Page 68 of The Mad Highlander
“How did he get me out of there?” Ashton asked.
“Laird O’Brien did. He?—”
“Laird O’Brien!” Ashton gasped. He looked around the healer’s hut, and his head lolled for a moment before he composed himself. “We’re somewhere else. Where are we, Iris?”
“Castle O’Brien,” Iris replied.
“I dinnae understand. What’s goin’ on?” Ashton reached out and took the cup of ale from Astrid when she brought it. He took a mouthful by himself, his energy flooding back as he tried to make sense of the situation.
“It’s a long story, but I am to wed Laird O’Brien in exchange for him savin’ ye.”
Ashton’s eyes widened. “Nay, ye dinnae have to. I willnae let ye. I’ll speak to him, and I’ll deal with him meself.” He almost spilled his ale as he ranted.
Iris placed a hand on her brother’s arm. “Dinnae worry about that, Ashton. I’ve been here a while, and I will marry him. He’s nae the mad laird we have all been told of, and—och! None of that matters right now. I can explain it all later. All that mattersis that war is comin’ between the O’Brien clan and the Murdoch clan, and they might be headed to this castle as we speak. It’s worse than just that, though. Laird O’Brien is convinced that Tristan has some part of it. That he will march with Laird Murdoch. I tried to tell him that he isnae part of it, but I’m worried that he will attack McCabe Castle when he is done with Laird Murdoch.”
Ashton looked into his ale, clearly thinking.
“I ken this is a lot to take in, but ye have to speak to him. Ye have to tell him about Tristan,” Iris begged.
Ashton took a moment before he spoke. He took another mouthful of ale and shifted in the bed to become more comfortable. “I wondered how it had happened when they ambushed us.”
Iris’ breathing started to quicken. “What do ye mean?”
“When Tristan sent me up north of our castle, it was to check for missin’ livestock which didnae sit right with me. It was a menial task for me to do, but I didnae question him. I assumed it was part of me trainin’. He sent me with a handful of villagers who had only gone because of the coin they were promised. I should have kenned then that somethin’ was wrong.”
Iris leaned forward in her chair, not daring to ask any questions. She hoped beyond hope that the Laird was wrong, and her cousin was not behind any of it. The hair on the back of her neck began to prickle.
“When we got to the northern fields, we were attacked out of nowhere. There were three times as many of them as there were of us. We were off travelin’ roads. Either they stumbled across us somehow, or they kenned we would be there. There was no warnin’, and they didnae say a word as they attacked. They killed every man I was with and took me prisoner. I tried to fight back, but there were too many.”
Ashton shook his head and took another mouthful of ale. He was far too young to lament the loss of others.
“They took me to Murdoch Castle and tossed me in the dungeon. No one visited me—not the Laird or the captain of the guards. I was brought enough food to keep me alive and was kept there without being told why. I have a vague recollection of being rescued, and if it were the mad laird, I would very much like to shake his hand.”
“What are ye sayin’?” Iris could not control the beating of her heart or the sharpness of her breath. She didn't want to hear it but needed to.
“It was him,” Ashton confirmed. “Tristan sent me up there to be captured by Laird Murdoch. He sent me out there to start a war.”
“I have to go,” Iris told him. “I need to speak with the Laird. I’ll come back to ye as soon as I can.”
“I’m fine,” Ashton assured her. “Go and thank him for me. I would have died in that dungeon if he had not come. I owe him me life.”
Iris kissed her brother on the forehead and quickly left the room. She almost ran straight into Thomas, the castle steward.
“Me Lady, I was lookin’ for ye. I need to take ye to safety. Yer brother, too.”
“What?” Iris’ heart beat faster—she could feel it pounding against her chest, threatening to break out. A metallic taste formed at the back of her mouth. “What’s goin’ on?”
“We’ve had reports of an army marchin’ on the castle. They’ll be here sometime after sunrise. We need to get the women and children to safety.”
“Not right now.” Iris held her ground. “I need to speak with the Laird. Get me brother to safety and the others. Ye said sometime after sunrise, aye?”
“Aye, Me Lady.”
“Are ye usin’ the empty larders and tunnels that lead out to the potato fields?”
The castle steward nodded and smiled, impressed with her knowledge. “Aye.”
“I will head down there once I have spoken to Cayden. I ken where to go. Get the others to safety, and I will join as soon as I can.”
