He handed me the pick and waited patiently as I dislodged stones and dirt from her shoes. Once finished, I exchanged the pick for a hard brush. Now it was my turn to wait as my relative combed Mabel from neck to rump.
Often in Doon, the grooms in the royal stable had lamented that my horse was intolerant of any touch that wasn’t mine. She was known to nip and pass wind as the stable boys attended her. To my astonishment, she took to Alasdair as if she were his own. Under his cooing affirmation, Mabel gentled, as compliant and eager to please as a young mare.
I followed behind my relative with the hard brush. As soon as I reached Mabel’s barrel, she rewarded me with a pinching bite on my left hip. While I scolded my beloved horse, Alasdair sputtered with amusement. “Mayhap ye’ve neglected this fine beastie too long, lad.”
“She’s been well taken care of,” I assured him.
“And none too happy about it, I see.” He laughed again as he moved around to her other side. As he combed her neck, he peered at me over her broad back. “Since ye’ve got so much that needs lookin’ after, perhaps you’d allow me to tend ta her daily ministrations. My gnarled hands are not good for much, but she seems to take to ’em just fine.”
I watched Alasdair for a moment, trying to make my mind up about him. “May I ask ye a question? Why did you run—as the miracle was happenin’?”
He paused in tending to my horse. “We were at odds—the king and I. He desired to petition the Protector for sanctuary. I wanted to flee. Ye see, I dinna believe his prayers would work.
“But even in my lack of faith, as I ran away like a coward, the Protector still gave me another chance—when I was suspended on the bridge with one foot in Doon and one in Alloway.”
I nodded. I’d heard this story at every clan gathering since I was a wee bairn. “That’s when the witch pulled you into the modern world.”
“It wasn’t her fault. ’Twas mine. Even in the face of a second chance, I hesitated. All Adelaide did was seize the opportunity. She was cast out of the kingdom forever and I was the final blow she could strike at the king. My brother and I were close, and she saw to it that we’d be apart for all of eternity. Running away—leaving my brother when he needed me most—is my greatest regret.”
His words shattered the serenity of the stable. I began brushing Mabel’s rump, my eyes on my task to avoid letting the man see the full weight of my emotions.
Alasdair worked his way down Mabel’s side until we stood face to face. “What eats at you, lad?”
I continued to avoid his gaze . . . Because I couldn’t tell him how I really felt about abandoning Jamie. I couldn’t tell anyone. But there were other matters I could discuss.
“Our people.” So many lives were dependent on Mackenna and me—and not just for their happiness, but for their very survival. “Is it right to return to Doon when I could be lea-din’ them into slaughter? Mayhap it’s better if we can’t make it home. We could build a life here in Alloway . . . But if we don’t go, are we sealing the fate of those left on the other side of the Brig o’ Doon? I don’t know what to do. Jamie was groomed to make these types of decisions; I wasn’t.”
“I see your point, laddie.” Alasdair switched the comb for a soft brush as I moved to Mabel’s other side. Again on opposite flanks, we worked our way down the horse. After a heavy pause, he said, “As someone who’s been challenged with patience for thousands of years, I’ve learned that the Protector reveals what we need to know exactly when we need to know it.”
Noting my frown, he cleared his throat. “Put another way, it’s all right for ye not to have all the answers at present. Have faith that the course will be made clear when it is time to take action.”
As I pondered the auld man’s advice, the barn door flew open and Greta burst inside.
Red-faced, the girl panted as she stopped in front of the stall. “There ye are, m’Laird! Fiona sent me to fetch ye. More have come.”
At first I thought the girl was referring to the afternoon’s combat lessons. But the agitation