Exiles in Time (The After Cilmeri Series) by Sarah Woodbury Page A

nearly a year ago. The traitor,
William de Valence, was famous up here too, though more because his
daughter had just married a Scotsman than because of his plot to
kill King David. Perhaps Alexander MacDougall thought he was a
better man than Valence. Until now, the ins and outs of Scottish
politics had concerned her only when they threatened her
survival.
    “ I can’t tell you,” Cassie
said, “except that the MacDougalls have never been known for their
timidity.”
    “ Did you see what happened
to the prisoners?” Callum said. “Did you see who they
were?”
    Cassie shook her head. “I don’t know
faces. It’s not like the rulers here traipse around to charity
auctions and get their picture taken. I saw twelve bedraggled,
blood-spattered, defeated men.”
    “ What were you doing there
in the first place?” Callum said.
    He had finally asked the question
Cassie had been waiting for since he woke up, before they got
side-tracked by the time travel thing. “I told you about warning
the clan chief about marauders on his land?” Cassie
said.
    Callum nodded.
    “ Lord Patrick and I have an
understanding: I let him know if I see something that might concern
him and he makes sure that nobody bothers me.”
    “ So you spotted the
MacDougalls—when?”
    “ I trailed them all
afternoon,” Cassie said. “Since the MacDougalls are allied with the
Grahams, I would’ve let them go once I found out who they were, but
then they went to ground at the ambush site and didn’t advertise
themselves in the way that they sometimes do. I decided I’d better
stay and see what they were up to—for my own protection if for no
other reason.”
    “ You saved my life,” Callum
said.
    “ Maybe …” Cassie said. “You
would have woken on your own. What would have been bad is if you’d
looked for help from the wrong people and blurted out what happened
without knowing who their friends were. My guess is that once the
MacDougalls realized that King David wasn’t leading the company,
they got out of there as quickly as they could. Do you remember a
man shouting for everyone to stop?”
    Callum nodded.
    “ That was Alexander
MacDougall himself.”
    “ If they’re smart, they’ll
keep the prisoners until they can trade them for immunity from
prosecution,” Callum said.
    “ Good luck with that,”
Cassie said. “Scots aren’t known for their forgiveness.”
    “ At least Robbie got away,”
Callum said.
    “ Who?” Cassie
said.
    “ Robbie Bruce is James
Stewart’s squire,” Callum said. “It was his horse that bolted right
before the MacDougalls attacked.”
    “ I saw that,” Cassie said.
“I’m glad. He looked awfully young.”
    “ So … Lord Patrick,” Callum
said, switching topics without warning. “He never objected to your
way of life or your clothing?”
    “ He objects, but he doesn’t
stop me,” Cassie said. “You have to understand that up here,
everyone who isn’t a lord lives in remote hamlets or isolated huts.
People are vulnerable to raiding parties. My information saved him
a herd of cattle. He repays me by ignoring me.”
    Callum made a gesture that took in the
whole of the room. “And by the loan of some tools?”
    “ That too.”
    “ He’s not going to like it
that this time you’re coming in on the other side,” Callum
said.
    Cassie gave him a long look. “Is that
what I’m doing? Has King David already decided in favor of
Bruce?”
    “ He hadn’t when I left,”
Callum said.
    “ Then I’m on the side of
peace,” Cassie said. “The MacDougalls killed a bishop. They
captured your friends. It may be that Lord Graham doesn’t know what
really happened.”
    “ And if he does and
condones what the MacDougalls have done?” Callum said.
    “ Then we’ll see,” Cassie
said.

Chapter Seven
     
    Callum
     
    C allum got off the bed and didn’t immediately feel like falling
over, which was a good sign. “How far do we have to walk to get to
Mugdock Castle?”
    “ Three miles,”