Highland Protector

by Hannah Howell

  “And ye believe her word o’er that of a mon, a fellow knight? She points the finger of guilt at us and tries to make us bear the weight of her sins. Walter ne’er should have become betrothed to the wench, ne’er thought of tying his good name to those reivers, the Armstrongs. If ye wish to find your traitors, then go and find her, find one of the Armstrongs of Aigballa, or even one of their kin the Murrays. There are enough of that cursed clan that e’en ye should be able to find one. They breed like rabbits. Go and find my cousin,” David demanded. “He will vouch for me.”

  “Vouch for ye? Ye expect me to accept the word of a traitor? Didnae ye listen to what I just told ye? Ye have condemned yourself with your own mouth. Walter is in this plot as deep as ye are. Deeper, or I wouldnae be considering helping ye stay alive.”

  Simon continued to listen to David’s denials, meeting each one of them with the sure knowledge of David’s guilt. Each time David demanded Hepbourn’s presence, Simon met the request with cold contempt. He did, however, begin to think David had more backbone than his reaction to talk of torture had implied.

  If nothing else, the man was certainly loyal to Hepbourn. Hepbourn would toss David to the wolves without a moment’s hesitation. David needed more than Simon’s word to believe it, however, and Simon did not have the time and inclination to spend hours trying to wear David down. He needed the break in the man’s composure to come quickly, preferably without any of the horrendous tortures he had mentioned to him.

  “Ye are so verra certain Hepbourn will come to your aid, are ye?” asked Simon, and watched David glance down at the floor before looking back at him and nodding. He had watched David closely for long enough to recognize that moment of doubt. “So be it. Peter, find something for this trusting fool to write on so that he might send a plea to his loving cousin.”

  Once David had written out his message, Simon found a boy to deliver it and wait for a reply. After the first hour of waiting David no longer looked so confident of rescue. The boy did not return with a reply until almost three hours had passed, saying that Hepbourn would not answer until he realized the boy would not leave. Simon suspected Walter had needed time to think of what served him best in the matter. The look on David’s face as he read the reply was painful to see. David silently handed it to Simon.

  Simon read, It grieves me more than I can say to learn that my own cousin is part of the treasonous plot against our beloved king. You have been as a brother to me and I loved you as one, but I cannot defend your actions in this. I hope this stain upon the name of Hepbourn does not spread and I will pray for your soul, cousin.

  “I have followed him since I was a child,” David whispered. “Heeded his every word. When he started to speak of being rid of the king, I was unsettled, but he presented such logical reasons to me that I was soon swayed. What a fool I have been. I have tossed my life away for the sake of a liar.”

  Simon pulled a chair close to David and sat down to face him. “Mayhap. Mayhap not. If ye give me the names I want, all the information ye have concerning the many twists and turns the plot will take once it is set in motion, I will fight for ye. As I told ye, I overheard ye and Hepbourn speaking in the woods the other day and ken weel that ye are uncertain about this, uncertain about the leader. Ye may nay fully appreciate the tale I spin to save your life, but I believe I can weave one good enough when this is over. I believe our liege will be merciful since ye will have helped us put an end to this plot to yank the throne out from under his arse.”

  “His cold, dead arse,” David murmured. “They dinnae want to simply remove him from the throne; they want him dead. They believe that will be enough to make the mon’s followers readily bow to the new king.”

  “And ye dinnae believe that.”

  “Nay, but I became verra good at ignoring such talk. And, when I did express some doubt or unease Walter was verra quick to smother such qualms beneath a flood of praise and reasonable explanations.” David shook his head as he glanced at the note. “I can see now that he ne’er cared for me for all he claims he loved me as a brother. The few lessons I recall as a child are the ones that tell ye to look up to the mon who puts a roof o’er your head, food in your belly, and clothes on your back. He isnae that many years older than me, but that was what Walter did for me.

  “But, my God, I was willing to let that lass die for Walter.” He shook his head again. “I kept dreaming of her being dragged to the execution block and would wake in an agony of fear or guilt, but I still followed Walter, didnae I?”

  “Aye, and for that alone I would be willing to watch ye die an ugly, painful death, but I need what ye can tell me more than I need that moment of revenge.”

  David stared at him for a moment and then nodded. He started to talk and kept right on talking, answering any and all questions put to him. Simon wondered when Walter would realize what a grave mistake he had made in spitting on this young man’s devotion and loyalty. If Walter survived to stand trial, he would see it clearly enough, for Simon was going to make good use of this witness.

  “That Walter is an idiot,” said Peter as he and Simon shared an ale by the fire in the small main hall of Peter’s home. “I think that boy considered Walter all the family he had. Father, brother, uncle.” Peter shrugged. “I can see how the boy could be pulled into this mess.”

  “So can I, which is why I will do all I can to see he survives his stupidity,” said Simon. “And because I also believe that, from the time he was a small child, David was trained to be Walter’s ever faithful minion. David’s real mistake was to think that Walter returned any of that care and respect.”

  “What do we do now? Do we begin to arrest any of the people he told us of?”

  “Nay, not yet. We watch them. If we gather them all up now we will lose the chance to get their leader.”

  “Who is your brother, if David is to be believed.”

  “I think David told us everything he knew or was told. And, aye, the leader is my brother. Do ye think that will be a problem for me? That I will hesitate?”

  “Ne’er thought ye would hesitate,” Peter said. “Just that it will be hard, I should think, to mark your own brother a traitor.”

  “It willnae be easy but nay for the reason ye think. There is no love between us. If Henry thinks I ken what he is about, he willnae hesitate to try and see me dead. I will continue with this because I have some hope of saving Lochancorrie. If I am the one to bring all of these fools to justice, even the one I must call brother, then the king may weel leave Lochancorrie in Innes hands.”

  Peter slowly nodded. “He could also wonder if ye conspire with your brother.”

  Simon grimaced and took a deep drink of ale. “I believe I can bring forth enough witnesses to make the king see that that would never happen.”

  “I pray ye are right. I would hate to see all the good work ye have done for the king and the people of this country demeaned or forgotten just because you have a fool for a brother.”

  “Oh, Henry isnae a complete fool. I dinnae ken what has possessed him to think he has any right to the throne, but dinnae think ye will be dealing with another Walter. Henry is cunning and brutal. If he didnae have such idiots as Walter in his traitorous little army, he could well have gotten just what he wanted.”

  “Wheesht, ye werenae lying when ye said there was no love lost between the two of ye.”

  “A close watch needs to be kept on David. I should have been more careful when the message went to Walter and the answer sent back. Someone could easily have followed the boy. Walter may have enough family feeling, or be confident enough of David’s undying loyalty, to think nothing needs to be done save let the mon be tried, convicted, and killed as a traitor, but my brother will quickly see that David is a weak link.”

  “So ye think someone will be trying to get to David to shut his mouth, nay kenning that ‘tis already too late to stop up the flow. ”

  “I have nay doubt about it. We have a wee bit of time. Henry willnae be here fo
r another day or two.

  But I think we best find a safer place to put our witness. The moment Henry hears that David has been taken up by us, he will be wanting the mon dead and buried.”

  Peter rubbed his chin and asked, “Do ye think that is why the lad looked so afeared even though ye told him ye would save his life?”

  “I believe so. He said he didnae trust Henry, that the mon didnae seem the sort of mon one would want as king.” Simon grimaced. “David kens I heard him and Walter speaking that day in the wood so he kens I heard how Henry makes sure no one wants to leave, that every mon who kens about the plot will stay with it until the bitter end. Seems Henry butchered one who sought to walk away from it all and did so in front of all the men gathered there that day. Kenning Henry as I do, I suspect it was a show to put the fear of God in every mon there.”

  “I just cannae see ye and this mon ye speak of as having the same blood.”

  “I wish we didnae. Now, I need David to be carefully watched tonight. Walter may suddenly realize that he cannae leave his cousin in our hands if only because doing so will enrage Henry. By the morrow I will have found another place to put David.”

  “Agreed. And what of the other men he named? The ones that are here?”

  “We watch them.”

  It took several hours to plan the best way to keep a watch on the traitors already in the town. Most of the names David had given him did not surprise Simon. They were men who felt they had been slighted or even cheated by the king, or ones who felt some convoluted bloodlines gave them more of a right to the privileges others enjoyed and were looking to take them as soon as Henry sat on the throne.

  They did not know Henry well, Simon thought as he left for the court. Henry would share nothing. He might give away a few things if he thought the man who wanted them could be helpful, but only a few things. The ones who demanded some recompense for helping him get that throne would quickly be silenced. Simon doubted that David would have survived long after Henry became king for the man did have a conscience and Henry would have been able to sniff that weakness out.

  Simon was rounding the corner in the road that led to the keep where the king’s court was being held and found himself facing six men. One look at them, even in the dimming light of evening, told him they were hired swords. Walter was probably trying to get rid of him before he could spread the word of anything David might have said.

  “Evening, gentlemen,” he said, his hand on his sword. “May I assist ye in some way?”

  “Aye,” said a burly dark-bearded man, his sneer revealing that he had long ago lost most of his teeth. “Ye can die.”

  “Eventually, aye, I suspicion I will. Doesnae everyone?”

  “Ye will be doing so a lot sooner than most.” “May I ask why?”

  “Ye can ask but it willnae get ye any answers. Mon who hired us didnae say why he wanted ye dead. Doesnae make no mind to me why he does. Coin was good.”

  “Was he tall, fair of hair, somewhat handsome, and with an air of overweening importance?”

  “Mighta been. Told ye, the who and the why dinnae matter.”

  “Nay sure of that, Mac,” grumbled an extremely filthy man whose belly showed that he had too great a love for food. “He kens who hired us.”

  “Weel, he would, wouldnae he,” snapped Mac. “No one wants a mon they dinnae ken murdered, do they? Ye have to ken a mon to be wanting him dead.”

  “I dinna ken who ye are and I am already wanting ye dead,” spoke the tall man who stepped up beside Simon.

  Simon sighed and glanced at Tormand, who probably thought he was in disguise again. His eyes could not be hidden, however, no matter how thick he grew his beard or what color berry juice he rubbed into his beard and hair. Tormand seemed to suffer Ilsabeth’s difficulty in understanding that there were just some eyes that people did not forget. Beautiful, big blue eyes and mismatched eyes were among them.

  “Ye are a wee bit too close to the fire here, friend,” Simon said, and drew his sword.

  “I am in disguise,” said Tormand.

  “As what?” Simon spared a quick glance at Tormand’s rags. “A beggar?”

  “Exactly. No one looks at beggars. So what do these fools want from ye?”

  “Ye heard him. My death. I can explain it after they go away.” He looked at the men. “I suggest ye give this up. Take that fool’s money and run. Verra far away.” The men started to have a whispered conversation,

  although one of them always kept his gaze on Simon, so Simon looked at Tormand again. “My friend, ye can dress in any ridiculous outfit ye like and grow that beard down to your knees but any who look into your face for but one moment will ken who ye are. The eyes, ye fool. No one forgets those eyes.”

  “Ah, hell’s teeth. Cannae do anything about them save for squint a lot. Nay sure I would want to do anything about them either. My Morainn is still trying to decide which one she likes better. She stares into them sometimes and tells me it is difficult to ken when they are both so beautiful.” He grinned when Simon groaned. “Heads up. They have come to a decision.”

  “We think ye ought to give us some money,” said Mac. “More than the other fellow gave us. Then we can honestly tell the mon that we couldnae do as he asked because ye paid better.”

  “He is a marvel, isnae he, Simon?” Tormand laughed.

  After a lot of bickering and bartering, the men left, their pockets a little heavier. Tormand continued to occasionally chuckle over the matter as he and Simon made their way to a small tavern. Despite the way the tavern maid eyed Tormand with disgust, Simon was able to get them to a small table tucked far in the corner. As soon as he and Tormand each had a tankard of ale, Simon told him everything he had learned from David.

  “Walter made a verra big mistake there,” said Tormand, who grinned at, then winked at, the horrified tavern maid.

  Simon needed only one peek at Tormand to know what horrified the woman. “I hope whate’er ye have put on your teeth will come out.” They looked as if they were stained with something vile that was oozing from his gums.

  “ ‘Tis naught but some herbal mess Morainn mixed up. It doesnae taste bad. Although, it doesnae go with this ale verra weel.” Tormand set his tankard down and looked at Simon. “So ye are truly going to stay with this until the bitter end.”

  “I have to, Tormand.”

  Tormand nodded. “I can see it. So could Morainn. She says all will be weel at Lochancorrie. Couldnae tell me if that was because ye took on the land or because whoever the king gifted with a traitor’s goods was a good laird, but she thought ye might like to ken that the future is nay all death and misery for your home.”

  Simon thought about it for a moment and nodded. “It is good news. It takes away a worry and that can only be good at this time. Things are beginning to fall into place.”

  “Morainn also said that ye will face a great trial and have to make a painful choice, or something akin to that. Mayhap it was that ye make the wrong choice and it is painful.” He shrugged when Simon glared at him. “She wasnae sure, either. Just that there will be something painful for ye when all else is right. I told her a few more specific dreams might be better but she told me to tell ye this one.”

  “That is verra vague e’en for Morainn.”

  “So I thought but she wouldnae tell me anything else and insisted I come and tell ye that. Good thing I did, too, or ye would have been dead on the road to the king’s court.”

  “I could have beaten them.” Simon ignored the mocking sounds Tormand made. “I will think on it for a wee while and mayhap it will make more sense in time.”

  “Nay so sure of that. Just why were ye headed to the court again? Now that ye are so close to capturing these traitors and all, I would have thought ye would wish to start avoiding that place again.”

  “ ‘Tis hard to abide it, but I must speak to the king as soon as possible if I want any chance of saving Lochancorrie.”

  “Go then. I will wait here for you. As
soon as ye can, come back and tell me what ye learned and what the king said.”

  Simon hesitated for only a moment and then he hurried off to get to the court. He would not stand around waiting to get in to see the king, he told himself, because there was nothing to gain from leaving Tormand wasting time at the tavern while he wasted time in an unanswered bid to see his liege lord. To Simon’s relief, and surprise, he was escorted into the presence of the king only moments after he arrived. He bowed before the man he had sworn his sword to.

  “Ye have some news for us, Simon?” the king asked.

  “We have captured one of the men who was dragged into the plan.” Without naming anyone, Simon told him about David, stressing the fact that David had long been caught firm by the other man’s lies.

  “Weel, if that mon ye hold helps ye bring the traitors to justice before I am killed, he will be freed.”

  “Thank ye, sire. There is one other thing, ere I return to the business of capturing these men.”

  “Best speak now whilst I am in a good humor over seeing the end of this plot.”

  “I fear one of my blood may be involved.”

  “Ah, a shame, but ye dinnae need to worry that I would blame ye for the act of some kinsmon. Are ye asking to have someone else step in to end this? I would prefer that ye do it as, if men who are liked and respected are involved, your word of their guilt will be held in high esteem. And no one who kens ye would think ye had ought to do with any bad seed in your family.”

  There was something in the way the king stared at him that told Simon his king had a good idea of which one of Simon’s family might be a traitor, but neither of them acknowledged the truth that lay between them. “Thank ye, my liege, but I wish to see this through to the end. What I ask is that, if I am proven right, ye might consider me for the one to take o’er the forfeited lands.”

  “Of course.” He looked at his clerk, who sat at a small table at the far end of the room. “Ranald will see to that, willnae ye, Ranald.”