Highland Devil (Murray Family #22)(7)

"Some," Mora replied, not really wanting to admit how little that was.  "We had a few horses but I ne'er went far, just to Aunt Maggie or the  village now and then."

"Then ye will sit in front of me."

"Why?"

"Easier to grab ye if ye start to slide off," he said, and ignored her  outraged gasp as he swung her up into the saddle. "Also, ye are less  visible to other riders this way."

The moment he mounted behind her, Mora decided it was not the best way  to share a horse with him. His arms came around her to grasp the reins  and she felt as if she was being embraced.

As they started out she tried to remain stiff and straight so that she  did not end up leaning against him. She reached down to open her bag a  little so that Freya could look around and would be better able to hear  anything coming their way. Riding through the trees was a slow way to  travel, but Mora had to admit it was much prettier and cooler. When her  remark about that brought only a grunt from Sir Gybbon she fought the  urge to sigh loudly. He might be one of the handsomest men she had ever  seen, but he was obviously just a man. There would be no idle but  pleasant conversation to fill the silence and make the time pass by  faster.

Gybbon stared at her straight, slim back and almost grinned. She was  trying so hard not to lean against him. That would not be a position she  would be able to keep up for long. Soon her muscles would protest  holding her so tensely upright.

He glanced down at her bag and saw the strange little cat resting her  head on the edge as she stared around. It was the oddest little  creature, he decided. Gybbon had never disliked cats, just never had  much interest in them, although several of his female relations were  quite fond of them. Jester was not bothered by the animal, so there was  no need to worry about it.

Although he was more than willing to take her to Dubheidland, he was not  all that certain Sigimor would or could help her. He knew his family  would though, and that eased his mind save for one thing. He realized he  was concerned that she might be hurt if Sigimor did not do as her  mother felt sure he would. Shaking his head, he had to wonder if he was  getting soft as he rapidly approached thirty years of age.

"My mother had heard that Sigimor had married," Mora said.

"Aye, he has," Gybbon replied, pleased to be pulled from his thoughts. "To an Englishwoman, a lady born and bred."

"He married an Englishwoman?!"

"Aye. She was running from a mon who wished to take hold of her nephew  and all the boy had inherited. He killed her brother. He had even locked  up Sigimor and his men, mostly his brothers, and she set them free. She  surprised him when they wed with a nice dowry and some land in  Scotland, which his twin now cares for."

"Are they weel suited?"

"I would ne'er have guessed that they were, but I have to say aye. She  has nay problem getting openly angry with him and he actually seems to  like that. He certainly tempts that anger with the things he says."

"My brother Niall was like that to my mother and me. Stirring the pot, my da used to say."

"Why didnae he come to help ye?"

"He and my other brother, David, went off to France about three years  ago. They hoped to gain some coin by joining with one of the mercenary  groups there and fighting some battles for France. We havenae heard from  them and all attempts to reach them have failed for almost two years  now."

"Ah, I see. I have kenned some men who have done the same as it appears  there is always someone o'er there looking for some men to fight their  battles for them. I dinnae ken how ye can find out anything for certain  though."         

     



 

"Weel, my thought was that Robert discovered where they were going and  then paid some of those men to deal with it. I suspect it wouldnae have  been difficult to do. Nay sure my brothers would have been able to sense  the treachery. I doubt they would even have been expecting any."

"That too can be looked into. There are enough of our kin, mine and  Sigimor's, who have been o'er there and ken people o'er there to hunt  for some sign of them."

"I both dread the news and desperately want to ken the truth."

"That is how it is all too often, lass."

Mora just sighed and gazed up at the leafy trees as they rode. She had  to wonder if she would ever learn the truth about her brothers' fate. It  was easier, although sad, to just assume they were dead, especially  since the chances of that were great, even without the aid of her  cousins.

She blinked back the tears that stung her eyes. Now was not the time for  a good cry. Later, when she found a chance to be alone, she would  grieve for them. It would be a lot longer before she ceased to miss  them.

Then Freya drew her attention. The cat was sitting up straight and  staring back at the road. Then she hissed and ducked down into the bag.  Before she could say a word, Gybbon rode deeper into the trees and  draped one of the blankets over Jester's bright white tail. Mora leaned  forward, tugged up the horse's mane and lay down, covering as much as  she could with her cloak-shrouded body.

Gybbon was impressed. She had covered the other part of his horse that  would have been easily seen even through the thick trees and done so  without thought or direction. He had to admit she had learned the art of  hiding very well. Then he heard the sound of horses approaching and  idly wondered what his family would think if they knew he was accepting a  cat's warning and acting on it. The laughter would probably deafen him.

He watched as her cousins rode by. They were not riding hard and fast  nor looking around much. Gybbon wondered about their lack of urgency. He  decided the men rode as if they knew exactly where they needed to go to  find what they were looking for. Glancing at Mora, the look on her face  made him think she already suspected that and could only wonder just  how they had found out.

When the men halted just before they rode out of sight, Gybbon watched  them closely. They were arguing about something and pointing in the  direction he planned on traveling along in a short while. Cautiously, he  nudged his horse along until he was close enough to hear the men,  signaling to Mora to stay as she was and remain silent.

"Ye seem adamant that we dinnae travel to Dubheidland, Murdoch," Robert  said as he looked at his brother. "I have to wonder why."

"I dinnae see anyone trying to go there, into a world of strangers, when  they could travel straight on to a large town and disappear into a  crowd."

"That would make a better place to hide," said the one who had given him  the warning head shakes the last time Gybbon had spoken to them.

Despite how the scratches hid Robert's expression well, Gybbon was  certain the man no longer trusted the young man. Gybbon hoped the boy  had the wit to not give himself away. He had no doubt that Robert would  kill the boy if he thought Murdoch a threat to his plans.

"I am nay sure we should just ride up to the Cameron keep anyway," said the fourth brother.

"We arenae going to fight them," snapped Robert as he turned his  attention to another brother. "We are just going to inquire about our  kinswoman, Lachlan."

"Nay sure he will be so trusting as to tell us anything."

"Why wouldnae he? She is naught to him. But now we will go to the town  up the road a ways, wash up, and get our clothing cleaned so that we are  at our best when we rap at his gates." Robert looked up at the sky as  the first drops of rain began. "Find a damn bed to sleep in as we  willnae be getting there this day. We may even be able to find out a few  useful things about the Laird of Dubheidland that we can turn to our  advantage."

"Are ye certain she would come all this way when she only met the mon twice, and her nay more than a child both times?"

"Aye, Lachlan, I am sure." Robert's building temper was clear to hear in  his voice. "I was standing right outside the door when our dull-witted  aunt told Da all about it. It was while he was still conscious enough to  speak on occasion. I dinnae think he understood it all, but he did tell  her to be careful. Now, let us ride on to the town," Robert ordered,  and urged his horse to move on down the road, his brothers hurrying to  trot along with him.

Mora did not move. As soon as her cousins were out of sight, Gybbon  lightly rubbed her back. It had to be hard to hear the men speak so  harshly of her mother, but he hoped the faint tremble he felt in her  body was not because she was crying.         

     



 

Moving deeper into the woods, he knew of a cottage nearby and hoped they  could reach it before that one drop became hundreds. Grabbing the reins  with both hands as Mora sat up straight, he made his way through the  woods as fast as he dared.

Mora forced her eyes to open as the raindrops began to hit her faster.  She pulled up her hood and did up her bag so Freya would not get wet.  She was still fighting to calm the rage she had been seized by as she  had listened to her cousins, but the sympathy Gybbon offered silently  had helped. Mora suspected he had thought she was crying and was tempted  to correct him. Then she decided it might not be a good idea to tell  him of her murderous thoughts. She turned her energy to hoping they  found shelter before the rain worsened. Her wound still bothered her and  she decided she would try to find a moment of privacy to take a good  look at it, so she silently prayed he would soon find the cottage he had  spoken of.