time.”
“The dead one near the hole with the arrow in his chest…that wasn’t done by one of ours,” Brodick reminded him.
“I still owe you a tremendous debt.”
Brodick smiled. “Aye, you do.”
They caught up with the others. Dylan, Brodick’s first in command, trailed behind MacHugh’s soldiers.
He heard Brodick’s shrill whistle and stopped the procession.
There were a dozen from the MacHugh clan and almost as many Buchanans surrounding Liam.
Since they were so close to Duncan’s Bluffs, they decided to let Liam rest for a few minutes before continuing on. Colm’s brother was still groggy from the blow he took to the jaw. He refused assistance as he dismounted and nearly fell to his knees. Everyone saw that the bottoms of his feet were caked with blood, but no one rushed forward to help him. They waited for him to straighten himself and follow Colm to the flat rocks overlooking the valley.
Liam tried not to wince with each slow and painful step. When he finally reached the bluff, he dropped to the ground and leaned his shoulder against a smooth rock.
Colm’s greeting to his brother was blunt. “Who did this to you?” He stepped in front of Liam and folded his arms across his chest as he waited for him to answer.
“If I knew who did this, I would have killed them by now,” Liam answered.
It was an empty boast, and both of them knew it. His brother wasn’t in any condition to kill anyone. His face was so gray, Colm thought he might pass out again. But Liam’s pride was at issue, and for that reason Colm went along with his arrogant claim.
“Aye, you would have,” he agreed. “Tell me what happened.”
“I don’t remember much,” he said. “I was leaving Monroe’s holding, heading for home across the flats, but I stayed to the east by the water. I know I was still on Monroe’s land. Yes, I’m sure I was.
Something struck me on the side of my head, and I think maybe I was hit again in the back. The blows stunned me, and when I came to my senses, my hands and feet were bound. There was a hood over my head.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to reclaim his memory. “There were at least four of them. I came to for a while, but I had to let them think I was still unconscious. I heard them talking before I passed out again. I’m certain there were four distinct voices…no, wait.” He sighed then, his frustration mounting. “There could have been more.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes again.
“Did any of them speak directly to you?” Braeden, Colm’s first in command, asked as he and some of the others circled.
“No, I don’t think so.” Liam’s voice grew hoarse and more difficult to understand with each answer he gave. “Why can’t I remember? It’s damned irritating.”
To Colm, it was obvious why Liam’s memory was so spotty. He’d taken several blows to the head.
“You said you heard them talking. What were they saying?” Brodick asked.
“That they hoped to kill as many MacHughs as they could.”
“If there were only four or so captors, how could they possibly kill seasoned MacHugh warriors?” Brodick asked.
Braeden handed Liam his leather water pouch. Liam took a long drink, nodded his appreciation to the commander, and then answered. “There were men hiding in the woods, waiting to attack. They’d been told to get as many MacHughs as they could. The more they killed, the higher the reward.” He took another swallow before continuing. “Another one of them worried that there really weren’t troops waiting in the woods to help them, and they would be all alone to face Colm’s wrath. He wanted to kill me and be done with it, but the one in charge kept telling him they had to wait.”
“Wait for what?” Colm asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Did you hear any of their names?” Brodick asked.
“If I did, I don’t remember.”
Colm continued to question his brother, hoping for some clue as to who was behind this
“The dead one near the hole with the arrow in his chest…that wasn’t done by one of ours,” Brodick reminded him.
“I still owe you a tremendous debt.”
Brodick smiled. “Aye, you do.”
They caught up with the others. Dylan, Brodick’s first in command, trailed behind MacHugh’s soldiers.
He heard Brodick’s shrill whistle and stopped the procession.
There were a dozen from the MacHugh clan and almost as many Buchanans surrounding Liam.
Since they were so close to Duncan’s Bluffs, they decided to let Liam rest for a few minutes before continuing on. Colm’s brother was still groggy from the blow he took to the jaw. He refused assistance as he dismounted and nearly fell to his knees. Everyone saw that the bottoms of his feet were caked with blood, but no one rushed forward to help him. They waited for him to straighten himself and follow Colm to the flat rocks overlooking the valley.
Liam tried not to wince with each slow and painful step. When he finally reached the bluff, he dropped to the ground and leaned his shoulder against a smooth rock.
Colm’s greeting to his brother was blunt. “Who did this to you?” He stepped in front of Liam and folded his arms across his chest as he waited for him to answer.
“If I knew who did this, I would have killed them by now,” Liam answered.
It was an empty boast, and both of them knew it. His brother wasn’t in any condition to kill anyone. His face was so gray, Colm thought he might pass out again. But Liam’s pride was at issue, and for that reason Colm went along with his arrogant claim.
“Aye, you would have,” he agreed. “Tell me what happened.”
“I don’t remember much,” he said. “I was leaving Monroe’s holding, heading for home across the flats, but I stayed to the east by the water. I know I was still on Monroe’s land. Yes, I’m sure I was.
Something struck me on the side of my head, and I think maybe I was hit again in the back. The blows stunned me, and when I came to my senses, my hands and feet were bound. There was a hood over my head.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to reclaim his memory. “There were at least four of them. I came to for a while, but I had to let them think I was still unconscious. I heard them talking before I passed out again. I’m certain there were four distinct voices…no, wait.” He sighed then, his frustration mounting. “There could have been more.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes again.
“Did any of them speak directly to you?” Braeden, Colm’s first in command, asked as he and some of the others circled.
“No, I don’t think so.” Liam’s voice grew hoarse and more difficult to understand with each answer he gave. “Why can’t I remember? It’s damned irritating.”
To Colm, it was obvious why Liam’s memory was so spotty. He’d taken several blows to the head.
“You said you heard them talking. What were they saying?” Brodick asked.
“That they hoped to kill as many MacHughs as they could.”
“If there were only four or so captors, how could they possibly kill seasoned MacHugh warriors?” Brodick asked.
Braeden handed Liam his leather water pouch. Liam took a long drink, nodded his appreciation to the commander, and then answered. “There were men hiding in the woods, waiting to attack. They’d been told to get as many MacHughs as they could. The more they killed, the higher the reward.” He took another swallow before continuing. “Another one of them worried that there really weren’t troops waiting in the woods to help them, and they would be all alone to face Colm’s wrath. He wanted to kill me and be done with it, but the one in charge kept telling him they had to wait.”
“Wait for what?” Colm asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Did you hear any of their names?” Brodick asked.
“If I did, I don’t remember.”
Colm continued to question his brother, hoping for some clue as to who was behind this
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