Warrior's Last Gift(2)

            “Eymer fully accepted that his death could well come at a time and a place that would deny him that which he wanted most. He planned ahead for such an eventuality.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small cloth bag, holding it out in front of her like an offering in the palm of her hand. “Which is why he left this.”

            Eric took a step back from her, holding up his hands as if to keep her away from him. “You canna think to influence the Beast of Tordenet with a treasure. He’s more silver than he needs now.”

            Eric must think her stupid.

            “It’s no a treasure for the MacDowylt I hold in my hand, but a piece of Eymer himself.” She opened the bag and slid the contents onto her palm. “A tooth. His tooth. I gave my vow that should anything happen to him, I’d see this bit of him delivered to the sea north of Skye, where his spirit might have a clear path back to the home of his ancestors.”

            Eric’s jaw clenched in the manner she remembered all too well as he stared at the palm of her hand.

            “We canna spare soldiers to traipse off on such a frivolous mission. There’s a war in the offing and we’ve hardly the men we need to protect the castle as it is.”

            “It’s no men I’m asking for, Captain MacNicol.” She spit the title at him, hoping to remind him of his duty to his men. The dead as well as the living. “It’s yerself Eymer entrusted with this task. You to accompany me to see it done.”

            Eric blinked. Once, twice, a third time, in rapid succession, as if she’d spoken a language his mind could not comprehend.

            “You’ve gone mad, woman.” His hushed voice barely carried to where she stood. “That’s a trip of three to four days, easy, and that with good men riding hard, especially this time of year. You’d no last a full day in the saddle. Yer no strong enough for the hardships of such a journey.”

            “I’m stronger than you credit me, Captain.” It took strength beyond any he could imagine to endure the heart-pain she’d suffered through and still manage to stand before him now.

            He made no attempt to hide his look of skepticism. “What you propose is no a leisurely summer ride down to the loch for a day of pleasure.”

            The shock of a shared memory tingled through her body and she steeled herself against the emotion it carried. Had he chosen a scene from their past to taunt her?

            “I never supposed it would be.”

            “No.” He crossed his arms over the broad chest she’d once dreamed of spending the rest of her days nestled against. “No. What you request is no possible. I’ll no be a party to it.”

            “I suspected that would be yer response. I warned Eymer as much and bade him choose another. You are no the man to turn to in a time of need. No the one to depend upon.” She knew that better than anyone. With a withering look, she turned her back on him. “Dinna you bother yerself over failing yer man, Eric MacNicol. I’ll see it done myownself, I will.”

            Before she managed two steps, his fingers clamped onto her upper arm, twirling her around to face him.

            His eyes glowed with an uncharacteristic anger. “You’ve no call to say that of me, Jeanne. No call to think it. It’s no me who up and—” He caught himself mid-sentence, once again hiding every scrap of emotion before he spoke again. “You’ll do no such thing.”

            She jerked her arm from his grasp, backing away. “I will do what I’ve sworn to do. I owe it to Eymer for all he sacrificed for me. I’ll seek an audience with our laird. I’ll go to Lady Danielle and beg her assistance. One way or another, I will see this done.”

            Eric clasped his hands behind his back. “They’ll no more allow such a foolish errand than I would.”