Page 46 of Highland Slayer
Zora had finished pulling the yellow flowers but had spied some white ones. She heard her brother, looking up at him to see why he was giving her orders. He nodded his head in in the direction of the incoming rider and it took Zora all of a split second to realize what he meant. Flowers in hand, she darted across the road to him.
Caelus put a hand down, pulling her easily onto the back of his horse again. Since he’d trained as a warrior, his broadsword was already strapped to his saddle, ready and waiting. He didn’t turn around and rush back to the escort, however. Hesimply paused, waiting, wondering why the rider was moving so swiftly. That indicated panic to him. As he watched, the vision became clearer. There was something about the horse that was recognizable to him, he thought. A big black horse with a white breast.
Kaladin had a horse like that.
“Christ,” he muttered. “That’s Kal.”
“What?” Zora gasped. “How do ye—”
Caelus cut her off when he spurred his horse forward, rushing to meet Kaladin as the man raced down the road toward them. In little time, they came within close proximity of one another and Kaladin reined his excited horse to a halt, as did Caelus. The warhorses sensed something in the air, some kind of tension, and began to dance around and kick. That had Zora sliding off the back of Caelus’ horse before she was thrown. She landed on her feet, fortunately, and with her flowers intact.
“Kal!” she cried. “What are ye doing here?”
“Me?” Kaladin said incredulously. “What areyedoing here? Both of ye?”
Caelus managed to calm his horse a little. “Mae and Papa are heading back tae the Hydra,” he said, pointing down the road. “See?”
Kaladin could see the escort at a distance, but he was greatly puzzled. “Why?” he said. “They weren’t supposed tae leave for the Hydra for another few weeks. What happened?”
Caelus shrugged. “Papa became homesick when ye and Estevan left,” he said. “We left almost immediately after ye did. WhereisEstevan, by the way? Why are ye racing down the road like a madman?”
Kaladin shook his head. “Papa needs tae hear this,” he said. “And thank God ye’re here. How many men does Papa have?”
“A few hundred,” Caelus said, sensing his brother’s urgency. “Why? Kal, what’s wrong?”
Kaladin motioned to him. “Come,” he said. “I’ll tell ye.”
He sprinted down the road, heading for the escort, while Caelus was a bit slower because he had to carry Zora. He raced back down the muddy road, reaching the escort shortly behind Kaladin. Lares and Mabel were shocked to see one of their sons riding alone on the road, but they were also greatly concerned because Kaladin seemed quite excited. Lares shouted at the men behind him, holding up his hand, and the entire column ground to a halt.
Something was in the air.
“Kal?” Lares said as he returned his attention to his son. “What’s amiss? Why are ye here?”
Kaladin told him. The entire story, from finding Leonore until that very moment. Everything that had happened over the past two days was now in the lap of Lares, who listened to the harrowing tale with increasing disquiet. What concerned him the most was hearing that the Serpent People, those ancient peoples that most western Highlanders feared, were in southern Scotland and, quite possibly, could be upon them at any moment, since Kaladin didn’t know where they were. No one seemed to.
The entire story was baffling.
“This is madness,” he hissed when Kaladin was finished. “Ormsfolk are here? And ye’re sure of it?”
Kaladin nodded. “Titan and I saw their boats,” he said. “We saw their footprints. They’re looking for their captive, Papa, and they’re going tae find her at St. Margaret’s of Loch Doom.”
Lares grunted. “And that’s another thing,” he said. “What on earth possessed ye tae take the woman tae the Templar nuns? Ye know they’re a fighting order, not a healing order. Why’d ye do it?”
“Because we dinna want tae carry her all the way in tae Dumfries,” Kaladin said, frustrated that his father didn’tunderstand the logic. “She was injured, Papa. We thought it best tae take her tae the closest place where she might receive help.”
Lares didn’t like the sound of any of it, but he stopped short of calling his son foolish. Estevan wasn’t foolish. Cruz was and Leandro was. Lucan used to be, but he’d grown out of it. Kaladin could be on any given day, but even Lares could see that his sons had been trying to do the right thing. But the fact that they’d taken the injured woman to St. Margaret’s of Loch Doom was…
Ill advised.
Now, those reclusive nuns were involved in this.
“Ye did what ye thought best, I suppose,” he finally said. “And now ye fear that the Ormsfolk are here?”
“Aye.”
“But what makes ye think they’ll end up at St. Margaret’s?”
Kaladin lifted his shoulders. “Should we assume they willna?” he said. “I think it would be foolish not tae assume that, at some point, they will come. There’s not much between the mouth of the River Nith and Dumfries, so if they head up the road and stop at every farm or church tae look for their captive, at some point, they’ll come tae St. Margaret’s.”
