Page 133 of Laird of Smoke
“I give ye my word.”
Fergus snorted.“The word of a mercenary?”
“I’ll tell ye the information.’Tis up to ye whether ye believe it or not.”
“Fine.Tell me your information.”
“I heard tell the king is plannin’ a siege.”
Fergus’s eyes widened.“On the Fergus stronghold?”
“Aye.”
“When?”
“After All Souls Day.”
“All Souls Day is…” He stopped to calculate.“A fortnight hence.”
“There’s more.”
“What more?”
Adam hesitated.He needed to play to Fergus’s expectations of him as a mercenary.“That will cost ye an extra oatcake each morn.”
Fergus looked disgruntled.“Done.”
“He’s got the Rivenloch warriors with him.”
Fergus paled.
“And he’s waitin’ for the English troops to arrive.”
“English troops?”Fergus barked.“What English troops?”
“Malcolm has forged an alliance with Henry.They’ve joined forces against ye.”
That was a lie.But it served to rile Fergus.His face contorted with rage.
“What?”
No doubt the news would upset Fergus.He was counting on Henry siding with him against Malcolm.
Fergus snagged Adam by the front of his hauberk and drew him up short.“Ye’d better be tellin’ me the truth.”
Adam resisted the urge to shove the laird away.Instead, he gave him a grim smile.“Why would I lie?Ye’re payin’ me fairly.And now, with the extra provisions of ale and oatcakes…”
“If I find ye’ve led me astray…” Fergus threatened.
Adam shrugged.“M’laird, they already outnumber us by half, e’en without the English.If we attack on the morrow as planned?With the Rivenlochs in their ranks, we’ll lose half our men.”
“Lucifer’s ballocks!”Fergus let go of him and began to pace, rubbing an angry hand over his beard.
“I do have an idea,” Adam offered.
“What?”he spat, unimpressed with the guidance of a common mercenary.“What idea could ye possibly have?”
“Ye have one clear advantage,” Adam told him.“Ye know he’s comin’.Ye know where and when.And ye know we’re outnumbered.If we lay low for the next fortnight, we’ll lose no more troops.And there will be time to gather up the provender to withstand a siege.”
