by GG Shalton
Daniel saw Ian’s back as he poked at the fire. Without turning around, he told the guards, “Leave us.”
The men pushed him down in a small chair and closed the door. Ian turned around and cocked his brow. “Do you have a death wish?”
Daniel shifted in his seat as his hands were still tied. “No, Sir. I need your help.”
Ian sat down in a chair across from him. “Why would I help you? You are my enemy.” He tilted his head rubbing his jaw. “You’re not very smart, are you? I gave you a fair warning that I would kill you if you returned and I am not known for my mercy.”
He stared at him searching his face. Could this really be his father? The man had no feeling. What kind of man threatens to kill his own son?
“My mother has been taken by the English. They are going to kill her.”
Ian’s jaw tightened and for a moment he lost his composure but then he regained his hardened control. “Your mother is not my concern, and neither are you.” He stood up and towered over him with an intimidating glare. “I have many appointments today. You will be escorted out one last time. Don’t challenge me again.” He turned his back on him walking towards the fireplace.
Daniel panicked. He could not allow his mother to die. “You owe me.”
Ian turned quickly, nostrils flaring in anger. “I owe you nothing.”
Daniel met his eyes head on. “She told me the truth after we left. I know you are my father.”
Ian looked away and said nothing. He reached for a chair and pulled it towards him taking a seat.
Daniel took a deep breath after a few seconds. “I admit I was shocked and angry, but she would not allow me to speak ill of you. She said it wasn’t your fault that you never knew I existed. But now she will die because of you.”
Ian raised his brow in disbelief. “Because of me?”
“Her brother has gone mad. He is going to kill her because you took her from England when she was to marry some earl, causing them to lose favor in the king’s court. They lost their castle and holdings and now live in poverty. They want me to pay them, but we think it’s only a ploy. Once they receive the money, she will die.”
“She made her choice. I didn’t force her to go.”
“Her choice would have been with you.” He lifted the corner of his mouth. “She told me that your family convinced her you were dead, and she loved you very much. I don’t think she loved my father. But she was a good wife and mother. She accepted her circumstances.”
Ian grunted and crossed his arms. “Why don’t you ask your king for help?”
“There isn’t time. I have less than a month and I am desperate. I will go with or without you. I can’t allow them to keep her in prison and torture her.” He looked up trying to hold back the tears that threatened his eyes. “Please. I beg you to reconsider. I would pay you all the money I have if I thought it would help. I will never ask for anything ever again.”
Ian looked away as his jaw flexed in anger. He stood up and paced the solar seeming to mull over Daniel’s words. Reaching a table by his desk, he took a drink out of a wine goblet and wiped his mouth. Turning to Daniel, he sighed. “I will go to England but will not coddle you, Daniel. You will do what I say when I say it, or you will be left behind. When we bring your mother back to Scotland, you will never ask me for anything again. I raised no children and had no wife. It brings weakness to men to have distractions such as these.”
Ian took his knife off his desk and cut the ropes on Daniel’s hands. Daniel rubbed his wrists and tried to suppress a smile at the mercy he had been shown twice. Daniel drew his brow in confusion. “Sir Ian, you say you had no wife, but my mother said you secretly wed in the woods.”
Ian’s eyes briefly softened, but then he regained his hard stare. He waited for a second before answering, “Do you know the reason why so many couples wed in a church?”
Daniel shrugged listening to him.
“Because vows said without witnesses are often fabricated.” Ian’s words hung in the air. “Come Daniel, I will provide a chamber for you tonight and we will leave at first light.” Daniel realized he never answered the question.
“I have my cousin in the trees. May I get him?”
“Cousin?”
Daniel nodded. “Deanna’s son. We are of the same age and he is waiting to rescue me if needed.”
Ian huffed in exasperation and called one of the guards to get the cousin out of the tree.
Chapter 35
The next morning, they took a riding party to the English border.
Daniel kept a close eye on Ian as they rode. Accessing him, he took in his stature noting how enormous he looked on his horse. Even at his older age, his muscular build was far superior to many younger men. James stayed next to Daniel as he was leery of Ian’s men. Only twenty-five of his men joined the riding party, all seasoned warriors who had been with him for years. Tough and hardened, they looked savage with bloodstained tunics and stallion warhorses. If his men questioned the mission, they never complained. Not exactly welcoming to Daniel and James, but not dangerous to them either.
Ian spoke little but rode with determination. After hours of heavy pursuit, they rested the horses and ate some dinner. Ian made Daniel and James hunt while the men relaxed. When Daniel came back with ten rabbits, the men were already roasting some birds and eating. Ian made Daniel clean the rabbits and cook them for the next day. He also had to clean up after the men, shine Ian’s sword, and was given the first watch.
Daniel and James walked around the perimeter of the camp after the men went to sleep. He eyed Ian sitting against a tree, eyes opened watching him. Trust was earned, and he knew that Ian didn’t trust him. James finally had enough and sighed. “We are like his slaves. You are an earl, and this is ridiculous to be treated like this.”
“Shh… cousin. Don’t let him hear you. He is going to save my mother and for that, I would lick his boots if he asked me to.”
James shook his head. “I hope you are right. What do you think he will do with us once we come back into Scotland? You are on different sides of the rebellion.”
Daniel shrugged. “There are things more important than alliances.”
“What is more important? Your loyalty is to your country.”
“Some say that family is more important.”
“I don’t understand.”
Daniel patted him on the shoulder. “I know. But I can’t explain it right now. Why don’t you try to get some rest and I will wake you up in a few hours?”
James agreed and went to get his fur off his horse. Daniel kept walking the perimeter guarding the night. After a few hours, James got up to relieve him.
The next day the men rode until midafternoon, they were close to the border and Ian wanted to rest the horses. They would enter England the next day. He took the opportunity to work with wooden logs on his agility skills. Daniel watched him with fascination—he had never been trained with such an exercise. After a while, Ian noticed his watch and called him over. He took Daniel’s arms and showed him how to balance the heavy logs and move his body to avoid a sword. It reminded Daniel a bit like dancing with a sword. But the logs were heavy, and he kept dropping them.
“Let your mind feel the movement then your body will follow.” Ian lowered his stance to demonstrate the exercise.
Determination seized Daniel as he tried again to balance the logs. “It’s impossible!”
Ian did not get frustrated but was patient while showing him tricks to balance. “Daniel, it will build your thigh muscles and hold your legs during combat. The worse way to lose to an opponent is to have your legs buckle.”
Daniel nodded wiping the sweat from his forehead. “I will try again.” They practiced for a few more hours. Daniel was mesmerized by his warrior father and realized his training had been li
mited at Lord Dunbar’s.
“How did you learn to do this?” Daniel’s youthfulness could not be hidden. He was excited and looked at Ian with admiration. “Did your father teach you?”
“Nay, I fostered at an early age and then went out on my own. I met some foreign warriors who taught me the practice of balance. There are many different exercises. This is just one. I like to use this before a battle and when I can find the logs.”
“I will train in this way too.” He rubbed his arms and laughed. “My arms burn. It seems I am out of shape.”
Ian laughed. “Your arms are too skinny. You have much to grow.” He looked over at Daniel and his smile faded. “You will not fight, Daniel. You are not ready.”
“I am ready. I want to fight for my mother.”
“I will not be questioned. My rules.”
Daniel had to bite his tongue. He would not offend Ian and wanted him to train him. “Yes, sir.”
Ian nodded. “Very well. We reach England tomorrow. I need you to obey all my commands. We will need to keep out of open areas as we enter the village. I will send some scouts ahead of us tonight to see if they can find where your uncle is staying.”
Ian’s men watched their leader’s exchange with the young man. They had never seen him take an interest in teaching anyone his battle skills. For the most part, he trained alone. Like he did most things. Only a few loyal friends were allowed access to his private life. Many admired his strength, but few knew him. He had not visited his family since Katherine rejected him. He felt their loyalties were twisted and the fact his brother tried to marry Katherine so quickly after his death, did not sit well with him. His mother wrote a few times a year, and he did answer her on occasion to let her know he was well. But he cut off most ties from his past and stayed with his men.
Daniel followed Ian across the border, staying close and keeping quiet. Ian’s men maneuvered their horses through the brush with ease and skill. The scouts met them and found out that Katherine’s brothers were now serving the new lord of their old home. Apparently, his uncle Drake married the new lord’s daughter and served him along with Sir William. Darin’s knighthood was taken away due to his questionable behavior and he was stripped of all titles. He served a new lord in London as a soldier. Rumors were that Darin was the one responsible for the kidnapping, but they found no information regarding Katherine’s whereabouts. Daniel was disappointed that Drake participated in the kidnapping as he knew Darin was unbalanced, but Drake was not. But his loyalty was to his mother and he would kill anyone who got in his way.
Ian motioned for Daniel and leaned close to his ear, “They have her hidden. My gut tells me to check the dungeons. If they are rarely used, that is where she will be.”
Daniel nodded. “What is your plan?”
“I will go into the castle tonight with one of my commanders. He is very good at sieging castles. For now, one of my men will pose as a messenger and bring news from you regarding the ransom and ask for a reply before leaving. He will give it to Drake. If he is involved, then we will know. As soon as my messenger leaves, we will follow Drake to see who he speaks with. His trail will give him away and may lead us to Katherine.”
Daniel nodded again taking note of him using his mother’s Christian name. Up to that point, he had only referred to her as “your mother”. He wrote the missive and Ian’s man Humphrey changed his clothes and rode up to the gates. They watched from afar as two soldiers met Humphrey and motioned for one of the knights to come forward. After the men chatted, one of them went back inside and returned a few minutes later with Drake. Drake walked over to the horse and exchanged a few words with Humphrey accepting the missive. He broke the seal and appeared to read the message.
Ian looked at Daniel and then back to Drake. Drake said a few words and went back inside the bailey. Humphrey dismounted and waited in front of the gate. After a few minutes, Drake reappeared and handed something to Humphrey and he mounted to leave. Ian pointed to a few of his men who were stationed near the castle walls. They took their cue and went to find a way inside to watch Drake.
Daniel was impressed with the direction and skills of Ian’s men. There was no question of his authority and they were precise with their movements. Ian’s men stepped back from their position and waited for Humphrey near the ridge. When he appeared, he handed the missive to Ian who opened it immediately.
He skimmed the paper and looked at Daniel to relay the message. “It seems that Drake is involved. He said Katherine will not be harmed if you adhere to the deadline. You only have a fortnight to deliver the money to him. He said he will assure to Katherine’s safety until he receives the money.”
Ian handed the missive to Daniel and skimmed the area. “We will rest on the hill and wait for the men to return with news of Drake’s whereabouts.”
The men hid in the woods carefully obscuring themselves within the trees and bushes. Their horses were left with one of the men a few miles away.
As night fell upon them, Ian’s men had not come back. Daniel was told to stay put along with James as the men made their way to the castle. Daniel and James waited until they were out of sight and followed them up the dirt road hiding behind trees. He would not stand by and do nothing. He would rescue his mother. Ian walked around the perimeter of the castle and then disappeared over one of the back walls with a few of his men.
Daniel tried to get a better view over the wall but was unable to see anything. Coming a little closer, he hid behind a few vegetable carts and James hid behind some trees not far from Daniel in case he needed help.
They waited and watched a few carriages and soldiers arrive at the gate. Sweat beaded across Daniel’s face as he slid into the cart between barrels. He lost his view of James but knew he was close by.
The gates opened, and the party went inside. The guards were distracted, and Daniel jumped from his hiding spot obscured by the party entering the gates and snuck in. He quickly covered his body with an English tartan that he found in Ian’s supplies.
Making his way up the keep, he hid within the castle and looked for the dungeons. Going through the kitchen, he looked behind the stores trying to find a way below. Without any luck, he moved around the home and hid in a bedchamber.
The castle filled with noise coming from the great hall. Visitors were all about the castle making it easier for Daniel to walk about and to carefully avoid his uncle. Afraid he may notice him, Daniel kept his face down trying to find a way to find his mother. His deception seemed to be flawless until an older knight stopped him outside.
“Are you new with Lord Murray? I don’t recognize you.” Not knowing who Lord Murray could be, Daniel nodded and tried to obscure his Scottish accent. “Yes, my lord.”
“I am Sir William. You have generous size. Have you been knighted yet?” Daniel recognized the name and remembered his mother spoke of his friendship.
“Are you the same Sir William who served the previous lord?”
“I am. But you are young, and your age would not give you such a memory. Are your families acquainted?”
“Perhaps. Are you friend or foe to the previous family?”
“An odd question.” He searched Daniel’s face moving his hand to the hilt of his sword.
Daniel noticed his movements out of the corner of his eye. “Sir William, my mother told me you are a friend. I hope you still are.”
“Who is your mother?”
Daniel wiggled his foot feeling the knife in his boot. He calculated the time it would take to retrieve it in his mind not liking the odds. He looked around to where he could run if William made a move and slowly met his eyes.
“My mother’s name is Lady Katherine. She used to be kept hidden here by her family.”
His mouth opened in surprise as he stared at Daniel. A mix of emotions came across his face and he finally dropped hi
s head. “I tried to stop him.”
“I need to see her.”
“Impossible. She is heavily guarded.”
“Please, Sir William. She is my mother.”
“If you want to help her, then pay the ransom.”
“I know they will kill her even if I give them money.”
“I can’t interfere. I would lose my position and Drake would kill me. But I will tell you where they do have her.” Taking a deep breath, he looked over his shoulder. “I will then walk away and not remember our conversation. That is my gift to your mother.”
“I will tell my mother of your kindness.”
“The stables have a door under the last stall, it leads to a cellar. They have her inside.”
Daniel headed to the stables. He saw Ian out of the corner of his eye and ran behind the castle wall.
Ian gritted his teeth. “What are you doing?”
“I am sorry. I saw an opportunity with dinner guests arriving to blend in and got through the gates. I promise you that I was not fighting. I found out where she is.”
Ian grabbed his shoulder. “Where? She was not in the dungeons.”
“They locked her in a cellar under the stables. We need to get through the guards.”
Ian made chirping noise and crawled through the shadows to the stables. Three knights sat in the stable with swords.
Ian came up behind one of the knights, putting a blade to his neck. “Everyone remains calm and give your weapons to my friend here. We are going to slowly walk to the back of the stable and we need you to remain quiet.”
One of the knights looked at them and went for his sword. Ian took his knife out of his boot and threw it and it landed in the man’s neck. Daniel watched the man grab his neck gurgling for air.
