Highland Savage

by Hannah Howell

  The hardest thing about being a warrior, she decided, was trying not to fear for each and every man under her command. Katerina knew she was going to be happy beyond words to give up that command. William could take full control of such things once she regained possession of Dunlochan and do so with her full blessing. She did find some strength in the knowledge that, if he was the one giving the orders, he would be doing just what she was doing now. No one with any conscience could allow Thomas and Annie to fall into Ranald’s brutal grasp.

  “If Patrick says he can slip in and out of the inn without being seen, then he can,” William said quietly.

  Smiling fleetingly over his attempt to soothe her, Katerina nodded. “I ken it. It doesnae stop me from fearing something could go wrong, however. But, now, ’tis best if we turn our attention to the matter of getting into the stables unseen.”

  “And getting out with Thomas the same way.”

  “Aye, that would be best.” She glanced at Lucas, who crouched next to her, pressed a little too closely on her right “Can ye run fast, Sir Murray?”

  Lucas winced, even though every instinct detected no mockery or contempt of his limp in her tone, just a need for facts as she planned her next move. “For a short distance and with little grace,” he answered bluntly.

  “A short distance will do, Sir Murray.”

  The way she kept calling him Sir Murray was beginning to make his teeth hurt from clenching them in rising aggravation. It was an attempt to make him feel a complete stranger, and, perhaps, to make her feel that he was as well. Lucas knew it should not trouble him if she wanted to play that game, but it did. Worse, it stung in a way he did not feel it ought to. He could all too clearly recall the way she had spoken his name when desire held her tight in its grip and he wanted to hear it again.

  He inwardly shook his head as if to cast such thoughts aside. If they did become lovers, Lucas was determined to keep it all a simple matter of a man scratching an itch. Thoughts of how she had once breathed his name against his skin, how that had warmed his blood nearly to boiling, would make that impossible.

  Forcing his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he asked, “Are ye expecting Ranald to come soon?”

  “Aye,” Katerina replied. “He has become more persistent in trying to track us down, but his temper makes it hard for him to be truly patient. If he hasnae already given up the chase, he will soon. Then he will be after Thomas. Usually he and Agnes agree on what must be done, or she orders it done, but I dinnae think we can count on that now. Ranald must ken that he is losing his place in Agnes’s plans, that every time he lets the reivers escape, she doubts him even more. He will be eager for something to help him hold fast to his place in her plans, anything, nay matter how small or what crimes he might have to commit to get it.”

  “Then let us hurry and get the lad out of danger.”

  Silently they crept through the shadows toward the stables. Katerina prayed this was not one of the few nights Thomas decided he did not want to sleep with the horses. Despite their dark clothes and staying in the shadows, Katerina felt as if they were in clear view of anyone who wished to look their way. She could feel a thin line of sweat trail down her spine and was heartily grateful when they finally slipped into the stable without anyone crying out in recognition or alarm.

  “Since the two of ye are far better with a sword than I, I will go up into the loft and get Thomas,” Katerina whispered. “Ye can guard my back.”

  Lucas watched her nimbly climb the rough ladder to the loft. His body tightened with desire as he watched the way her taut, nicely rounded backside moved with each step. He was glad of the robes he still wore as they hid the blatant evidence of his desire. No matter how often he considered the risks of becoming involved with Katerina in any way, his body continued to make its interest painfully clear. If he was going to stay with her and her men for any length of time, he knew he had better come to some decision about her and his attraction for her or he would undoubtedly do something foolish.

  Katerina heard Thomas before she saw him. The boy snored softly and she crept toward the sound. Cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder, knowing how some people could wake from a sound sleep with fists flying, she gave him a little shake. She almost smiled when he opened his eyes, stared at her blindly for a moment, and then blushed. Since he was obviously fully dressed beneath a thin blanket, she suspected he had been pulled out of the sort of dream he did not want her to even guess at.

  “M’lady, what is wrong?” he asked as he sat up and pushed his thick, fair hair out of his face. “Is Annie hurt?”

  She knew he had long feared that Ranald or one of his men would rape Annie as they had other women, and Katerina hurried to reassure him. “Nay, but ’tis time for ye and your sister to hide away, Thomas. Ranald has become suspicious of you.” Although his only response to that was to grow very pale, she nodded as if he had spoken aloud. “Naught was said about Annie, but, if Ranald cannae get hold of ye, we fear he may try to get her.”

  Thomas nodded vigorously as he stood up and rolled up his blanket. When he stuck his hands beneath the hay that had served as his bed and tugged out a sack of belongings, Katerina realized the boy had clearly foreseen a time when he might have to leave quickly. It saddened her that any of her people should have to live in readiness of fleeing his home, but, at the moment, she was glad of the boy’s preparations.

  “I can fetch Annie in but a moment,” Thomas said.

  “There is nay need. Patrick has gone to get her as he said he could slip in and out of the inn without being seen.”

  “Ah, aye. He used to come to see Morag.”

  “So, he obviously wasnae completely unseen.”

  “Oh, I suspicion he was. I only saw him once when he was leaving. Kenned he was visiting Morag because she liked to boast about it.” He waited until Katerina started down the ladder before tossing his sack down to William and then following her. “Does Sir Murray want to take his horse back now?” he asked as he nimbly jumped down the last few rungs of the ladder the moment Katerina had stepped off it.

  “Aye, Sir Murray would verra much like to take his horse back,” replied Lucas before Katerina could reply or even consider the matter.

  Katerina looked toward Lucas, who was leading his now saddled horse out of its stall. “I dinnae think we can slip something that size out of here without being seen.”

  “Eachann can be verra quiet.”

  “Eachann cannae be small and quiet. A small shadow can escape the eye. A shadow the size of a gelding isnae so easy to ignore.”

  “If Ranald isnae right outside the inn, I can show Sir Murray a way to slip the horse out of the village,” said Thomas.

  “Are ye certain of that, Thomas?” Katerina asked. “We have come to save ye from Ranald. I dinnae want ye to fall into his brutal hands just because Sir Murray wants his horse.”

  “I willnae. I have slipped a horse or two out of the village before.”

  “I willnae ask why ye would do so.”

  “Might be best,” Thomas murmured, but he grinned.

  Katerina looked at Lucas and could tell that he was determined to take his horse with him. She had learned at a very young age that men could be very attached to their horses. It was also clear that he was not really waiting for her to say aye or nay, but readying himself to leave. She supposed now was not the time to remind him of who was the leader of this band.

  “We shall meet at the place where Old Ian met us earlier,” she finally said. “By then I will have thought of some place where we can put the beast. Take care,” she said to Thomas as he eagerly swung up into the saddle behind Lucas.

  She watched Lucas leave through the back of the stable and wondered why she felt like sighing heavily. The concern she felt over Thomas and Annie had obviously disordered her mind. Katerina followed William out of die stable, annoyed at the way she continuously listened for some sound that would indicate Lucas and Thomas were in trouble and might need her help.


  Patrick and Annie were waiting for them at the edge of the village, drawing Katerina’s thoughts away from Lucas. Annie needed to be reassured that Thomas was safe with Lucas and Katerina began to feel tense, knowing they were taking a lot longer to accomplish their task than she wanted to. When they were finally headed back toward what she now had to call home, she breathed a sigh of relief only to nearly choke on it when she heard the approach of several riders.

  Some of her fear eased as both Patrick and William acted swiftly, silently, and competently. Patrick grabbed the reins of Annie’s horse and William moved to ride with Katerina. Going in two directions, they all moved deeper into the shadows afforded by the many trees allowed to grow at the far end of the village. Katerina watched a group of seven men ride toward the village and knew they were Ranald and his men even before she heard his voice.

  “I grow verra weary of chasing these bastards all o’er Dunlochan,” Ranald said, his voice hoarse with anger.

  “They are verra good at hiding their trail,” said Colin, Ranald’s closest companion in arms.

  “No one can be that good without help, Colin. No one. These bastards are getting help and I mean to find out who and how.”

  “Ye think someone in the village is helping the reivers?”

  “Aye, more than one and I also think these curs are far more than just reivers. If that little bitch was still alive I would think she was behind all this.”

  “Lady Katerina? But, a woman—”

  “A woman can be as cunning as any mon. Dinnae forget whom we work for. Mayhap some fools do this in her memory. I dinnae ken but I mean to find out. I intend to start with that little cur Thomas.”

  “I thought Lady Agnes didnae want ye to do anything to the boy.”

  “She will change her mind once the little bastard starts telling us all he kens about these reivers. Aye, and mayhap I can use him to make his sister lift her skirts.”

  Katerina was tempted to follow the men when they rode past, moving out of her hearing. It was not often that she had such a good chance of finding out Ranald’s plans. The man was surprisingly incautious about where he talked about his and Agnes’s plans. Common sense ruled, however, and she joined the others in silently slipping away. She noticed that Annie looked very pale, a few tears visible on her cheeks in the faint light cast by a shrinking moon. The young woman may have come with them simply because Patrick had said she should, but now Annie fully understood the danger her brother was in and, quite rightly, it obviously terrified her.

  Lucas and Thomas were waiting at the arranged meeting place, as was Old Ian. Leaving the horses to the care of the old man and his sons, Katerina led the others into the caves. It was not going to be easy having a youth and a pretty woman staying with them, but there was no choice. The moment they entered the well-lit hall, Katerina also realized that someone should have told Annie that she was not dead, for the moment Katerina pushed back the hood of her cloak, the young woman took one horrified look at her and fainted into Patrick’s arms. Patrick, the rogue, grinned like a fool.

  Thomas!” Katerina hurried to get some cloths and water to bathe Annie’s face after Patrick settled the unconscious woman on the table. “Didnae ye tell your sister that I hadnae died?”

  “Nay, ye said it was a secret,” he replied as he moved close to the table to stare at his sister in concern. “I gave my word to tell no one and my sister is someone, aye?”

  “I hadnae meant your own sister.”

  “When I talked to her at the inn, she spoke of ye as dead,” said Lucas. He smiled faintly at Thomas. “It might have been a kindness to tell your sister, lad, if only to save her from going to Lady Katerina’s grave. Still, ’tis good that ye ken how to keep your word.”

  “She went to my grave?” Katerina asked in shock even as she gently bathed Annie’s pretty round face with cool water.

  “Aye,” replied Lucas. “When she thought me a holy mon, she asked if ’twas a sin to say prayers o’er the unconsecrated grave of a suicide. She didnae really believe ye had killed yourself, though.”

  “’Tis odd, but that is one of the things that angers me the most about all of this. How dare Agnes let people think I committed such a sin.”

  “Myself, I think I would be more annoyed by being tossed o’er a cliff into a loch,” drawled William.

  Katerina had to fight a smile and ignored the way Thomas and the men all grinned. It was difficult, however, not to stare at Lucas. With the grin on his face and the light of laughter in his fine eyes, he looked so much like the man she had fallen in love with that it hurt. The way his somber, almost angry expression returned so quickly, hurt even more, for she knew now that part of it was caused by his belief that she had betrayed him.

  A soft groan from Annie drew her full attention, and Katerina gladly accepted the tankard of wine William handed her knowing Annie would probably need it. For a brief moment after Annie opened her eyes, she looked confused, but then her gaze settled on Katerina again and she turned even paler. With her free hand, Katerina grabbed Annie’s hand and held it tightly, hoping that touch would reassure the woman.

  “Dinnae ye faint on me again, Annie,” Katerina said sternly. “Drink this,” she ordered and handed the woman the wine.

  “Ye arenae dead,” Annie said in a soft, unsteady voice before she gulped down nearly half the wine. “Why would everyone say ye are dead when ye arenae?” She gasped. “And who did they bury?”

  Katerina rocked back on her heels and stared at Annie for a moment, all too aware of how everyone was staring at her and waiting for an answer. She tried to think of her grave as little as possible, for it gave her the chills. Agnes had put up a very nice stone and played the grieving sister with skill according to some of the others. Katerina had never wondered if anything or anyone had actually been put beneath that stone, however.

  “I am shamed to say that I ne’er gave it much thought,” Katerina finally replied. “I assume ’tis an empty grave, Annie. Rocks, mayhap, if they needed to give the coffin some weight. Unless there is someone who went missing at the same time—” she began, but Annie shook her head.

  “Nay, no one save Robbie,” Annie said as she slowly sat up.

  “I cannae think Robbie came back to Dunlochan and died so conveniently, just when Agnes needed a body. If naught else, Robbie would be appalled at becoming a pawn in Agnes’s treacherous plots.”

  Annie nodded slowly. “And so easily, too.”

  Katerina grinned. “Verra true. Nay, I doubt anyone rests in my grave.”

  The relief on Annie’s face came and went so quickly, Katerina knew she had been lucky to see it. She hid her shock. Had she been wrong about Robbie? Had he been unfaithful to Agnes even before Agnes had broken the vows said between them? Even as doubt about the man and her own judgment crept into her mind, she was able to banish it. Robbie might be quick with a smile for the lasses, but he held true to his vows until he realized the woman he had given them to did not do the same, that Agnes had fooled him in all ways as to the woman she truly was. He had left too quickly after that to have already begun an affair with Annie. Annie was also an innocent and somewhat pious. She would never have fallen into a love affair with a married man. That did not mean, however, that Annie could not be enamored of the far too charming Robbie. Katerina inwardly sighed, hoping the young woman had not given her heart away foolishly. She was all too aware of how much that could hurt.

  “What do Thomas and I do now, m’lady?” Annie asked as she shyly accepted a little more wine from Patrick.

  “Stay here.”

  “Here? For how long?”

  Katerina tried not to grimace, knowing Annie would not like her answer. “I fear I dinnae ken. Ranald willnae give up wanting to get his hands on ye and Thomas. Weel, Thomas is the one he sought, but ye heard how he began to plot pulling ye into his grasp as weel, aye?”

  Annie shivered in obvious distaste. “Aye, I did and it fair turned my insides to ice.”

&n
bsp; “So, I fear ye and Thomas must now hide away with us until Ranald is no longer a threat.”

  “Just what do ye need to defeat that cur and Lady Agnes?”

  “Proof of their crimes. That is what is proving so hard to get hold of. I need clear, hard proof to show the council.”

  Annie muttered something that sounded very much like a curse. “Old fools, the lot of them. They ken what she is and what she and Ranald have done and still do. They ken the crimes that unholy pair has committed. I think their hesitation has naught to do with what fulfills your da’s wishes. Nay, I think they sit back and let this bloody game continue because they dinnae want to give up the power they hold as guardians of Dunlochan.” She blushed when she realized everyone was staring at her. “Pardon. I was disrespectful.”

  “Nay, ye just put the hard truth into words, something the rest of us have hesitated to do.” Katerina took Annie by the hand. “Come, I will show ye where ye can sleep. Thomas can share with ye or stay here with the men.”

  “I should like to stay with the men, of course,” said Thomas.

  Katerina hid her smile as she led Annie away. A quick glance at Annie revealed that woman was doing the same. When she reached the small chamber she had chosen for Annie, Katerina helped the woman set up a pallet to sleep on and hang a blanket over the door. With both of them working it did not take long to make the small stone chamber relatively comfortable and a lot less like the cave it was.

  “’Twill be strange to live under a hill like the fairies,” said Annie as she looked around, “although ’tis finer than my wee niche at the inn.” She smiled at Katerina. “’Tis wondrous that Sir Lucas still lives, is it not? Ye must be so happy to have him back.”

  “Weel, I am glad that Ranald didnae kill him. ’Twould be verra fine indeed if Sir Lucas didnae think I had a hand in it all, however.” She inwardly cursed her loose tongue and shrugged when Annie stared at her in shock before giving the woman a succinct account of what had happened a year ago.

  “He thinks ye tried to kill him?” When Katerina nodded, Annie began to look very angry and shook her head. “Men can be such blind, stubborn fools. I am sorry, m’lady. I had thought—” She shook her head again.