Page 77 of The Daughters of Avalon
“Soon,” Malcom said.
The boy’s father scratched the back of his head. “We’ll be hoping you mean that,” he said, and then he turned to Elspeth, saying, “My Lady, clearly, ye’re husband has the manners of a boor. I am Cameron MacKinnon and I’ve known this rude fellow since he was a boy fresh off his father’s knee.” And then he turned to the man beside him, introducing him as well. “Caden Mac Swein,” he said. “From Inverness.”
“Inverness?” Elspeth said.
Caden nodded. “An’ ye’re welcome tae visit any time, my lady. I’ve three lassies of my own, and a wee boy the same age as Davie here. My wife would welcome the company.”
Elspeth turned to her husband and said, “It would please me to know them.”
“We’ll see,” said Malcom curtly, and he cast both men a narrow-eyed glance. Elspeth sensed the underlying tension.
Caden Mac Swein forced a smile. “The offer stands,” he said, and for the remainder of the meal, they shared a lively enough conversation—lively enough that one might never have known these men were at odds. But Elspeth felt the strain. It was subtle but certain. It prickled the hairs at the back of her nape, though she didn’t have a feeling of danger… not precisely.
“So, then, how’s that filly o’ yours?” Cameron asked, and her husband stiffened, giving his cousin an odd glance.
“She fares well enough… so long as you stay clear of her. I’ve already lost two without any help.”
“Aye well, mayhap if ye’d stop naming them sae morbidly ye’d better keep one.” And the look that passed between them after that was… unpleasant. It didn’t take a witch to sense the ill will between them, but Elspeth didn’t comprehend any of the undercurrents of their conversation.
Wee Davie said, looking straight at Elspeth, “Uncle Mal ga’e me a bow.”
“Very good,” she said.
“It’s a Welsh bow. He brought it all the way from Wales. Said he nicked it from some Welshman.”
“Oh,” said Elspeth, frowning. Sometimes it was too easy to forget who Malcom was—a mercenary for his king. And now she wondered who it was that had died in Wales to give up that bow his nephew so innocently exulted over. It was a gentle reminder that, no, all was not precisely well. No matter how she felt about Malcom, there were troubles yet to come. And… there was that vision she’d of Merry Bells that made her fear trouble was closer than it seemed.
Elspeth blinked as last night’s imagery flashed before her eyes. Merry Bells… her coat turning red… but then she remembered something else about her vision… something thathadn’t stood out to her last night, because she’d not known Cameron then. It was his livery… or more precisely the sigil emblazoned on the front… a red lion, rampant on a yellow field with a maxim that read:Nimo Me Impune Lacessit.If she remembered correctly, that was the sigil of the Scot’s king.So, if David or Cameron could be the man holding the longbow… could the raven be her mother?
Really, she was ill-practiced at interpretation. And she really hadn’t a clue about Merry Bells, or what the blood in her vision portended—or even what Cameron’s part in this should be… but she suddenly had a sense down in her bones that Morwen was coming to Aldergh. And, when she considered that, she realized that, somehow, Malcom’s cousin was the means to defeat her.But how?What did it all mean?
Disheartened, and heavy-hearted, she leaned back, letting the men talk amongst themselves.
So much for putting her attention into her household. Evidently, until the matter with Morwen was settled, there would be no starting over.
The men were still conversing, but Elspeth was no longer listening. She only wished her visions could be more specific, instead of leaving her with a puzzle to decipher.
She knew that Merry Bells was named after a dog… could the cousins’ strife somehow be connected?
Malcom had said he’d lost two already—did he mean he’d lost two horses both bearing the same name?
Cameron said he must stop naming animals so morbidly. What did that have to do with the man on horseback with the longbow? Anything?
Meeting the little boy’s gaze, watching him chew his meal with his mouth open, while he watched her curiously, Elspeth picked at a fingernail.
The two visions didn’t necessarily have to be connected, but if Morwen was the raven perched on Aldergh’s tower… mayhap the man with the longbow was equally symbolic—King David, perhaps?
So, obviously, her mother was a threat to Aldergh… but the raven wasn’t flying in… it wasalreadythere… which meant… the threat was not imminent but immediate. Suddenly, her heart thumped with fear.Was Morwen already here?
It was entirely possible. They had not precisely traveled at great speed. Malcom had taken his time, reluctant to push Merry Bells after the trek to Wales and back…
Elspeth frowned suddenly. Malcom believed he could protect her, but Elspeth knew better. There was no way any one person alone could defeat her mother—save possibly Rhiannon—and theremustbe a reason Rhiannon had insisted Elspeth ride north.Why?What could Elspeth do differently here than she might do elsewhere?
The key must be Malcom and his connection to—and then it occurred to her… itwasDavid. Despite all his waffling, she was quite certain David supported Matilda. But Malcom had long ago broken faith with his kinsmen. As the lord of Aldergh, he served Stephen faithfully—unless…
“Isn’t that right, Lady Aldergh?”
Elspeth looked up from her musing, confused. “What?”
