Mora was going to have to ask Jolene how she made it. It soothed the itch of healing that still bothered her occasionally, and she was certain it was easing the scarring such a wound could leave her with. There had been no poisoning in the wound, either. This was a salve she definitely wanted to be able to make and always have at hand.
Leaving the bedchamber, she headed down the stairs, going carefully and keeping a firm grip on the rail at the side. She could hear that the morning meal was being put out and almost laughed when her stomach rumbled softly. It was all so wonderfully normal and she hungered for normal. Normal and calm. She gave a start when a hand gently grasped her by the arm.
"Sorry," said Annys. "I had thought ye kenned I was following ye."
"I thought ye were already down there. I could hear that the food was being served."
"I had to go change my gown. Bit of an accident in the kitchens." Annys looked at her. "So ye are feeling better?"
"Aye. Much. E'en put Jolene's cream on my wound myself and decided I need to learn how to make some. It is marvelous."
"It is, and I keep meaning to do the same, but she keeps giving me some so I forget. Sigimor's people are doing better?"
"Aye. He just felt the need to get Jolene and his son away from there."
"If I had suffered what he went through when he was a young mon, I would have done the same. But what about his twin girls?"
"At one of their kinsmen's with about seven nursemaids to, as was said, keep them out of trouble." She grinned when Annys laughed heartily. "They cannae be that bad, can they?"
"Aye, they can, but they are adorable. I have only met with them once and they were younger, but e'en then I could see it. They are definitely Sigimor's girls."
"I seem to have met with so many people since Gybbon came into my life."
"And there are more to come if ye stay in it. Many more. And they are already planning on whom to get in touch with to try and find out what happened to your brothers."
"It would be wondrous if they could and e'en more so if they were found alive."
Annys patted her arm. "Keep that hope."
Niall Ogilvy groaned and rubbed his backside when his brother David had them stop for a brief meal. "Why are we rushing there?" he asked.
"Because something is wrong. Verra wrong. I ken it and need to ken what it is."
"If 'tis trouble we are galloping toward mayhap we should have brought some of the other men."
"I ken where they are. Made certain of it before we left them. Have their promise to come and help if help is needed."
Niall stopped the pacing he had begun to limber up his legs and sat down to look at David. "Ye are truly worried."
"Someone tried to kill us, Niall. We cannae forget that. I dinnae e'en need to look at the scar I have to keep it in mind. Except for the French we were fighting, there was no one o'er there who kenned us weel enough to want us dead. And did it ne'er trouble ye that we got no news from home? That our parents or sister ne'er once sent us word to ask about us or tell us about them? They can all write."
"Aye"-he shrugged-"but I just assumed it was because we were nay easy to find and we were far from home."
"I did, too, until I spoke to the men awaiting a hanging for their trying to murder us. They were hired by Scots just before they boarded the boat to go to France. They gave a description of the one who did the talking and it sounded verra much like our dear cousin Robert."
"Jesu," Niall whispered. "Why? We ne'er did anything to him."
"Nay, but I do ken that he has always resented the fact that Grandfather gave our father that house and several acres of land. It took a bite out of what he saw as his."
"It wasnae his; it was the old laird's and then became his father's."
"And will soon be his. Rabbit is near done. We eat, then continue."
"Mora might need us?"
"Aye. Her and wee Andrew." David could see that Niall was puzzled and asked, "Why would our cousin hire men to kill us? Why nay just wait and see if fighting in France will end us?"
"Because he is getting rid of heirs to that bit of land until it has to be drawn back into the big lot his father holds?" Niall asked the question in a quiet, nervous voice.
"Aye. It is all that makes any sense."
"I pray ye are wrong."
"Nay harder than I do, but just the thought has me anxious to get back home. I need to see if I am wrong or right. Until I can see what awaits, I cannae rest. The question of why did he try to have us killed preys on me."
"Then we willnae rest. Much. We will go get your answers."
Chapter Thirteen
Mora blushed faintly as Gybbon hooked her arm through his and led her out into the garden. It was dark but there were a few torches lit to give light to the area, and the moon shone bright. She suspected everyone who had seen them leave the hall knew why he was taking her for a walk in the gardens when one could barely see what grew there, and that did embarrass her a bit.
They had been at Glenfuerach for a week and she loved the keep. It was well run and sturdy, with a guard obviously trained to watch and battle any trouble that came along. Annys was already a friend and Andrew was happy to be with other boys in a place behind big, thick walls.
"Triona, Brett's wife, has done a lot of work here," Gybbon said, sounding quite proud of his brother's wife as he looked around. "She and Annys worked hard, although Annys was cautious because she carried her child. It was an overgrown, snarled mess. They even put in the herb garden. Then Triona returned to her home and Brett."
"Why did they have to do so much work?"
"'Twas left alone for too long. The new laird cared naught about gardens. He did like to hunt down the meat for the table but cared nothing about all the rest ye need for a fine meal. 'Twas much the same with the whole keep. It all needed work. The laird here wanted Triona's keep. He probably planned on living there and just allowing this one to rot and expanding his land holdings."
"Annys told me some of the tale." She shook her head. "I just find it difficult to understand. Aye, your brother and Annys have cleaned things, but the mon had a fine, sturdy keep and land. Why try so hard to grab even more? Why nay just make this one finer?"
"Annys's lands were far more fertile and she had excellent grazing lands, so her husband's cousin came after them. He thought to make his hold on the place more firm by wedding her, but that failed so he just tried to take them. He had the backing of his family, too, for they had always resented her late husband being given the lands. She has a lot of skilled people on her lands and their market day produced a nice profit. He wanted that, too. He even put all her fighting men in prison to rot. So, after the battle and after Harcourt got himself named laird of this place with Brett's blessings.
"With Triona, it was her neighbor Sir John, with his family's quiet backing at the start, as they all disliked the fact that their ancestor lost the lands and they had ended up in the possession of her late husband, Boyd. They felt it should be theirs. Brett had kenned her years before but came the moment she wrote him of trouble. There was e'en a battle o'er it all, but then that ended when her husband's elder brother, Nigel, appeared from the dead and joined in. It appears France is a good place to try and rid oneself of unwanted relatives as Adam had paid someone to put Nigel in a prison to rot. So Brett weds her and is suddenly Laird of Banuilt, the keep John held. Annys and her son came here to be with Harcourt."
"Ye didnae lie when ye said your kin had experience with greedy relations trying to enrich themselves. Seeing this, all I can think of is that Robert seeks to steal a pittance. It seems that the surest way to trouble for a woman is to be in possession of some lands."
He laughed and led her to a bench set between two trees with gently arching branches. Gybbon sat and tugged her down beside him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her up close to his side. It pleased him when she snuggled closer and rested her head against his chest.
He kissed her temple. "Ye are safe here. Andrew is safe here as weel."
"Just being behind such thick, high walls has done a lot to ease the fear riding me so hard."
Nodding, Gybbon listened to the sounds of the keep, the slow softening of the usual noise as the light faded. Harcourt had gained himself a good solid place here with people who were more than happy to call him their laird and bow to Annys as their lady. He also now had a well-trained fighting force.
As he slowly rubbed his cheek against Mora's hair, he began to ponder about what he needed to do to have a place to live, some work to do, and get some coin. He had gathered a hefty purse during his travels, but more would help. Gybbon realized such thoughts told him he was done wandering around the land fighting other people's battles. If he had to fight again it should be to protect something he owned.