Page 61 of The Highlander's Dangerous Bride

“But Struan, jokin’ aside, the three Macleod braithers still left are nay push over in a fight. Haldor himsel’ is a hard bastard. He’s won every battle he’s ever fought. And the other one, Ivar, he’s a tough bastard and all. And this Arne, the bairn’s da, he’s just the same,” Jethro warned in a more circumspect tone. “They ken we’ve been lookin’ fer Lady Raven. They’ll be expectin’ us. That castle’ll be locked up tighter than a drum. There’s hardly a chance we’ll be able tae get in there.”

“Aye, I ken all that, man. I dinnae plan an all-out attack on the place. I’m thinkin’ of somethin’ more subtle, and we’ll nae have tae lift a sword.”

“Oh, aye? What’s that then?”

Struan rubbed his hands together gleefully. “I’m thinkin’ that now we ken about the bairn, this wee Thorsten, we can use him as leverage tae get Raven tae give herself up, and those MacLeod braithers’ll nae be any the wiser.”

“How are we gonnae dae that?”

“I’m nae exactly sure yet, but I’ll bet ye that once she finds out her faither’s dead, Raven will feel safe headin’ back tae see her braithers very soon.”

“Aye. So what? Ye’re nae suggestin’ we mount an attack on the MacNeils, are ye? That’ll be a bloodbath as well,” Jethro said doubtfully. “Those two are as hard as nails themselves if it comes tae a fight. There’s nae guarantee of winnin’ against them either and just as good a chance of getting’ ourselves killed as with the MacLeods.”

“That’s the beauty of me plan, lad. They’ll nae ken a thing about it either. I ken Raven better than either the MacLeods or her braithers dae. Everard and Maxwell havenae even seen the lass since I wed her six years ago. They probably dinnae even remember what she looks like. Both them and the MacLeods think they can protect her from me.” He sniggered. “But they cannae protect her from hersel’.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

At dawn, two days after the fire at the barracks, Raven and Arne left Castle MacLeod on foot, by a seldom-used side gate that led onto a sheltered back lane. Arne had arranged to have their horses made ready and left in a nearby wood, so they could collect them before starting their journey to MacNeil lands.

“That way, we have the best chance of avoidin’ meetin’ MacDonald’s men on the road,” he had explained.

“In that case, would it nae be a good idea for me tae dress as a lad? It would improve our chances of nae bein’ recognized even more,” she had suggested.

Arne had smiled at her and nodded. “Aye, that’s a good idea, me clever wee lass,” he had replied and kissed her.

The hardest part for Raven when preparing to leave had been staying composed while saying goodbye to Thorsten.

“When are ye comin’ back?” he had asked, his little face downcast when they had told him, making her heart clench painfully in her chest.

“As soon as we can, lad, dinnae fret,” Arne had replied matter-of-factly. Raven had been thankful for his calm approach. She had felt so overwhelmed by emotion; she had feared alarming their son by breaking down in his presence. But she knew it was just as hard for Arne, so she took strength from his example and managed to hold herself together.

“Bye bye fer now, me sweet lad,” she had told Thorsten, hugging his warm small body against her when they had had to part. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

“Aye, all right,” he had replied, and then whispered in her ear, “Ye can bring me a present back if ye like.”

She had to chuckle, though she felt like crying, not knowing what was going to happen to her or if she would even see him again. “I’ll see what I can dae,” she promised, pressing kisses to his little round dimples before they finally left him.

She had managed to get out of the door and to Arne’s chambers without breaking down, but as soon as he shut the door, she crumbled,

“There, there, it’ll be all right, I promise. I’ll look after ye, dinnae worry,” Arne had crooned soothingly to her, holding her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. Their rediscovered love and Arne’s new-found trust in her was a great comfort to her, and she certainly trusted him to defend her life with his own.

But secretly, she judged that too high a price to pay, and she had already resolved that she would rather die than let him get hurt or worse, killed to save her. His bravery and determination to end Struan frightened her almost as much as the monster himself.

“I ken ye will, but I still cannae help bein’ fearful of what might happen,” she had murmured through her tears. “I love ye both so much, I couldnae bear bein’ parted from ye and Thorsten again, fer any reason.”

“As long as I’m alive, ye never have tae worry about that,” he promised her. “Once all this mess is solved, it’ll be just the three of us, our own little family, and ye’ll nae have tae worry about that eejit again.”

So, when they collected their horses and set off in the dry, chilly spring dawn to see her brothers, a nugget of dread settled heavily in her belly. The plan was to make the journey as short as possible, which meant going by water. They headed west, via the back lanes and rough country, intending to get to Oban and catch a birlinn that would take them down the coast to MacNeil lands.

They were fortunate not to meet too many people on the way, and those they did cross paths with took little notice of the two riders. However, every time they spied someone, Raven’s fear peaked until she was sure they were not MacDonald’s men and posed no threat.

They made camp overnight in a remote spot, cuddling up together under blankets and making love beneath the stars. The following afternoon, they reached the busy town of Oban. They booked into an inn, left the horses in the stables, and then walked down to the shore line.

They stood side by side on a stone quay bustling with people and looked out at the busy waterway before them. A stiff breeze was blowing in from the open sea, and the sky was the color of beaten pewter. Boats and ships of all kinds and sizes were being tossed from side to side on the choppy waters.

“It looks a bit rough,” Raven observed nervously. “I dinnae much like goin’ on boats at the best of times, but after the shipwreck, I’m even more scared, Arne,” she confessed. She badly wanted to hold his hand, but the sight of two men doing that in public would certainly draw unwanted attention.

“That’s understandable,” he told her, “but ’tis unlikely that ye’ll be caught up in somethin’ like that again. The sea’s a bit rough, I’ll grant ye, but there’s nay sign of a storm, and I’ll be here tae protect ye this time. Besides, the voyage is only a few hours.”

---