"I have seen neither a young boy nor a young woman. Anything that might help me ken they are the ones ye seek if and when I might espy them?"
"They are both fair-haired. The boy has a lot of red in his hair though. The woman carries a cat with her everywhere."
"A cat?"
"Aye, I fear so. It has caused some talk amongst the villagers, but she willnae give it up. But ye say ye have nay seen anyone like that?"
"Nay, and I have been on the road for nearly a week."
"She probably hid whene'er she saw ye," said the man Gybbon guessed was Robert. "She wouldnae trust any mon. Never did."
Gybbon could see why. Polite as the one talking to him was, Gybbon knew he could not be trusted either. He did not wish these men anywhere close to Mora. It was going to take some hard thinking to figure out a way to leave this site without meeting up with these men.
"Then I willnae see her, will I? Now, it has been fine meeting ye, but I have somewhere I am trying to reach as soon as possible."
"Weel, if ye do happen to see her or her wee brother, just send word to the Ogilvys at Wasterburn. Just go down this road and ye will pass it. Ye will at least meet someone who can tell ye the right way to go."
"Got it. Wasterburn, just down this road. As ye wish." He glanced at Robert and said, "I would get those scratches seen to and cleaned out because they look to be starting to fester."
They all muttered something he suspected was supposed to be courteous thanks and rode off. Murdoch cast a quick look back at him and, after a glance at his brothers, gave Gybbon another nod. That boy was walking a very thin line, Gybbon thought, and shook his head. He turned back to place his porridge pot on the fire again and wait for Mora to return.
Mora slipped away from the spot she had chosen to hide in and took care of the business she needed to. As she used some of the water she carried to wash up, she watched Freya do the same. She had been scolding herself for taking the cat but began to think Freya would not have let her leave her behind. Mora had to accept that the animal was far too attached to her, but she would not do anything to end that, not even if it would stop the whispers about her in the town.
Freya came trotting back and got in the bag. Picking it up, Mora cautiously approached the campsite. The sight of her cousins facing Gybbon had chilled her blood. He had stood calmly holding his sword at the ready and Duncan had done the talking. She had winced as she had caught sight of Robert's face, not realizing how much damage Freya had done. He was going to be scarred and that was going to infuriate him as he was a bit vain. Mora scratched her cat's head and knew she could never leave the animal alone anywhere near Robert.
She had watched her cousins, afraid they might find some reason to strike out at Gybbon, but they finally just rode away. The way Murdoch nodded at Gybbon made her say a quick prayer for the boy. As Gybbon went to put a pot of something on the fire, she waited until she felt as certain as she could that her cousins would not come back, then stood up to go back to Gybbon and sit down next to him.
He handed her a plate of porridge and then set a small plate of chopped up rabbit meat in front of Freya. She idly wondered if he had had some experience with cats. Eating the porridge was a little difficult without the sweet cream she was used to putting on it, but it was good enough and she finished it. At some time, she would have to cook him a meal to make up for all the food he had supplied her with.
When she set her plate aside and looked at him, she caught him staring at Freya. "What is it?"
"I was just thinking on the scratches marring Robert's face. It is a bit difficult to believe such a tiny thing could do that much damage. She doesnae hunt her own meal?"
"Ah, weel, nay. Oh, she catches a mouse or bird now and then, but she rarely goes out alone. Every time she did something tried to kill her. Last time was the hawk. So, since I drove it off and it left her be, she considers a kindly person the safest armor to have and willnae go outside without one. Animals learn what to avoid when they are young, and she learned that being outside alone was bad and it stays with her." She took a deep breath and asked, "So did they wonder if ye had seen me?"
"Oh, aye. Ye and a small boy."
"I was hoping they were nay after Andrew as weel, but of course they are. He is still an heir, e'en if all the rest of us die."
"And, of course, ye are just seeing danger everywhere and need to be saved," he drawled.
Mora shook her head. "I am sure they will spread that tale as far as they can. Sadly for them, I am nay a person weel kenned in the area. My parents were because they went to the market each time it was held and kenned all the others who sold their goods there. Such a tale will serve them as weel as me. But I wonder why they didnae mention the crimes they seek to charge me with."
"Dinnae fret o'er it. I believe they took my word for it when I said I had seen neither a woman or a boy. They were nay pleased when I said I didnae ken who they sought, have never seen them, but they left me a description and rode away. I was just sitting here eating and wondering what would be the best and safest way to continue on to Dubheidland. Do they ken about that?"
"I cannae be sure. Mother made no secret of the connection, but I dinnae think it would have been much talked about. If they got their hands on Aunt Maggie though, they could have forced her to tell them." Just thinking of that possibility made Mora deeply afraid for the woman.
"They asked for Andrew and even gave me a brief description of him, so they dinnae ken where he went. Murdoch also shook his head when I looked at him, so even though I cannae be certain of what he was trying to say, I would guess part of the reason he did was to let me ken they had nay gotten any information from him."
"Good. He heard what I said to Andrew and could easily have led them to him and Aunt Maggie."
"Mayhap they have followed you."
"Andrew wouldnae be able to tell her how to get to Dubheidland. He kenned it was where we were going when we were packing up to leave before my cousins burst into the house, but he had no idea where that was. At least I dinnae think so. He may have overheard some of what my parents said and remembered it. Aunt Maggie might also ken, but I just cannae see her packing up my brother and leaving."
"She is probably worried about ye."
Mora sighed. "I expect so. She can be a worrier. I just hope she doesnae grieve or think she has somehow failed my mother. Andrew probably told her it was my cousins who killed our parents, and that is a concern. I cannae tell how she would react."
"Weel, 'tis best if ye dinnae worry on her as it did seem that your cousins dinnae ken where Andrew is so willnae be looking for the woman. I think ye have enough to worry about."
Mora laughed softly and rubbed her forehead. "Aye, I do. I ken Andrew is as safe as he can be, but I would prefer him to be with me."
"Mayhaps when we reach Dubheidland we can send someone after him."
"That would be nice. I am just nay sure if Aunt Maggie would let someone she didnae ken take him."
"Then ye give them a letter of introduction. Now it is time to leave."
"Ye dinnae think they will be just up the road or coming back?"
"We willnae be traveling right on the road. I mean to keep us within the trees for as long as I can," he said as he put out the fire and made sure it was out. "It means we will travel a wee bit slower than I like, but we willnae be in sight all the way." He glanced at the cat, which was carefully cleaning its face and paws. "And we have a nice alarm to let us ken if someone is coming."
"Oh, aye. I am nay sure how she learned to do that."
"Could be as simple as her noticing a rider approaching and how ye reacted to it. At least she is quieter than a dog when it is trying to warn ye of something. Some are clever enough to warn with a soft growl, but others start barking and let everyone ken where ye are." He cleaned off the plates they had used and packed them away. "We will head out soon."
Mora nodded and stood up. She carefully brushed off her skirts and took a few moments to tidy up her bag. Taking out the top cloth, she gave it a good shake and then spread it over the top of everything in her bag. The moment she was done, her cat leapt inside and settled down. She was surprised the man did not see this as odd as so many others did.
Gybbon went to his horse, saddled Jester, and put the blankets on the back. Mora walked up and held out her bag. He took a few moments deciding where best to put it, then looked at her. He was not sure where she should ride.
"Have ye done much riding?"