye, Father, it shall be done." Cuilén strode from the hall with Ilysse close behind.
Ramsey bowed to the chief and bestowed an all-knowing level look at Alaxandar before heading out of the room. Leelah grabbed his arm at the door and spoke in whispers to him. Ramsey's tight jaw and stoic pause were the only signs showing Alaxandar that whatever his sister said to Ramsey MacLaren affected him in some way. He knew how Leelah felt about Ramsey, and he felt sorry. He knew Ramsey better than most, and Leelah would not get what she wanted from him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Another night of confinement approached. As dusk settled, Kara and Eleyne sat before the roaring fire. Eleyne sang a beautiful ballad full of love and compassion to pass the time. When she finished, Kara smiled. "You have a lovely voice."
"Aye, she does," said a husky voice from behind them.
Kara spun around to find Carrick MacKay in the doorway. His long form leaned against the frame with one foot crossed over the other and his arms crisscrossed over his chest. Eleyne eyed him scornfully but said nothing. Her chin lifted.
"It seems ye will be staying in this room for a spell. Ye will be tr
eated well if ye pose no problems." He walked directly to Eleyne. "I hand-picked the guards. They willna harm ye, unless ye try to escape." Lifting Eleyne's chin with his thumb and forefinger, he looked deep into her eyes. "Dunna be foolish and ye will be released soon."
Kara sensed the charge between Carrick and Eleyne. It bounced around the room like a fireworks display. She wondered how far it would go if things were different. Carrick didn't act anything like his father. He didn't yell or threaten. He had a calmness about him. The MacKay chief used his station and the power it gave him to control everyone around him.
"'Tis that what ye believe, that MacKay will release us?" Eleyne asked.
"The chief willna harm ye if ye do as ye be told. Ye be leverage for his game, nothing more."
"The MacLeod willna yield. No MacLeod yields," she said in a challenging tone.
"It be but a bit of persuasion for some." Carrick bowed to Eleyne. "Lady." He walked out of the chamber.
"Why do you test him so? We may need his help to get out of here."
"He willna help us and bring the chief's wrath. We are left to our own devices." Eleyne's fierce comment gave further credence to their dire circumstances.
Kara sighed and withered back into the chair. "For now we should stay put. I think Carrick likes you." Eleyne snorted none too daintily and Kara smiled.
"Dunna be a nit. He be enemy to the MacLeods."
"Deny it if you wish, but it will not change the truth." Kara turned in her chair. "You like him, too. I recall a comment about him being handsome when you first met."
"'Twas afore his identity became known to me. He be nice to look at and well stocked, but he be heir to me enemy."
"You're so wicked. Where did a girl of your young years learn to talk so?"
"I have three bráthairs who speak of such things and more when they dunna know I be close by."
Eleyne fell asleep almost immediately. Kara lay awake contemplating what would happen next. Two things she knew for certain. Alaxandar and the MacLeods were coming and people would die.
* * * *
The day rose with birds singing as Kara woke from a fitful sleep, a little more rested. She and Eleyne washed and ate the food left for them. Kara picked up the gown she had worn the day before and slid into it then walked to the window to gaze at the sunbeams. If only the new day meant something good.
Eleyne didn't quite have her dress fastened when Carrick entered the room. He silently watched while she fumbled with the laces up her back.
He closed the distance between them. "Allow me, milady," he all but whispered in her ear and began tightening the laces to snugly hug her body.
Eleyne stiffened but didn't pull away or protest. She peered at him over her shoulder. "I dunna think I heard ye knock, MacKay."
"'Tis me castle," he said plainly.
"Aye, and we be prisoners "
Carrick inclined his head. "If that be your wish."
"I wish to go back to Dunvegan." Eleyne crossed her arms over her breasts and straightened to her full height. Her chin lifted to that arrogant MacLeod pose that Kara knew ran in the family. These two circled each other, drawing lines, daring the other to cross. Carrick's deep green eyes lit with shock and amusement. Eleyne, though at least a foot shorter than him, managed to give the impression they stood on equal ground.
A loud bellow rose from the bailey outside accompanied by a clamor of men and horses.
"It seems there be something amiss, MacKay," Eleyne said before turning her back on him.
"So it does. Ladies." Carrick left the room, bolting the door behind him.
Kara and Eleyne ran to the tiny slit in the wall. Kara closed one eye to focus on what was happening. She had no trouble seeing the chief. He wasn't only the biggest, but the loudest. He shouted orders and men scurried in different directions. With his thick Scottish brogue, she couldn't understand him, but she knew something had happened to get him riled. "I wonder what's going on."
Eleyne said, "They have been told the MacLeod 'tis coming and he has hundreds o' men with him."
"Hundreds of men. Are there that many MacLeods?"
Eleyne nodded. "The MacLeods and MacKenzies for certain."
"What will happen now?"
"There will be a battle if MacKay doesna release us."
"People will be killed over this," Kara whispered.
"'Tis naught ye kin do about it. MacKay must meet me father now, and that willna be pleasant."
A short time later Carrick returned, knocking this time before he entered the room. "It seems MacLeod be on his way, milady. Stay away from the windows when he arrives. I dunna want an arrow marring this perfect skin." He ran a finger down Eleyne's cheek.
"Death be coming, MacKay. Ye have taken what 'tis not yours and now ye must pay."
"Aye," he sighed. "The MacKays will pay."
"Me father willna agree to demands. Your chief will kill us."
Kara's stomach clenched. She heard the break in Eleyne's voice and noticed her hands clutching her sides. Carrick must have sensed it as well because he moved close to Eleyne. He rubbed hands down her arms.
"Dunna fear, lass. I willna allow harm to come to ye." His long arms wrapped around Eleyne. She didn't resist. When he stepped back, he planted an intense but brief kiss on Eleyne's lips. Pulling away as if he'd stunned even himself, Carrick turned and strode from the room.
Eleyne remained motionless at first. She touched her lips and faced Kara in confusion.
Kara smiled. "Yep, the first kiss is always the most exciting."
"Why would he do that?"
"I told you he likes you. This makes things better for us." She raised her eyes to the ceiling. "I hope."
"Better how?"
"Maybe he'll help us."
Eleyne approached Kara and grabbed her arms. "I dunna want Carrick going against his father. We need to find a way to escape."
"Perhaps when the MacLeods get here it will give us an opportunity. We just have to get past the guard."
By nighttime at Strathnaver, Kara worried her thumb nail and Eleyne paced. She heard the warriors readying for the battle to come. The generous quarters which she had thought ample, now seemed as cramped and confined as the tower room. Any courage slowly melted away. Anxiety hung in the air and fear left a sickening taste in her mouth. This was real. People were going to die and she could be one of them.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MacKenzies and Sutherlands joined the MacLeods. Alaxandar stalked the grounds gazing on tents filled with those not of his blood. He headed for the stables and his horse. Instructing the guards gave him a sense of control.
Alaxandar and the others rode steady and hard, stopping only to water and rest the horses. Ramsey and Iain had gone ahead to scout the landscape for any who might be waiting, and returned with their report.
"Strathnaver be over the ridge. I spotted two," Iain said.
Ramsey grinned. "I left one alive to let them know we be coming."
"Aye," Drummond said as he stared at the rise of hills. "The bastard knew we be coming."
Alaxandar clapped Iain on the back. "Take care of the horses and get some food."
He turned to Ramsey. "What else?"
"Not many in the surrounding area, old women or verra young ones with bairns. Dinna see men at all."
"Why would they not bring the women and children to the keep if they knew we be coming?"
"'Tis strange, aye," Ramsey agreed.
"Be ye thinking to get information from the women?"
With a stone-cold glare Ramsey said, "I kin be persuasive."
Drummond glared at the man. "I have no doubt. Take Cuilén with ye. His methods be more to me liking."
Alaxandar knew Ramsey would argue. Putting a hand up, he interrupted. "Come, I will walk with ye to find Cuilén."
Ramsey ground his teeth.
"Be calm yet, bráthair. 'Twill soon be over."
"I be leaving when 'tis done," Ramsey said.
"Aye, I
knew ye would."
They said no more until they found Cuilén.
A couple of hours later, they rode again closer to Strathnaver. Torches burned at the barred gates. The dark fortress was locked up tight with guards posted along the wall.
"Alaxandar and Archibald with me," the chief ordered. "The rest wait under cover of the forest."
At a gallop, Alaxandar followed his father. Nervous energy cracked through his entire body. A warrior such as himself did not fear battle, but this was different. His woman might be dead and those who took her would pay.
"MacKay!" MacLeod roared.
For several minutes, only the guards moved then a booming voice called from the parapet. "MacLeod, what brings ye here?"
"Dunna waste me time. Send out the females. For the deaths of me clansmen, I will be taking your life, but for taking me daughter, I will be killing ye slow."
MacKay laughed. "I shall think on it, MacLeod. I be liking the company." His sinister laugh carried down to Alaxandar. "I be liking the company a lot." MacKay disappeared from sight.
Alaxandar growled low. The emptiness in his stomach threatened to overtake his heart. He needed to kill something. He spun his horse around and returned to where his clansmen waited.
"We give him time to ponder his next move. Be ready for it. We must use guile and cunning in our assault." Drummond turned to Iain and Murdo. "I need to talk to MacKenzie and Sutherland."
Iain rode one way and Murdo the other. Before long, the chiefs were huddled with Alaxandar and his father to form their plan.
"MacKenzie, take your men to the south side. I want the castle surrounded so MacKay canna escape."
MacKenzie told Lachlann to relay the orders to the men and make ready.
"Sutherland, split your men and cover the north and west."
"Aye, MacLeod. The bastard willna get away," Sutherland said before he and his lieutenant rode back into the dark forest.
After they left, the chief turned to his sons and those of high rank in the clan. "We give him till dawn to send out the females then we go in."
The others shook their heads in agreement with the plan. Alaxandar stared at the ominous blackness that loomed before them. Every muscle in his body was primed and ready for the fight.
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