“Brina. Go. To. Sleep.”
But Brina couldn’t stop worrying that Gunnolf and Lynette would make it to Wynne’s shieling safely. Brina was so glad to meet her grandmother and so happy to learn about her sister, but she still feared for them if Seamus should discover them. She knew Seamus would believe Lynette was coming to her aid once he learned of it, particularly since Lynette had Brina’s horse.
“Will you no’ lie with me so we may both stay warm?” Lynette asked as she made a bed for herself on the floor of the abandoned stone shieling, while Gunnolf made a fire, the thatched roof long gone, the walls still standing. “I may or may no’ be James’s sister.”
He was still considering the lass’s words about her relationship with Wynne. “You are James’s sister?”
“I have heard rumors to that effect.”
He made a bed for himself with enough distance from the lass, but still near the fire to stay warm for the few hours they would sleep before they were on their way again.
“Will you no’ move closer to the fire? I promise I willna bite.” Lynette smiled.
Her actions made her appear grateful that he had come along. Did that mean she was not the woman he was supposed to have found and taken home with him?
“I am warm enough where I am, just as you are. If you are James’s sister, he will make a match for you.”
She laughed in an annoyed way. “You think his mother, Lady Akira, will accept me in her household if she learns her husband had his way with my mother and I was the result of it?”
“You are not to blame for how you came into this world. Lady Akira is kindhearted. She even took me in and raised me with her sons and daughter.”
“She has a daughter?”
Gunnolf shook his head. “She died a couple of years ago.”
“I am sorry to hear that. Do you think Lady Akira willna wish me to be around then, if I remind her that her own daughter is dead?”
“As I said before, Lady Akira is goodhearted. She took me in when I imagine not too many would have wished me to be around. I often fought with James, even though he was six and ten summers at the time and the laird of his clan. I was angry with the world back then, having lost those I loved, but too wounded to journey any further. I slept in the stables for quite a time when I was healed up enough before Lady Akira convinced me to stay with her sons.” Gunnolf sighed. “’Tis a wonder James and his kin did not toss me beyond the curtain wall and let me fend for myself. But they kept me there until I was well enough to truly fight, teaching James and others some of my skills, while they taught me much more.” He shrugged. “After a while, I had become a brother to James and his brothers and cousin, and to his sister for the time that she lived, and realized that I had found a home. If you wish it, you will also.”
He knew it of a certainty. He usually wouldn’t have told anyone so much about himself, but he wanted her to know that she had nothing to fear from the MacNeills.
“Are you afraid of me?” Lynette smiled at him, the light of the flames flickering across her face, her eyes bright and sparkling.
“Nay. Not of you, but of how James would react.”
“Do you think he would wish you to marry me?” She sounded surprised.
“The thought had briefly crossed my mind.”
She smiled wickedly then and laughed a little. “I would tell James you had also slept with my sister, so which lass should you truly wed? Brina’s da would most likely wish you were wed to her and no’ to me.”
“Get some rest, lass. It will not be long before we are on our way again.” But it bothered him that not only did the men working for Robard believe he would insist on Gunnolf marrying his daughter, but that her sister believed the same. He knew James well enough that if he thought Gunnolf and Lynette agreeable, he would have them wed.
Gunnolf had no intention of marrying anyone. How could he help a couple of women in need and suddenly be faced with the prospect of marrying not just one, but either of them, depending on which clan wanted the deed done the most.
If Seamus didn’t take over Brina’s clan first, if Robard was no longer chief, then Seamus would most likely want Brina back. Or maybe not if he believed she was no longer a maid.
Gunnolf finally fell asleep and slept for a few hours, but woke to the sound of horses galloping in the distance. He quickly woke Lynette, put out the fire, helped her onto Brina’s horse, and mounted his own. Then they traveled north again in the early morning hours as the sun began to appear behind the forest and mist again cloaked the whole area.
They didn’t dare speak to each other as they quickly moved out of the area. They still had a few more hours to ride before they reached Wynne’s shieling. Gunnolf was alert as to what was going on all around them and already thinking ahead. He wondered how Brina would take the news when she learned Lynette was her sister. For that matter, how Lady Akira and James would feel when James learned Lynette might be his father’s daughter.
By the time they had reached the MacNeill lands, the horses they’d heard had been left far behind, when Gunnolf spied a middle-aged, portly woman making her way across the glen. She was waving frantically at him, her gray brat fluttering in the breeze, catching his eye. Gunnolf galloped off toward her and when he reached her, he saw she was Olga, one of the midwives for the clan. He knew then from her frantic expression, she was needed at once at one of the shielings.
He pulled her up onto his horse, and she directed him to the right one. “I shoulda been there long before this,” she groused. “But that worthless husband of mine has been off to who knows where and left me without a way to get their quickly.”
“I will have you to the widow’s cottage in no time,” he said, as he heard Lynette ride up beside him. At least he hoped they were in time.
Olga eyed Lynette. “Who be you? Dinna tell me Gunnolf is taking a wife now.”
Lynette smiled. “Nay. No’ me. He may take someone else as his wife though.”
Olga snorted. “You are riding alone with one unmarried maid, but interested in another?”
“Nay,” Gunnolf said. He didn’t need the word to spread through the clan that he was suddenly marrying a lass. It wouldn’t take long before they knew which one that might be when they learned another had joined their clan.
Olga laughed. But then she said, “Hurry, Gunnolf. I dinna have all day. She has been in labor for four days, and I had to see to another mother because she was taking so long. But then I knew I had to return to her and that useless husband of mine…” She continued to rant until they reached the shieling.
He helped Olga off the horse, and she dashed for the door of the shieling, hollering at Lynette to come help her.
Gunnolf helped her down, and then he was about to enter the abode, but Olga said, “Nay, you. Attend to the horses, or something.”
Delivering a bairn could take hours, days, weeks, and so he wasna expecting a baby’s cry so all of a sudden. He’d fed the horses and then paced, and Lynette came out of the dwelling smiling. “It’s a baby boy.”
The midwife poked her head out the door. “I dinna need your help any further, Gunnolf.”
He helped Lynette onto her horse and the two of them rode off.
“She was the one, it seemed, that needed your help,” Lynette said smiling. “She wasna grateful, aye?”
Gunnolf shook his head. “Ja. I am just glad it all worked out.”
“Will you marry Brina?” Lynette suddenly asked.
“Nay. The lass wouldna be interested.”
“Olga said it was past time that you did.”
A few lasses he knew also felt the same way. Each would bring trouble to a marriage, he suspected. Brina more than most with the unresolved situation with her father and Seamus.
They hadn’t ridden very much farther when they saw James with several of his men headed their way. Had he worried about Gunnolf’s safe return? Maybe that he had never returned to the castle to tell him Wynne was all right.
As
soon as he reached him, James scolded, “I canna believe you took off in a snowstorm to help a woman and didna send word.” He inclined his head a little to Lynette in greeting.
“How was I to send word when I was in a hurry to aid the woman? Besides, I am a Norseman. What is a little snow to me?”
James snorted. “Wynne said you got lost and brought home the wrong woman. And now you will have to marry her.”
“I spoke with Brina’s da. He was wounded and in his condition, he might not even live. In any case, he only wanted me to bring her here safely, and he had no intention of me marrying the lass.”
“He is alive?” Lynette asked, looking suddenly very pale.
“Ja, I am sorry, lass. I should have known you would not have had word.” He told her that Robard was in hiding at the moment but would take over the clan again as soon as he could.
“Against Seamus and his men?”
“There are fewer of his men now. We took care of three of them.”
“More will follow him, out of fear, if naught else,” Lynette said.
“As to Brina, that isna the word her da sent to me, Gunnolf,” James said.
Gunnolf glanced at Lynette, thinking that this conversation should be private. “Mayhap we should speak of this after I escort Lynette to her grandmother’s cottage.”
James looked at Lynette. “You are Wynne’s granddaughter?”
“Aye.”
“Where is your mother?”
“Davina married Robard, Brina’s da, but Brina’s mother died in childbirth. Brina’s mother and mine were the same.”
“And your da is…”
“No’ sure.”
“I’ll have one of my men take Lynette to Wynne’s place,” James said.
“Nay. I need to learn if I have aided the correct woman this time.” Though Gunnolf suspected the midwife had been the right woman all along.
“We will go with you and then we will return to Craigly Castle. My mother had been worried about you when you didna return from seeing to Wynne and making sure she was all right during the snowstorm. I had to go there myself and learn what had happened to you both. And what do I find? A lass who had been stolen from her home.”
“What?” Gunnolf said, dumbfounded.
Lynette smiled, but didn’t say a word in his defense.
Had Brina lied to James about what had happened? Or had her father said Gunnolf had stolen her away? He couldn’t believe it.
When they arrived at the shieling, Brina rushed out to greet Lynette, all teary-eyed and smiling. “We are sisters,” she exclaimed, sounding thrilled, then she frowned to see the bruising around her eye. “Who did this to you?”
“One of Seamus’s men, Kemble. But he is dead.”
Gunnolf helped Lynette down from Brina’s horse and the two women embraced. He was glad they were delighted to learn the news, and that Brina was treating her like her long lost family.
“I was afraid you would be upset to learn the truth,” Lynette said.
“Nay. I am so happy.” Brina glanced at Gunnolf. “Thank you for bringing Lynette here.”
Wynne poked her head out the door. “Aye, you got it right, though she is no’ the right lass either.”
“I picked up the midwife and she delivered Tia’s baby.”
“A male. Aye. She was the one. She had a gray cloak, aye?” Then Wynne went back inside.
“She had her visions out of order,” Brina whispered. “You did what you were supposed to do…in the correct order. But I dinna believe she wants to admit it.”
Gunnolf was glad that was settled. “Good. James tells me there is some concern that I stole you from your home.” Gunnolf wanted her to clarify to James that he had done no such thing.
“How could that be?” Brina frowned. “When I was alone as I escaped the castle? If Seamus thinks to spread such a lie to explain why I ran away—“
“Your da sent the missive to me,” James clarified.
Brina’s jaw dropped. Frowning, she said to Gunnolf, “I told you he didna have my best interest at heart. Now it seems he doesna have yours either.”
“Come, Gunnolf. We must talk,” James said. “We will leave the spare horses here so the ladies can use them when they come to the castle. Ladies, will you be needing anything?”
They shook their heads.
“Lady Akira will want to meet with you both. If your grandmother wishes to come, she will be welcome. I will return for you in a few hours. Several of my men will stay here for your protection.”
Then he and Gunnolf inclined their heads a bit to the ladies in farewell. Gunnolf still could not believe Brina’s da would make up such a lie about him and his daughter. Aye, that he might want Gunnolf to marry her because he’d been alone with her. But that he stole her away from her castle? He could understand if Seamus had perpetuated the lie so that he could save face.
Then again, if Brina was right in her assumption that her da was not to be trusted…
“Come.” James motioned in the direction of the castle. As soon as they rode off, the rest of his escort gave them more distance so they could speak in private. “We have a problem.”
“You know I did not steal the lass from her home.”
“You didna even know the woman.” James smiled at him. Then he frowned. “We still need to resolve this.”
“How did you learn of it?”
“A farmer named Cadel came with the news. He must have ridden off right after you left Brina at Wynne’s shieling.”
“Directly from Robard,” Gunnolf said.
“Aye.”
Gunnolf snorted. “He could have ridden with us and helped to protect the lass.”
“Apparently, his mission was to see that his chief’s missive was brought at once to me instead.”
“None of this is true. You only have to ask Wynne.” Gunnolf knew she would tell the truth.
“I have, Gunnolf.” James shook his head. “And I believe you, but you were with the lass all alone.”
“So was I with Lynette.”
James nodded. “She doesna have a da who is a powerful chief and who wishes this wrong righted. You see the predicament I am in.”
“Her da is a wounded chief who might not live. And now this Seamus has taken over the clan so Robard is no longer so powerful. The lass herself would tell you the truth. Her sister even.”
“Who would believe the lasses’ words over the chief? Brina is a lovely lass. You could do much worse. Her da rules his own clan.”
“She is promised to a man named Seamus. And need I remind you who now rules the clan while Robard lies wounded and in hiding?”
“Aye, so you stole the lass before she could wed Seamus, which is acceptable for our kind. According to Brina’s da, she didna wish to be married to the man. Robard said his daughter showed real affection for you. When he questioned if she would rather marry you, she told him she would,” James said. “Therefore he made a pact with you to steal her away if you would wed her and protect her from the brigand who wouldna come to his aid when he was wounded, but left him to die in the glen.”
Gunnolf closed his gaping mouth. He couldn’t believe how the chief had twisted things around to suit his purposes. “He lies. She…doesna even like Norsemen. She said so. One of my kind killed her grandfather.” Gunnolf didn’t believe that the lass had told her father that she wanted to marry Gunnolf when he spoke to her alone. But maybe she had. If so, he still didn’t believe her da had made it her choice. Why else would she have been teary-eyed when she left the room after speaking with him the second time?
“Regardless of what was said, we still have a situation on our hands,” James said.
Gunnolf appreciated James for including him as far as how they were going to handle the matter. The chief could have just said he wanted Gunnolf to rethink his position and make this right. Gunnolf was certain James wouldn’t want either him or the lass to be forced into a marriage they didn’t wish, though gaining support from other clans was
always a good thing.
“What do you propose?” Gunnolf asked.
James shrugged. “We would have an alliance with Robard’s clan if you wed Brina.”
Gunnolf frowned. “If Seamus has not taken over his clan and killed Robard in the meantime.”
James looked thoughtful as they continued their journey to Craigly Castle. “The chief wishes something more of you. He says since you can kill six warriors at once, he wants you to marry Brina, oust Seamus, and take over the clan until he can regain his health. But he will have you serve as his second in command, and once he is no longer able to manage, he wants you to take his place. He has spoken in private with the elders through one of his loyal men and they are against it. But that is because they dinna know you like we do and they also dinna believe you can kill six men at once.”
Gunnolf felt his whole way of life spinning out of control. He couldn’t imagine trying to lead a clan that was against him taking power from the onset. Was the whole business all a lie? What if Robard only wanted him to help him overthrow Seamus and then Gunnolf was no longer needed and was a dead man? “Where did you get that idea? That I can?”
“From the chief. Pray tell, did you tell him thus?” James smirked at him.
“Nay. Only that I had fought six men at once a time or two and had not been successful.”
“It seems he didna believe you or didna want to believe you.”
“And since the man so easily lied about my promise to marry Brina, who is to say he is not lying about wanting me to run things until he is well? That he will not dispose of me once he is in charge again?”
“True. I see your point. Though if he is sincere, you have a couple of choices. One would be to marry the lass with my blessing and her da’s, face Seamus and all the men he has recruited, and win over those who wouldna wish a Norseman to rule.”
“Or?”
“Or continue on as before, fighting my battles, serving as my brother, staying far away from Robard’s lands.”
“And Brina?”
“She can do as she wishes. Marry whom she wishes. Stay here, return there. My wife will most likely want her to serve her as a lady’s companion. She shouldna be living out so far from the castle in the event Seamus learns of it and still wants her. She would have no protection there.”