Page 57 of The Mad Highlander
“Aye,” Brodgar replied. “Enough to get us there and back.”
“Guid.” Cayden took a minute to check all the horses. They were traveling as light as possible. Each man had a shortsword anddirk on their belt. The packs on each horse contained a blanket, candle, and tinder box, and enough bread and dried meat for four days of riding. The only problem was ensuring’ enough food for the horses, but they would work it out on the way. There was always something for them to eat and drink.
Cayden patted his horse before he looked at his men and nodded. The seven of them mounted the animals together, and the Laird led the way out of the castle.
He did not ride fast. He ached to get to the castle as quickly as possible, but they would wear out the horses before then. They moved at a moderate pace and quickened or slowed so they would arrive at the time he had informed Hunter.
The seven men rode through the first night and well into the second evening, stopping to rest the horses occasionally and to fill the waterskins. Wherever they found water, the horses drank thirstily. They camped under the stars on the first night in Scallig Forest. They heard wolves howling through the night, but a fire in the middle of their camp kept them at bay.
The second day took them around Loch Oben. It provided a good place to stop and eat. They not only had their fill of water, but they dipped their heads in to refresh. It was late on the second full day of riding that they arrived in the Cumberland Woods.
When Cayden stopped, the other men followed. The woods were not expansive, making them too small to be hunting grounds. The seven men tied their horses to trees and took a final drink of water. Cayden moved around the men, silently patting them onthe shoulders. There was no need for talk, and they didn’t want to risk anyone venturing close to the woods and hearing them.
When everyone had drank, Cayden gestured for them to follow. They moved through the trees in one line, stepping lightly even though they did not have to. The trees started to thin, but the clouds above still gave them ample cover. Cayden stopped behind one of the thicker trees, and he looked into the distance.
If it were not for the three squares of light, he might think they were looking at the night sky. There would be some still awake but not many. As his eyes adjusted, he saw the darkness that was tall in the sky.
There was no time for rest. They had reached Murdoch Castle, and they would infiltrate it that night. The only hope was that they would emerge with Ashton Whyte and disappear into the darkness.
24
“Check yer swords one more time,” Cayden whispered. “Are we all ready?”
“Aye,” the men whispered back.
Cayden let his eyes fall over them. “I didnae choose ye all for yer fightin’ prowess. Ye might nae be the strongest, but ye are certainly the quickest. There might be a scuffle, but we didnae come here to fight our way in and out. We sneak in under the cover of darkness and sneak back out again as soon as we have the lad. I trust each and every one of ye to get the job done.”
And why am I doin’ this? All of this danger just for a wife? Aye, but she’ll make a fine wife.
Cayden saw their heads bob up and down in the darkness as they nodded in agreement—their eyes shone under the sparse moonlight that infiltrated between the wisps of great cloud.
“I chose the six of ye because I trust each of ye with me life,” Cayden added. He placed his hand atop his short sword, triple-checking it was still there, and then he turned to face the castle.
This might be the quietest stormin’ of the castle I have ever been involved in.
Cayden led the men out of the trees. There was some flickering orange light from two of the windows on the west side of the castle they were headed toward, but they would be almost invisible in the darkness below.
The seven men half-sprinted through the longer grass, keeping low and running fast but not fast enough to cause any unwarranted noise until they reached the castle wall. They pinned their shoulders and backs to the cold stone, checking in all directions and listening.
An owl hooted from the woods they had come from but nothing else, and no one else made a sound outside the castle walls. All they had to do was enter the castle and then find a way down to the dungeons. The only problem after that would be freeing the lad from his cell and not getting caught in the process.
I’ll free yer brother, Iris. I cannae wait to see the smile on yer face when I bring him home to ye.
War was coming, but it was not a time for war yet. Murdoch was expecting a visit from Hunter and his men in a couple of days. There would be guards and patrols, but they would be the regular postings. That still posed a problem.
Cayden signaled to his men, and they followed him down the castle wall, keeping close to it and hiding in the shadows. When Cayden got to the end of the wall, he peeked around. They were at the rear of the castle—there was no entry, but there were shorter walls.
The Laird looked toward the top of the lowest wall, and it towered above, cutting an imposing dark shape in the night. He let out a long breath; the wall was taller than he had expected. His knowledge of Murdoch Castle was minimal at best, and there was no time to properly study the building before they entered it.
Me men are skillful. I only have to hope that luck is on me side.
Cayden pointed to two of his men and gestured for them to round the corner and take up positions at the wall. They did so efficiently, striding quickly by Cayden and running to the wall. Cayden gestured to a third man, and he ran to the initial two, and they lifted him up the wall. The third man, Fergus, stood on the two men’s shoulders, facing the wall.
It was Cayden’s turn next. He looked at the ground as he stepped, being careful not to make a sound. He stayed close to the castle wall, walking tall. When he got to the three men, he used them as a human ladder.
The first two men squatted a little, allowing Cayden to use their knees to step on. He held onto the third man as he pulled himself up to the first two men’s shoulders and then climbed up the thirdman until he found footing on his shoulders. The wall was just above head height when he stood up.
Cayden listened. Footsteps approached, dull padding on the stone floor just above. The Laird waited, listening as they got closer and pinning himself to the wall. He looked toward the corner of the castle, and the other three were not visible. He and the three men holding him aloft were. Cayden held his breath.
