Page 30 of Highlander Redeemed
“It is in the present, not future-looking as Jeanette’s second sight is. I do not ken what triggers it, though.”
Duncan considered the problem for a moment. “You knew the child Maisie was missing, and you knew where to find her.”
“Aye.”
“You knew where to find your sword, too.”
“I did, though it was not exactly at the Story Stone, only close.”
He nodded, but his gaze was inward, reviewing each instance ofknowing. “And you knew the allies were in the glen, though they were just barely in the glen at the time. What else do you rememberknowing?”
“I knew wee Ian was trapped in the kitchens during the fire, and now that I think about it, I knew Nicholas was coming to rescue us, too.”
He looked at her but was careful not to meet her gaze. Whatever had spooked her the last time they had spoken of that day might be revealed if she did not think he was pressing her for it.
“I am sure there must be more events,” she continued, “but I did not realize that I knew things other people didn’t know, so they did not seem memorable to me.”
Duncan’s disappointment was fleeting. She did not trust him with whatever the other event was, not yet. He knew better than to press her to tell him, so he let it rest for now.
“And when Jeanette tested you?” he asked instead.
“She hid her healer’s bag. I could not tell her where it was. I could imagine where she might have hidden it, but I did notknow. It is clear I cannot call upon theknowingat will. More’s the pity, for that would at least be useful.”
Duncan let the bits and pieces of information flow through his head, as he looked for commonalities between them ... two children in danger, a sword that had belonged to her enemy, alliesarriving to help them defend her clan—but not a simple bag of herbs that belonged to her sister, a sister who was in no trouble, nor even any turmoil over the hidden bag.
All but the last were events rife with emotion ... strong emotion. Even the sword, for she believed it belonged to the gap-toothed English soldier who had almost slit her throat. That must be the key, emotion, but he would not tell her that yet. First he would test his own theory.
CHAPTER TWELVE
SCOTIA HAD TRIEDto sit on a stone near the small lochan, but it was beyond her ability to sit still. Ever since Duncan had disappeared, leaving her wondering what this mysterious new part of her training would be, her mind had been swirling like a whirlpool, sucking in every possibility but lingering on none. Her feet were as active as her thoughts, and she’d spent the time since they had parted pacing, first up and down the trail, then across the ben to the lochan, and now along the edge of the small body of water, back and forth. She snagged another stick as she walked, peeling the bark off and shoving it into a cloth sack that hung at her waist. At least she’d have a good supply of tinder for the fire to show for her time waiting for Duncan.
But he was coming now.
The thought popped into her head, quieting all others. She closed her eyes and tried to see if she couldknowfrom which direction he was coming, the same way she had found her sword yesterday. She turned slightly, still with her eyes closed, until theknowinggrew louder in her mind. She opened her eyes just as he became visible through the leaves.
Excitement shimmered over her skin until she realized he had no weapons with him. In fact, he had nothing with him out of the ordinary.
“What have you been doing?” she demanded as he stepped into the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Duncan stopped, as if he was surprised to find her waitingfor him even though that’s what he’d told her to do. “Preparing for your training today.”
There was a hitch in his voice that caught her attention but before she could ask him about it he stopped in front of her.
“Do you ken where your sword is, lass?” he asked her. His eyes were narrowed as if he did not expect her to know.
“Of course,” she answered, crossing her arms but not stepping away. “It is ...” She was about to say “in the clearing where we train” but suddenly she stopped as sheknewit was not there. “It is not where we train anymore, is it? What have you done with my sword?”
Duncan held himself so still she could barely tell he breathed. “Where do you think it is?” His voice was flat.
Scotia closed her eyes and sheknew. “You have moved it.”
“Can you find it?” His voice was still flat.
Without a word she turned and made her way around the lochan and into the wood on the other side. She headed down the ben, cutting through dense underbrush, and around long, reaching canes of thorny brambles, until she arrived at a boulder with a large tree literally growing around it. Her first thought was to look around the base of the tree for her sword, but when she stopped and quieted her thoughts sheknew.
She looked up and found it high in the branches of the ancient oak.
“You ken climbing is not easy in a gown, aye?” she said as Duncan slowly joined her. She waved her hand to stop any answer he might give. “I know, I know. I must be able to do anything a warrior can do while in my gown, for I will not know when I might need to fight.” She kilted her skirts up into her belt and flashed him a grin. “Except perhaps now I willknow.”
