Jain laughed and said, “Aye, Mam. That he did. I accepted his proposal just this morning.”
Her mother scoffed. “Well, that would be some awful timing wouldn’t it? I’m sorry this happened to ye, dear, but yer da’s right. Alan will make it back safely.”
Eamon cast his eyes towards the retreating horses and turned to go back inside the keep. “My loves, we should get back inside in case we’re needed. Take a moment to say farewell and then meet me in the great hall.”
Jain nodded solemnly and took one last glance towards them before letting her mother guide her back into the keep. Moira limped on her ailing hip while they made it inside and Jain offered her an arm for support. They had much to do while the men were gone, reinforcing the walls and making sure everyone was taken care of. Any time the warriors left for battle it was the responsibility of those left behind to have clean water, food and medical supplies ready for their return.
There was no telling what could happen.
The hours dragged on as Jain and the other women held up inside the keep. She was fretting ever since the men left, trying to keep herself busy. Thankfully, there was no lack of work to be done. Whenever they did come back, the warriors would need food and water. Some of them, many of them, would be injured and need to be seen by a healer. Aileen and Nora were in the kitchens preparing as much bannock as possible, while Moira saw to the medical supplies. She fell into the role easily and naturally as lady of the keep, making sure that everything and everyone was taken care of.
Every now and then, Jain would glance out the window hoping to see a sign that her Alan had returned. When the sun set that evening, she couldn’t eat. It was a relief when the hour grew late and Jain could finally rest. She lay on the pallet next to Aileen, burying her face in the fabric of her sleeve and wept.
~ * ~
They were woken by a horn sounding in the distance, signaling the warriors’ return. Jain’s eyes flew open in an instant and she sat up on the bed. “Mam, they’re back!”
She threw off the rest of her blankets and scrambled to her feet while the others were roused from their slumber. Jain threw on the first tunic she could find and went running down the stone corridor to see them riding up the hill. Wives and mothers came flooding from the rooms inside the keep after hearing the signal also. Jain stared off towards the village gate where the warriors were marching back, browbeaten and bloodied from the battle. Most of them were on horseback, but a few carried pallets that appeared to be supporting something heavy. Jain’s chest felt tight seeing it, knowing exactly what it carried. Someone died. A few of them in fact.
Her eyes frantically searched for the face of her beloved Alan until finding him riding with the rest. She exhaled a tremendous sigh. His eyes found her in the crowd and came walking towards him as fast as she could maneuver through the crowd. Alan dismounted from the animal and made his way over to where she was coming. They embraced, wrapping their arms around each other and planting a kiss upon her forehead.
Blood had smeared his hair and face and part of his garment was ripped, but Jain didn’t care about any of that. All of the warriors were bloodied in one way or another, with red stains blossoming across their skin. Jain buried her face in Alan’s chest and cried with happiness, knowing he was alright.
Around them other rejoicing couples reunited with one another, but their eyes would all eventually turn to the pallets being carried. Jain tried to get a better look and see who had fallen, but it was too far away.
Moira came out of the keep behind her and watched with the same morose expression as everyone else. An insidious fear crept up on her and she realized there was still one face she had not seen yet. In a moment of panic, Jain’s eyes scanned the returning men for her Uncle Keenan, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Keenan?” she asked her mother quietly, worried she knew the answer.
Moira did not respond, but her face went pale and Jain noticed her bring a hand up to cover her mouth as if muffling a scream.
Nae, it couldn’t be.
Slowly, her eyes drifted back toward the procession and saw the fallen’s face. It was Keenan. Keenan should have been riding front and center—instead, he was being carried in state, his body broken and bloodied, with death giving it a semblance of peace in stillness. His face was pale and gray, covered in blood that seemed to ooze from his mouth and nose. He hadn’t just been cut down, someone or something had caved in and torn him apart.
Jain gasped in horror at the sight of it and turned away when she felt bile rising in her stomach.
Eamon came rushing out of the keep behind them to see the warriors’ return. It took a moment for him to react once he saw the body of his brother stained with a pool of blood, it—he—was so badly damaged. Eamon stumbled back at first, but then turned to Duncan for explanation. “What happened?”
Duncan hung his head and replied, “We fought them off as best we could. Ye should have seen them. Keenan attacked the Vikings’ leader, fer a while it seemed like he could win, but they were stronger. Eamon, I’m sorry. There were just too many of them.”
“What about the MacLeod?”
“They lost some men as well,” Duncan confirmed. “It was a blood bath.”
Eamon nodded, turning back to lead them all into the square. Suddenly, Jain caught sight of Gracie, Keenan’s wife—widow— coming out of their home. Her face was sad as she walked out into the square, but didn’t seem to have heard the news yet.
Jain watched her father moved to intercept her, put his hand on the woman’s shoulder, and lead her away, murmuring, “I’m sorry, Gracie.”
Her eyes widened when he said it and she backed away from him. Breaking free of his hands, she frantically scanned from face to face within the crowd, needing to see what she feared most with her own eyes until resting on the figure of her beloved husband. “No!”
Jain’s heart ached watching her beloved aunt lurch forward and throw herself on the body of the man she loved. “Oh, Keenan!” she sobbed.
Heart wrenching cries from Gracie’s tears echoed through the square. The other men stood by and watched, them stoically supporting the mourner. Duncan tried to lead her away so they could more discreetly dress and prepare the body, but she was unmoved.
Jain sobbed, keenly aware of Gracie’s pain like a dagger to her own heart. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t even be here.”
All eyes fell on Keenan lying dead on the litter, stained red with his own blood. His wife, Gracie, was sobbing uncontrollably and kneeling next to him.
Conrad stepped forward and declared, “None of this would have happened if Keenan had called in reinforcement so we could deal with the heathen miscreants. He was weak and that’s what got him killed. What our clan needs is a strong leader who can actually defend us when the time comes.”
Duncan scowled, taking a step towards him threateningly. “Hold yer tongue! Keenan is not yet cold and ye’re already speaking ill of our fallen leader. How dare ye! And ye’re next in line.”
“I would be a better choice fer chieftain, to lead our clan instead of that old coot! Ye heard what Laird Gordon told us in the summit, the Vikings aren’t just looking fer gold this time. It’s something else they want.”
He cast his eyes on Jain and narrowed them with an evil grin. “And I think I ken who they were looking for.”
The crowd began to murmur. Conrad grabbed Jain by the arm and pulled her away where they could talk in private. “What are ye doing?” she demanded angrily. “Dinnae touch me!”
Conrad sneered at her defiance and leaned in forward to hiss, “I think ye ken exactly what the Vikings are looking fer, Jain. After all, ye’re one of them.”
Jain ripped her arm away from him and stared up at Conrad horrified. “What are ye talking about?”
“I went by yer house the other day, but ye weren’t at home.”
Jain gritted her teeth and said, “Ye had nae right to be there.”
“On the contrary, I’ll
go anywhere I have to if there’s a scandal brewing. Ye see I found this among yer things.”
Her face went pale as she glanced down and saw the pinnacular brooch within his hand. “How did ye...?”
“So, ye do recognize it,” he confirmed. “I saw the same one on a Viking’s tunic earlier. I should have guessed ye were one of them, what with yer father’s story about finding ye in the rubble. It wasn’t one of our settlements that was massacred on the coast was it? It was the Norsemen invading our lands. As if they hadn’t taken enough from us already.”
Jain swallowed hard and looked up at him with angry tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “What are ye going to do?”
Conrad backed away from her with a grin and walked toward the crowd. “Do ye want to tell them, Jain? Or should I?”
“Please, dinnae do this,” she said desperately.
Conrad sneered, raising both his arms and said, “Jain is what these northern invaders are looking fer! She’s one of them. I found this in her house the other day tucked away amongst her things, it’s a Viking brooch. How do I ken that? Because I saw the exact same one on the Norsemen we fought today.”
“What is this?” Duncan asked him angrily, glancing back and forth between them. “Is it true?”
Jain didn’t say anything. She was too afraid to speak.
Everyone was casting wary glances her direction, and Alan took a step in front of her defensively. “Ye dinnae ken what ye’re talking about. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
Conrad’s smile widened, exposing his canines. “Eamon knew what he was bringing into our village when he brought her back with him. He knew what she was, and still he risked all of our lives by harboring the enemy in secret. Now they want her back. Well, I say we give her to them. I say we hand her over as a pretty package and keep the rest of our village safe.”
“Jain brought that brooch with her from the ashes of her village, but that dinnae mean anything,” Eamon argued. “I saw a child in need and I’ve taken care of her as best I could. Moira and I have loved her since the day she joined our family. So what if she brought a token from her past? It’s harmless. Let it go, Conrad.”
“Dinnae take me fer a fool, Eamon. I ken what I saw on the battlefield.”
“Ye are a fool if ye ken we’re going to follow ye instead of the rightful leader,” Alan snarled.
“I’m not the one who lied to our people, Alan Gillies. Eamon did. He’s the one who put our clan in danger. He’s not fit to be chieftain, I am.”
Duncan cleared his throat and said, “I understand what ye’re saying, lad. But let’s pretend ye’re right and Jain’s what the Viking hoard is looking fer. Ye could hand her over to them, but what’s to keep them from slaughtering us afterwards? Ye’ve already given them what they wanted.”
“Good point!” Alan shouted. “Have ye got a plan fer that?”
Conrad’s smiled widened. “We’ll call on our brothers fer aid like I suggested in the meeting. If any of them try attacking us again, our clan will slaughter them like cattle. First, we’ll try it the easy way.”
Conrad gave a nod to Murray and Scott who took that as a signal to move. When they came towards Jain, Alan drew his sword again and stepped in front of her. “No!”
Moira sobbed next to them holding her daughter by the hand. “This is my daughter! Everyone in the village kens her, they ken her character. She’s lived with us most of her life and has proved to be a valuable member of society. Yet, the first opportunity ye accuse her of unspeakable betrayal and would give her to the Vikings like a lamb to the slaughter?”
“In an instant,” Conrad growled. “She’s one of them, and the brooch here proves it. Why else would they come back fer her? She’s nothing but a snake in the grass.”
The crowd murmured with confusion, unsure of what to think about the accusations taking place.
“What proof do ye have?” Moira shouted. “Ye’re taking advantage of the situation to spread lies and unrest so that ye can take Keenan’s place as chieftain. Well, I won’t have it! Eamon is a good and honorable man, well respected in this clan. There’s more to being chieftain than knowing how to fight, it’s about leading the people. The only thing ye have to offer is a thirst fer power. If ye had any respect fer Clan Gordon ye’d step down and stop this foolishness at once.”
Conrad sneered. “Lock the lass up before she can escape!”
A few of the men came forward and tried to grab her when Alan pushed them off furiously. “Dinnae touch her. Ye’ll never take my bride-to-be!”
Jain gasped as Alan threw himself onto the horse that he’d been riding in one fluid motion. Before she realized what was happening, Alan grabbed her by the arm and lifted her onto the horse as well. There was barely any time for her to get secure before he turned the horse around and galloped out of the village green.
Chapter Twenty-one
Jain wrapped her arms around Alan’s waist as they rode his horse through the twisted roads of Elign. She didn’t know what possessed Alan to take her and run, but at the time it seemed like a prudent decision. Tensions were high and the way things were going it didn’t feel safe for her anymore. Her body swayed with the movement of the animal, repositioning herself on the saddle so that she wouldn’t fall.
Alan didn’t look back even when they left the village, he seemed focused on the road ahead. The land dipped down a steep slope and then spanned out in a rich even stretch of earth, which was bordered by the forest. “We are we going?” she asked him nervously.
He snapped the reins to pick up the horse’s pace and led them down the glen, following a goat path through the shrubbery. It was off the beaten path and brought them all the way to the river’s edge. “I’m not sure,” he told her honestly. “We’ll follow the river until we can find a place to rest.”
It was not the answer she was hoping for, but Jain knew he would keep her safe and they would find a solution to the problem together. She rested her head against his back and held on to him for comfort. All they had now was each other.
She wasn’t sure how long they rode, but the sun was high above them beyond the canopy of trees. Alan led the horse to follow the river – it was the only way they could find a way back.
For all Jain knew, they might not even be on Gordon soil any more – they might have crossed over into a different clan’s territory. After a while the horse was getting tired and Alan suggested they dismount to have a rest. It was a quiet and secluded stretch of earth along that bank perfect for setting up camp.
They spent the afternoon collecting supplies and catching fish out of the river before settling down to eat. The sky grew dark overhead and Alan crouched over the open flames to spin the trout cooking on the spit. “That’s starting to smell delicious,” Jain commented. “Will they be done soon?”
Alan grinned, looking up at her sitting on the fabric of her cloak as a makeshift blanket. Her long red hair was unbound and hung down low across her shoulders.
“Aye, they should be cooked through.”
Jain sighed and laid back against the ground, resting her head on the wool fabric so her hair spilled out around it in a halo. She was so beautiful, looking up at him with a dreamy sort of smile.
Alan took the fish off the fire and brought them over to where Jain was, offering one to her. He sat down and rolled his neck to relieve some tension.
“This is all my fault,” she told him sadly when she started eating.
“No, it isn’t,” he told her soothingly. “What do they want from ye? Who are those Norsemen?”
She sighed, knowing she couldn’t keep the truth from him any longer. “I can only guess Leif and Ragnar are in their number.”
“Who?”
“They’re my brothers.”
“Yer brothers!” Alan repeated in astonishment. “How is that possible?”
“Years ago, when I was very small, my family and a few others came to the northern shore to start a new life fer ourselves. One day, men came riding
over the hill and burned our settlement to the ground. I hid in one of the buildings, but everyone else was killed except a few that managed to escape. I dinnae ken what to do at the time, I was so scared. Then Eamon and the others came, he took me back with them. We dinnae think anyone would come back fer me after all this time, but now…I’m not so sure.”
“Ye said that two of them were yer brothers?”
Jain shrugged. “I’m not sure, but if they were on that boat that escaped it’s possible – I never saw their bodies.”
Alan exhaled heavily through his nose and cast his eyes towards the fire. “Fer yer sake, I hope they managed to survive.”
“I as well, but if Ragnar has reason to believe that he can find me, they’ll keep sending ships until they do. He’s a hunter, Alan. He doesn’t give up easily. They’ll kill ye if ye try to hide me from them.”
“I won’t let them,” he told her calmly. “Why dinnae ye tell me sooner?”
“How could I? Ye ken how the village feels about the Norsemen. Just look at what happened to us at the mere suggestion I could be one of them. I ken they’d never accept me once they found out, so I lied.”
“Ye could have told me,” he whispered.
Jain sighed. “I wasn’t sure if ye would turn on me as well. Oh, Alan! What are we going to do? I cannae go back to Elign, but if my brothers come looking fer me and I’m not there it could be a disaster. My brothers can be vicious killers when it suits them.”
“What do ye ken they’d do if they actually found ye?”
“First, they would destroy the village fer keeping me from them in the first place. Then they’d take me with them across the sea. I’d never see ye again. I cannae leave…this is my home now. With ye.”
Alan took her in his arms and wiped the tear from her cheek before kissing her softly on the mouth. As she tasted the salt clinging to his lips, Jain melted into him. Her lips danced against his, drinking in every moment of his touch and begging for more. All this time she’d been denying herself the taste of him and now that she’d experienced it Jain didn’t know if she could ever stop.
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