by Alisa Adams
The girls laughed hysterically at the little donkey's antics. Until her braying turned loud, shrill. The little donkey had stopped and was staring back at the castle as she brayed loudly.
The girls turned to look back.
There was Steil on his giant stallion, Ben Nevis. The huge Friesian was galloping towards them with all his black hair flying out behind.
Neely’s mouth dropped open at the sight. “So that is what ye used to look like Teeth,” she whispered in awe. “Someday I will be able to ride ye that well,” she said hopefully.
“Hush Bunny!” Cat crooned to the little donkey, who was still braying an alarm at the oncoming stallion.
Old Inch bent his head down and nudged Bunny. She stopped immediately, coming to stand under Old Inch’s belly and peering out.
Steil came to a sliding stop in front of the girls. He was scowling in fury as he glared at Neely. “Where are ye going?” he demanded. He noticed she had her golf stick strapped across her back.
Bunny jumped at the sound of Steil’s booming voice and started braying loudly again.
Ben Nevis spooked sideways away from the sound, dislodging Steil from his back. Bunny trotted after the horse, spinning and kicking her hind legs at him as the horse backed away, staring down at the creature with his eyes rolling in fear.
Neely pursed her lips hard to keep herself from laughing.
When she saw Ben Nevis start to rear to strike at the creature, she quickly called out, “Dinnae ye dare!” to the big stallion in a thundering voice of her own.
Ben Nevis came back down on all four feet, looking warily at the donkey and the unnatural noise it was making.
Then Neely looked down at the little donkey who could make such an awful noise. “Bunny, wheesht that blethering noise!”
Silence came.
Steil stood up stiffly and took his horse’s reins. He jumped back up on his back easily.
Neely’s mouth opened in awe once again. Ben Nevis was such a tall horse. To be able to leap up onto his back took tremendous strength.
The horse pranced in place, dancing sideways and in circles as both the horse and the rider eyed the little donkey uneasily. Steil growled and got the big stallion to settle. “Of all the things to frighten this mountain of a horse, ’tis a bairn of a white donkey, och!” Steil scowled.
Neely tried not to laugh. She smoothed her expression. “To answer your question, or rather, yer shouted demand,” Neely said with a raised eyebrow, “we are going to the brochs behind the village. I had never looked there before. I thought I would have a look while ye were sleeping.”
Neely noted that the shadows under his eyes were gone. He had slept well.
Steil could not look away from Neely. He knew she had held him, calmed him from his nightmares last night. They had slept in each other's arms, for he had awakened often to find her arms still around him. At some point he had opened his tartan and pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms, kissing her forehead sweetly, and whispering an endearment to her in the old language. He pulled both of the warm, woolen tartan blankets over them. She had never let go of him and he had fallen into a deep, restful sleep, for the first time in so very long.
“I thought we could go back to the beach. The tide is going out,” Steil said politely, now in a gentler tone. “Perhaps Kaithria and Cat can inspect the brochs, with the donkey,” he added hastily. “And ye and I can go back to have another look at that rock area of the beach.”
Cat started to say something but Neely spoke first, “Aye, ’tis a good plan.” She turned Teeth around to head the other way, towards the beach.
Steil quickly caught up with her. “I think we should put the horses back out in their pastures and go by foot.” He said as he rode beside her. “I’d like to start at the beach below the castle and work our way as far as we can on foot, down the beach. We’ll be able to study the rocks better and go in the more narrow spaces without the horses.”
“Vera well,” Neely said with a nod.
“I have been thinking, Neilina,” he said, with his brows furrowed in thought, “Swan said ye hid in the cliff cave around the tip of the rocks that the castle sits on, during the last attack.”
“Aye, we did, but if ye are thinking the smugglers could be hiding there, ’tis very small, and the ceiling vera low. We hid the horses in that small cove beneath the cave as well. ’Tis only accessible at low tide, but is quite deep. The tide never hits the back of the cove. Are ye thinking there are other coves and caves we dinnae know aboot?” she asked him thoughtfully. “We have lived here our whole life, how could we miss one?”
Steil stared ahead. “I think we have missed one. That is all it would take. Just one. The sea changes the beaches all the time. New coves are made, new caves revealed. There must be one that we dinnae know aboot. I am betting on it.”
13
Neely and Steil walked down the beach path and onto the beach. They went down to the water line and walked along it, headed in the direction of the village.
The beach ended where a piece of land jutted out in a rocky cliff formation but with the tide being low, they were able to make their way around it. They walked further along this very narrow section of sand under the cliffs.
Steil looked up, studying the face of the cliff. Looking back and forth, trying to see from as many angles as he could for the rocks were uneven and could hide an opening easily.
Neely looked up as well, shielding her eyes from the sun.
On they walked. Each time they came to another rock outcropping they were able to make their way around it onto the next strip of stoney beach. There was no sand here; the surf came crashing in with too much force. They made their way around another and another.
No secret hidden coves had been found. No caves, nor dark openings.
Neely sat down on a rock on the stoney strip of beach. Above her were sheer, straight cliff walls that were topped with green grass, as if the land had just broken away and fallen down into the sea.
“Come Neilina, we mustnae give up,” Steil said as he continued to study the cliff face. He turned back to Neely and reached for her hand, pulling her up and into him.
“I slept well last night,” he whispered huskily.
“Dinnae get used to that,” she said with a nervous, crooked grin. “The weather is fine and ye and Keir will be sleeping back at the top of the tower this eve, out in the open once again like the tough Highlanders ye are,” she said with a mischievous grin to cover up her worry. Did he hear me whisper “my love” when I was soothing him from his nightmare?
Neely assumed he had meant that he had slept well, wrapped in her arms. At least she hoped he was referring to that. She hoped she hadn’t made him angry by spouting sweet words of endearment to the cold Highlander.
Steil’s jaw tensed and his lips thinned.
“What?” Neely asked him as she fidgeted a bit.
“I want ye near me,” he said with raw hunger as one large hand cupped her cheek. “I want to hold ye at night. I want to fall asleep with ye in me arms and have ye be the first thing I see when I wake up,” he said hoarsely. He leaned closer, bending his head down to hers, and took her lips in a fierce and hungry kiss.
This was annihilation of her lips, her mouth, her heart.
Neely gave him what he wanted, eagerly matching his hungry kisses with her own.
Then he pulled back, his big hand still holding her cheek reverently as he stared down at her.
Neely swallowed. The look in his eyes was one she had never seen before. She stood there, unmoving, like a rabbit caught in a snare.
“Come,” Steil said. He grabbed her hand, pulling her down the beach and around the next rock outcropping.
Neely did not let go of his hand. Or the silly smile on her face.
It was there, finally. Neely saw it.
So did Steil.
One rock outcropping led immediately to another, very close, and then another, like narrow fingers of land that jutted out sli
ghtly as they pointed to the sea. Between one of these narrow fingers was a deeper stretch of stones. It opened up and became sand and there, at the back of the beach where the cliffs reached the sand, sat a large opening to a cave.
Steil started striding towards it, but Neely pulled on his hand.
“Should we? Or should we go get the others? What if the smugglers are there? And what if they are armed? I dinnae have me targe,” Neely said in a hushed voice.
Steil grinned ruthlessly. He let go of her hand and rubbed his together in anticipation. “Och, I hope they are armed,” he said, and punched one fist into the other hand. Then he smiled at Neely and tapped her stick. “Where is me fierce warrior with her stick?” he said with an innocent smile at her.
“Och, I am right here, but I would prefer to have me targe with me,” she said earnestly. “And stop that, ye glaiket mon, it is a golf club, not a stick!” she whispered fervently.
“Why are ye whispering?” he said quietly, leaning in towards her.
Neely pointed to the cave. “What if they are in there noo, watching us?”
Steil shook his head. “I think they would be out here, ready to defend their lair.” He pointed to the ground. “No footprints.”
Neely pulled away from him. “Vera well.” She pulled her golf club from behind her back. “Let’s be on with this.” And off she went, up the beach.
Neely stopped suddenly and Steil ran into her.
“What?” he asked in surprise.
Neely swallowed and looked up at him. “If me da is in there, if he is one of them, will ye promise me that ye willnae harm him?”
“Does arresting count as harming?” Steil asked quietly.
“Aye, of course it does!” Neely said curtly.
Steil looked solemn. He shook his head sadly. “I cannae Neely. If yer da has broken the law, I cannae make that promise to ye,” he said softly.
Steil went to touch her cheek but she pulled back. Her eyes stark, empty, as she looked back up at him.
“Ye said ye knew the lights were smugglers at Brough. Did ye alert the excisemen before ye left McKay Castle?”
Steil’s face went still. “Neely—” he said, reaching out again for her.
Neely did not let Steil finish what he was going to say. She turned away from him and walked up the beach and into the cave.
Steil walked slowly after her with leaden feet, hoping that the cave was empty.
14
But of course it was not empty.
They had found the smugglers’ warehouse.
Steil took a slow step up to Neely’s side, where she was standing, frozen.
He looked past the crates and sacks that were lit by the flickering torches on the cave walls to see what she was staring at.
They had found the smugglers’ warehouse, yes, but they had also found the smugglers—or rather, the twins. They looked in shock at the sight of Neely and Steil.
“You!” one of them spat out at Neely.
“You!” the other brother said angrily, as he glared at Steil with two blackened eyes.
Neely held her club at the ready, both fists grasping it tightly.
“You!” Steil repeated the word back in a deep, intimidating voice.
“Ye are on Brough land!” Neely said in her strongest, commanding voice. “Ye should not be here!”
Steil’s voice boomed. “Who else is with ye?” He narrowed his eyes at them in fury. “Out with it, we know ye are smugglers.”
The twins didn’t bother to answer. They rushed Steil and Neely.
Neely swung with all her might at the twin that came at her. Before he could swing his fist at her, her club had connected with his nose. He grabbed it and reeled backwards, holding the bloody appendage as he stared in surprise at her.
“Well done, mo ghraidh!” Steel called to her as he punched the second twin hard. The twin flew off his feet and smashed into some of the crates, sending whisky bottles rolling around the stone cave floor.
Neely glanced at Steil, stunned at what he had said. My love, she thought quickly, before she had to swing her club again.
The twins were relentless. Neely had an advantage with her club against the man’s short arms and fists. She was able to hit his elbows, his fingers, his kneecaps, his ears, and his head. Her face was a mask of grim determination as she aimed her club at any vulnerable part of his body she could hit.
Steil was pummeling the other twin. The twin finally dropped to the ground, laying there dazed. His brother paused from charging Neely.
“Stay doon!” Neely commanded the twin on the ground loudly.
“And ye as well,” she quickly turned and ordered the twin she had been hitting with her club.
She pointed her club at them both. “Lord Greysteil is an experienced warrior, just looking for a guid fight. Continue to fight him and ye’ll end up dead! Both of ye!” She stood still, her legs spread, ready to go again if needed. Her breasts were heaving as she stared the twins down. “But if ye choose to keep fighting ye’ll die by his hand or me club, or be sent to the Tolbooth prison! Yer choice!”
The twin on the ground snarled up at her, “Thots nae guid choices!”
Neely gave a short laugh. “Och, nay, they arnae. So why dinnae ye tell us all aboot this smuggling ye are doing?”
The twins looked at each other and then back at the angry woman. Then they looked at the big warrior beside her. He looked like he hadn’t exerted any energy at all in the fight, and was more than interested in continuing it.
“We’s just smuggling the whisky, and some staples whot thems thot cannae get. Beef, salt, tea, and tobbacky, thas all,” one twin said.
His brother stared at him aghast and thwacked him. “Ye dinnae have to tell them everything we have!”
“Wheest!” Neely shouted loudly at them. She knew these brothers were prone to fighting. “Where do ye sell all that? The villages in Caithness are aboot empty.”
“Och, over tae the Orkneys. Kirkwall!” the informative brother said, and the other immediately hit him again.
“Hold yer tongue, ye idjut!” he said furiously.
“Have ye no fear of the excisemen?” Steil asked curiously.
“Them gaugers?” the first twin asked. “Och, nay!” he waved his hand in dismissal. “Thems dinnae trouble with this far north.”
Neely took a step forward, trying to see further back, into another part of the cave. “What have ye back there? There’s light coming from within.”
Steil grasped Neely’s elbow and pulled her back towards him “Cannae ye smell it Neilina?” he said quietly. “’Tis their still.”
“Och, I want to see what one looks like,” she said, and started to pull out of Steil’s grasp.
“Neilina Eunson, I swear! Ye willnae—” Steil began in a low whisper.
“Did ye say Eunson?” the second twin said with surprise.
“Aye, he did,” came a voice from behind Neely and Steil.
They spun around to see a man standing behind them. He had a look of fury on his round face as his eyes went back and forth between Steil and Neely. In the eerie torchlight of the cave his brows looked even more pronounced and menacing where they furrowed over a long, thin, crooked nose. He had a very rounded, hunched back that made him look like an old buzzard. The flickering of the torch on the wall near him threw misshapen shadows of his figure on the floor.
Neely saw he was holding something in his hand.
“Walter Waddle?” Neely said with surprise. She looked down at what he held. It was a piece of sheet iron that was in his hands. It looked like part of the belly canteen on the dummy they had seen.
Waddle saw Neely looking at what he had in his hand. He took a casual step towards them.
Without any warning, he swung the piece of sheet iron at Steil’s head, catching him by surprise.
Steil, being the large man that he was, dropped like a stone at Neely’s feet.
Neely gasped, staring down at Steil and then at Waddle. She has
tily dropped to her knees, anxiously saying Steil’s name as she cradles his head in her lap. Blood trickled into her hand from the side of his head.
Neely slowly looked up at Walter Waddle. “How dare ye strike Lord Greysteil McKinnon! Ye fool! What are ye thinking?” she cried. “What are ye doing here?” She gritted her teeth when he started to answer her. She quickly stopped him by raising her voice. “Wheesht!” she yelled furiously. “Dinnae tell me! I know that ye are mauchit, manky, mingin, blaegeard smugglers! And here, on this mon’s land! How dare ye? And ye were me da’s friend! Next ye will be telling me he is a smuggler like ye!” she said with anger and despair in her voice as she looked back down at Steil’s face. Tears ran down her cheeks as she gingerly touched his lips and his closed eyes as she cradled him in her arms.
Steil’s face was the last thing she saw as a sharp crack was felt on the back of her head, and everything went dark.
15
Neely’s head hurt. She winced and moaned quietly and then tried to open her eyes. She felt slightly off-kilter and nauseous. She felt a warm heat next to her, where she was sitting, leaning back against something cold and hard.
“Mo ghraidh, please look at me with those beautiful eyes of yours.”
Neely managed to raise her eyelids and look to her side. In the torchlight, she saw Steil looking down tenderly at her. She tried to move her arm to touch him and frowned.
“Our hands are tied behind our backs Neilina,” Steil said calmly. “Against the cave wall.”
Neely tugged at the ropes on her wrists. “I dinnae like this,” she mumbled angrily. She looked up at Steil where he sat beside her. “How is your head?” She was fully awake now and remembered her terror at Steil, laying hurt in her arms. “The bleeding has stopped,” she said with relieved concern.
“Aye, it hurts, but I have felt much worse than this. How is your head?” he asked gently.
