knowing it was foolish to keep
denying it. “When the Gowans first rode up, I was that surprised that it wasnae my brothers coming
to say, Ha! We have caught ye out, Wren! ’Twould be just like them to do such a wretched thing
once they caught me following them. But ’tis just as weel they werenae close at hand.”
“Why do ye say that? They might have succeeded in keeping ye out of the hands of the Gowans.”
“Aye, but then there probably would have been a lot of dead Gowans and, annoying though they
were, I am nay sure they deserved that harsh a punishment.”
Gregor stared at her, not sure if she was boasting or not. “Ye seem most sure of that.”
Alana nodded. “Verra sure. My brothers are verra good fighters and a little too quick to anger. They
would have seen what the Gowans did as a grave insult. They trained with some of my mother’s
kinsmen who live deep in the Highlands in some verra remote and rough places. Since Donncoill is
fair to bursting with Murray lads, my father offered anyone who wished it a chance to train
elsewhere. My brothers thought it would suit them weel to do so. They saw it as a chance to have an
adventure. They returned as weel-trained warriors, but were verra rough and wild in their ways.
Papa has worked verra hard to civilize them a wee bit.”
“Civilize them? I would have thought that fierce warriors who dinnae quail at the thought of a hard
fight would be most welcome at any keep.”
“Oh, my father doesnae wish to change that. ’Tis just that, weel, it did appear as if that was all they were trained to do. As Papa says, he sent off two beardless boys who had a few manners, and got
back two savages who think a discussion consists of knocking a mon down until he agrees with
what ye say.”
Gregor laughed. “Sounds like many of my kinsmen.”
“There is a gentleness in my brothers, but I think they wouldst rather cut out their own tongues than admit to it.” She glanced over the clothes Gregor wore, from the fine white linen shirt visible
beneath his partly unlaced doublet to his elegant hose and fine boots. “They wouldnae wear such
fine clothes, thinking them too English. They mostly wear their plaids and rough deer-hide boots.
Mama made them don some braies beneath that plaid.” Alana smiled a little when Gregor laughed
again. “She wouldnae tell me what she said or did to convince them, but she must have been verra
persuasive, for they didnae argue much at all.”
“Do ye have any other siblings?”
“Aye. Four. All younger. Three other brothers and another sister. And ye?”
“Dozens. Near all of them brothers. One thing my father does weel is breed sons.” He grinned
briefly at her expression as he helped her over a fallen tree branch. She looked an even mixture of
shocked and intrigued. “My father wasnae faithful to any woman until he married Mab. Many think
he was trying to breed his own army. A lot of us, myself and my siblings, e’en feared he was a bit
mad. But, nay, ’twas an old betrayal that started him down that path. He was and is a good father,
although we didnae see that clear until recently.”
“His bastards live with ye?”
“Aye, at least everyone he kens about.”
“Weel, that is verra good of him.”
“’Tis indeed, although it doesnae excuse him from recklessly breeding so many, making enemies at
every turn, and being unfaithful to every woman he bedded or wedded. He still refuses to
completely mend matters with our kinsmen and take back the name Cameron.”
As they walked, Gregor told Alana several tales concerning his father. Now that they no longer felt
the need to hide exactly who they were, he could speak more honestly about his life and family. He
could even speak about how things had changed since Fiona had come to Scarglas, and all for the
better. The fact that Alana could be amused by such tales, despite her occasional shock, made him
feel good in a way he could not truly describe.
denying it. “When the Gowans first rode up, I was that surprised that it wasnae my brothers coming
to say, Ha! We have caught ye out, Wren! ’Twould be just like them to do such a wretched thing
once they caught me following them. But ’tis just as weel they werenae close at hand.”
“Why do ye say that? They might have succeeded in keeping ye out of the hands of the Gowans.”
“Aye, but then there probably would have been a lot of dead Gowans and, annoying though they
were, I am nay sure they deserved that harsh a punishment.”
Gregor stared at her, not sure if she was boasting or not. “Ye seem most sure of that.”
Alana nodded. “Verra sure. My brothers are verra good fighters and a little too quick to anger. They
would have seen what the Gowans did as a grave insult. They trained with some of my mother’s
kinsmen who live deep in the Highlands in some verra remote and rough places. Since Donncoill is
fair to bursting with Murray lads, my father offered anyone who wished it a chance to train
elsewhere. My brothers thought it would suit them weel to do so. They saw it as a chance to have an
adventure. They returned as weel-trained warriors, but were verra rough and wild in their ways.
Papa has worked verra hard to civilize them a wee bit.”
“Civilize them? I would have thought that fierce warriors who dinnae quail at the thought of a hard
fight would be most welcome at any keep.”
“Oh, my father doesnae wish to change that. ’Tis just that, weel, it did appear as if that was all they were trained to do. As Papa says, he sent off two beardless boys who had a few manners, and got
back two savages who think a discussion consists of knocking a mon down until he agrees with
what ye say.”
Gregor laughed. “Sounds like many of my kinsmen.”
“There is a gentleness in my brothers, but I think they wouldst rather cut out their own tongues than admit to it.” She glanced over the clothes Gregor wore, from the fine white linen shirt visible
beneath his partly unlaced doublet to his elegant hose and fine boots. “They wouldnae wear such
fine clothes, thinking them too English. They mostly wear their plaids and rough deer-hide boots.
Mama made them don some braies beneath that plaid.” Alana smiled a little when Gregor laughed
again. “She wouldnae tell me what she said or did to convince them, but she must have been verra
persuasive, for they didnae argue much at all.”
“Do ye have any other siblings?”
“Aye. Four. All younger. Three other brothers and another sister. And ye?”
“Dozens. Near all of them brothers. One thing my father does weel is breed sons.” He grinned
briefly at her expression as he helped her over a fallen tree branch. She looked an even mixture of
shocked and intrigued. “My father wasnae faithful to any woman until he married Mab. Many think
he was trying to breed his own army. A lot of us, myself and my siblings, e’en feared he was a bit
mad. But, nay, ’twas an old betrayal that started him down that path. He was and is a good father,
although we didnae see that clear until recently.”
“His bastards live with ye?”
“Aye, at least everyone he kens about.”
“Weel, that is verra good of him.”
“’Tis indeed, although it doesnae excuse him from recklessly breeding so many, making enemies at
every turn, and being unfaithful to every woman he bedded or wedded. He still refuses to
completely mend matters with our kinsmen and take back the name Cameron.”
As they walked, Gregor told Alana several tales concerning his father. Now that they no longer felt
the need to hide exactly who they were, he could speak more honestly about his life and family. He
could even speak about how things had changed since Fiona had come to Scarglas, and all for the
better. The fact that Alana could be amused by such tales, despite her occasional shock, made him
feel good in a way he could not truly describe.
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