Page 77 of Rebellion's Fire

Her mother stilled, then turned and walked back into the hall. Two maids were sweeping out the old rushes. Her mother didn’t hesitate but walked straight up to the younger girl, whose head was uncovered.

The girl stopped sweeping but didn’t lift her head.

“If she dies,” the lady said harshly, “youwill be to blame. Did you really imagine her presence makes any difference to you?”

Gormflaith remembered, eventually, to close her gaping mouth. She’d never imagined her mother deigned to notice which maids her sons took to their beds. She felt almost sorry for the miserable girl.

“Gormflaith,” her mother said.

Gormflaith, reminded of her task, hurried on to complete it.

*

The little horsewas fast and sure-footed. Although it had no saddle, at least there had been a bridle hanging on a tree branch inside its paddock. The horse hadn’t objected to her putting it on.

Before mounting, Christian had picked up a round, good-sized stone and wrapped it in the depths of her cloak, which was still tied around her middle. The weapon made her feel safer as she had guided the little horse in what she hoped was the direction the men-at-arms had been gazing. Her skin itched as if aware of a thousand staring eyes. It didn’t matter, she had to remind herself. She needed to be seen.

What she didn’t need was to run into the MacHeth men instead of William’s, so she rode in a wide arc and searched constantly for glints of armor.

In the end, she saw them simply form up on the flat top of a hill. She could even see William at their head. She was in time. She was still in time. The fastest way to William’s hill was through the wooded glen to her right. She just hoped he’d see her coming. Pushing the little horse into a gallop over the rough ground, she let her have her head to navigate the trees as quickly as possible. Which meant Christian had to watch out for low branches and other hazards which seemed to whizz out at her. She wondered if she should shout to William, if he or his men would hear her.

Abruptly, two men leapt out in her path. The little horse reared, forcing Christian to cling to its neck. Gasping, she tried to soothe the animal. Someone seized its bridle, and with massive relief, she recognized him.

“Henry!” she exclaimed. “Thank God.”

Henry spoke fervently at the same time, probably with similar sentiments. “Are you well? Unhurt?” he demanded.

“Yes, I’m fine, but I need to get to William. The MacHeths did not abduct me. On the contrary, they looked after me, and now I’m here, there’s no reason to fight them. They have more men than we do, and I need to go home.”

It seemed perfectly plain to Christian. But Henry’s lips parted in a baffled way that seemed to imply he wasn’t quite sure how to tell her she was talking nonsense.

“Henry, I need to speak with him. Let go of the bridle.”

“You can’t go up there,” Henry said. “The MacHeths could attack at any moment, and you’d be caught in the middle of God knows what violence.”

“But there’s noneedfor any violence! Here I am, alive and well. We are, in fact, beholden to the MacHeths for my safety! William needs to know.”

“I agree,” Henry said, harassed, wiping one arm across his face. “But you can’t be the one to tell him. I’ll send a messenger back to him, and you must get as far away from here as possible.”

“If there’s no battle, there’s no danger,” Christian pointed out.

“That is not up to you or me.”

“Of course, it is. Send your man to him now. I’ll ride on to Tirebeck if you’d just point me in the right direction.”

Henry had actually released the bridle before the impossibility of that appeared to hit him. “But you can’t go alone!”

“Then give me one man,” Christian said. She had no fear she was depleting William’s force. There should be no battle now. “You’ll probably catch up with us, but I want to be back in Tirebeck as soon as possible.”

*

Lanson blinked atthe soldier. “What?”

“We ran into the lady Christian,” the man repeated stolidly. “In the valley. She wants you to know she’s well and unhurt, says it was the MacHeths who rescued her and were kind to her and that you have no cause to fight with them.”

Lanson emitted a sharp bark of laughter. No one could deny the girl had spirit. “Where the devil is she now? With Henry?”

“No, sir. Henry sent her on with Gaston as escort. She’s heading for Tirebeck.”

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