in taking her there.”
“I’ve no interest in market day or in Inverness.” Brie had contained herself as long as she could. “It’s no pretties I seek, but a man. The man who murdered my father.”
“Revenge, is it?” The minstrel laughed, his mouth drawn into a cruel, mocking line. “Revenge is the business of men. Best you keep yerself to yer man’s warm hearth, woman.”
“Have a care for yer tongue, Hugo,” William warned. “She’s but a lass.”
“I belong to no man. I am Bridget MacCulloch, daughter of the House MacUlagh, descended from the Ancient Seven who ruled all this land upon which you trod. I’m more than capable of seeking my own revenge.”
“Oh, my apologies, yer highness,” Hugo mocked. “I’ll grant you appear to be fit enough for a woman. I’ve no doubt yer chores are but little effort to you, and you obviously had no problem in tossing our poor wee Eleyne out on her arse. But yer hardly a fit match for a man. For a fact you—”
With a speed matched by only a well-trained few, Bridget leapt at the man, unsheathing the knife shewore at her waist as she moved to hold it to Hugo’s throat, abruptly ending his words in a sharp, hissing intake of breath.
“Hardly a fit match for a man, am I? Then what are you, minstrel? No a man by yer own definition, I’d say. Here I’ve bested you, and I’m no even breathing hard for doing it.”
“You see? She’s wicked!” Eleyne screamed.
“Hold yer weapon down, Bridget MacCulloch,” William ordered. “If, that is, you’d have us give any consideration to taking you where you want to go.”
“What?” Hugo exclaimed, stumbling away from her, his hand at his neck, as she resheathed her weapon. “By what good sense would you think even once upon allowing this savage wildling to travel with us?”
“You claim birthright from the houses of the Ancient Picts, do you?” Editha approached to stand close to Brie, speaking to her as if no one else were around them.
“I do.”
“Then I will rely on the honor of yer ancestors for yer absolute honesty with us. Where is it you’d hope to go?”
“Toward the northern coast.” To a place she hadn’t seen since she was little more than a bairn. “To Tordenet Castle.”
“I dinna ken a place called—” William began.
“Thunder Castle,” Editha interrupted. “Gleaming white upon the shore. Deandrea’s home.”
“A gleaming white castle, is it? There is wealth in this place of which you speak?” Hugo seemed to have overcome his distrust at the mention of Brie’s destination.
“There’s wealth aplenty,” Brie confirmed. If Torquil MacDowylt had stolen from others as he stole from the MacGahan, he must have storage rooms filled to the bursting with treasures.
“We willna go to the Thunder Castle. We would no pass through the gates of Tordenet for a wagon filled with silver.” William crossed his arms. “No Tinkler would.”
“But you can go near to Tordenet, even if you dinna go inside, true?” That was all Brie needed. She’d find her own way in.
“Indeed,” Hugo agreed. “This Tordenet of yers sounds to me to be a place in dire need of the entertainment we can provide. Especially since you say no one goes there.”
“Just get me close. That’s all I ask.” Begging didn’t come easily to Brie, but she was willing to make an exception for so important a cause. “I will be in yer debt.”
“I suppose we are long overdue for a visit to Rowan Cottage.” William looked to his wife, waiting for her nod of agreement.
“It is settled then. We travel to the Thunder Castle.”
F ourteen
Y OU’LL STAY WHERE you are until I say it’s time to stop, aye? And this is no the time I’m choosing to stop.”
Chase had taken just about all of Ulfr’s crap he could stomach. Much more of this over-the-top rudeness to Christiana and he wasn’t sure he’d be keeping his job with the MacDowylt, regardless of whether the Faeries who’d sent him wanted him
“I’ve no interest in market day or in Inverness.” Brie had contained herself as long as she could. “It’s no pretties I seek, but a man. The man who murdered my father.”
“Revenge, is it?” The minstrel laughed, his mouth drawn into a cruel, mocking line. “Revenge is the business of men. Best you keep yerself to yer man’s warm hearth, woman.”
“Have a care for yer tongue, Hugo,” William warned. “She’s but a lass.”
“I belong to no man. I am Bridget MacCulloch, daughter of the House MacUlagh, descended from the Ancient Seven who ruled all this land upon which you trod. I’m more than capable of seeking my own revenge.”
“Oh, my apologies, yer highness,” Hugo mocked. “I’ll grant you appear to be fit enough for a woman. I’ve no doubt yer chores are but little effort to you, and you obviously had no problem in tossing our poor wee Eleyne out on her arse. But yer hardly a fit match for a man. For a fact you—”
With a speed matched by only a well-trained few, Bridget leapt at the man, unsheathing the knife shewore at her waist as she moved to hold it to Hugo’s throat, abruptly ending his words in a sharp, hissing intake of breath.
“Hardly a fit match for a man, am I? Then what are you, minstrel? No a man by yer own definition, I’d say. Here I’ve bested you, and I’m no even breathing hard for doing it.”
“You see? She’s wicked!” Eleyne screamed.
“Hold yer weapon down, Bridget MacCulloch,” William ordered. “If, that is, you’d have us give any consideration to taking you where you want to go.”
“What?” Hugo exclaimed, stumbling away from her, his hand at his neck, as she resheathed her weapon. “By what good sense would you think even once upon allowing this savage wildling to travel with us?”
“You claim birthright from the houses of the Ancient Picts, do you?” Editha approached to stand close to Brie, speaking to her as if no one else were around them.
“I do.”
“Then I will rely on the honor of yer ancestors for yer absolute honesty with us. Where is it you’d hope to go?”
“Toward the northern coast.” To a place she hadn’t seen since she was little more than a bairn. “To Tordenet Castle.”
“I dinna ken a place called—” William began.
“Thunder Castle,” Editha interrupted. “Gleaming white upon the shore. Deandrea’s home.”
“A gleaming white castle, is it? There is wealth in this place of which you speak?” Hugo seemed to have overcome his distrust at the mention of Brie’s destination.
“There’s wealth aplenty,” Brie confirmed. If Torquil MacDowylt had stolen from others as he stole from the MacGahan, he must have storage rooms filled to the bursting with treasures.
“We willna go to the Thunder Castle. We would no pass through the gates of Tordenet for a wagon filled with silver.” William crossed his arms. “No Tinkler would.”
“But you can go near to Tordenet, even if you dinna go inside, true?” That was all Brie needed. She’d find her own way in.
“Indeed,” Hugo agreed. “This Tordenet of yers sounds to me to be a place in dire need of the entertainment we can provide. Especially since you say no one goes there.”
“Just get me close. That’s all I ask.” Begging didn’t come easily to Brie, but she was willing to make an exception for so important a cause. “I will be in yer debt.”
“I suppose we are long overdue for a visit to Rowan Cottage.” William looked to his wife, waiting for her nod of agreement.
“It is settled then. We travel to the Thunder Castle.”
F ourteen
Y OU’LL STAY WHERE you are until I say it’s time to stop, aye? And this is no the time I’m choosing to stop.”
Chase had taken just about all of Ulfr’s crap he could stomach. Much more of this over-the-top rudeness to Christiana and he wasn’t sure he’d be keeping his job with the MacDowylt, regardless of whether the Faeries who’d sent him wanted him
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