Page 53 of The Defiance of a Scottish Heart
Taskill looked at Lennox, who nodded to him. “We’re not sure. It was suggested by the abbess that it was a possibility.”
Dyna sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that. I wish we could help, but I don’t have that ability. I only see what’s still to come.”
Taskill said, “I was hopeful. Have you any suggestions?”
Dyna said, “Staying with the nuns where she can think on her life may be the best thing for her at the moment, especially if something did happen. Her father is going back in a sennight, is he not?”
Taskill sighed. “He says so, aye.”
“Then I would let her stay so she can reflect on everything.” Dyna’s gaze caught on Tora as she dropped her sword, stared up at the ceiling, then ran over to Connor. Dyna’s gaze locked on her daughter and whispered, “Nay, Tora. Nay. Please. No more.”
Tora climbed up on Connor’s lap, causing everyone to stop what they were doing to watch the lass who had a solid reputation as a seer. They’d all seen it happen multiple times.
She cupped her grandfather’s face and said, “Those bad men are after her.” Then she pushed against Connor’s chest to climb down from his lap.
“Who, Tora?” Connor asked, holding her hand. “They’re after who?”
She climbed back up and said, “Sona. At the abbey.” Then she climbed down and ran away.
“Who are the men?” Connor asked, but Tora’s moment of seeing had passed.
And every face turned to Taskill, who stood so quickly he nearly lost his footing.
“I’m going after her, Lennox.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brynja
Brynja tiptoed out of her bedchamber in the middle of the night. She’d had one of those dreams that she hated. They always awakened her, so she had to follow whatever she was told.
This time it was a wee lass telling her two evil men were after someone close to her. She climbed out of bed right away and dressed to go to the boat launch area.
Picking up her spear, she grabbed three daggers from her hiding spot and tucked them into the folds in her trews. She vowed to get more leggings from Simone someday, but that could wait.
Heading straight for the sea, she heard oars in the water, and her resolve grew. She had no idea how the dreams came to her, but they did, and they were always right. On one occasion, she’d gone to Simmy and told her to go to MacLean land because there were boats headed that way.
Simmy had thanked her profusely later. She’d been right about her instincts, though she’d not told Simmy how she’d known about the trouble. Brynja had only confessed to getting an inkling that she couldn’t ignore. She didn’t know how else to explain it.
She hid behind thick brush to watch, so she knew how many she had to handle. A smile crept across her face when she saw the two men arguing as they approached the shore.
“She’s mine. Her brother gave her to me long ago. He swore to it. Promised me. You can have her when I’m done with her.”
“Hell nay. Whose boat is it? Mine. Without me, you’d never get here or get anywhere near her. Now shut up so we’re not caught.”
“For Christ’s sake, they’re nuns. Who’s going to come for us?”
Brynja stepped out of the brush, her spear in her left hand and a dagger in her right. “I will. I’ll come for you anytime you come near our isle. Turn your boat around or pay the price.”
The two men took one look at her small stature and laughed in unison.
Brynja threw one dagger and caught the closer one in the shoulder, and it sunk deep in the flesh. His bellow echoed through the night. “I have three more daggers and two spears. The big ones go in your chest. One each. The daggers are for other choice places.”
They still didn’t move, so she launched another dagger, catching the second man not far from the vee between his legs. His shout was louder than the first.
“The next one will hit your bollocks. Gwyneth Ramsay taught me.”
The two collapsed in the boat and rowed away, the fear in their faces visible in the light of the moon.
