by Terry Spear
“Aye, you too.”
Avelina and Quinn slipped into the passageway and found their way to her chamber. Once inside, they stripped off their clothes and climbed into bed.
Avelina was shivering, and Quinn tucked her in his arms. “Are you cold?”
“Aye.”
He suspected it had something to do with the attempted kidnapping, the killing of the men, and the wounding of the woman.
Avelina frowned. “If they send Gwyneth with them, she may very well tell them that you’re living here and that you’re married to me.”
“Aye.” Quinn climbed out of bed, but Avelina grabbed his hand and pulled at him to return to bed.
“My da will know that.”
“Then he will send her with them only if she is dead,” Quinn said.
“Aye,” Avelina said softly and snuggled against Quinn. “You dinna betray our kin and get away with it.”
“I will be betraying my own.”
Avelina didn’t say anything for a moment, then scoffed at his words. “Your brother has betrayed you countless times. He deserves to be dealt with.”
17
Early the next morning, Avelina and Quinn hurried to dress for the morning meal. She hoped that Liam had stayed, for Quinn’s sake. But when they joined her da at the high table, he shook his head, and they saw Liam wasn’t at the table.
“Liam was angry about what had occurred and returned to the ship with Cormac’s men. So you may no’ have an ally in him when you return, Quinn,” Baudwin said.
“I suspect he hopes to learn what really happened to my da, now that he knows I’m alive,” Quinn said, and Avelina hoped he didn’t get himself killed while trying to learn the truth.
“And Gwyneth?” Avelina asked.
“She died, and she and Cormac’s dead men were taken aboard the ship last eve,” her da said.
“What if she told them Quinn was alive and living with us? Married to me even, before she agreed to get their weapons for them?” Avelina had barely gotten any sleep last night, worried about what Gwyneth might have said to any of the other men for a bit of coin. ”What if they hadn’t been going to my chamber to steal me away, but instead hoped to find Quinn there and kill him? That Gwyneth hadna lied. The one brigand had said he knew Quinn was there.”
Gwyneth might very well have been angry that Avelina had suggested to her da that he marry someone else to make an alliance with another clan, even though her da had already made the decision to do so. If Gwyneth couldn’t have whom she wanted, Avelina couldn’t have Quinn.
“Aye,” Baudwin said.
“If that happened, then his men will tell Cormac that his brother is here,” Avelina said.
“Aye.” Her da rubbed his beard. “We’ll be prepared for him, if he thinks to come here and wage war with me.”
“Us,” Quinn said, “But I want to take this home and not bring it to your soil.”
Hamish was quietly listening to the conversation and finally spoke up. “I think we should go now. We would arrive right after they put to shore. They wouldna have any time to do anything.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Quinn sounded surprised anyone would help fight his cause.
Baudwin cleared his throat. “I willna have a treaty with your clan if you’re no’ in charge.”
“That’s saying the council approves my taking over, if I’m able to remove my brother from power,” Quinn reminded him, “and they dinna believe my brother’s lies that I murdered my own da.”
“Aye. I’m counting on the council and your people backing you,” Baudwin said. “Besides, my daughter wouldna forgive me if I dinna protect your back.”
“You canna go, Da,” Avelina said, frowning. “You just returned from battle and you’re still healing from your injuries.”
“So is Quinn. I’m going. If I’m there, and they didna know that Quinn was staying with us, they’ll believe I’m coming about negotiations over my daughter’s marriage to Cormac. If I’m no’ with my men, what will they think?”
She couldn’t help being bothered about him going into battle again. He hadn’t had enough time to heal. She hoped he wouldn’t get into a fight. Then again, she worried about Quinn and the other men too. She was certain some of those who had fought, even if they were still recuperating from injuries, would be going too. If for no other reason than they would want to support their kin and friends.
“I want to go with you,” Avelina said.
“Nay. What if my brother is successful in killing me this time? He would take you as his hostage. Mayhap wed you to have an alliance with your people.”
“He willna kill you. Even though I will stay, I still want to go with you, to see you vanquish him after all he’s done to you, and to celebrate your victory.” She worried he’d be injured, and that he’d be distraught over having to kill his brother and mayhap the others he might have to fight. If he didn’t get himself killed. She wanted to be there for him.
“Avelina…” Quinn pulled her into his arms. “I know what you are thinking, and if you were there in harm’s way, I’d think of naught but your safety.”
“I have said I will stay,” she said crossly.
“Aye. I will return for you soon.”
“You will keep everyone safe until then, aye?” her da asked her.
“No picking up injured men on the shore,” Quinn said, then smiled at her.
“Aye, of course, Da.” As if he ever left her in charge of everyone who remained behind. She wrapped her arms around Quinn’s neck. “Dinna get yourself killed then.”
“I dinna intend to.”
“We should be readying to leave then,” Hamish said
“Aye.” Baudwin rose from his seat and said to their gathered people, “We’re taking Quinn to see his brother and set this right between them.”
Everyone raised their tankards and cheered.
Avelina shook her head. Men were always so eager to fight. Any excuse.
After they broke their fast, Baudwin, Quinn, and Hamish discussed battle plans.
Avelina and Fenella helped the kitchen staff to pack food for the men. “Do you think they’ll be all right?” Fenella asked.
“They’re good fighters. They’ll make it home just fine.” Then Avelina changed the subject, not having thought Fenella’s own da would die in the last conflict, so she didn’t want to think about Quinn and her own da failing in their quest either. “How do you feel about marrying Ewen?”
Fenella finished wrapping the rest of the food. “Your da says Ewen’s a good man, that he’s around the same age as Quinn, and he’s eager to have a wife and children.” She blushed. Then she glanced at Avelina. “What about Quinn? Is he eager to have a bairn?”
This time Avelina felt her face heat.
“Aye,” Cook said, waving at them to take the food to the men. “All men want them, so they can prove they have what it takes to make ‘em.”
The women working in the kitchen all laughed. “That’s the truth,” another said.
Quinn joined the ladies and took Avelina into his arms. “I have to go. Their ship is sailing, and we need to leave.”
“Aye.” She hugged him back and then kissed him.
Quinn didn’t want to leave her, but he had to say goodbye. She and Fenella went to the beach to see the men off, including Avelina’s da. Quinn never believed it would be that difficult to leave his wife behind.
“We’ll be together soon,” she said, but she sounded worried.
“I’ll make it through this.”
“And if you do? When you do,” she amended, “what will your people think of you? Of me?”
“We will soon learn the truth.” If they wouldn’t accept him, then he hoped her da would keep him on, and he’d fight for him or do whatever they needed to take care of things and the clan.
They said their goodbyes one last time, and the men sailed off to the mainland.
Avelina didn’t watch to see the ship disappear but rushed back t
o the keep and returned to her bedchamber, Fenella following her like a little lost lamb. Avelina wasn’t about to be left behind. She began packing her clothes.
“What are you doing?” Fenella asked.
“I’m leaving with the last ship to sail. When Quinn wins the battle against his brother, I dinna want to waste any time rejoining him, as his wife should. And he shouldna leave there either. No’ when he will have just taken over the clan. What if while he’s gone to fetch me, someone else tries to take over?”
“I’m going with you then.”
“It might no’ be safe for you.”
“No’ for you either. Besides, ‘tis closer to where I’m bound. I’ll pack my things. Dinna leave without me.”
“I willna, but we must no’ miss the last ship.”
“Your husband willna be happy you followed him there.”
“I will make him happy.”
Fenella blushed and headed for the door. “You must tell me more. But after I’ve packed.”
Avelina felt in her bones the need to join Quinn. What if he was badly injured? He’d need her. And her place was with her husband. She knew that if she were nearby, he would win. She was so sure of it, she had to go.
As soon as she had her bags in hand, she hurried out of her chamber, joined Fenella in hers and then they finished packing and found a couple of men to carry their things to the last ship.
Dar just shook his head as he was overseeing the men’s work. “Neither your da, nor your husband wanted you to join them.”
Wolf was watching the horizon, but turned to see her arrive and came to greet her, then went back to looking at where Quinn’s ship had disappeared to, as if waiting for him to return from a fishing trip soon.
“Aye they will change their minds when they dinna have to sail from one place to the other and back again, just to take me to my new home.”
“And Fenella?” Dar eyed her next.
“I will be on the mainland and that much closer to the location where Ewen lives. Besides, I wish to see where Avelina will live.”
They were helped onto the ship, Wolf not hesitating to join her, and Dar said, “Let us hope you are no’ involved in a battle or your da and your husband will have my head.”
“Your head will remain on your shoulders,” Avelina assured him and then they set sail on the last ship, another having already sailed.
“Do you think Quinn will really win?” Fenella asked Avelina as they found a place to sit out of the way of the men who were busy sailing the ship, Wolf staring off toward the mainland where they were headed.
“Aye. If the council doesna approve him taking over the clan, my da will hire him to work for him.” Avelina prayed neither of them would be mortally wounded and that her clansmen wouldn’t be embroiled in a fight.
Quinn, Baudwin, and Hamish watched Cormac’s ship sailing for the mainland off in the distance.
“They’ll see us,” Hamish said.
“Aye,” Quinn said.
Bringing others into the fight wouldn’t set well with his people. But Quinn needed Baudwin and his men to support him in this so that he could confront his brother with the truth without being cut down by him, or anyone else in the clan, first.
It was late when Cormac’s men landed on the shore. They didn’t return to the keep, but waited on shore to see what Baudwin wanted. Quinn suspected that they believed something was wrong for one of Baudwin’s ships to join them after they killed two of Cormac’s men for trying to steal Avelina away, if that had been the reason they had tried to access her chamber. Especially since Baudwin hadn’t told them they were leaving for there so soon.
Then two additional ships would follow, in the event they needed more manpower.
“You wait aboard ship,” Baudwin said to Quinn. “We’ll signal when you can come ashore.”
Quinn shook his head. “This is on me.”
Baudwin smiled a little. “I will enjoy being your ally.”
As soon as they reached the shore, several of Cormac’s men pulled swords, but Liam held up his hand, signaling everyone to hold.
Then Liam stalked forward, grinning. “He canna kill you, mon. He canna kill you.” Then he pulled Quinn into a heartfelt embrace.
“Aye. I told you so.” Quinn returned the embrace.
“And the men he sent with you?” Liam asked. “The damned mercenaries?”
“They tried to kill me, but they were no’ successful.”
Liam quirked a smile. “I can see that.”
Cormac’s men were all standing around, waiting to see what needed to be done, most ready to unsheathe their swords if this was going to be a fight, some already holding their swords.
“I take it you didna bring Avelina to marry Cormac,” Liam said.
“No.”
“You…” Liam glanced around at Cormac’s men. He said for Quinn and Baudwin’s hearing only, “You married the lass, didna you?”
Quinn didn’t need to tell Liam the truth. His friend must have surmised from the smile he shared that he had.
Liam returned the smile, then his expression grew solemn. “God’s knees, mon. Cormac will be…” He paused and frowned, glanced at all the men, and said to Quinn in a lowered voice again, “You’re going up against him.” He slapped Quinn’s arm. “You know you’re going to have trouble. Cormac’s told everyone that you killed your da.”
“But you know I didna.”
“Aye. I was there. I’ve been trying to learn who was where on the battlefield when your da died. Most say they were too busy fighting to see what else was going on, just trying to stay alive and take the other men out. I couldna contradict your brother without a witness or two to speak up against the accusation, but so far no one has come forth.”
“You’re bound to get yourself killed.”
“Aye. No one would come forth, probably figuring you’d died and it didn’t matter what they said. If they spoke out against your brother, they’d end up like you. If you’d been dead, that is. Now that you’re here, we’ll find others who can verify the truth. I’m with you on this. But what are you going to do now? Just go up to him and accuse him of lying about it? Of hiring men to kill you?” Liam asked.
“Aye.”
“Mayhap no one but me will side with you.”
Quinn motioned to the men with him. “They will.”
Liam chuckled darkly. “Only you can attempt to steal a woman away from her kin and have her kin backing you in a takeover of your own clan.”
“He had to prove himself worthy,” Baudwin said.
“Aye,” Hamish agreed. “He bested three of our fighters, and all three were vying to take over the clan.”
Braddach, Odran, and Padruig stepped forth.
“Hamish means us,” Odran said. “And let me tell you, only our former chief and our present chief could ever beat me.”
Odran had surprised Quinn when he was the first onboard to go on this mission. He was still limping even.
Quinn turned to his clansmen and spoke aloud. “I’ve heard the horrible accusations that someone has made about me concerning my da. During the last battle, Liam and I were near each other when we were fighting, and nowhere near my da. I didna even learn about my da’s death until after the battle ended. I believed, like everyone else, that he had been killed in battle—by the enemy. If this isna so and one of our men murdered him in cold blood, that man must be put to death. With that said, who told my brother that I had murdered my da? That man lied. To cover his own crime? Who is the accuser?”
His clansmen glanced around at each other. Quinn had a real sense that his people had some doubts about the truth of the matter. Especially when Liam was vouching for him, and like Quinn, he was a well-respected fighter and liked by many. Though, like Quinn, they’d overstepped their bounds with kissing lasses wanting to be kissed when someone else wanted to marry them. And learned about it soon after. How were they to know that some clandestine meetings were going on between the men and lasses, unle
ss the men declared their intent?
“As you might know”—and Quinn couldn’t believe his clansmen would be unaware—“I’ve been sent into several ambushes for the past two months, since my da died. This time, Cormac lied to me about the lass wanting to wed him, not to mention the mercenaries who accompanied me attempted to murder me on the ship. And later, one who had survived, threatened to murder the woman who’d saved me from drowning, and I had to end his miserable existence. Tell me none of you have knowledge of any of this.”
No one said anything, but several averted their eyes, looking at the ground, or at each other.
“What are you going to do about it?” Cael asked. He had been frail when he was a bairn, stout now, muscled, his black eyes narrowed, sharp, his wild black hair and beard making him appear to be more like an uncivilized beast, but his name was a reminder of how he’d been when he’d first floundered at his mother’s breast. He’d always been loyal to Cormac, and he was one of the men that Quinn was sure he would have to fight if he had to battle his brother.
“I’ll fight whoever accuses me of killing my da. And I’ll fight whoever has tried to have me murdered while I was doing my brother’s bidding. I’m loyal to the clan and our chief, and have always been, but—”
“But you bring another force to fight your own kinsmen if you dinna get your way?” Cael asked.
Quinn smiled. “You know as well as I that had I come alone, I would have been killed before I ever reached my brother for an audience. Beyond that, everyone would believe what my brother has said. That I killed my da.”
“I dinna,” Liam said. “Quinn saved my life on the battlefield. We were watching each other’s backs as much as we could. We were dismounted and fighting near each other. He never left my side. He couldna have been in two places at once. Whoever has accused him of killing his da outright lies. And for what reason? Everyone thought their da died in battle. Why falsely accuse Quinn now? Another attempt to get rid of him? Just in case he hadn’t died when the ship he was on went down? Who gained the most if their da died?”
Cael laughed. “You have been skirting the issue all along. You believe Cormac wants you dead, Quinn? Then come out and say it.”
