“Why did I even get involved?” he grumbled, slamming his tools about as he hung them on the wall.
In his heart, Alan knew the truth. It was because he loved her. He loved her, and he couldn’t bear to see her married off to the scoundrel.
Bruce eyed him warily, eating the meat pie Jain had brought them while Alan cleaned up the shop, banging the equipment harder than he normally would have allowed.
“What’s on yer mind, lad?”
Alan sighed, looking away from him. “Nothing. I’m just in a mood that’s all.”
Bruce set aside the rest of the pie before walking over to where Alan stood. “If that be the case, then I won’t press ye to talk. But dinnae go taking yer foul mood out on my wares, lad, or I’ll be taking it out of yer pay.”
Alan took a calming breath and unclenched his fingers from holding them in a fist.
Just then, Rodrick walked in from outside with a somber expression. Alan looked over at him expectantly and was relieved to see him give a subtle nod.
“Will someone tell me what in God’s name is happening?”
Rodrick looked back at them dumbfounded, glancing back at Alan for direction. Alan threw down his rag and leaned back against the anvil with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “I had a run in with Conrad earlier. It’s got both of us a wee bit antsy.”
“Conrad? What was he doing?”
Alan grit his teeth. “He was harassing Jain. I sent him on his way but not after threatening him with a good thrashing first.”
“Moira’s lass?” Bruce demanded in surprise. “That’s a foolish idiot to pick on my niece. Is she alright?”
Rodrick nodded, though his face was troubled. “I walked her home to make sure she got there safely. Alan was in nae fit shape to leave the shop.”
“And that’s what got ye all worked up over?”
“It’s a long story. He got into an argument with Jain the other day and she threw a bucket of water at him. As ye can imagine, Conrad dinnae like that very much, and he came by earlier to demand an apology.”
“And did she give it?”
Alan balked at that, saying, “Of course not, ye ken Jain. But Conrad has a bit of a temper and I couldn’t just stand by and watch it happen. Ye ken what they’re saying around the village, about the lass who went missing. Jain thinks he had something to do with it. We saw them talking at the festival before she disappeared…’twas the last place she was seen.”
“We dinnae ken what happened to Heather,” Bruce said, his calm never wavering. “She very well may turn up soon.”
“Only if it’s in a ditch,” Alan argued. “Mayhap ye’re not convinced, but I am. If that lass doesn’t come back safely, we’ll ken why.”
Bruce scratched his head, looking over at Rodrick in the door. “And do ye agree with him, Rodrick?”
The stable hand crossed his arms in front of his chest and nodded solemnly. “Aye, Bruce, I do.”
Bruce sighed. “Ye did the right thing lad. I thank ye fer looking after my kin, but ye cannae be letting men like Conrad get to ye.”
“I ken.”
“It’s about Jain though isn’t it?” Bruce asked him.
Alan and Rodrick both turned to him in surprise, noticing the sudden redness of his cheeks. “Well, I’m not a fool!” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ye’ve been skirting yer chores fer weeks. Every spare moment ye can ye’ve been over at their farm. Any excuse ye can find to see her. That isn’t like ye, Alan. I ken ye better than that – it’s obvious ye care fer her quite a bit.”
Alan nodded. “Aye, that I do.”
“But does she feel the same?” Bruce challenged.
“I dinnae ken.”
“Jain’s not an easy lass to handle, in fact she’s a lot like working with silver. In order fer it to work, ye’ve got to add heat. That’s an important part of the process and it cannae be avoided, but ye have to do it slowly. If the flame is too hot, the ore will burn. It’s a delicate balance. Make yer feelings known, but take yer time and let Jain come to the same conclusion fer herself, otherwise ye might scare her off.”
His apprentice nodded. “I’ll finish with the chores and then be on my way.”
Bruce shook his head and stood up, brushing off his pants. “It’s always a woman,” he sighed.
Rodrick cleared his throat and said, “On my way back I heard talk of a meeting taking place in the great hall this eve. Apparently, Laird Gordon got word of another raid. The Norsemen have taken a village to the east.”
Bruce groaned, looking past them to the village square with a far off look in his eye. “I’ll bet Keenan is hungry fer blood. That’s the only reason he’d been calling us there together. He wants permission to attack.”
“Will ye go?” Rodrick asked him.
“Aye. Alan will come along with me. We’ll see what the council has to say.”
Alan swallowed hard, watching Rodrick back out of the smithy and return to his foals outside. Before he left, Rodrick turned to the smith and said, “It was nice to see ye, Bruce.”
“Oh, Rodrick, did ye have a chance to see Aileen while ye were there?”
The stable hand stopped what he was doing to turn around and sighed. “Nae, Bruce. I’m afraid I dinnae.”
Alan’s master contemplated that and said, “Perhaps ye should go again. We all ken she’s fond of ye and it would do her some good to have the company.”
“She has Jain…”
“Aye. She has Jain alright, but it’s ye that she’ll want to see. Think about it, lad.”
Alan grinned at Bruce’s not so subtle tactic and clapped him on the shoulder before turning back towards the iron cup and the burnt silver he had ruined.
When he stared at the mess, Alan felt the weight of a strong hand being placed upon his shoulder. “Alan, there is nae doubt in my mind that ye can do this. Ye’ve got the best hands I’ve ever seen, just concentrate. Take yer time and dinnae rush it by overheating the ore.”
Alan exhaled through his nose and glanced back towards his master. He turned and Bruce looked him in the eyes with a nod.
“Try again.”
Chapter Sixteen
Alan completed the tasks Bruce assigned him and finished cleaning before it was time for them to attend the gathering at the keep. His spirits were high after finally succeeding in his attempt to cure the silver. In the end, it was exactly like Bruce had said – slow and deliberate instead of rushing to the finish. Bruce was pleased with the results and clapped him on the back when he had finished.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, they left the shop together and headed off towards the keep. Bruce locked the door behind them and Alan pulled his cloak up high around his neck. The crisp autumn air nipped at their noses and warned of the coming snow.
He wondered if Aileen and Jain had time to finish reaping the harvest oats before it did. They were passing through the village toward the keep when Conrad and his men came up one of the side roads toward them. Alan scowled at the sight of them, but didn’t want to start another fight in front of Bruce, so he bit his tongue and ignored them. His master was always encouraging him to be the better man and not stoop to Conrad’s level, and Alan did his best to try. Alan’s apprenticeship extended beyond his work in the shop and he wanted Bruce to be proud of him.
They shuffled down the path together as Conrad and his men grew closer. “I asked around about yer betrothal to Jain,” Conrad stated coolly. “Nae one person in the village seemed to ken what ye were talking about.”
Alan grinned without turning around to look at him, a sense of pride welling up inside his chest at the memory. Even if it hadn’t technically been the truth, Alan had every intention of marrying her and it was worth it to see the look on Conrad’s face. “They must not have heard about it yet,” he responded, casting a sideways glance at Bruce.
Suddenly, Conrad grabbed him by the arm and spun him around to face him. His scowl darkened in the fading light and he took a step towards him. Bruce
drew his sword at the contact and Conrad let him go, still gritting his teeth with fury. “I think ye lied to me. Ye want Jain fer yerself and think ye can scare me off by claiming her. Well, I’m not giving up that easily.”
“Jain doesn’t like ye, Conrad. And truthfully, I cannae blame her.”
“Ye better watch yer back, Alan Gillies!”
“I always do,” he responded in a tone that was completely serious. Bruce touched him on the shoulder as he sheathed his sword and continued on toward the keep. Alan followed close behind, refusing to let himself be intimidated by the likes of Conrad. He’d dealt with men like him before and wouldn’t hesitate to put him in his place. “Now if ye’ll excuse me, there’s a clan meeting I must attend. Keenan has some news about the northern threat.”
His body tensed knowing they were still behind him but didn’t so much as slow his pace. The roads grew crowded when they got closer to the giant structure, with everyone still gathering inside. The great stone building was packed with several families from the village and some from the surrounding area who were still members of their clan. Torches burned outside to light their way and warriors stood along the doorway.
Alan followed the others up the hill and passed through the stone archway that led into their keep. Most of the village was there, women and children included. It was one of the only places in town large enough to hold them. Woven tapestries hung along the walls to decorate the stone and also keep out the winter chill.
The crowd led into the great hall where everyone was sitting, and Alan made his way into the back and stood next to Bruce. Conrad and the others followed suit, finding the few remaining spots before the doors closed.
Keenan stood up in the front amidst the murmuring crowd and addressed them formally. “Clan Gordon, I am afraid we’re gathered here under most dire of circumstances.”
Murmurs in the crowd rose for a few minutes before quieting down again at Keenan’s signal.
“As most of ye ken, Heather Gordon has gone missing. We’ve sent out a search party to the surrounding area, and they’ve all come back empty.”
“Is there anything that can be done?” Boyd pleaded from where he sat. “She’s been gone fer three days and nae persons heard from her.”
Keenan sighed. “Boyd, I’m very sorry. Please understand, we’re doing everything we can. At this point we may have to assume the worst, but I will not give up until we bring yer daughter home.”
Boyd nodded sadly, his arms wrapped around his wife. “Thank ye, Keenan.”
“We’ll send out another search party in the morning, but I cannae promise anything.”
Alan watched the heartbroken father plead and wished there was something he could do. Boyd was red in the face, with tears streaming down his cheeks. He knew nothing Keenan said could ever soothe the hurt that man was feeling.
The chieftain sighed. “And now, we move on to other business. I’ve met with Clan MacLeod and Clan MacDougall to discuss the Viking raids. The Norsemen have grown bolder – they’ve taken one of the settlements to the east. We’re all in agreement. These heathens must be dealt with once and fer all. We should arm ourselves and prepare fer the worst, in case they come looking fer a fight.”
The crowd grew restless.
“Why have they left the coast?” a woman asked. “They’ve never come this far inland before.”
The chieftain sighed, turning to address her properly. “We dinnae ken. I’ve set up a watch along with the villages to the east and west, but we need volunteers to man them.”
“They’re not just raiding monasteries anymore,” a man shouted from the crowd. “It isn’t about gold, there’s something different about them this time.”
“Aye,” one of the local farmers said. “If it was just about riches they would have taken what they wanted and left, but this group stayed. What could they be after?”
Keenan held up his hand to silence them and brushed his hand across his chin, thinking for a moment. “Perhaps ye’re right. This raiding party does seem different than the ones who have come before. One of the men I spoke to in our summit was at the latest attack. He said they were going house to house, looking fer something – like a treasure they had lost. They got agitated when they dinnae find it… and that’s when the men attacked. If we could just find what they’re looking for, then mayhap this could end. If anyone has any idea of what they could be looking for, speak up.”
Alan glanced over to Eamon standing on the far wall. His brow was furrowed as if listening to the conversation distressed him and he was caught up deep in his own thoughts. Something about his expression made Alan think his concern went beyond normal expectations.
Conrad stepped forward and said, “My Laird, we should ride out and meet them in the field. Take the Viking army by surprise! I could lead our men to victory and find their whereabouts. Nae Norsemen will dare attack again.”
Keenan shook his head. “I appreciate yer bravery, Conrad, but it’s a foolish plan. We dinnae ken how many of them are out there. If I let ye take our men into the field, then our village will be defenseless. We have to learn more about them if we really want to succeed.”
“And ye would have us wait around like sheep before the slaughter?”
“Nae, I already said we set up watch towers along the border. Clan MacDougall has agreed to send us warriors, but that will take time. Once they arrive, we can form a plan of attack.”
Conrad grimaced, crossing his arms in front of his chest and stepped back to whence he came.
Keenan sighed, saying, “Thank ye all fer coming. I ken it isn’t easy fer some of ye. Keep a wary eye out and be prepared fer the Northern beasts to land on our doorstep as well.”
The crowd dissipated, and Alan felt a chill of fear run down his spine, remembering Jain and the pinnacular brooch she had shown him. Alan glanced across the hall and saw Eamon standing in grim silence while the others filed out the door.
“Ye cannae tell anyone…me life depends on it.”
All at once he realized what she’d been trying to tell him. He knew why she was scared, and that she had every right to be. He made his way through the crowd with a sense of urgency rising inside him. Up ahead, he saw Eamon passing through the stone archway that led outside and worried that he could lose him. “Excuse me,” he blurted out, while pushing forward.
Torches burned dimly in the moonlight outside as men and women filtered out of the stone keep and made their way back towards their cottages. Glancing around, Alan caught sight of Eamon on the road ahead and broke into a run to catch up with him, with a hundred questions swimming around his thoughts. His footsteps echoed down the dusty path as he jogged down to meet him.
“Eamon!” he called out breathlessly.
The man turned at the sound of his name and greeted him with a nod. “Good evening, Alan. How can I help ye?”
“I need to speak with ye,” the blacksmith told him, drawing close. The roads were full of people leaving the keep, but here in the quiet streets beside the blacksmith shop almost no one was around to see them.
Eamon gestured for him to follow, walking the path out the village gate back towards the farm. “What seems to be troubling ye?”
“It’s about Jain,” Alan told him.
Eamon’s brows drew together. “Aye, what about her?”
Alan stopped, pulling him aside to make sure they were alone and could speak in private. His eyes darted back the way they came to ensure no one else was in earshot before leaning in to whisper. “Those things Keenan said about the Vikings…they’re coming fer her, aren’t they?”
Eamon cocked an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms over his chest. “I dinnae ken what ye’re talking about, lad.”
“But ye do,” Alan insisted. “I ken she isn’t from here, she told me the other day. I didn’t understand why she was so frightened at the time, now I do.”
Eamon sighed. “So, Jain finally heeded my advice and told ye. I’m glad.”
“Ye are? Ye wanted
her to tell me?”
Eamon nodded.
“But if this knowledge gets out, she could…she could be…” Alan couldn’t say the words.
Eamon rested his hand on Alan’s shoulder. “Ye’re right. Her very life depends on her secret being kept. But I trust ye. Ye’re a good man, Alan. And I am grateful to ken I have help guarding Jain’s origins.”
“She means everything to me,” Alan vowed.
A smile tugged at Eamon’s lips. “I ken she does. Let me ask ye this, how much do ye ken?”
“Very little,” Alan answered. “She was trying to tell me, but we were interrupted. I just pieced everything together when Keenan was speaking.”
Alan felt his chest tighten when Eamon said it. If Jain’s father encouraged her to confide in him then Eamon must have a great deal of faith in him as well. “Aye.”
Eamon’s eyes scanned their surroundings. Then he lowered his voice even more. “Jain was found in the burning wreckage of her village, but it wasn’t a Scottish village. When I first saw her, she looked up at me with those big green eyes of her and I couldn’t leave. I dinnae ken why they left her behind. All I knew was she needed me. Moira and I have loved her ever since.”
“She’s a Norseman,” Alan said, confirming what he already knew.
Eamon cleared his throat and asked. “Does this change anything fer ye?”
Alan’s body tensed. “Nae,” he snapped. “I love her, nothing could change that.”
Eamon closed his eyes and expelled a long, quiet breath. “I cannae tell ye how much relief yer words bring to me.” An instant later, Eamon’s expression hardened. He grabbed Alan’s arms. “If the Norsemen are coming back fer her, she needs to be protected. We must protect her.”
Alan stood tall. “With my very life,” he vowed.
Jain’s father smiled, saying, “I ken ye will. Ye’ve always been a friend to our family. Even though Jain may not realize it, she needs ye now more than ever. Jain has a wild heart and wants to take care of herself, but she had to grow up way too young and still needs to be cared fer from time to time.” He paused to let out a tired sigh before continuing. “I’m not as strong as I used to be, so I cannae protect her the way I did before. It’s good to ken there someone else that cares about her as much as I do. She’s been blessed with fortunate company.”
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