Entrusted to a Highlander (Highland Promise Trilogy #2) - Donna Fletcher Page 0,106

recalled how King had attacked the men that had meant Purity harm when he had first come upon her in the woods. “I’ve also seen with my own eyes the damage King can cause those who attempt to harm Purity.”

“Let’s hope this matter can be settled soon and peace can finally prevail,” Royden said.

“We’ll find no peace until we find our sister,” Arran reminded.

“I’ve sent men to track down any small bit of information heard about her, but it’s always the same. They hit a dead end.” Royden shook his head in frustration. “It’s as if she suddenly disappeared. Though I’ve noticed that one bit of information keeps repeating.”

“That she was taken by a band of thieves,” Arran said.

“You heard that as well.”

“Several times and it didn’t set well with me,” Arran confessed.

“I’ve felt the same,” his brother agreed. “I don’t like to think what she may have gone through if the tale is true.”

“And Raven’s chances of surviving would not be good,” Arran said.

“You underestimate your sister,” Purity said as she approached the two men.

Arran hooked his wife around her waist with his arm when she got near enough and hugged her to his side.

“She’s got a good point,” Royden said, memories of his sister bringing a smile to his face.

“That is true,” Arran agreed, holding back a laugh. “The thieves may have run from her.”

Royden’s laughter got Arran laughing.

“Raven could be a handful,” Royden said.

“Handful? She was impossible at times,” Arran reminded.

“Raven will come home when the time is right,” Purity said, doing her best to keep the brothers from searching for her as she’d been requested to do.

Royden looked to Arran. “You think Raven hides?”

“She was always good at it, especially when she didn’t want to do something Da ordered her to do.”

“That’s true,” Royden agreed. “She’d take herself off and we wouldn’t be able to find her.”

“And we got admonished for not keeping an eye on her,” Arran recalled.

“Numerous times,” Royden added. “But this is different. She’d have her hiding spots and would show up when ready. She had no hiding spot to go to, so where did she go and how did she survive? That’s what concerns me.”

“We need to keep searching,” Arran said.

Panic rose in Purity. She couldn’t let them keep searching. “What if your searching does Raven more harm than good? What if someone else searches for her and keeps watch over your search for her. If you find her, you will lead them straight to her. And don’t you think if Raven felt safe to return home, she would have returned home by now?”

“What if she can’t?” Royden argued, a scowl surfacing. “She could be held captive. We have to make sure. We made a promise to protect her. We can’t fail her.”

“Royden’s right,” Arran agreed. “We have to find her. We’ll take precautions, but we must find her.”

A thought hit her then and she got annoyed that she hadn’t considered it before. What if Abbott Thomas’s abduction had something to do with Raven? Had he known where she was? Could someone have captured him to find out about Raven? And did she share that news with her husband and Royden?

The thought had her at odds. She didn’t like not telling Arran, but she had given her word not to say anything about Raven even to her own brothers. And she was reminded of what the Abbott had said about a plan being in place and it would reveal itself by the start of winter. That wasn’t far off.

“Is something wrong, Purity?” Arran asked, his wife having turned far too quiet.

She was able to respond honestly to him. “I was thinking. Raven is the most courageous woman I know. She managed to help your da to safety during that horrific battle and she brought others to safety as well, and she still managed to escape even though warriors shouted for her to surrender. I believe she is well and will return home soon.”

“Are you saying Raven remained nearby and saw most of the battle?” Royden looked to his stump, hating the thought of what she might have witnessed.

“Aye, I knew where she would go and, as I and the others struggled through the woods to get your father to safety and to get him help, I saw her there.”

“How could you see her if you were a distance from the village?” Royden asked.

“There was no safe place for her to hide. If we found all her hiding places, then the warriors would