was he here now?
"Brother." Roderic moved past Dugald and trotted down the steps to the courtyard, his boots ringing on the stones. "So ye have decided to grace us with your company?"
For a moment the courtyard remained silent. The Forbes dismounted. Though the movement was a bit stiff, there was great power in his large frame as he turned toward Roderic.
"I debated long and hard before setting out," he said, his expression somber. "After all, ye have long coveted my boots."
Roderic threw back his fair head and laughed, then, opening his arms, he slapped Leith into his embrace. "So ye still fear ye canna keep your footwear safe from me, Brother."
"Long ago I learned that nothing is safe from ye. Twas my idea to stay home and warm my brittle old bones by the fire. But my wife wished to come," he said, glancing at the woman on the dappled palfrey.
Roderic turned and drew his arms away from his brother. There was a smile on his lips.
"Lady Fiona." He said the name reverently. "Ye could have left your husband at home. In truth, he is wont to whine over a pair of boots long rotted away, and does little to brighten the mood of this gathering. But ye..." He lifted his hands to help her dismount. "Your beauty brightens the darkest of days."
Fiona laughed. By all accounts she was nearing fifty years of age, but neither her face, nor the melodious tone of her voice, showed it. "Still the Rogue, I see," she said.
"Until I die." Roderic chuckled and reached for her hand, but before she could dismount, Leith had pushed him aside.
“Do I disremember, or dunna ye have a wife of your own to pester?" he asked, swinging Fiona to her feet.
Her skirts swooped around her ankles, and when she landed, she looked as fragile and supple as a willow in the wind.
"Ye two stop, now," she chastised. "Or do ye want the Flame to hear ye argue?"
"Nay."
"Nay."
"Too late," said Flanna, stepping silently between the two. "So ye were arguing with your brother?" she asked her spouse.
"Not atall."
"Am I going to have to fetch my dinner knife?" she asked.
Roderic chuckled, and leaning close, whispered something in her ear.
It almost seemed like the Flame blushed. But Dugald was certain he was mistaken, for the stories that surrounded her exploits were brash enough to set one's hair on end. Indeed, it was said that some twenty years past she had abducted Roderic of the great Forbes clan and held him for ransom under threat of death. And yet as Dugald watched the foursome, he could not help thinking they looked like nothing more than two content, well-matched couples.
But long ago, by his grandfather's fire, he had learned not to believe illusions. Ninja created illusions. They did not believe them. Even a bastard child must learn that.
Dugald pressed the thoughts from his mind and refocused.
The Rogue, the Flame, Fiona the healer, and Laird Forbes were all now present. Rarely had a foursome held more power... or more loyalty. And that was not counting Boden Blackblade or his wife Sara, who fostered the child, and therefore owned the allegiance, of the duke of Rosenhurst.
Aye, the powers of the Highlands were gathering like a summer storm. If Dugald had the wits of a hare, he would do his job and retreat before the tempest overtook him.
But...his glance skimmed to Shona where she laughed with her cousins.
True, she caused an inordinate amount of trouble.
Maybe he should have let Hadwin and Stanford fight over her, but Hadwin had a perpetually misplaced pleat at the back of his plaid that spoke of a hidden knife. It was a strange thing for such a good-natured practical joker, and there was something about gushing blood at a meal that disturbed Dugald. It had seemed like nothing more than practical good sense to numb Stanford's arm with an herbed needle and curtail any more trouble. Dugald hadn't done it for Shona. Nay, she was spoiled and vain.
Still...
She had doused herself in a cold river in a wild attempt to do her father one small
"Brother." Roderic moved past Dugald and trotted down the steps to the courtyard, his boots ringing on the stones. "So ye have decided to grace us with your company?"
For a moment the courtyard remained silent. The Forbes dismounted. Though the movement was a bit stiff, there was great power in his large frame as he turned toward Roderic.
"I debated long and hard before setting out," he said, his expression somber. "After all, ye have long coveted my boots."
Roderic threw back his fair head and laughed, then, opening his arms, he slapped Leith into his embrace. "So ye still fear ye canna keep your footwear safe from me, Brother."
"Long ago I learned that nothing is safe from ye. Twas my idea to stay home and warm my brittle old bones by the fire. But my wife wished to come," he said, glancing at the woman on the dappled palfrey.
Roderic turned and drew his arms away from his brother. There was a smile on his lips.
"Lady Fiona." He said the name reverently. "Ye could have left your husband at home. In truth, he is wont to whine over a pair of boots long rotted away, and does little to brighten the mood of this gathering. But ye..." He lifted his hands to help her dismount. "Your beauty brightens the darkest of days."
Fiona laughed. By all accounts she was nearing fifty years of age, but neither her face, nor the melodious tone of her voice, showed it. "Still the Rogue, I see," she said.
"Until I die." Roderic chuckled and reached for her hand, but before she could dismount, Leith had pushed him aside.
“Do I disremember, or dunna ye have a wife of your own to pester?" he asked, swinging Fiona to her feet.
Her skirts swooped around her ankles, and when she landed, she looked as fragile and supple as a willow in the wind.
"Ye two stop, now," she chastised. "Or do ye want the Flame to hear ye argue?"
"Nay."
"Nay."
"Too late," said Flanna, stepping silently between the two. "So ye were arguing with your brother?" she asked her spouse.
"Not atall."
"Am I going to have to fetch my dinner knife?" she asked.
Roderic chuckled, and leaning close, whispered something in her ear.
It almost seemed like the Flame blushed. But Dugald was certain he was mistaken, for the stories that surrounded her exploits were brash enough to set one's hair on end. Indeed, it was said that some twenty years past she had abducted Roderic of the great Forbes clan and held him for ransom under threat of death. And yet as Dugald watched the foursome, he could not help thinking they looked like nothing more than two content, well-matched couples.
But long ago, by his grandfather's fire, he had learned not to believe illusions. Ninja created illusions. They did not believe them. Even a bastard child must learn that.
Dugald pressed the thoughts from his mind and refocused.
The Rogue, the Flame, Fiona the healer, and Laird Forbes were all now present. Rarely had a foursome held more power... or more loyalty. And that was not counting Boden Blackblade or his wife Sara, who fostered the child, and therefore owned the allegiance, of the duke of Rosenhurst.
Aye, the powers of the Highlands were gathering like a summer storm. If Dugald had the wits of a hare, he would do his job and retreat before the tempest overtook him.
But...his glance skimmed to Shona where she laughed with her cousins.
True, she caused an inordinate amount of trouble.
Maybe he should have let Hadwin and Stanford fight over her, but Hadwin had a perpetually misplaced pleat at the back of his plaid that spoke of a hidden knife. It was a strange thing for such a good-natured practical joker, and there was something about gushing blood at a meal that disturbed Dugald. It had seemed like nothing more than practical good sense to numb Stanford's arm with an herbed needle and curtail any more trouble. Dugald hadn't done it for Shona. Nay, she was spoiled and vain.
Still...
She had doused herself in a cold river in a wild attempt to do her father one small
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