Aidan (12 page)

“Me angel,” he said, holding out his hand. She took his hand in hers and joined him and
Madoc at the roost. Madoc raised homing pigeons, and also raced them.

“Your angel?” asked
Madoc, laughing. “Now that’s the first I’ve ever heard that.”

“She is me dream angel,” said Aidan. “I saw her in a dream,
while I was sleepin’ on the Stone o’ Destiny.”

“
You sound so smitten with the girl. But if you really saw her in a dream, then I guess she is your destiny,” said Madoc. “Just like my wife, Abbey, was mine, the day I robbed her on the road.”

“You robbed someone?” asked Effie with wide eyes.

“I used to be a thief,” he said, walking forward to greet her. He let go of one of the pigeons in his hand and it fluttered up high to the rafters. “My name is Madoc,” he said. “And who are you?”

“Effie.” Effie held out her hand and the handsome man took it and kissed it. He was tall with long, dark hair that fell around his shoulders. His eyes were bright green and mysterious, and he had a sword at his side, and the crest of an eagle on his tunic.

“Effie, this is Wren’s brathair
,” said Aidan. “He used te be a thief afore he found out he was really o’ noble English blood.”

“I see.” She pulled her hand back
quickly, hearing the part of him being English.

“You don’t seem to like the fact I’m English,” said
Madoc.

“I’m sorry,” she
said. “I didna mean te be rude, but the English jest killed off me family.”

“Your family?” he asked, su
rveying her clothes. “So you are not a MacKeefe?”

“Nay, I’
m Effie MacDuff. And if ye please, I’d no’ like te talk aboot it any more.”

“Of course,” he said
, looking at her oddly. “I’m sorry.”

“What are
all these birds fer?” she asked, looking around. Effie was standing inside a small, wooden hut with a tall ceiling. Pigeons sat roosting on the rafters above their heads. There were other birds that looked to be nesting, and still more that were in separate enclosures.

“These are homing pige
ons,” Madoc told her. “I raise them.” The pigeons in the separate cages are messengers. They are the ones that fly to my brother’s castle in Devonshire, to the MacKeefe’s castle, or to my twin sister’s home in Hythe.”

“
Madoc has pigeons in e’ery place one o’ his siblings lives,” Aidan explained. “Thet is how they send messages between them, and from England te Scotland and back.”

“
Fascinatin’,” she said. “So do ye have pigeons near the borderlands too?” She wondered if any of them were near to Liddel Castle where her sister was being held captive. If so, this may come in handy somehow.

“I do,”
Madoc said with a smile. “The MacKeefe’s castle, Hermitage Castle, in on the border. And since my sister, Wren, sometimes dwells there, I have birds there as well. Actually, I am going there next, as I need to return pigeons that are trained to fly one way only. That will be my last stop. Why do you ask?”

“No reason. Jest curious,” she said.

“Well, it is several days ride to the border,” he said, looking at Aidan. “I’d like to leave as soon as possible. Since my horse went lame, I was hoping to borrow one of your clan’s horses, but I understand they are all gone, as your clan is still at the Glasgow fair.”

“Thet’s right,” said Aidan. “Why dinna ye jest stay til they return?”

“My wife, Abbey, is going to give birth soon to our third child,” he said. “And I’m anxious to get back to her. We have both a boy and a girl already, and I’m hoping this one is another son. I really want to raise as many sons as I can, since I grew up without a father. Kyla offered me your horse, Aidan, but I really hate to take it on you.”

“Nay,
take me horse,” said Aidan with sigh. “It is important te be there fer yer wife and new bairn. I’ll come te collect me horse and return yers when it’s healed. I’ll return it te ye personally at Blake Castle, and hopefully see yer new bairn as well.”

“My many thanks,” said
Madoc, “but I’ll be sure to have it back to you sooner than that, as I know you’re going to want it when you go to the Highland Games. And Effie, I hope to see you there as well?”

“I dinna ken.” She looked at Aidan, and he had that sad look upon his face again
. “Well, mayhap I’ll jest do thet.” Aidan smiled at those words, and it did her heart good to see his face light up again.

“
Madoc, join us fer a bite te eat, and then mayhap ye’d like te get inte the little competition me and me friends are havin’ afterwards, as we practice fer the Highland Games.”

“I’d be happy to eat with you and also
to watch you practice, but I’m afraid I’m not skilled in much besides wielding a sword or racing pigeons. And actually, I have my brother Corbett to thank for me being a knight, as he trained me well, since I was just a thief.”

“I’d love to hear about it
,” said Effie.

“And I’d be happy to tell you everything over a bi
te of food.” He looked at Aidan and grinned. “Unless it’s pigeon stew.”

“Dinna worry,” Aidan said with a chuckle. “The MacKeefes no longer eat pi
geon thanks te yer sister.”

“Nor do we eat squirrel, thanks
te ye,” said Kyla. “And squirrel stew was me favorite.”

Reid chattered away from outside the pigeon loft just then, causing them all to laugh.

* * *

Effie enjoyed the meal
along with Aidan, Onyx, Ian, Madoc, and Kyla. They were all getting along wonderfully, laughing and enjoying some mountain magic. She was getting used to the strong whisky, and only took it in small amounts, but was surprised how Kyla kept up with drinking with the men.

“Kyla, how can ye drink so much o’ this brew and still be able to stand?” Effie asked, staring down at her cup.

“I grew up doin’ whate’er me brathair and his friends were doin’ so it disna bother me,” said the girl.

“Aye, she’s one o’ the boys, thet’s why,” said Ian. “And no lass, ye dinna do e’erythin’ we do, if ye ken what I mean.”

“Ye’d better no’ be doin’ e’erything,” said Aidan to his sister, “or I’ll be the first te make sure whate’er laddie is in yer bed disna make it out o’ here alive.”

The men laughed, but Kyla just crinkled her nose and shook her head. “Aidan, if ye keep me away from laddies much longer, I’m goin’
te die a spinster.”

Effie
was starting to feel at home, and it was the best feeling in the world.

“Well, let’s jest hope no laddie e’er gives her a birthday
present like I gave ye,” Aidan said to Effie in a low voice, but Madoc overheard him.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me it was your birthday, my lady?”
Madoc got up and walked over to her, bowing, and when he stood back up, he pulled a dove from behind her ear and handed it to her. She went to grab it, and it flew up into the sky.

“How did ye do thet?” she asked in surprise.

“Madoc is known as the Lord of Illusion,” said Kyla.

“Thet’s right,” said Aidan.
“He kens all sorts o’ tricks, and can also make things disappear.”

“Really?” Effie wondered what she would be called once she made the Stone of Destiny disappear. She was sure it wouldn’t be anything so admirable.

“Ian, play yer bagpipes,” begged Kyla.

“Nay,” Ian
said with a scowl on his face, putting down the bones of the pheasant they were eating, having caught it earlier that day. “I dinna feel like it.”

“Come on,” she said, getting up and pulling the bagpipes from behind a rock.
“I happen te have them right here.”

“Kyla,
what are ye doin’?” Ian rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Quit yer pesterin’ me already, will ye lassie?” He stretched out and lay back on the grass.

Effie coul
d see the girl was vying for Ian’s attention, tho he wasn’t giving it to her.

“I’ll play them,
” Effie offered, taking them into her hands, knowing the way to get a man to react.

“Ye ken how
te play bagpipes?” asked Aidan.

“I do, but I’m no’ verra guid at it.”

“Thet’s becooz ye need te have a lot o’ wind aboot ye, like Aidan,” said Onyx from the other side of the fire.

“I thought you knew how to play them too,”
Madoc said to Onyx.

“We all do,” he said.

“Then he’s not the only one with wind.”

They all laughed at that, and when Eff
ie brought her mouth to the bagpipes and blew a sour note, that had them all laughing again, including her.

“Give me thet,” said Onyx, taking the bagpipes and placing them under his arm, blowing into it. His wildcat came out of the shadows and settled down behind him.
Effie saw Madoc petting Aidan’s squirrel, and knew it would be safe from the cat.

The music was cheery and Effie found herself clapping her hands and keeping beat.

“Me lady,” said Aidan, bowing and holding out his hand. “May I have this birthday dance?”

“Oh, I dinna dance,” she said, shaking her head.

“It’s yer birthday, now get up and dance,” said Kyla, pulling her to her feet.

“Only if ye dance as well,” she told the girl. “With Ian.”

Kyla smiled and nodded her head. Effie winked.

“I’m no’
dancin’,” grumbled Ian from his position on the ground, his arm over his closed eyes.

“If the birthday girl wants ye
te dance, then do it,” Aidan told him.

“
Come on,” said Kyla, pulling Ian to his feet.

“Aidan, ye owe me fer
dancin’ with yer wee sister.” Ian got to his feet, and shot a daggered glance to Aidan.

Ef
fie danced with Aidan, and Kyla with Ian, and Madoc even kept the beat with his spoon against a log, as he used it as a drum.

“No’ so fast,” said Effie when
Aidan took a hold of her and twirled her around.

“I bet ye canna
do this, Ian,” said Aidan, as he did an even faster step, pulling Effie around in a circle.

“Di
nna challenge me te somethin’ becooz ye ken I will win,” said Ian, taking a hold of Kyla and doing the same thing. Onyx played the bagpipes faster and faster, and Madoc picked up the rhythm on his home-made drum.

Before Effie
knew it, she was dizzy from turning circles so fast, and she fell to the ground atop Aidan. Ian fell as well, with Kyla in his arms.

Effie felt happy for Kyla, as well as
for herself. She felt as if she never wanted to leave MacKeefe camps for the rest of her life.

“Come on,” said Onyx, putting down the bagpipes. “The caber is ready fer ye, Aidan, and I have a bet with
Madoc thet ye’ll win.”

“What aboot me?” said Ian, getting to his feet, and pulling Kyla with him.

“I’ll bet on ye winnin’,” said Kyla proudly.

“Thanks fe
r the vote o’ confidence, lass,” he told her and patted her on the head as if she were nothing more than a child.

The men walked away toward the caber.
Aidan’s squirrel was on his shoulder, and Onyx’s wildcat was sneaking behind in the shadows.

“
He thinks o’ me as a bairn,” Kyla whispered to Effie, putting her hands on her hips as she watched the men walk away.

“Who?” she asked.
“Ian or Aidan?”

“All o’ them.
” Kyla threw her hands into the air in frustration. “I’ll ne’er be anythin’ but a bairn te them.”

“Men are no’ always thet aware o’ when a lassie likes them,” Effie told her. “Jest give it time, and I’m sure some day Ian will wake up and notice ye turned inte a woman.”

“Well, Aidan noticed ye, thet’s fer sure,” said Kyla. “And ye two jest met. I’ve kent Ian me whole life, and he still disna ken I even exist.”

“Sometimes, when someone is so close to another
, they canna see the nose on their face,” she said, putting her arm around the girl. “Now let’s go watch the men make fools o’ themselves tryin’ te prove thet one o’ them is better than another.”

Chapter 11

Aidan stood with his arms wrapped around
the wood of the tree that they’d made into a mock caber. It was heavy and long, and took three people just to get it into position.

“Come on, Aidan, ye can throw a better caber than the one Ian just tossed like a
lassie,” called out Onyx. It was a beautiful day, and the sky was clear blue with white puffy clouds high above the peaks of the mountains. Rolling green hills surrounded them, dotted with long-haired sheep feeding on grass in the distance. And a field of purple heather trailed down to the loch. It all seemed so alive as the machairs, tall grass, speckled with bright-colored wildflowers, swayed back and forth in the gentle breeze.