some of his men, including Morgann, rode home from Kilmarnock. They stopped to rest their horses by the river Irvine. John was restless and went to the water’s edge. He lost his footing and fell into the freezing water. The current was pulling him farther away from shore. Some of the men jumped in to save him but they, too, were swept away. With no time to think, Morgann jumped in. He swam with the current, directly to the steward and managed to grab hold of him. He swam back with John in his arm, but his limbs were too numb to go back for the other two.
When the captain, who had just returned from hunting their lunch, saw what was happening, he dove into the water and saved the other two men.
John threw Morgann a celebration that night and asked the captain to personally train him.
At first, Morgann had been happy to train with the captain, until John came to him and demanded that he find out if the captain was truly loyal to him. How about his men? Morgann couldn’t refuse. So, while he was training under the captain’s tutelage, he was also keeping his eyes on the captain and his men.
He didn’t report everything to John. Mac and the others questioned many things the steward did, but Morgann never spoke of any of it.
When John ordered Sister Silene’s death, Morgann didn’t want them to do it. He went with MacKinny and D’Ato to stop them. But the captain would never believe him. He was a traitor. That was all that mattered.
No one came home to the cottage. It was empty, abandoned. He thought he saw a couple going toward a house on the hill. He thought of calling out to them but he’d have all the MacPhersons on him in ten breaths.
Something moved above him. He looked up again, afraid to see one of them aiming an arrow at his heart.
He saw nothing.
Wait!
Those were not branches. They were planks nailed into the boughs. It took ballocks for someone to run around so high up. One wrong move…
The captain had told them that he and the other children at the stronghold were taught to climb and run in the trees. The captain had taught some of his men. Morgann and Padrig had never done it.
He caught a movement in the canopy. “Who are ye?” he called up.
Silence. And then… a kitten’s meow? What the—? Someone or something stepped over a few more of the planks and branches drooping closer.
Finally, Mac fell from the low branches and strode to Morgann. His dark eyes flashed like fire while he looked Morgann over. “What are ye doin’ here?” he asked. “Bound to a tree?”
Morgann was too afraid to tell him.
No. What’s the worst Mac could do? Kill him? He’d prefer it to what his life would be like now.
“I betrayed the captain.”
Mac stepped closer. Close enough for Morgann to see the captain’s wee kitten tucked in Mac’s cloak. “How did ye betray him?”
“What are ye doin’ here?” Morgann demanded, trying to avoid what was to come.
“Whatever ’tis,” Mac said with a smirk. “I’m not the one tied up.”
“I’m cold and hungry, Mac.”
The scarred, scruffy Highlander pulled out a knife. He hooked the blade under the rope and, with two strokes, cut Morgann free.
Morgann fell to his knees because his legs were numb. He could not rise.
Mac pulled a blanket from his saddlebag and tossed it around Morgann’s shoulders.
“We canna build a fire, but we can take shelter in the house.”
Morgann looked up at him. “Why are ye helpin’ me?”
“It canna be all that bad if the captain didna kill ye.”
He reached down by the side of the door and pushed a black rock over to reveal a metal key. He winked at Morgann and inserted the key into the door. “The captain told us aboot the keys a few years ago.”
The door opened. Morgann’s heart was racing so hard he thought it might fall from his mouth. If any of the patrolling guards saw them, they would be shot.
They entered the cottage and without lighting any candles, found the bed. Mac fell onto it, holding up his palm when Morgann would have protested. “Ye were tied to a tree a few moments ago. Be thankful ye have walls around ye and a roof over yer head.”
Morgann said nothing. He had no defense.
“Now, tell me of yer betrayal,” Mac insisted while he let Daffodil out of her shelter.
“Can we sleep and—”
“No,” the