Page 65 of The Mad Highlander
“He kenned ye were comin’, but nae that ye wouldnae make it to his castle. If he planned to attack ye, why send his men halfway to meet ye? Why nae wait until they were at the castle walls, and he would have nay need to send his men on a day or two ride? Why waste the food and horses? Why send some and nae have all his men waitin’ for ye? Ye said it was a bloodbath, but ye must have killed a fair few of his men, too. He’s a madman, but he’s nae an idiot.”
“Then what?” Hunter rubbed his face and screwed up his eyes. “McReed kenned of the plan. There might be other traitors in the castle.”
“He kenned of the old plan. What of yer men, Hunter? Do ye trust them all?”
Hunter leaped up from his chair. “What are ye sayin’?”
Cayden stood up, too. “Sit down, Hunter. I’m nae sayin’ anythin’. I trust the men I took with me, and ye trust the men ye took with ye.” Cayden started to pace the room as Hunter slumped back down into the chair. “What if all of this is connected?”
“I dinnae understand.” Hunter shifted in the chair.
“There was only one other person who kenned about the plan,” Cayden said. “Someone who I didnae ken enough to trust fully. A man who couldnae help us because of sickness runnin’ through his castle. I believe that to be a lie now. There’s nae one else who could have orchestrated this.”
“Laird McCabe?” Hunter asked.
“Aye,” Cayden confirmed.
“He couldnae,” Hunter stated. “Yer marryin’ his cousin. What reason does he have to attack ye?”
“I dinnae ken, but I think his clan is the one who has allied with the Murdochs.”
Hunter stood up again, a little unsteady on his feet. “He let his younger cousin be captured?”
“Think about it,” Cayden told him. “There was nae fight. Or maybe there was a pretend one that led to young Ashton’s capture. Laird McCabe comes to me, kenning I’m wantin’ a wife and that Laird Murdoch is an enemy. He practically goaded me into it with the circumstances. I was a fool to agree to it. He used me to let Murdoch start a war.”
“So, he allied himself with the Murdochs before all of this started?” Hunter asked.
“Aye,” Cayden said. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. McCabe is a coward, but that was nae why he didnae offer his help with the rescue mission. He doesnae care about his cousins. They are pawns to him. And he wanted to save his men to fight with yers. He kenned where ye would be, and he sent his men to fight with ye, kenning when to attack. He means to weaken us before they all storm me castle.”
“Aye, and he did a good job of it.” Hunter rubbed his face again, the agony coming not from his wounds but from the hurt of losing his men. “I want his head. Ye can have Murdoch’s, but I want to kill McCabe.”
“Aye, ye will get that. For now, we need to be ready. If the plan was to weaken us, then they have succeeded. They tried from the inside with McReed, but it didnae work. Yer men have sacrificed their lives, but there’s still enough of us if the others all join.”
“I’ll make sure they will.” Hunter balled his fists and headed for the door. “I returned with a few men, and injured or not, they will fight with me. All of us want revenge. I’m off to talk with the others, and I’ll make sure they join the fight.”
“I’ll head to the healer’s hut,” Cayden said. “Iris needs to ken what is really happenin’.”
27
Iris sat by Ashton’s bed. Her heart had settled a little after he had woken a couple of times over the past twelve hours. He hadn’t said much, but when he looked her in the eye, he smiled in recognition. Astrid had not left the healer’s hut since he had been rescued from Murdoch Castle, and she had her work cut out for now with a dozen of Hunter’s men returned beaten and bloodied.
Help had been ordered, and she had half a dozen maids to help her dress wounds, administer medicine, and monitor the men. The hut had a gentle hum to it as the women padded around quietly to help where they could, all under the hushed whispered commands of Astrid.
A knock came at the door, and by the commanding restraint of the sound, Iris knew it was the Laird. She had not seen him since he had left the hut previously, and her stomach fluttered. She could start to think about Cayden in that way again now she was sure her brother would be fine.
The door opened, and Cayden looked in. He shook his head at the scene inside. Iris could not imagine how Hunter felt. Cayden looked at Iris.
“I need to talk with ye. Will ye walk with me?”
“Aye,” Iris replied.
She got to her feet and glanced at her little brother before leaving the hut with the Laird. When her brother had woken the first time and taken a small amount of soup and water, she thought life would go back to normal. When Hunter’s men were helped into the hut, reality came rushing back.
“How is Ashton doing?” Cayden asked.
The light breeze cooled Iris’ cheeks as they walked toward the castle wall.
“He’s doin’ much better since he got here. He woke a couple of times, and he knew who I was. Astrid is sure he will make a full recovery in a few days. He only needs to eat and sleep.”
