scattered around it made him wonder who had her. He knew for certain Nelson and Matthew were there, and he now suspected they’d orchestrated it. However, he didn’t know who the other men were. He’d questioned the dock master, but the man didn’t know the plaid patterns well enough to identify any of them. Brodie had swallowed his anger, instead ordering his men to ride east along Loch Earn’s northern shore. It was away from MacDougall land, but it would take them toward the Rosses. When he considered who he’d seen Liam and Nelson associating with, he told Graham that they could take her to Edgar’s home at Clyth Castle along the north-eastern coast. He doubted that Andrew MacFarlane would invite them home to hide the kidnapped wife of an ally. If they’d injured Laurel even in the slightest, he would sever his ties to the MacFarlanes and support the Colquhouns, who were the MacFarlanes’ rivals.
“We track them and ride hard. They can’t be that far ahead of us. It’s obvious they made camp here last night since the ground is still warm from their fire, and they only set off an hour before us. The ferry might have made the journey faster than by land, but not by much since we’re riding light. It’s barely two hours past dawn, and we’ve already found where they spent the night.” Brodie looked at Michael once more. He’d ordered the man kept away from him. He didn’t trust himself not to stab Michael if he was within reach. Some Campbell warriors tried to coax Michael to speak, but he’d given nothing away. Brodie learned Wallace was just a lemming who’d followed Michael when he said they could help their laird.
Brodie chided himself for not starting earlier that morning. He might have caught them before they were underway. He was angry and frustrated to discover Laurel had been within two hours’ ride of him. If he’d pushed the men longer the night before or made them rise earlier, he could have found her. But his common sense told him they couldn’t have done either of those things safely. He didn’t have enough men to risk losing more. He’d arrived at Stirling with two score men. He’d lost nearly a dozen fighting the MacDougalls. He couldn’t afford to lose more since he didn’t know how many men his nemeses rode with.
If Edgar was leading Laurel’s captors to Clyth Castle, they had a ten-day ride ahead of them. Brodie told himself that gave him plenty of time to catch them. He gritted his teeth when he acknowledged to himself that he would pass near Balnagown on the way. It would still be a sennight’s ride, but he could seek the help of his father-by-marriage if he didn’t find Laurel first.
Brodie looked north and considered how to implement his plan. He needed a strategy, and he needed to consider logistics. Chasing after Laurel wouldn’t guarantee that he ever caught up to them, even if he wanted to believe he could. He couldn’t count on Nelson not to harm her before he reached her. And while he believed Monty would help him, he couldn’t be sure Laird Ross would. He picked up a twig and squatted beside the footprints. He drew the topography that he faced between where they’d stopped and Balnagown, then added the route to Clyth. He studied his map as he pictured the landscape, judging where he and his men could gain speed and ground over Laurel’s captors. His goal was now to get ahead of them, taking a stand where he chose.
“We abandon the road for the open land. I plan to be waiting for them at Dalwhinnie. If not there, then before they reach Inverness. They’ll likely follow the road and skirt the Cairngorms, but may sail up Loch Tay. If they do, we can catch them at Kenmore. Regardless of whether we find Lady Campbell there, we don’t linger. It’s bluidy Gordon land, and the last thing I need is them involved. We sail from Inverness to Balnagown if we must.” Brodie drew the twig through the dirt to show the route he and his men would travel. It would be even more arduous than the one they’d been on to Kilchurn, but he trusted the Campbell horseflesh. With his resolve to find his wife, he’d seen a shift in his men. He believed they finally understood it wasn’t duty that drove him to find Laurel. It was love.
“Mount!” Graham called