Highland Savage (5 page)

“Are we below Dunlochan now?” Lucas whispered as he followed her into the room lit by only one small torch set high on the stone wall.

“Aye. What we want should be over here.”

Lucas followed her into a shadowy corner of the room and nearly gaped. Piled there was a very large collection of food and drink. Someone inside the keep was obviously helping Katerina by secretly setting aside some supplies, probably little by little every day. As a warrior, Lucas could not stop himself from wondering exactly how they might use such allies to defeat Ranald and Agnes.

Seeing how Lucas scowled at her supplies, Katerina carefully placed her list of things she needed in the hiding place she and the cook had agreed on so long ago. Neither of them had thought it would take so long for Katerina to win back Dunlochan. Poor old Hilda still believed in her, probably more than Katerina believed in herself, but she suspected the woman was growing weary of waiting to be free of Agnes’s harsh rule.

“Just how has this come to be here ready for ye to walk away with it all?” Lucas asked, keeping his voice as soft as Katerina kept hers.

“Ah, weel, Old Hilda, the cook, and a few others slowly gather it up. When we take it we always leave a wee message telling them what we think we might need soon.”

“Doesnae anyone notice how much is going missing from the stores?”

“Nay. Can ye truly see Agnes or Ranald keeping records or tallying anything at all save for the money in their purses? I doubt they e’en think on where it all comes from. Not e’en Agnes’s woman, Freda, tends to
how
the things they want are acquired, only that they are delivered into her hands exactly when she wants them. “’Tis
my
people who diligently tend to such things as these stores and the ledgers. ’Tis another good reason for me to continue to play dead. If Agnes or Ranald kenned that I was still alive, a lot of my people would be in grave danger. They would immediately come under suspicion and that could easily mean their deaths.”

“Ye have planned for that, havenae ye.” Lucas did not make it a question for he knew she would have made meticulous plans for the safety of such people. Considering what he believed she had done to him such confidence did not make much sense, but he shrugged aside that puzzle as he picked up a heavy sack of food. There is a lot here. Ye could ne’er have carried it all back on your own.”

“Nay, not in one journey, true enough.” Katerina shrugged. “I had little else to do aside from waiting for my men to return. A few trips back and forth ’twixt here and the hall wouldnae hurt me.”

“The people who do this for ye could be verra useful in other ways.”

Katerina sighed, all too aware of what he was thinking of for she had often considered the very same thing. “They could be, but using them for anything aside from gathering food and information for us could get them killed. Most of them are verra young or old. They arenae warriors and some have no ability to become ones. They are
cooks, clerks, pot boys, and the like. Verra good at listening since people like Agnes ne’er e’en see them, and verra good at making ten meat pies but serving only eight, slipping the other two aside for us. E’en that small but valuable service puts them at risk.”

Lucas nodded in agreement. “There may come a time, however,” he began.

“When the risk is worth it,” she finished for him. “I ken it and so do they.”

The sound of a foot sliding over stone drew Lucas’s attention. Again he pushed Katerina behind him as they both crouched behind the stacked barrels. Afraid the sound of him drawing his sword would echo too loudly in the room, he slowly drew his dagger. The glow of candlelight came first followed by a plump, gray-haired woman who paused in the entrance to the room and nervously looked around.

“’Tis Hilda the cook,” Katerina whispered even as she wriggled out from behind Lucas and stood up. “O’er here, Hilda.”

“Oh, bless ye, child,” Hilda said as she hurried over and gave Katerina a brief, one-armed hug. “I have been slipping down here whene’er possible just hoping to catch ye. I was getting ready to try and hunt ye down.” Hilda’s eyes widened as Lucas stood up and stepped closer to Katerina. “Oh, have mercy, he is alive!”

Quickly putting an arm around Hilda’s shoulders to steady the woman when she swayed, Katerina said, “Aye, and he means to make Ranald pay for what he did to him.”

Katerina knew Lucas intended to make her pay, too, but she did not say so. She needed full cooperation amongst her allies. Telling Hilda, who had been like a mother to her, about Lucas’s suspicions would set the woman firmly against him. That was a trouble she did not want to deal with at the moment.

“Weel, how wondrous, and it ne’er hurts to have another strong sword arm when ye are in such a hard fight.” Hilda eyed the monk’s robes Lucas wore. “Unless—have ye joined the church?”

“Nay,” replied Lucas. “I thought it a good disguise.” He could tell by the woman’s expression that she most certainly did not agree with him.

“Weel, ’tis God’s blessing that ye survived those bastards.”

“Verra true,” Katerina agreed. “What did ye need to see me for, Hilda?”

“Ranald is suspicious about young Thomas, I fear. The lad disappears a lot and does it when ye ride. Ranald has finally taken notice of that. He feels he ought to bring the laddie here and beat some truth out of him.”

Already planning on how to bring young Thomas to safety, Katerina asked, “But Ranald hasnae decided on doing that just yet?”

“
He
has, but Agnes hasnae. She isnae sure Ranald is right and she frets o’er how acting against the lad could rouse people’s anger against her. Fool woman doesnae seem to see that almost every mon, woman, and bairn at Dunlochan already loathes and mistrusts her. I but needed to warn ye for I think Ranald will soon convince her of the need to grab Thomas. Especially if, weel,” she looked at Lucas, “if she learns that this mon is still alive.”

“She will learn that as soon as Ranald returns this night, for he tried to kill Lucas again and we snatched away his prize.” Katerina kissed Hilda on the cheek. Thank ye, Hilda. I must go quickly now and see to Thomas’s safety.”

“Godspeed, child.”

Grabbing up all they could carry, Lucas and Katerina hurried back to the hall. Lucas could almost feel Katerina’s fear as she nearly ran through the passages. He was
not sure what could be done to help the boy but he knew she would try something. Lucas also knew that he would not let her go alone. That need to keep her safe made no sense to him, but he was beginning to think a lot of what he felt and thought concerning Katerina Haldane made no sense.

“What has happened?” William demanded, alarmed by the way Katerina and Lucas rushed into the hall.

“Ranald has become suspicious of Thomas,” Katerina replied as she set aside the sacks of supplies.

William and Patrick cursed. “Then we have to try to get to the boy before he does,” William said.

“There are only four of us,” Patrick pointed out quiedy.

“It will have to be enough,” said Katerina. “We cannae let Ranald get his hands on the boy.”

“Nay, of course we cannae, but do we have a plan?”

Katerina rubbed at her forehead, trying to ease the ache that was beginning there. “Nay, and I am nay sure we can make one until we ken where Thomas is and if Ranald is already hunting him. Hilda said Agnes hadnae agreed with Ranald’s plan to grab Thomas and beat some truth out of him, but after what happened tonight, Ranald may nay care about that.”

“Where does Thomas live?” asked Lucas.

“At the inn,” replied Katerina. “He is Annie’s brother and they both live at the inn. She has a wee room in the eaves, but, unless ’tis verra cold, Thomas stays in the stables with his beloved horses.”

“’Tis nay the easiest place to creep up on, but ’tisnae impossible. The night can hide a great deal. I walked into Ranald’s hands, foolishly thinking my disguise was good enough to hide me. This time we all ken that our enemy may be there.”

“True, but so will many of his men, I suspect.”

“Is there any choice?”

“Nay, there isnae. I but wonder about Annie. Hilda didnae say Annie was in trouble, but if Ranald cannae get his hands on Thomas—”

’Then he will grab Annie and use her to bring the boy to him.”

“That is what I am afraid of.”

“It is probably just what will happen,” said Patrick. “I can get Annie if the rest of ye go after Thomas.”

“Ye can get into the inn unseen?” Katerina’s eyes widened with surprise when Patrick blushed.

“I can. I used to be verra friendly with Morag ere she ran off with that traveler last spring. I ken just how to get into the inn without being seen.” He shrugged. “She didnae want anyone to ken that she had lovers so she always made the men she bedded down with creep about like thieves. Sorry, m’lady,” he mumbled.

“Dinnae apologize. I kenned what Morag was. I just didnae ken ye were one of her lovers. Weel, it will serve us weel now. Ye get Annie out of there and we will do what we can to get Thomas.”

“Ye dinnae think we should wait until more of our men return?” asked William even as he collected his sword.

“I dinnae think we can afford to waste any time e’en in such a good cause. Ranald
is going to be enraged o’er the fact that he lost the chance to kill Lucas again.”

“And he will be eager to take that rage out on someone.” William sighed. “Ah, weel, Thomas has been a great help, as has Annie. We cannae let them suffer for it.”

“Agreed. So, ’tis back to the village, only this time we cannae make such a fine show of it.”

“I hope ye arenae suggesting we walk to the village.”

“Nay all the way.”

Katerina actually found herself smiling when she heard the three men groan, but it was a fleeting moment of lightheartedness. Her heart felt as if it was cramped with fear for young Thomas and his sister. Until she got them safely out of the reach of the brutal Ranald she doubted she would be able to breathe easily. Too many had already paid dearly in this battle with Agnes and she refused to let her half-sister and her lover claim another life.

Katerina watched Patrick slip away into the shadows near the inn and bit back the urge to call him back. This was dangerous, more dangerous than anything they had attempted before. She had to keep reminding herself that it would be much more dangerous if they had to try and rescue Thomas or Annie from Dunlochan keep, perhaps even impossible. The storerooms and a few hidden passages she had discovered as a child were the only places she could reach unseen. Beyond that, moving about Dunlochan keep became very perilous indeed.

The hardest thing about being a warrior, she decided, was trying not to fear for each and every man under her command. Katerina knew she was going to be happy beyond words to give up that command. William could take full control of such things once she regained possession of Dunlochan and do so with her full blessing. She did find some strength in the knowledge that, if he was the one giving the orders, he would be doing just what she was doing now. No one with any conscience could allow Thomas and Annie to fall into Ranald’s brutal grasp.

“If Patrick says he can slip in and out of the inn without being seen, then he can,” William said quietly.

Smiling fleetingly over his attempt to soothe her, Katerina nodded. “I ken it. It doesnae stop me from fearing something could go wrong, however. But, now, ’tis best if we turn our attention to the matter of getting into the stables unseen.”

“And getting out with Thomas the same way.”

“Aye, that would be best.” She glanced at Lucas, who crouched next to her, pressed a little too closely on her right “Can ye run fast, Sir Murray?”

Lucas winced, even though every instinct detected no mockery or contempt of his limp in her tone, just a need for facts as she planned her next move. “For a short distance and with little grace,” he answered bluntly.

“A short distance will do, Sir Murray.”

The way she kept calling him
Sir Murray
was beginning to make his teeth hurt from clenching them in rising aggravation. It was an attempt to make him feel a complete stranger, and, perhaps, to make her feel that he was as well. Lucas knew it should not trouble him if she wanted to play that game, but it did. Worse, it stung in a way he did not feel it ought to. He could all too clearly recall the way she had spoken his name when desire held her tight in its grip and he wanted to hear it again.

He inwardly shook his head as if to cast such thoughts aside. If they did become lovers, Lucas was determined to keep it all a simple matter of a man scratching an itch. Thoughts of how she had once breathed his name against his skin, how that had warmed his blood nearly to boiling, would make that impossible.

Forcing his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he asked, “Are ye expecting Ranald to come soon?”

“Aye,” Katerina replied. “He has become more persistent in trying to track us down, but his temper makes it hard for him to be truly patient. If he hasnae already given up the chase, he will soon. Then he will be after Thomas. Usually he and Agnes agree on what must be done, or she orders it done, but I dinnae think we can count on that now. Ranald must ken that he is losing his place in Agnes’s plans, that every time he lets the reivers escape, she doubts him even more. He will be eager for something to help him hold fast to his place in her plans, anything, nay matter how small or what crimes he
might have to commit to get it.”

“Then let us hurry and get the lad out of danger.”

Silently they crept through the shadows toward the stables. Katerina prayed this was not one of the few nights Thomas decided he did not want to sleep with the horses. Despite their dark clothes and staying in the shadows, Katerina felt as if they were in clear view of anyone who wished to look their way. She could feel a thin line of sweat trail down her spine and was heartily grateful when they finally slipped into the stable without anyone crying out in recognition or alarm.

“Since the two of ye are far better with a sword than I, I will go up into the loft and get Thomas,” Katerina whispered. “Ye can guard my back.”

Lucas watched her nimbly climb the rough ladder to the loft. His body tightened with desire as he watched the way her taut, nicely rounded backside moved with each step. He was glad of the robes he still wore as they hid the blatant evidence of his desire. No matter how often he considered the risks of becoming involved with Katerina in any way, his body continued to make its interest painfully clear. If he was going to stay with her and her men for any length of time, he knew he had better come to some decision about her and his attraction for her or he would undoubtedly do something foolish.

Katerina heard Thomas before she saw him. The boy snored softly and she crept toward the sound. Cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder, knowing how some people could wake from a sound sleep with fists flying, she gave him a little shake. She almost smiled when he opened his eyes, stared at her blindly for a moment, and then blushed. Since he was obviously fully dressed beneath a thin blanket, she suspected he had been pulled out of the sort of dream he did not want her to even guess at.

“M’lady, what is wrong?” he asked as he sat up and pushed his thick, fair hair out of his face. “Is Annie hurt?”

She knew he had long feared that Ranald or one of his men would rape Annie as they had other women, and Katerina hurried to reassure him. “Nay, but ’tis time for ye and your sister to hide away, Thomas. Ranald has become suspicious of you.” Although his only response to that was to grow very pale, she nodded as if he had spoken aloud. “Naught was said about Annie, but, if Ranald cannae get hold of ye, we fear he may try to get her.”

Thomas nodded vigorously as he stood up and rolled up his blanket. When he stuck his hands beneath the hay that had served as his bed and tugged out a sack of belongings, Katerina realized the boy had clearly foreseen a time when he might have to leave quickly. It saddened her that any of her people should have to live in readiness of fleeing his home, but, at the moment, she was glad of the boy’s preparations.

“I can fetch Annie in but a moment,” Thomas said.

“There is nay need. Patrick has gone to get her as he said he could slip in and out of the inn without being seen.”

“Ah, aye. He used to come to see Morag.”

“So, he obviously wasnae completely unseen.”

“Oh, I suspicion he was. I only saw him once when he was leaving. Kenned he was visiting Morag because she liked to boast about it.” He waited until Katerina started down the ladder before tossing his sack down to William and then following her. “Does Sir Murray want to take his horse back now?” he asked as he nimbly jumped down the last few rungs of the ladder the moment Katerina had stepped off it.

“Aye, Sir Murray would verra much like to take his horse back,” replied Lucas before Katerina could reply or even consider the matter.

Katerina looked toward Lucas, who was leading his now saddled horse out of its stall. “I dinnae think we can slip something that size out of here without being seen.”

“Eachann can be verra quiet.”

“Eachann cannae be
small
and quiet. A small shadow can escape the eye. A shadow the size of a gelding isnae so easy to ignore.”

“If Ranald isnae right outside the inn, I can show Sir Murray a way to slip the horse out of the village,” said Thomas.

“Are ye certain of that, Thomas?” Katerina asked. “We have come to save ye from Ranald. I dinnae want ye to fall into his brutal hands just because Sir Murray wants his horse.”

“I willnae. I have slipped a horse or two out of the village before.”

“I willnae ask why ye would do so.”

“Might be best,” Thomas murmured, but he grinned.

Katerina looked at Lucas and could tell that he was determined to take his horse with him. She had learned at a very young age that men could be very attached to their horses. It was also clear that he was not really waiting for her to say aye or nay, but readying himself to leave. She supposed now was not the time to remind him of who was the leader of this band.

“We shall meet at the place where Old Ian met us earlier,” she finally said. “By then I will have thought of some place where we can put the beast. Take care,” she said to Thomas as he eagerly swung up into the saddle behind Lucas.

She watched Lucas leave through the back of the stable and wondered why she felt like sighing heavily. The concern she felt over Thomas and Annie had obviously disordered her mind. Katerina followed William out of die stable, annoyed at the way she continuously listened for some sound that would indicate Lucas and Thomas were in trouble and might need her help.

Patrick and Annie were waiting for them at the edge of the village, drawing Katerina’s thoughts away from Lucas. Annie needed to be reassured that Thomas was safe with Lucas and Katerina began to feel tense, knowing they were taking a lot longer to accomplish their task than she wanted to. When they were finally headed back toward what she now had to call home, she breathed a sigh of relief only to nearly choke on it when she heard the approach of several riders.

Some of her fear eased as both Patrick and William acted swiftly, silently, and competently. Patrick grabbed the reins of Annie’s horse and William moved to ride with Katerina. Going in two directions, they all moved deeper into the shadows afforded by the many trees allowed to grow at the far end of the village. Katerina watched a group of seven men ride toward the village and knew they were Ranald and his men even before she heard his voice.

“I grow verra weary of chasing these bastards all o’er Dunlochan,” Ranald said, his voice hoarse with anger.

“They are verra good at hiding their trail,” said Colin, Ranald’s closest companion in arms.

“No one can be that good without help, Colin. No one. These bastards are getting help and I mean to find out who and how.”

“Ye think someone in the village is helping the reivers?”

“Aye, more than one and I also think these curs are far more than just reivers. If that little bitch was still alive I would think she was behind all this.”

“Lady Katerina? But, a woman—”

“A woman can be as cunning as any mon. Dinnae forget whom we work for. Mayhap some fools do this in her memory. I dinnae ken but I mean to find out. I intend to start with that little cur Thomas.”

“I thought Lady Agnes didnae want ye to do anything to the boy.”

“She will change her mind once the little bastard starts telling us all he kens about these reivers. Aye, and mayhap I can use him to make his sister lift her skirts.”

Katerina was tempted to follow the men when they rode past, moving out of her hearing. It was not often that she had such a good chance of finding out Ranald’s plans. The man was surprisingly incautious about where he talked about his and Agnes’s plans. Common sense ruled, however, and she joined the others in silently slipping away. She noticed that Annie looked very pale, a few tears visible on her cheeks in the faint light cast by a shrinking moon. The young woman may have come with them simply because Patrick had said she should, but now Annie fully understood the danger her brother was in and, quite rightly, it obviously terrified her.

Lucas and Thomas were waiting at the arranged meeting place, as was Old Ian. Leaving the horses to the care of the old man and his sons, Katerina led the others into the caves. It was not going to be easy having a youth and a pretty woman staying with them, but there was no choice. The moment they entered the well-lit hall, Katerina also realized that someone should have told Annie that she was not dead, for the moment Katerina pushed back the hood of her cloak, the young woman took one horrified look at her and fainted into Patrick’s arms. Patrick, the rogue, grinned like a fool.

Thomas!” Katerina hurried to get some cloths and water to bathe Annie’s face after Patrick settled the unconscious woman on the table. “Didnae ye tell your sister that I hadnae died?”

“Nay, ye said it was a secret,” he replied as he moved close to the table to stare at his sister in concern. “I gave my word to tell no one and my sister is someone, aye?”

“I hadnae meant your own sister.”

“When I talked to her at the inn, she spoke of ye as dead,” said Lucas. He smiled faintly at Thomas. “It might have been a kindness to tell your sister, lad, if only to save her from going to Lady Katerina’s grave. Still, ’tis good that ye ken how to keep your word.”

“She went to my grave?” Katerina asked in shock even as she gently bathed Annie’s pretty round face with cool water.

“Aye,” replied Lucas. “When she thought me a holy mon, she asked if ’twas a sin to say prayers o’er the unconsecrated grave of a suicide. She didnae really believe ye had killed yourself, though.”

“’Tis odd, but that is one of the things that angers me the most about all of this. How dare Agnes let people think I committed such a sin.”

“Myself, I think I would be more annoyed by being tossed o’er a cliff into a loch,” drawled William.

Katerina had to fight a smile and ignored the way Thomas and the men all grinned. It was difficult, however, not to stare at Lucas. With the grin on his face and the light of
laughter in his fine eyes, he looked so much like the man she had fallen in love with that it hurt. The way his somber, almost angry expression returned so quickly, hurt even more, for she knew now that part of it was caused by his belief that she had betrayed him.

A soft groan from Annie drew her full attention, and Katerina gladly accepted the tankard of wine William handed her knowing Annie would probably need it. For a brief moment after Annie opened her eyes, she looked confused, but then her gaze settled on Katerina again and she turned even paler. With her free hand, Katerina grabbed Annie’s hand and held it tightly, hoping that touch would reassure the woman.

“Dinnae ye faint on me again, Annie,” Katerina said sternly. “Drink this,” she ordered and handed the woman the wine.

“Ye arenae dead,” Annie said in a soft, unsteady voice before she gulped down nearly half the wine. “Why would everyone say ye are dead when ye arenae?” She gasped. “And who did they bury?”

Katerina rocked back on her heels and stared at Annie for a moment, all too aware of how everyone was staring at her and waiting for an answer. She tried to think of her grave as little as possible, for it gave her the chills. Agnes had put up a very nice stone and played the grieving sister with skill according to some of the others. Katerina had never wondered if anything or anyone had actually been put beneath that stone, however.