F
iona was armed
to the teeth as she sat atop her mount. Chainmail under her leather armor, her targe hung over her left knee, her sword safely in its sheath.
Sgian dubhs
in each boot, one in her belt at her back, two more tucked into her sleeves.
Farquar’s missive said she was to come alone. Not bloody likely. Caelen, his face hidden under a dark cowl, rode to her right, Brodie to her left. In front of her rode Nial McKee. Behind them were five McDunnah men and five of Nial’s.
They rode to the gate of the Farquar keep. Fiona shouted up at the watchman. “Tell Farquar I be here.”
“Ye were supposed to come alone,” the watchman shouted back.
Fiona shook her head. “Tell Farquar if he wants to see me, I bring me men with me. I’ll no’ come alone,” she called out to the men on the wall.
The watchman disappeared. ’Twas difficult for Fiona not to look at her husband. She wanted to say something, to tell him she was very glad he was beside her and that she was certain his plan would work. Since she’d already told him that more than once while arming herself, she didn’t think it necessary to repeat it.
Finally, the gate in the curtain wall lifted. Nial led the way in.
As soon as Fiona passed through, one of Farquar’s men came out of the shadows and grabbed the reins of her horse.
“Ye were to come unarmed,” he told her.
Lifting her booted foot, she kicked him in his face and sent him stumbling backward. Everyone in her party held a collective breath.
Fiona looked around the courtyard at the other Farquar and MacKinnon men. “Would anyone here like to try to disarm me?”
A long silence passed.
“Ye were to come alone and unarmed,” someone shouted from ahead of them.
Fiona sat taller in her saddle. “Ye go tell Gelis Farquar that if he thinks I be stupid enough to come into his keep unarmed and without escort, then he’s a bigger fool than I imagined,” she called out to the men.
A moment later the same voice called out again. “Ye may enter the keep, but ye have to leave yer weapons and yer men behind.”
“No’ bloody likely!” Fiona called back to him.
Silence.
“Tell yer chief I think he be a coward!” Fiona called out. “He be afraid of me, a woman. So afraid that he canna come out here and meet with me in person. If the coward wants to meet with me, he can present himself now instead of cowerin’ inside like a child!”
It felt quite good to hurl insults. ’Twas going to be even better to watch the man die.
H
er last set
of insults apparently did the trick. The door to the keep opened, and Gelis Farquar stepped out into the open. He wore chainmail and leather over dark tunic and trews. His boots looked as though they’d never seen a speck of dirt. A broadsword hung at his side.
Spotting Fiona, he took the stairs down into the courtyard as if he didn’t have a care in the world. She doubted he was as courageous as he appeared.
He stopped a few yards away from Fiona and her men. “Did ye no’ trust that I’d keep me word, Fiona? In me missive, I promised no harm would come to ye if ye met with me alone.”
“Fergive me if I do no’ trust ye at the moment, Farquar. Ye’ve proven ye’ll stop at nothin’ to get me lands.”
Gelis laughed. “’Tis no’ yer land I want, Fiona.”
“So I be told,” she said. “Pray tell, could it be the treasures hidden in our tunnels that ye seek?”
His arrogant smile faded in a heartbeat.
“Aye,” Fiona said with a nod. “I ken all about the treasures ye seek.”
He remained silent, but Fiona could see he was thinking hard about what she said.
“We found those treasures long ago,” she told him. ’Twas a lie, of course, and one she hoped he would believe. At the very least, it would give him cause for doubt, long enough for them to put the rest of their plan to work. “How do ye think we kept from starvin’?”
“Ye lie!” he shouted at her.
“Do I?” she said. She knew then she had hit upon the truth. Apparently, he believed there were treasures hidden in her tunnels. ’Twas the only thing that made any sense after ruling out magic water and their whisky. But why he thought there was treasure there remained a mystery.
“I ken it be no’ magic water ye seek, Farquar. Ye lied about that, so people would no’ ken why ye truly wished to marry me.”
His anger bubbled just under the surface. Fiona desperately wanted to look about the courtyard to see that everyone was in place, but she could not give away their plan.
“I be no fool, Farquar. The treasure ye fought so hard to get yer greedy hands on be gone. Most of it anyway.”
“Ye lie! No one could have spent all that gold and coin!” he seethed.
“I did say
most
of it. There be
some
left. Enough, I suppose fer ye to live out the rest of yer days in comfort. That is if ye live long enough.”
“Do ye wish to see yer brothers alive again?” he ground out, taking a few tentative steps toward her.
“Aye, I do,” she answered. “And if ye wish to remain amongst the livin’, ye’ll hand me brothers over now.”
Gelis laughed heartily at her threat. “Yer surrounded,” he informed her. “Or had ye no’ noticed?”
Caelen coughed ever so slightly, drawing Fiona’s attention away from Gelis. A loud whistle filled the air a moment later. That was the signal that all hell was about to break loose.
A
lmost instantly
, men swarmed the courtyard from all hidden corners and shadows. Caelen and his men immediately surrounded Fiona, safeguarding her from the fray.
Gelis Farquar hadn’t seen it coming. He was immediately set upon by a dozen McDunnah and MacDougall men. Around him, more McDunnahs, MacDougalls and McKees swarmed the enemy.
Shouts rang out, above the fracas of clanging metal. Fiona kept back, staying as close to her husband as she was able.
“Kill the prisoners!” Gelis called out to his men as he struggled against his captors. “Kill them now!”
Caelen dismounted, much to Fiona’s protests. Racing toward the keep, he told Nial to get Fiona to safety. Nial wasn’t about to give her time to argue. A moment later, they were flying across the courtyard and through the gates of the keep.
I
t had been
a simple yet devious plan and Caelen owed the idea to Nial. The idea had come to him on the battle field that morn, when the people sent out to haul in the dead and injured had accidentally grabbed a dead Farquar soldier. With so much blood and mud, ’twas difficult to distinguish a McDunnah for a Farquar.
So Nial, the cunning bastard that he was, came up with the idea of replacing their healthy men with the fallen Farquar men. Covered in mud and blood gathered from other fallen warriors, Nial’s idea was put into place. They quietly slipped into the battle field a few at a time. With the battle raging on, they were able to exchange their plaids for the Farquar plaids. One fallen warrior looked like the next. When a halt to the battle was called later that morning to clear the field, two dozen McDunnah, MacDougall and McKee warriors were carried into the Farquar keep on litters.
Caelen was exceedingly happy to have Nial McKee on his side.
Once Caelen saw that Gelis was bound and under the control of his men, he grabbed several other fighting men to follow him inside the keep. He had to get to William and Collin.
They were met just inside the door by Farquar men. Caelen and his men were able to divest them of their lives in short order. They made their way through the gathering room and began a relentless search for access to the dungeon.
As they raced down a hallway, Caelen caught sight of Edgar MacKinnon who was trying to flee through the back door.
“MacKinnon!” Caelen shouted down the hallway.
Edgar stopped, took one look at Caelen and began to run.
He was halted by five MacDougall warriors who were coming in through the back door. With swords drawn, they forced him back inside the keep.
Caelen met up with them. Pressing his sword against Edgar’s throat, Caelen said, “Where be they?”
Edgar swallowed hard and feigned ignorance. “Where be who?”
Caelen pressed the sword a little harder against Edgar’s throat. “Now would no’ be a good time to test me patience, MacKinnon.”
“They be above stairs. Hallway to the right, last door on the left,” Edgar told him.
Caelen shook his head in disgust. Edgar and Gelis were cut of the same cloth. They had no qualms about harming innocent people, but let them come up against someone of their same size?
Cowards.
Caelen ordered two of his men to take Edgar out of doors whilst he and the rest of the men went in search of Collin and William.
C
ollin and William
were exactly where Edgar had said they were.
William was covered in bruises, one eye completely swollen shut. He’d put up a good fight the day Farquar’s men had abducted him. He was lying on the cold, bare floor. Collin, bleeding from a wound to his side, sat on the floor beside him.
Collin smiled from ear to ear when Caelen burst into the room. “I thought ye’d never get here,” Collin said.
Caelen knelt beside William and assessed his injuries. “I was a wee delayed, busy fightin’ to save yer sorry arse and all.”
Collin winced as he tried to laugh. “I think we’ll need a litter fer William,” he said.
“Bloody hell ye do,” William ground out. “I’ll no’ be carried out of here like a bairn.”
Caelen directed two of his men to help William while he helped Collin to his feet. Caelen draped Collin’s arm around his neck and hefted him up. Wincing in pain, Collin let loose with a slew of curses.
“Quit yer belly achin’,” William called out over his shoulders. “Ye’ve a wee flesh wound. I’ve got a few broken ribs. Ye do no’ hear me complainin’.”
Slowly, they helped the men out of the room. As they made their way down the corridor, they passed by a bedchamber. The door was slightly ajar, but they paid no notice. Until Caelen heard the cries of a child.
“Hold up,” Caelen said as he handed Collin off to one of the other men. “Hurry and get them out of here,” Caelen ordered. “I’ll be right behind ye.”
He withdrew his sword. Using the tip of the blade, he slowly pushed the door open. He could hear the child crying from within. Carefully, he took a step inside.
There she was, huddled in the corner of the room, between a chest and the bed. A little girl with cherubic cheeks and curly locks of gold. Tears streamed down her face as she clung to a little doll.
Caelen went to her and knelt down. “Wheesht, lassie,” he told her in soothing tones. “No one will harm ye.”
The little girl looked terrified. Her tears continued to stream down her face.
“Where be yer mum, child?”
Between sobs she replied, “Me mum be dead.”
Her tears and words tugged at his heart.
“Where be yer da?”
She shook her head, still crying. “I dunna ken,” she wailed.
Caelen felt quite lost. He had no idea who the child was, but he couldn’t very well leave her here unattended. He let loose with a frustrated breath and raked a hand through his hair. “What be yer name, lass?”
She sniffled. “Aingealag.”
H
e hadn’t held
a bairn or even a child in ages, except for the day Conner climbed on his knee. Had refused to touch anyone’s child, for he’d never held his own. Now, he bounded down the steps with one in his arms. He searched the yard for his mount. He stood at the far end of the yard, waiting patiently. Caelen let out a loud whistle and the animal came running.
The lass in his arms had stopped crying the moment Caelen told her he was going to take her to her father, Bhruic. He set the little girl on the saddle and climbed up behind her. For a multitude of reasons, he couldn’t wait to get to his wife. She’d be able to care for the child.
The little girl, however, had different ideas. When Caelen found his wife and explained who the little girl was, he tried, unsuccessfully, to hand the child over. The little girl wailed and screamed, locking her hands together around his neck. She refused to let go of the man who had taken her from the bad men.
Fiona had to giggle at the sight before her. Her brave warrior of a husband, battle proven and battle scarred, looked positively terrified of the little girl that clung to his neck.
“I’d rather go back into battle,” he told Fiona as she stood laughing at him. “Please, Fiona, take the child!”
Fiona shook her head. “Nay, Caelen. The poor thing has been traumatized enough. Besides, she’s taken a likin’ to ye.”
“Fiona, please,” he pleaded with her as they stood in the middle of the war tent.
Fiona shook her head and continued to laugh.
“Caelen,” the little girl said. “Be that yer name?”
Caelen rolled his eyes and gave her a curt nod.
“I like ye Caelen,” she told him before resting her head against his shoulder. “Do no’ let me go.”
“Bloody hell,” he murmured.
B
efore they hung Gelis Farquar
, Edgar MacKinnon, and John McRamey for their crimes, Edgar told Caelen and Fiona everything he knew. Caelen was certain that the only reason the man spoke was with the hope that he’d be shown some mercy.
Not bloody likely.
“Gelis was in France three years ago,” Edgar told them. “I do no’ ken
who
he got his information from, but he was told a verra interestin’ story, one that he believed to be true. He was told that when the Templar Knights were run out of France, they came to Scotland.”
“Everyone kens that, MacKinnon,” Caelen said, as yet unimpressed with Edgar’s story.
“Aye, but did ye ken that they brought with them countless treasures? Statues made of gold and silver, chests filled with gold coins, paintin’s and the like. Gelis was told the treasures were priceless. He was also told
where
those treasures were hidden.”
Caelen cast a glance at Fiona who shrugged her shoulders.
Edgar went on to explain in more detail. “Ye see, he was told that they buried those treasures in hidden tunnels that lay under
Sidh Chailleann.
”
Looking to his wife, Caelen knew this was the first she was hearing of it. “My
Sidh Chailleann
?” she asked incredulously.
Edgar nodded his head and smiled. “Aye, Fiona. Yer
Sidh Chailleann.
”
T
hey hung
the three men side by side from the wall of the Farquar keep at sunset.
Fiona could not watch the punishment being carried out, no matter how much she wanted to. She’d seen enough death in the past two days to last her a lifetime.
Nial and Duncan volunteered to stay behind to help establish a new chief for Clan Farquar.
Caelen and Fiona, along with her brothers and what remained of their men, left at dawn the following morning. While they would have liked to have remained behind, they had injured men to return to the McPherson keep.
And one little girl who desperately wanted to see her papa.