Highland Warlord - Amy Jarecki Page 0,16

my father’s keep.”

“’Tis why we cannot travel west any longer.”

James arched his eyebrows. The lass had been smart not to question him earlier. “I turned the horse south about an hour past but ’tis difficult to tell with the cloud cover. We needed to give Stirling a wide berth.”

Coira stirred and gave a loud sigh.

“How are you faring, Sister?” James asked, raising his voice.

The maid wiped the spittle from her mouth. “Aside from an insatiable hunger and a pain in my backside, I’m well, thank you.”

Ailish patted the palfry’s neck. “Coira’s not particularly fond of traveling.”

James almost laughed until a pair of burly men stepped out from the trees, crossing their battleaxes and blocking the path.

As he tugged on the reins, he reached for the hilt of his sword, steeling himself for another fight.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said one, baring his teeth as a dozen brigands dropped from the trees and surrounded them.

Spotting a crossbow archer with an arrow trained on Her Ladyship’s heart, James raised his palms in surrender. The leader motioned to one of his men. “Take his weapons. My da will be interested to have a word with these trespassers. That is, unless they’d rather die now.”

Chapter Five

“Stay close to me,” James growled in Ailish’s ear while the outlaws led them deeper into the forest and farther away from Lincluden Priory. “Say nothing.”

She wanted to shake her fists. She and Coira had fared much better on their journey north. Though they’d been stopped by patrols, they had no trouble convincing the soldiers that they were on a pilgrimage to Dunfermline. Now, they were traveling the byways with a knight who was supposed to be protecting them. They’d been gone a day, had nearly lost their horse and mule before dawn, and now were being taken hostage by a mangy lot of tinkers…or whatever they were. Though the scoundrels were Highlanders in speech and dress, she doubted there was an honest man among them.

After riding about an hour higher into the Highlands, the trees opened to a glassy loch. As they continued along the shore, Ailish prayed Sir James would do something soon to enable their escape. Lord knew the tension emanating from his body felt as hot as a smithy’s fire. Surely, he would not allow these brigands to run roughshod over them for long.

Though the odds were not looking good at the moment.

About a mile on, they were once again led into the thicket until the grey walls of a stone tower peered through the skeletons of trees still leafless from winter.

“Dismount,” grumbled a man with a craggy face—the one who’d been issuing orders.

But there were too many of them not to do as they were told.

The cur pointed to James. “You come with me.”

James shouldered himself in front of Ailish. “Not without the nuns. They’re in my charge.”

With a dozen leering eyes raking down her body, she emphatically nodded, ever so glad to be in disguise.

Coira lumbered beside them and scowled. “Och, you lot best never think to defile a nun else ye’ll be damned for eternity!”

A few of the men took a step back. But the leader jabbed James in the shoulder with the butt of his axe. “Move your laggard arse.”

Inside, the walls were crude with exposed stone. Thresh crunched underfoot as they were led into the great hall. A man with grey in his beard sat paring an apple at the head of a table near the hearth.

“We caught these travelers trespassing through Duncryne Forest,” said the craggy-faced varlet.

Slipping a slice of apple into his mouth, the man looked up. “Is that so?”

James’ eyes shifted as if he were assessing everything in the chamber. “We were set upon by English scouts just before dawn. If you retrace our tracks, there are two dead men not far outside of Dunblane. We’re heading south, but I took a wee detour to ensure we ran into no more trouble.”

The man eyed James from helm to mail and tunic to the tips of his boots. “And why is a knight riding with a pair of nuns?”

“To provide safe passage to the borders.”

“For mere nuns?” asked the man while Ailish bit her tongue, praying her escort would not reveal her identity.

James moved his fingers to his sleeve. “I’ve another task to perform. The journey was convenient.”

“Keep your hands where I can see them,” ordered craggy-face.

The man at the table stood and planted his palms on the table. “A task did you say?”

With a