The Scot's Quest (Highland Swords Book 4)

by Keira Montclair

  “’Tis her choice, Corbett, not yours.”

  “I’m not interested in anyone here,” Dyna clarified. “They can all keep their hands to themselves. That includes you, Derric.”

  She strode away without another word, and the rest of the group scattered except for Robert. The king clapped him on the back. “She’s not welcoming your advances? Is that what has you strung up? If I hadn’t known better, I’d have guessed the lass had you by the bollocks, not Struan. Sorry I didn’t introduce you to some of my new men. Struan is a fine fighter, so please leave him be.”

  “Aye, I’m interested in her,” he admitted. “But I didn’t know what the situation was with Senga and the lassie. It left me a bit confused.”

  King Robert’s brow furrowed, his expression telling Derric in no uncertain terms what he thought of his explanation. “Why are you still concerned about the bairn? ’Tis as I said, she’s been claimed by her father.”

  He shrugged his shoulders, unable to explain his reasoning other than with simple words. “I have to know.”

  “Fine,” the king said with a brusque nod. “Guinne lives in the next village with her—less than an hour west. He was a warrior of mine, a good man. Once you see the two of them together, you’ll not question what I told you.”

  “Why?”

  “Son, you need to see with your own eyes. The next village. Guinne lives with his mother in the last hut. Farthest from the well. But please don’t bother them.”

  He wiped the sweat from his face and knew he had to go. He’d talk to Dyna when he returned.

  He had to see if he had a daughter.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dyna started pacing, trying to process all that had transpired. Derric’s irritating possessiveness. Senga’s death. The possibility that he might still have a child out there.

  The dream about Grandsire.

  She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, wishing that small action could squeeze out another dream, another vision of the future. Of course it did not. She made a silent plea to the heavens to help her.

  Still naught.

  The dream haunted her. The worst part had been the feeling of helplessness, the knowledge that only Derric would be able to reach Grandsire. That she would not be able to do anything for either of them. Desperate to get the troubling images out of her mind, she only came up with one thought to distract her.

  Derric with his tunic off.

  She was still thinking about it, her mind summoning those hard ridges of muscle, when the very man she was imagining approached her from behind, making her jump. “Dammit, you could have warned me.”

  “Sorry, Diamond. I’m about to ride west, but I should be back in a couple of hours.

  She nodded. “Godspeed. I’ll be here.”

  Unable to tear her gaze from him, she watched as he hopped on his horse and left, speaking to no one else. He did look back once, winked at her, then went on his way. She’d do as he asked and wait for him. But she was starting to feel a desperate need for word about her dear grandfather.

  A small group of horses approached the camp, and her eyes caught the familiar colors of their plaids. Grant warriors. She hurried over to where the other Grant guards had gathered, and together they awaited the arrival of the newcomers.

  Her heart hammered in her chest as they waited. This new group had to be bearing a message.

  “What is it?” she bellowed, not wishing to wait any longer.

  She noticed that King Robert had joined them and was watching with interest.

  The lead horse slowed, the horse foaming a little at the mouth from having been pushed too hard. The warrior jumped down and said, “I bear a message for you, Dyna, from your sire. You’re needed at home.”

  She spun around, ready to find her horse and mount up, but Robert’s question gave her pause. “Why? Is there trouble with the English?”

  “We were not told, my king. We were instructed to fetch Dyna only and escort her home.”

  King Robert stared at the man, a look that usually yielded results, she was sure, but the messenger said no more. The king finally nodded. “Grab yourselves an ale and water your horses at the burn before you leave.”

  The men dismounted, but one of them said, “We leave for the return trip in a quarter hour.”

  The king approached her. “If this involves another kidnapping of one of your clan,” he said in an undertone, “I wish to be apprised of the matter immediately.”

  He was fully aware of all that had happened to their clan—to wee John, to Kyla, to Alex Grant—and if the English were to succeed in convincing the Grant lairds to use their warriors against Robert, it would effectively crush his efforts. Of course, her clan would never agree to that, but she couldn’t fault him for his concern.

  “I promise to send a messenger if so,” she said. “How far away is Corbett? I expect he’ll stay with you, but will you tell him where I’ve gone, if you please?”

  “I will. He’ll return by high sun.” Something flickered in his eyes, and he added, “I’ll make sure he gets your message.”

  The King of the Scots said no more, and she didn’t dare push the man.

  She moved to the burn to fill her skin, then mounted her horse, motioning for the nearly twenty Grant guards to follow. She only posed one more question to the new arrivals. “And this message was from my sire, correct? Not from my grandsire?”

  “Aye, my lady,” the leader said. “Connor Grant sent me. Alexander Grant has not returned from Cameron land.”

  That decided things. Her intuition told her this was about her grandfather. She’d be a wreck until she found out he was hale. Although she wished Derric would go with her, she could not wait for him to return.

  ***

  Derric didn’t have any trouble finding the village. He intended to keep his word to King Robert—he wasn’t about to ask Guinne directly about the child’s parentage—but he also didn’t want to hide around the outside of the village as if he were a spy. He strode into the middle of a group of lasses talking near a well.

  “I’m looking for Guinne.”

  The lasses looked him up and down, taking his measure, but one of them finally pointed to the last cottage, the one farthest away from the well, just as Robert had advised him. Only now he wouldn’t need to explain how he knew.

  He strode down the beaten path, attracting the notice of many curious onlookers, but no one stopped him. Before he could approach the door and knock, a man stepped out of the cottage. He carried an empty bucket, but he stopped to appraise Derric. “Do I know you?”

  “Are you Guinne? Heard you’d traveled with King Robert’s warriors. I was wondering if you could tell me where to find them.” He did his best to look innocent, but he was paying close attention to the man who’d caught Senga’s eye.

  Guinne was average height, stocky, but his weight was more from muscle than flab. His hair and full beard were both the color of the first carrot in summer, still young and bright. His skin bore the freckles common to redheads.

  A loud cry came from inside the cottage. He shook his head and broke into a crooked grin. “We woke up the bairn, and she’s got a fierce belly on her.”

  Derric didn’t say a word, waiting for the man to go inside and check on the wee one, Senga’s daughter. The man remerged into the gray day with his bucket, this time with a bairn strapped to his chest, the wee lassie’s chubby face staring out at Derric.

  She had a shock of carrot hair that perfectly matched her father’s, and she grinned up at Derric as if she’d known him forever. She looked exactly like her sire, the hair, the skin coloring, even the smile. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. “Cute. What’s her name?”

  The man ran his hand across the top of her head, smoothing the red curls down as the bairn kicked her legs and swung her arms wildly. “Senga. I named her for her mother, God rest her soul. You going to fight for the Scots? You ever fight with him before?”

  “Aye, I’ve traveled with him
for many moons, off and on. When were you there?”

  “Not long. I fought with him for about a moon before I was called away. I’d fight with him now, but for this wee lassie. Her mother passed, and I’m the only one she has left. Once spring comes around and she’s a bit older, we’ll join my clan in the Lowlands. If you see King Robert, send him my best. He’s a fair man, a hard-working man, and I surely hope he achieves his goals.”

  Derric nodded, looking at the bairn, her wide smile and green eyes glittering with glee. “I’m off to look for him now.”

  The lass opened her mouth and let out a roar, as if to tell her father she’d run out of patience. “Sorry I can’t be of more help,” the man said with a chuckle. “Got to get some goat’s milk for the wee lass. Godspeed to you and all of the Scots.”

  Derric nodded and left, striding away with purpose.

  Now he understood why King Robert had told him that he needed to set eyes on the wee bairn for himself. Senga had been yellow-haired, her locks even lighter than his own, with dancing green eyes that she’d given to her daughter.

  That orange-red hair hadn’t come from him.

  Not a person in the world would believe the bairn belonged to Derric instead of Guinne.

  Derric had no claim on her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When Dyna arrived at Clan Grant, she could tell something had, indeed, happened. She saw it in the tension in the stable lads’ shoulders as they saw to their horses. She saw it as she walked through the courtyard, passing several people who were working hard but silently. Clan Grant was usually a happy place, for the lairds provided for and cared for everyone.

  She flung the door open with a huff and stepped into the great hall, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Claray’s voice rang out. “Dyna, thank goodness you’re home. You won’t believe all that has happened.”

  “Claray! Hold your tongue,” her mother called out.

  She made her way over to the crowded trestle table, where her mother and Claray sat with Aunt Kyla, Chrissa, Alick, and Branwen. “What happened?”

  Her mother glanced at the others, then said, “Grandsire only spent one night on Cameron land. He left the next day and hasn’t been seen since.”

  Dyna lowered herself onto a nearby stool. “I knew something had happened. I knew it.” Her hands played with her plait as she stared at her family. Should she reveal her dream to them?

  Her mother gave her that look she hated, the one that was so intense she had a difficult time lying. “Another seer’s dream?”

  “Aye, Mama.” She framed her face with both hands, then brought her fingers up to her hairline, attempting to smooth everything back after the windy ride. “I dreamed Grandsire was gone. He was in a cottage somewhere.”

  “Where exactly?” Aunt Kyla nudged.

  “I don’t know,” she said, placing her hands on the table, forcing them flat so she’d stop fussing. “I’ve tried to pin it down, any details at all, but I keep coming up empty. I only know he’ll be at a cottage.”

  “Is he being held captive?” Kyla persisted.

  “Aye, he’s sleeping, and I sense he’s a prisoner, but I don’t see anyone else in the cottage and I can’t determine where he is exactly.”

  “Papa went after him,” Claray declared, glancing at their mother.

  “Your father went to Cameron land to speak with Aunt Jennie. See what she knows. He took a score of guards, and they plan on tracking him.”

  Dyna’s head fell into her hands. She was so tired she could barely keep her head up. She needed sleep desperately, but she had to go after her grandfather. Her premonitions were usually stronger when she was physically closer to the person—or place—involved. Perhaps she should try to find him on her own.

  Alick said, “I know what you’re thinking and you’re not going after him alone. I sent a messenger to MacLintock land. I’m sure Alasdair and Els will join us as fast as they can. You know as well as anyone that the four of us are more powerful together.”

  “When you go after Grandsire, I’m going with you,” Chrissa declared with an emphatic toss of her plait over her shoulder.

  Aunt Kyla stood up so quickly her chair nearly toppled over. “No one is going anywhere until Connor returns or we receive a message telling us what’s going on. Chrissa, do not plan any more of your trickery around me.”

  Chrissa had snuck away from Grant land on more than one occasion. She’d become skilled at archery, so she was definitely an asset, but at two and ten, she was also capricious and unreliable. Chrissa cast Dyna a side glance as if to tell her she’d go with her. Dyna glanced at Aunt Kyla to see if she’d picked up on her daughter’s intent, but she saw no sign of it.

  “Now may I tell her my troubles, Mama?” Claray asked their mother, her eyes wide.

  Sela nodded. “Aye, go ahead and tell your sister.”

  Claray was more fearful than most owing to her past, and Dyna had promised herself that she would always listen to her, even when her own mind was uneasy. “Tell me.”

  “Someone has been watching me,” she whispered.

  “Claray, we’ve kept the gates locked at all times ever since Mama was taken. ’Tis most impossible for you to have been watched by a stranger.”

  Her sister shook her head. “When we went out for a ride, someone was in the woods watching me. But the guards couldn’t find him. He’d disappeared.” Her voice cracked, indicating tears would be imminent.

  “I’m going to take a short nap because I’m exhausted, but then I promise to look for this alleged stalker. If he’s out there, I’ll find him. Do you trust me, Claray?”

  She nodded emphatically, a smile bursting across her face. Claray was so beautiful and sweet, yet her past held her back. It held her mind captive. “Promise, Dyna?” she asked softly.

  “I promise. But first I must rest my eyes.” She got off her stool, but before she left, she wrapped her arms around her sister. “Why don’t you play with the younger ones?”

  They had a younger brother and sister, Hagen and Astra. Hagen was the elder at four and ten winters. He was often with their father, but in Connor’s absence, both of them would be with the group of bairns that played behind the castle while the clan worked at their chores. With all the attacks on the Grant family, Sela didn’t allow their children outside the gates, even to the lists. Only Dyna.

  “All right. Please don’t rest for long, Dyna. I need you.”

  Sela patted Claray on the back and ushered her outside.

  As soon as they were gone, Aunt Kyla gave Dyna a grim smile. “There’s been no evidence of anyone watching her. We all suspect she’s upset with both you and your father gone. She’ll feel better now that she’s seen you. Go rest. You look exhausted. When you awaken, you can tell us about King Robert.”

  Alick said, “Mayhap Alasdair and Els will be here by then. My guess is Emmalin and Joya will be here, too. And when your father returns, you know we’ll be leaving soon after. You need sleep first.”

  She felt a pang at the mention of Joya, for it reminded her of Derric…and the fact that she’d left him without a word. Would she ever see him again?

  But she didn’t want to burden Aunt Kyla with her tribulations.

  “There’s not much to tell about King Robert,” she said. “We met up with him in the north, but he came to a truce with Macdougall, so he didn’t expect to go to battle imminently. He was going to see if Ross and Thane will support him, or if he needs to go to battle. You know how he feels about Ross.”

  “Ross betrayed him. He’ll never forgive him for causing his wife to be turned over to King Edward. He’ll make him pay. King Robert may overlook many things, but not that. You go rest for now.”

  Dyna nodded and climbed the stairs to her chamber, wishing that when she awakened, her grandsire would be sitting in front of the hearth.

  Just like he used to do.

  ***

  Derric made his way back to King Robert’s camp, searching the area for Dyn
a, but there was no sign of her. Could she have left without him?

  King Robert greeted him. “Did you find Guinne?”

  “Aye, he was exactly where you told me he would be, and now I understand why you wished for me to see the lassie with my own eyes. She’s Guinne’s daughter, no doubt about it. He will take good care of her.”

  The king nodded. “You needed to see it for yourself. I suppose you are looking for the Grant contingency. They sent a messenger ordering Dyna back to Grant land at once.”

  “Why?” he asked, feeling the press of worry and a strange hollowness from the knowledge that she was no longer there.

  “They wouldn’t share that information, but she left right away. A rumor came in less than an hour ago that Alex Grant is missing. They suspect he’s been taken by King Edward’s men. He’s probably being taken to Berwick by that English garrison. Might be why we’ve seen no sign of them in the north.”

  “Bloody hell, I’m going to Grant land. They’ll need help.”

  “I’ll send you along with only one message. Godspeed and don’t let the English win. I’m counting on the Grants to get him back. If Alex Grant makes it to Berwick, his head will be on a pike in no time. And that’s if they don’t attempt to use him first to move the Grant warriors against us.”

  Derric mounted his horse and bolted toward Grant land.

  ***

  When Dyna awakened, she sat on the edge of her bed and made her plan. She needed to find out what had transpired while she was asleep, and if nothing had significantly changed, she would leave to find Grandsire on her own.

  Dyna Grant was not the type of person who stood around and waited for things to happen.

  She made them happen.

  She stepped into the hall and quickly found a serving lass. “Fiona, would you send Claray up with a bowl of porridge, please? I’m hungry, but I need to wash up first. She can find me in Grandmama’s bathing chamber.”

  Fiona hurried away, and Dyna made her way to the chamber down the passageway, deep in thought. Her grandsire had been so in love with his wife that he’d built a special chamber for her because she liked to bathe so much. Of course, the guards liked to say it was because every time Maddie went to the outdoor building that used to be used for bathing, forty guards fought to try to get a peek at the beautiful woman, but Dyna believed he’d done it out of love.