A Fire Within (These Highland Hills, Book 3) by Kathleen Morgan

in front of her and held it out to him.
"Fear not, my braw warrior. I wouldn't waste a good cup of tea
on the likes of ye."
    He made a disgusted sound and filled her cup, then poured
out his own. Turning next to his own meal, Dar ate in silence,
glaring at her all the while.
    For the most part, Caitlin kept her gaze focused on her food.
From time to time, however, she glanced up and glowered back
at him. To add to his chagrin, from the corner of his eye, Dar saw
Kenneth fight the smile that kept creeping onto his face.
    They were soon on the road. Compliments of last night's rain,
the mists were heavy that morn and the air thick with dampness.
It didn't take long before their clothing was coated with a light
dew. As the sun rose higher and higher into the sky, however, the
mists began slowly to dissipate.
    Up ahead, Dar noted thin trails of smoke rising past the trees.
Relief filled him. They had finally come upon a village.
    He turned in his saddle to look at Kenneth. "Since it would
appear far too suspicious to ride into the village with a bound
and verra disgruntled woman, not to mention she'd shriek to the
high heavens that we've abducted her, it's best ye go in alone and
obtain the provisions."
    His friend laughed. "Aye, I can imagine it now if we brought
the lass along. What would ye like me to purchase?"
    "Ideally, several days' worth of oat or barley bannocks already
baked, but, if not, the flour, lard, and other ingredients to make
them. Also, some smoked salmon or salted herring, two goodsized rounds of cheese, and a bit of butter. We've enough tea left
to make five or six more pots, and we are on the road, so the
meals must of necessity remain simple affairs."
    Kenneth nodded. "I shouldn't be more than an hour."

    "We'll await ye here under the shade of the trees. Just do what
ye must and be quick about it. The sooner we're gone from here,
the better."
    "So, ye think I'm a shrieker, do ye?" Caitlin inquired as they
watched the bard ride away.
    Dar glanced down at her. "I think ye're capable of whatever
it'd take to make yer escape. Though I'll admit I've yet to hear
ye shriek."
    "The only shrieking I'll be doing is from joy when my brother
catches up with ye."
    "And that keeps me awake at night, it does, sleepless with
worry.
    "He's a braw warrior, my Niall is."
    "And ye imagine I'm not?"
    She tilted her head back to look at him. "Och, ye're braw
enough, I suppose. Leastwise from the looks of ye. But since I've
yet to see ye in any fight, man to man, that is, I really cannot say
what kind of a fighter ye are."
    "If all goes as I hope," Dar said, chuckling, "t'e'll likely be
spared such a grisly sight."
    Caitlin turned back to stare at the road ahead. "Ye mean the
grisly sight of ye being hacked to pieces, I assume?"
    He laughed. "Och, lass, but ye never fail to amuse me. That
is, when ye're not driving me to the brink of aggravation."
    "Well," she replied with a sniff, "I can't say as how ye do aught
for me but aggravate. But then, who'd find any pleasure in being
ripped from their home and family, and being subjected to all
ye've subjected me to so far?"
    Immediately, Dar sobered. "Truly, lass, I wouldn't have done
it like I did, if I'd had any other choice."
    "And why is yer brother so important in all this? Rumor has
it ye two haven't been the closest of friends since ... since even before his betrothed died. I'd wager ye're the last person he'd
expect to come to his rescue."

    "Aye, that may well be." Dar hesitated. He really didn't care
to go into some long explanation about his clan's welfare. What
would Caitlin care, one way or another? "He's now clan chief,
of a clan proscribed and doomed to extinction to be sure, but
chief nonetheless," he said at last. "And, despite what the rest of
ye may hope and in spite of ye, we MacNaghtens are determined
to survive."
    Caitlin turned to glance back at him. "Do ye imagine I wish
ye and yer clan dead?"
    "Why not? Isn't