by Diana Cosby
“I agree. We will travel north for a ways, then circle back to the cave we stayed in the other night.”
“Why not return to Taog’s camp?”
He shook his head. “I refuse to risk leaving a trail exposing a connection between us and the Romani.” Cailin reined his mount forward. “Let us go.”
Snow muted the clack of hooves as they wove through the maze.
At the entry, he paused, searched the surrounding area. Beyond the clearing, snow-drenched hills lay before him, fragmented with jagged walls of sheer rock, smothered with thick, green slashes of fir woven with leafless stocky oaks, ash, and birch.
He glanced over. “We will follow the edge of the rocks, then slip into the forest. Once shielded by the trees, we can ride undetected.”
Elspet nodded.
He kicked his steed into a canter.
“Over there!” a man called.
Cailin turned.
Snow flew as a group of knights galloped straight toward them.
God’s blade, the guard had left some men behind to keep a lookout! They weren’t close enough to the forest to reach it. “Return to the rocks!”
She whirled her mount, dug in her heels.
Broadsword drawn, he rode behind her as she galloped into the narrow opening between the boulders. A short distance inside the maze, they halted. He dismounted, secured a bow and arrows on his back, then started climbing the uneven stones.
“Where are you going?”
“There are only five men headed our way. If I can get a clear shot at the knights when they enter, I should be able to pick them off. I willna be long.”
With deft movements, taking care given the slippery snow, he scaled the rocks, then lay where he had a clear line of sight but kept himself hidden from their view. He nocked an arrow, waited.
A soft scrape of stone sounded behind him.
He glanced back, muttered a curse as Elspet crawled up beside him.
“I told you to stay there!” he hissed while visions of her taking an enemy arrow flashed in his mind.
She nocked her bow, edged closer. “I willna sit there while you risk your life. And I can shoot as well as most men.”
Cailin wanted to throttle her for placing herself in danger but recalled Taog’s assuring him that her skill was impressive. He grimaced. Alone, who knew what mayhem she’d get into? At least at his side, he could keep an eye on her.
Cailin glanced down to the rock entry. “I expect the knights to—”
“I saw them ride this way,” a deep voice called from close by. “Keep watch, and let me know if you see any sign of them.” A man with shoulder-length black hair and a muscled frame cantered into view, a rider in his wake.
Body tense, Cailin drew his arrow back, aimed.
“Wait!” Elspet whispered. “I have seen that man in Taog’s camp.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded.
Errant snowflakes drifted past the mounted knight as he halted. Eyes narrowed, he scanned the area. “I think whoever we saw was farther away than we believed and has left,” he called behind him.
Two warriors rode past the large rocks to join him, then the last two riders came into view.
Elspet gasped.
Cailin glanced to his side. Her face was deathly white.
“T–the last rider,” she whispered. “’Tis Blar!”
Jaw tight, he stared at the rangy man with shoulder-length, straight brown hair he’d seen at Tiran Castle days before, and an unsettling thought crept into his mind. “Your stepbrother is far from the castle.”
“He is, but as the master-at-arms said Blar has been riding with the earl’s men.”
“Mayhap, but does it not seem odd that my uncle would allow a supposed captive not only to join his guard but trust him to accompany them on their rounds?”
“What are you saying?”
After all she’d endured, the last thing Cailin wanted to do was upset her, but the master-at-arms’s warning about his distrust for Blar screamed in Cailin’s mind, a suspicion he shared. “I believe Blar rides with them more than to protect the castle but to identify you.”
Her brows slammed together. “You are wrong.” Though doubt wove through Elspet’s voice.
“I pray so.”
“Ride in the direction in which they were headed,” the lead rider ordered, “and see if you can find them. I will search around the rocks. If I spot them, I will sound the alarm.”
Blar gestured to the distant entry. “I think Sir Cailin and Elspet went into the breaks in the rocks.”
Anger darkened the leader’s face. “You think, but you arena sure. The riders we saw were a distance away.”
“I know what my stepsister looks like,” Blar snapped. “We need to ride closer and look for signs of their passing.”
The bow trembled in Elspet’s hand. “Why is he challenging the lead rider? Does he not realize if he convinces the guard to come closer they will see our tracks?”
The desperation in her voice shoved Cailin’s anger up a notch. Aye, her stepbrother had naught to gain by arguing to ride closer unless he wanted her caught. By the pallor of her face, ’twas something she realized.
The lead rider’s face grew hard. “I gave you an order, Blar: go.”
“I know what I saw!” Blar glanced at the other men. “I am thinking that he wants the glory of finding my stepsister for himself and pocketing the reward.”
The others muttered what sounded like their agreement.
“I say we all stay,” Blar snarled. “I think my stepsister and Sir Cailin are hiding within the rocks. And Sir James knows it too.”
The man called Sir James withdrew his blade. “You will die for that!”
Elspet stumbled to her feet. “Nay!”
Chapter 12
Cailin grabbed her arm to keep her from sliding on top of the boulder; heart pounding, Elspet jerked free, stared down to where her stepbrother sat with the small band of Dalkirk’s knights. “Sir James is going to murder Blar!”
“Blast it,” Cailin snarled, “get behind me.”
“As I suspected,” Blar spat, his gaze smug, “Sir Cailin is with my whore of a stepsister.”
Whore? The air rushed from her at his foul accusation, and she wanted to retch. How could he say, believe such? “I–I slept with nay man.”
Blar grunted. “Rumor is that you open your legs quick enough for any man.”
Cailin’s arrow flew, sank deep in Blar’s arm.
Her stepbrother screamed, and his horse snorted and stepped to one side. A trickle of blood slid from the wound as he glared up at Cailin. “You will die for that!”
“Apologize,” Cailin ordered, “or the next one will be in your worthless heart.” His gaze cut to the others. “If anyone else moves, ’twill be his last.”
“I am sorry,” Blar said between clenched teeth.
But he wasn’t. Hate spewed from her stepbrother’s eyes, a darkness so vile that shivers swept Elspet. How had she never noticed his true feelings for her before? Pain welled in her chest. Foolishly, she’d believed Blar had accepted her into his family, cared for her, and would protect her with his life. ’Twould seem ’twas all a lie.
“Why do you ride with the Earl of Dalkirk’s knights?” she demanded.
Blar’s mouth tightened; with his good arm, he backed his horse out of arrow range; the others, except for Sir James, followed suit. “Once you come down here, I will explain.”
She scoffed. “You must think me a fool. The earl wants me dead, you ride with my enemy, dare call me a whore, and now I am to listen to you?” Her finger wrapped around an arrow, and she wished he was within range. “’Twould seem there is little to explain.”
“Always stubborn.” He spoke to her as if she were a child. “There is much you din
na understand.”
“Like what?” At this moment, she doubted she’d believe anything he ever said again.
Blar scowled at Cailin before turning to her. “This isna the place to talk. What is important is that I have spoken with the earl and he has agreed to forgive you.”
She gave a cold laugh, her anger spiking up another notch. “After Dalkirk ordered his men to murder my mother and your father and burn our home, he should be begging us for forgiveness.”
Face taut, Blar rubbed his bleeding arm. “You should be thankful that I convinced the earl to spare your life.”
“For what, to sleep in his bed?” She narrowed her haze. “I would die first.”
“You will rue the day you disobeyed me.” Blar started to turn his horse, then glanced toward Sir James with shrewd eyes. “And yet… I am thinking that mayhap ’tis not the coin offered for their capture that draws your interest but that you plot against the earl.”
The lead knight’s face darkened further. “You dare much.”
“Do I?” Blar challenged. “Admit it; you are in league with Sir Petrus.”
Fear slid through her. “Merciful saints, why is he speaking of the master-at-arms?” she whispered.
“There can only be one reason,” Cailin hissed under his breath. “Someone Sir Petrus spoke with has betrayed him.”
Her heart pounded. God, nay!
Blar’s sly gaze shifted to the three other knights. “I think the earl will pay us handsomely for this traitor.”
Faces hard, the other men nodded.
“Seize him!” Blar shouted.
Sir James unsheathed his sword.
“Bloody hell!” Cailin ran to the edge of the boulder, released his arrow. It sank into the chest of the knight reaching for Sir James.
The attacker tumbled off his horse.
A second knight tried to sneak up behind Sir James.
Heart pounding, Elspet raced to Cailin’s side, aimed, and fired.
The second knight clutched the arrow embedded in his chest, collapsed to the ground.
“You will pay for your treachery!” Blar whirled his steed and kicked him into a gallop, the remaining knight on his heels.
As they disappeared around the large stones, throat tight with emotion, Elspet lowered her bow. “Blar is in league with the earl,” she whispered, unsure if she was more furious or heartbroken. “I prayed that Blar’s reason for joining the earl’s guard was to save me.” She scoffed, “I was a fool.”
“Nay a fool but a woman of deep compassion,” Cailin said.
She swallowed hard. “All he ever cared about was himself,” she forced out, needing to say the words despite how much they hurt. “The master-at-arms was right; Blar isna a good man.” She gasped. “Now that they have discovered that Sir Petrus is loyal to you, we must save him!”
Fury burned in Cailin’s eyes. “Aye.”
She secured her bow. “As well, Blar’s behavior leads me to believe that he was involved with the plot to kill our parents.” Sickened, she shook her head. “To be a part of such a vile act… Why? As if it matters now. The important thing is, now we know, and any loyalty I ever had to him is dead.”
* * * *
It mattered, but at the moment there was naught Cailin could do about the bastard, though the time to confront Blar would come. He gently squeezed her hand, then focused on the rider below, a sense of familiarity tugging at him. “Sir James, you have made a dangerous enemy this day. When the earl learns that you tried to shield Elspet and me from being found, he will want you dead.”
“A risk I was willing to take.” The knight nudged his steed forward, paused below them. “Sir Cailin, my full name is Sir James Arbach.”
Surprise rippled through him. James Arbach, a man who’d been a friend in his youth. His body relaxed as he acknowledged the man’s familiar looks, albeit older. “I remember you.”
“’Tis a blessing to see you. You canna imagine my surprise when I heard you were alive.”
“Once I had sailed and learned of my uncle’s treachery in my youth,” Cailin said, “I assure you, I never expected to return.”
Sir James shifted in his saddle. “The earl is nasty business.”
“He is, one who will be taken care of, that I swear.” Cailin paused. “Why did you seek me out?”
“The master-at-arms sent me to find you.”
A gust of wind whipped past Cailin as he secured his bow. “Where is he?”
“In the earl’s dungeon.”
His heart sank. “Wait there, we are coming down.” After one last look to ensure none of the earl’s men were about, he and Elspet hurried down. A short while later, they rode out and joined Sir James. “What happened?”
“Late yesterday afternoon, after Sir Petrus spoke with me about shifting their alliance to you, another of the knights he talked to betrayed him.”
Tension slid through Cailin. “Is he alive?”
“Aye, barely. Though tortured for refusing to answer any of their questions, he told the earl naught.” Worry furrowed Sir James’s brow. “In our brief conversation in his cell once the guards left, Sir Petrus wanted me to warn you, and explain why he didna appear at your planned meeting. ’Tis why I volunteered to ride with one of the groups of knights to find you.”
Cailin grimaced. “I thank you. We will free Sir Petrus.”
A pained look crossed his face. “The sooner the better. I dinna think he can survive much longer.”
Cailin fisted his hand around his sword, wishing his uncle stood before him. The man’s treachery knew no bounds.
“As well, before the master-at-arms was betrayed, in addition to having started meeting with men in the castle he trusts, he sent several messengers to influential men.” Sir James glanced toward Elspet. Regret flashed on the knight’s face. “I am sorry about your mother and stepfather.”
“I–I thank you,” she rasped. “I didna know of Blar’s treachery.”
“Nor I, until he was recently knighted after his arrival at Tiran Castle. Though Blar serves the earl, I assure you, he is loathed by many.”
“’Tis easy to despise a man who would turn on his own flesh and blood.” Cailin paused, considering the ramifications. “Now that Blar and the other knights know you are loyal to me, they will inform my uncle.”
Sir James nodded.
Cailin frowned at the unexpected complication. “Nor can the knights who have shifted their loyalty to me remain at the stronghold. ’Tis too dangerous.”
“Indeed, ’tis how I came to my decision this morning,” Sir James explained. “The others loyal to you departed the castle beneath the guise of searching for you and Elspet. Once I had warned you, I was to meet with them near the river.”
“A good plan. Still, when the knights dinna return to the stronghold, ’twill take little time for my uncle to realize they have betrayed him, label them traitors, and order them killed. As for the meeting with the knights,” Cailin said, “’tis one you will keep. Elspet and I will ride with you. After, we will all travel to Taog MacCarron’s, where you, as the others, will remain until we make a plan of attack.”
Surprise flickered in Sir James’s eyes. “The Romani leader isna known for accepting strangers into his camp.”
“He isna,” Cailin agreed, “but given the situation, there is nay other choice. Also, to avoid the risk of leaving any sign that the Romani are supporting me, we must ensure that any trace of our passage is erased as we travel.”
“A fact I will ensure,” the knight said.
Satisfied that he’d done all he could do for the moment, Cailin glanced at Elspet. “I promise you, Blar will be dealt with.”
She gave a shaky nod. “By my blade.”
“Nay. However much you despise him, I refuse to allow his blood to be on your hands.”
Her eyes
narrowed. “The decision isna yours.”
Cailin reined in a retort. Let her believe such. When the time came to deal with Blar, she would learn differently. A cold breeze blustered past as Cailin faced Sir James. “Lead us to where you and the others were to meet.”
“Aye.”
* * * *
Within the fire’s glow spilling into the tent at Taog’s camp, the same shelter he and Elspet had used on their previous visit, Cailin secured his dagger.
He exhaled a slow breath, thankful that the meeting with the knights who’d shifted their loyalty to him had gone smoothly.
More of a relief, when their party had arrived at the Romani camp, the knights had been allowed to enter with minimal objection. By now his uncle knew who had betrayed him by their absence.
Elspet tugged on her cloak, then stood. “I am accompanying you to rescue the master-at-arms.”
“Nay.” Anger flared in her eyes at his response, but in this he refused to yield. “I understand your need to avenge your family, but if you went now, with your emotions driving your every decision, you could be killed.”
“You need me.”
“Before, your presence was necessary to identify those I needed to speak to. This operation is purely strategic, a tactical mission made more dangerous because ’tis night. For stealth, only Sir James and Taog will accompany me.” Cailin secured a final blade in his arsenal of hidden weapons. “Having grown up in the castle, along with the changes to the stronghold since my youth provided by Father Lamond’s drawings, I am familiar with the tunnels I need to take to reach the dungeon. Once we rescue Sir Petrus, we will return.”
Before she could reply, a commotion in the camp had Cailin glancing up.
Their expressions furious, two of the knights from the castle, their weapons drawn, were circling the other.
God’s teeth! Cailin stormed to the two men, withdrew his sword, and relieved them of their weapons in a trice. “What in blazes is going on?” he boomed.
Each warrior glared at the other.
Taog walked over and stood beside Cailin.
The shorter of the two swiped blood from his mouth, sneered at the other. “Sir Malcolm…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
