Binding Vows (3 page)

These are fine horses. I don’t think I’ve seen them here before. Is this your first time?”

Duncan had a hard time understanding the accent. It was Fin who finally spoke up. “Yes.

Perhaps you could point us in the direction where we might find some food.”

“Great accent! It’s Scottish, right?”

“Aye.”

The man nodded his approval and went back to the horses. “Food is past the Gypsy’s tent, and then hang a left. You can’t miss it.”

“Hang a left?” Duncan tested the words out.

“Yeah. Wow, this bridle is authentic. It must have cost a fortune.”

Duncan exchanged a look with his brother. “Ye know what you’re about, sir?”

“Yeah. I can handle it.”

“Good.” Fin seized his brother by the arm, forcing him to leave behind his most prized possession. “He’ll be fine. Come, we’re late.”

“We wouldn’t be if ye hadn’t stopped to stare at 16

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the iron horse. Had ye forgotten from the last time we were here?” They marched forward with a purpose and continued their conversation.

“Forgotten? Nay. But you have to admit, they are fascinating. I’d like to ride in one just once while we’re here.”

“We’ve no time and ye know it.” They slowed when passing the Gypsy’s tent. Both of them gave it a wide berth and a long stare. “The parade of women is already done. Our work will be harder this time.”

Duncan clicked his tongue. “I don’t believe I’ll hear ye complain. What was it last time? Three or four?”

“Two actually, the others were false.” Fin’s wicked grin had Duncan patting him on the back when they entered the arena set up with food.

****

Who would have thought a dinner could last so long? Once the final course was finished, the tables vanished and the musicians started to play.

The music was lively, and most of the patrons were drunk. The effect created an unlikely combination, considering few people knew the steps to the dances popular during the Renaissance era.

Cassy, a few sheets beyond tipsy, did her best to be the life of the party. She went from one lap to another, asking men to dance. Many were all too eager to please. When a few of them pulled Tara into the mix, she shrugged them off to find solitude away from Cassy’s new friends.

Nursing the warm wine helped dull some of the strain as Tara wandered around and studied the people. She avoided conversations. The mix of accents made it difficult to understand what people were saying. Add to that the alcohol factor and the burrs became thicker and more butchered.

She attracted a fair amount of attention, even without Cassy at her side. Some of the stares had 17

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her looking down at the dress to make sure she hadn’t spilled something or to make sure her bra strap wasn’t showing. It wasn’t until the fifth man approached her Tara realized why.

“What do we have here?” He slurred then reached out to touch her hair. “So...the Gypsy let your hair loose.”

Drunken eyes took in the length of her body and rested on her chest. It was then it dawned on Tara, she might as well have worn a t-shirt saying, “I’m a virgin, come and get it.”

Disgusted, she stormed away from the sneering man, found a forgotten pencil, and quickly put the telling trusses in a knot on top of her head.

A quiet corner called out her name. It was almost midnight, the hour she told Cassy she’d turn in. With only a little longer to wait, the night would soon be over.
One down, three more to endure.

Replacing the wine with water, Tara sat, closed her eyes, and counted down the minutes until she could leave.

****

Fin approached his brother with a smile that could only mean one thing.

“Found one did ye?”

“Aye and she is a beauty, too.” Fin finished his ale. “Don’t wait up for me old man.”

“Ye know where I’ll be. Make sure she’s of age, Fin. We don’t want trouble while we’re here.”

“Ah. You worry too much. Best of luck to you, brother. It looks like there aren’t many this time around. Maybe tomorrow will prove more fruitful.”

Duncan watched his brother retreat outside the festival with a giggling lass on his arm.

Tired and wanting some quiet, Duncan noticed a dark corner where he might observe the people without the assault of another’s voice for a short time.

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The sky had grown dark, the shadows long.

Fabric draped bales of straw made for the seating around the room. Years of training kept him from turning his back to the crowd. He backed into the seat, completely unaware someone already occupied it. Brushing his cloak aside, Duncan dropped his weight onto the bale. Expecting the feel of course straw and wool, he was shocked when the bale moved from under him.

Then the straw spoke.

“Son of a bitch.”

Duncan jumped aside, thinking the seat possessed. He swirled toward the offending chair and reached for his sword.

Heaving a sigh at the sight of a woman and not a foe, Duncan almost laughed at his reaction. She, on the other hand, was not quite as amused.

Her eyes captured his in fury. They changed colors in a split second. He realized his mistake when her gaze went to his hand on his weapon.

“Haven’t you done enough damage?” She muttered another oath under her breath.

Duncan straightened up to his full height, and let his sword arm fall to the side. Just a lass, he thought.
Fiery red hair and a temper to match. Too
bad she isn’t a maiden. I would have enjoyed her for
a time.

“Damn it.” She found the hole in her dress and brought her hand up. It was covered with blood.

“Ouch!”

“You’re harmed.” He took her hand, but couldn’t get a good look at what was bleeding, so he tugged her toward the light of a torch.

The lass limped alongside him, cursing a streak all the way to the fire. Once there she raised her skirt well above her knee.

Duncan wasn’t sure why she was lifting her 19

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skirts in a room full of people, until he realized it wasn’t her hand that was cut, but her thigh.

Her skin was marred, but not dangerously so.

His ease was instant. He would never willingly take a knife to a woman, and still wasn’t sure how it happened.

“What are you smiling about?” the woman scolded. “Can’t you see I’m hurt here?”

“’Tis a scratch, nothing more.”

“Can you drop the accent? You cut me and you still put on a show.” She brushed away at the blood until it slowed, and then let her skirt fall back into place. “This place is full of freaks!”

“I did not cut ye. I sat on ye.”

“You sat on me, I sat on this.” She held out her knife, showing him the blood on its blade.

He glanced at the blade, noticed the blood, and then noticed the markings. “Celtic,” he whispered.

“Yeah, that’s what the con-artist told me.” Her eyes caught his and for one brief moment, held. As her gaze slipped over his form, the corners of her mouth tilted up to such a small degree, Duncan would have missed it had he blinked. Standing a little taller, he pulled back his shoulders and brought his hand up the edges of his cape. Her eyes slowly roamed up his form and settled on his hair, hanging between his shoulder blades. The lass pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before her eyes returned to his. Her softened expression quickly returned to annoyed.

A woman’s voice called out over the crowd, demanding the attention of the lass in front of him.

“Damn, McAllister, have you gone deaf?”

“What?” She pulled her attention away from him and glared at her companion.

“I asked, ‘Why is your hair up?’”

“Because I was tired of all the leering looks, Cassy.”

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“But the Gypsy told you to let it hang loose.”

Cassy unceremoniously tugged the pencil out of the lass’s hair, sending a cascade of red down her back.

Duncan’s attention strained to find the meaning behind the words being said. At the same time, his mouth went dry.

“I don’t care what she said.” The wee lass grabbed the pencil and quickly tied her hair back.

Once again disguising her virtue. “I’m tired of all the drunks drooling on me. It’s disgusting!”

Cassy wobbled on her feet. The red haired maiden steadied her with a bloody hand.

“What happened?” Cassy asked.

Duncan felt the weight of the lass’s stare as her eyes traveled back to him. He stepped closer to help.

It was then the lady Cassy took notice of him. “Who’s this?”

“This...” The maiden pushed against his chest, attempting to put some space between them. “…is some wise guy, who sat on me, causing me
great
pain
.”

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to cause you
great
pain.
” Cassy batted her eyes and licked her lips.

Duncan lifted a brow, enjoying the attention despite himself. “Would you like to sit on me?”

“Oh, puleeease... I think you’ve had enough for one night.” The lady draped an arm around Cassy’s waist. “I know I certainly have.”

“Ahh... come on. The party’s just gotten started.”

Cassy’s drunken weight nearly knocked them both over. “You can catch up with it tomorrow.”

Duncan waited two steps before offering assistance. His mind wrapped around the facts quickly. This was a maiden Grainna took notice of.

“You could use a little help, lass. Here, let me.” He pulled Cassy away from her.

She pulled back. “I don’t think so.”

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“You’re injured,” he said, tugging again.

“Remember?”

“I’m fine, ’tis just a scratch!’” She tossed his words, and his accent back. “Remember?”

“Aye, I do,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Let me assist ye. We wouldn’t want ye to start bleeding again.”

Cassy started looking a little green. Her role of a human rope, in a game of tug of war, wasn’t mixing well with her intoxicated state.

“Listen, buster. I’m done.” The girl glared at him. “I’ve had a lousy flippin’ day and an even more memorable night. All I want is to be left alone. So if you don’t mind, we can manage just fine without you!”

Defeated and at a loss as to what to say, he let go after one final tug. Cassy almost fell, but somehow managed to stay on her feet.

With one hand around Cassy’s shoulders and the other trying to hold up her skirt to avoid falling, the woman he searched for walked away.

All Duncan could do was watch.

****

Fin strolled to the camp he and Duncan had made well past two in the morning. Whistling a tune and wearing a smirk.

“Still awake?” Fin asked.

“Aye.” Duncan watched the stars.

Fin stretched out on his bedroll, still whistling.

“Enough Fin, you’ll bring attention to us.”

“No one cares if we’re out here.” He drew out his sack, took a piece of bread, and ate. “It’s not like at home, Duncan. There are no thieves in the trees looking for a fight or handout. Why do you think the men in this time are so large and slow?”

Duncan agreed. Still he was tired of the tune Fin was singing through pursed lips. He said nothing and continued to brood over the stars. Those 22

Binding Vows

at least appeared the same.

After a few silent moments Fin, knowing something was bothering his brother, spoke out. “So, are you going to tell me what has a burr up your arse? Or are you going to sulk all night long?”

“I found her.” Duncan’s voice was grave. His meaning didn’t have to be explained.

“And?” Fin waited for his brother to elaborate.

But when he didn’t Fin came to his own conclusions.

Laughter boomed over the treetops, stopping the crickets in their song. “Turned you down, did she?”

Fin held his sides without any effort to hold in his mirth.

“Nay! She didn’t turn me down. I didn’t even try,” Duncan said soberly.

“Why the hell not?” Fin asked. “Was she ugly?”

“Nay.”

“Then what?” Fin picked off more bread, tossed it in his mouth.

“I don’t think it would have done any good.”

Duncan suffered his brother’s laughter when he relayed the story of how he met the woman.

When the laughter stopped, Fin wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I don’t think you could have mucked it up more. I’ll have to come to the rescue, again.”

The thought of his brother setting eyes on the lass stiffened Duncan’s spine. He would think on why later, for now he simply told Fin no.

“Then you have a plan on how to handle her?”

“I’m working on a plan.”

“I’ll keep my eye out for others.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” Duncan brushed off a leaf that had fallen on his arm. “Her friend called her McAllister. The blade she carried was ornate with Celtic carvings.” He saved the best for last. “There were specks of amber in its hilt.”

Sober now, Fin put the bread aside and asked, 23

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“Do you think Grainna knows of her?”

He nodded. “It was her friend who confirmed that and the truth behind her virtue.”

“Then she’ll be watched.”

“Aye, she’ll be watched.”

“Damn Duncan, I wish we had our powers of sight. How are we to know if Grainna is on to us?”

“We have to trust what Da told us. If we came here, as anything but mortals, we wouldn’t have stepped one foot inside Grainna’s village without her knowing it. We have three days until the solstice.

This gives us plenty of time to woo a maiden and keep Grainna here in this time and place.”

“I hope you’re right.” Fin leaned back, closed his eyes to get some sleep.

Duncan looked at the stars and pondered words the maiden had said during their brief meeting.

“Fin?”

“What?” he asked, half asleep.

“What is the word
freak
?” Duncan regretted asking when his brother had another fit of laughter.

****

Bells rang in her ears, waking Tara up like an alarm clock. No. Not bells, horns, and not in her ears, but outside their tent.

Cassy rolled over, dragging the blanket over her head at the interruption of sleep. She would undoubtedly be hung-over, Tara thought, before stumbling out of bed and going to see who was making all the noise.