their best option now.
Ciarán turned back to Mac. “We must rest while we’re able.” He touched her back gently, and they went into the back of the cave. There was no fire, lest it give them away. Ciarán lay beside Mac and warmed her until she fell asleep, then he quietly went outside to join Fergus. Hamish followed.
Fergus said, “Before darkness fell, I caught a glimpse of some smoke at the foot of the mountain.”
Hamish scratched his chin as he considered this. “We’re a day’s ride away, and they’ve a climb ahead of them if they’re coming up here.”
“’Tis true,” Ciarán said. “But if they go around the mountain, we might meet them on the other side.”
Fergus shook his head. “A good tracker could find our trail. There’s a good chance they will follow it up here to us.”
Hamish nodded. “Aye, but we’ve a downhill path before us. We have the advantage.”
Ciarán ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. “Either we take the downhill path and risk meeting Clan Ross or wait in the cave while they pass by. Waiting would be the safer option.” They all knew he was thinking of Mac, but no one voiced it.
It was Fergus who broke the silence. “Unless they know of the cave—then we’d be trapped.”
It was a point no one could argue with.
“’Tis your lady at risk. What say you, Ciarán?” Hamish asked.
Ciarán knew they would defer to him, for if he chose their course and anything happened to her, he would not be able to blame them. It would be his own fault, so he considered his options with care. “We leave at dawn.”
12
A Thunder of Horses
At dawn, they rode the path down the mountain. Now on relatively level ground, they looked forward to half a day’s ride, but first they stopped by a burn to water the horses. Mac knelt by the water, splashed her face, and brushed her teeth with the travel toothbrush she’d brought as a small self-indulgence. Now more alert thanks to the ice-cold water, she tucked her toothbrush back into her pocket. She smiled to herself. All she needed now was for David to arrive on his bike with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.
The sound of thundering horses jarred her back to the present. She looked up to see Ciarán running to her. He threw her onto the horse and leapt up behind her. The others were already mounted. Off they rode with half a dozen Rosses behind them.
“Get down, love, and hold onto the mane!” Ciarán shouted in her ear.
As flintlock rifles fired, Ciarán leaned over Mac to protect her. Her heart swelled with deep affection that she dared not call love, but along with it came fear. She could lose him this day. All she could do was revel in the strength of his body against hers and the heart she was drawn to.
They were riding fine horses that, so far, had kept pace ahead of the Rosses, but Ciarán and Mac’s horse had two people to carry. “There’s a good lad,” said Ciarán as he urged his horse onward. “Mac, do you have your sgian dubh?”
“Yes.”
“Keep your hand on it, lass.”
Eilean Donan Castle was faint in the distance, but the Rosses drew closer. Ciarán stopped his horse by a boulder. In one swift motion, he pulled Mac from the horse and set her down on the ground. The movement was so sudden that it nearly knocked the wind out of her.
“Take this pistol. It’s loaded,” Ciarán said. “Hide behind that boulder.”
“No! Take me with you. I’ll fight. Let me help you!”
Without acknowledging her pleas, Ciarán turned and headed straight for the Rosses. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Hamish and Fergus.
“Halt!” Hamish called to the other men. “You’re on Eilean Donan land now.”
Six men from Clan Ross stopped to face them. Their pistols and rifles were drawn. “Ciarán MacRae, come with us,” one of them ordered.
“’Tis a fool’s mission you’re on,” Ciarán said. “Did you really think they would pay a ransom for me? Have they yet? Even if you can take me, I’m no use
Ciarán turned back to Mac. “We must rest while we’re able.” He touched her back gently, and they went into the back of the cave. There was no fire, lest it give them away. Ciarán lay beside Mac and warmed her until she fell asleep, then he quietly went outside to join Fergus. Hamish followed.
Fergus said, “Before darkness fell, I caught a glimpse of some smoke at the foot of the mountain.”
Hamish scratched his chin as he considered this. “We’re a day’s ride away, and they’ve a climb ahead of them if they’re coming up here.”
“’Tis true,” Ciarán said. “But if they go around the mountain, we might meet them on the other side.”
Fergus shook his head. “A good tracker could find our trail. There’s a good chance they will follow it up here to us.”
Hamish nodded. “Aye, but we’ve a downhill path before us. We have the advantage.”
Ciarán ran his hand through his hair and exhaled. “Either we take the downhill path and risk meeting Clan Ross or wait in the cave while they pass by. Waiting would be the safer option.” They all knew he was thinking of Mac, but no one voiced it.
It was Fergus who broke the silence. “Unless they know of the cave—then we’d be trapped.”
It was a point no one could argue with.
“’Tis your lady at risk. What say you, Ciarán?” Hamish asked.
Ciarán knew they would defer to him, for if he chose their course and anything happened to her, he would not be able to blame them. It would be his own fault, so he considered his options with care. “We leave at dawn.”
12
A Thunder of Horses
At dawn, they rode the path down the mountain. Now on relatively level ground, they looked forward to half a day’s ride, but first they stopped by a burn to water the horses. Mac knelt by the water, splashed her face, and brushed her teeth with the travel toothbrush she’d brought as a small self-indulgence. Now more alert thanks to the ice-cold water, she tucked her toothbrush back into her pocket. She smiled to herself. All she needed now was for David to arrive on his bike with a fresh cup of coffee in hand.
The sound of thundering horses jarred her back to the present. She looked up to see Ciarán running to her. He threw her onto the horse and leapt up behind her. The others were already mounted. Off they rode with half a dozen Rosses behind them.
“Get down, love, and hold onto the mane!” Ciarán shouted in her ear.
As flintlock rifles fired, Ciarán leaned over Mac to protect her. Her heart swelled with deep affection that she dared not call love, but along with it came fear. She could lose him this day. All she could do was revel in the strength of his body against hers and the heart she was drawn to.
They were riding fine horses that, so far, had kept pace ahead of the Rosses, but Ciarán and Mac’s horse had two people to carry. “There’s a good lad,” said Ciarán as he urged his horse onward. “Mac, do you have your sgian dubh?”
“Yes.”
“Keep your hand on it, lass.”
Eilean Donan Castle was faint in the distance, but the Rosses drew closer. Ciarán stopped his horse by a boulder. In one swift motion, he pulled Mac from the horse and set her down on the ground. The movement was so sudden that it nearly knocked the wind out of her.
“Take this pistol. It’s loaded,” Ciarán said. “Hide behind that boulder.”
“No! Take me with you. I’ll fight. Let me help you!”
Without acknowledging her pleas, Ciarán turned and headed straight for the Rosses. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Hamish and Fergus.
“Halt!” Hamish called to the other men. “You’re on Eilean Donan land now.”
Six men from Clan Ross stopped to face them. Their pistols and rifles were drawn. “Ciarán MacRae, come with us,” one of them ordered.
“’Tis a fool’s mission you’re on,” Ciarán said. “Did you really think they would pay a ransom for me? Have they yet? Even if you can take me, I’m no use
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