Page 86 of The Defiance of a Scottish Heart
“Of course. Forgive me for my rudeness.” She wished to hug the lass, not just sit in a chair and stare at her.
“You are not rude. I’m wondering if you’ve seen any men behaving oddly. Not doing what they should? Someone different who doesn’t belong? He has to have gone somewhere, and I have not seen him here yet. I thought of all the guards on Mull. Could he have gone to one of your castles?”
Sheona thought for a moment, considering the men on Iona. “I don’t know them well enough, but I can tell you that two men were searching for me at Iona Abbey. One of them was Clyde, an unsavory character who is a guard of my brother’s, though once I tell Sloan what I’ve learned, he’ll be gone. And your brother said that everything is not as it seems. I’m not sure what he meansby that, but possibly there are some evil guards on his land? He overheard a few talking, and it wasn’t something he approved of. I’m not sure. Ask Taskill when he arrives.”
Merryn whispered, “The unsavory character was looking for you specifically? Does that not unsettle you?”
“It does. I wish I could protect myself. I was learning how to use both a spear and a dagger at the abbey. A lass whose mother was Norse taught me the techniques for a spear, but the enormous weapon isn’t something you can carry around with you. I had a dagger that I practiced with a wee bit, but I lost it in the sea. I had it in a sack tied to my waist, but it was gone when we landed.” Along with her dear mother’s necklace, though she didn’t mention it to Merryn.
“Come with me. I’ll teach you how to use a bow, if you’re interested.”
“Truly?”
“Aye. It will give you a feeling of power that nothing else can. It truly will ease your worry not to be solely dependent on a man. My aunt Alma had an archery field set up just for me after everything happened. I love it.” Merryn got up and took Sheona by the hand, leading her out the door through the kitchens.
And Merryn was right. Sheona fired off three arrows before she found her rhythm and fell in love with archery. It was difficult and she wasn’t verra good at it, but she would persist until she could use it well enough to scare someone away. A dagger worked, but she’d have to be close to her attacker to use it. This gave her a better weapon. They practiced for quite a while before Merryn froze.
“What’s wrong?” Sheona asked, looking over her shoulder.
“Hush for a moment, please.” Merryn crept around the back of the curtain wall, following the sound of men on horseback outside the castle. They were a distance away, but the lassescould overhear the men yelling because they were galloping so fast.
All of a sudden, Merryn took off toward the staircase at the rear of the fortress, running up so she could follow the curtain wall around. “It’s him. I’ve heard that voice before.”
Broc came flying out of the keep, chasing after her. “Merryn, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Hush, Broc,” she called back. “It’s him.”
The horses followed a path toward the front of the castle but then headed in the direction of the village.
Merryn was overcome with emotion, more than she could handle. Sheona’s insides twisted with the pain Merryn carried inside her. What a horrible situation. Taskill came behind Broc and caught up with Sheona as she followed Merryn.
Merryn screamed, “You bastard! Come back here and I’ll fight you!” She leaned over the wall too far, nearly losing her balance.
Broc bellowed, “Merryn! Be careful.”
One man looked at her and cackled, an evil laugh unlike she’d ever heard before. Then she scowled. The man looked familiar. Sheona’s knees buckled and Taskill caught her.
Dermot appeared behind Taskill. “Who was that?”
Merryn still hollered as loud as she could. “Come back here! Are you afraid of a lass?”
But the other men on horseback ignored her, instead the group of seven horses continuing on their journey. Who were they all?
“Sheona!” her father bellowed. “Who was it?”
She turned around to her father and said, “One man was Clyde. I think it was Clyde. The other was one of Tristan’s guards. His name is Percival or Roger, I think.”
Dermot turned around and hurried down the staircase.
“Da! Where are you going?”
“I’m going after that bastard Clyde. I’ll string him up by his bollocks, then cut them up and stuff them in his mouth. Make him chew on his own in front of me. Then I’ll kill him slowly. How dare he try to touch my daughter.”
Rut whispered, “Oh, Dermot …” She fanned herself with a linen square.
Chapter Forty-Five
Taskill
