Page 22 of Bride Takes a Laird (Highland Vows & Vengeance #2)
B efore dawn, Magnus set out to visit Oswald’s grave. After crossing the wooden bridge, he skirted the clan’s village and reached the short-walled enclosed burial grounds. He stood before Oswald’s burial site, knelt, and thanked him for his service to the clan and to him. He’d been a dedicated soldier and comrade, and Magnus had known him his entire life. He’d miss his lifelong friend. That he was killed for such an insignificant reason infuriated him. The Chattans would pay dearly. He’d see to it and soon.
When he left his friend’s resting place, he stopped at the barracks and directed two soldiers to seek the herbs Lillith needed and take them to her. As much as he wanted to return to Lillith’s to check on Jake himself, he told his guardsmen to return with word of his brother’s condition.
With resignation in his heart, Magnus returned to the keep and headed for the training field. There were already scores of soldiers tarrying on the field when he arrived. He joined them for exercise and to rid himself of his intense anger. With a yank of his sword, he gripped it in his hand and marched onto the field.
A soldier near to his age offered to spar with him. They clanged their swords and continued until Magnus lowered his sword and helped the soldier at his feet to rise. His opponent, whom he had battered to the ground, rasped with heavy breath. Training in arms always relieved his tension and he’d spent most of the day going against any of his soldiers brave enough to test him.
His men needed more training before they would confront his enemy—the Chattans. War would give him the satisfaction of retribution and also would ingrain his wrath at those who trespassed on his land and ambushed him in the woods.
He strolled through the soldiers who remained on the field and commented on their abilities or failures with the sword. Across the field, several men took to the quintains and practiced archery. Arrows flew through the air at the targets. Some hit the center, some did not. Arrows littered the ground and beyond. A group of his soldiers also threw daggers but they were more proficient and seasoned. Most hit the aimed targets and hardly any daggers lay upon the ground.
Wyren approached with his son strapped to his chest. The bairn appeared to be sleeping. His brother chuckled as he approached. “My son is soothed by the sounds of the swords. ’Tis the only time he sleeps soundlessly. I wonder if I should have two men assigned to ply their swords by my bedside?”
Though his brother jested, Magnus didn’t laugh. He was in no merry mood. “Have ye found the men yet? The two men who were missing from the count?”
Wyren shook his head. “Not as yet. They are named Gordon and Ezlen. Neither have been seen since Ned had gone missing and were not assigned any duty that would take them from our lands. They must be behind our brother’s death.”
“I want proof before we condemn them. Have the men continue to search for them. Send men beyond the fief if necessary. I want to question them myself.”
His brother agreed with a nod. “What of Hayden? Is he well? Has he awakened?”
Magnus intended to visit his comrade and walked toward the healer’s cottage. “I’m on my way to see him now. ”
“I’ll go with ye,” Wyren said and shifted Hale’s body to cradle him in his arms when he fussed. “ Och , I should probably take Hale home first. I’ll meet up with ye later.” His brother set off toward his home.
Magnus continued to Clarence’s abode. He rapped at the door and didn’t wait to be bid entry. The door opened before he shoved it. Clarence grumbled something under his breath which Magnus couldn’t comprehend. Something bothered the grumpy healer but Magnus couldn’t guess what or why he was cross. He entered the cottage and saw Hayden sitting in a chair. His comrade’s dark hair fell over his eyes as his head leaned forward.
“Oho, so ye finally awakened, aye?”
Hayden raised his face and grinned. “I’m well enough now, Laird. Tell me, when do we seek revenge?”
“Soon enough. The men make ready and Wyren has had them training from sunup.”
“Good.” Hayden stood and before he left the cottage, he turned to Clarance. “My thanks, healer, for your aid. I’m well enough now.”
Clarence guffawed. “So ye say, aye? Och , ye might want to wait a few days before returning to duty or training or ye might be wavering on your feet.”
“I am well and my head no longer hurts,” Hayden said. “I need to get back—”
“ Och , who am I but a healer…?” Clarence tisked and flapped his arm at them. “Be gone then. I’ll likely see ye here again before the day is through. If ye start to see double again, return at once. Laird, keep an eye on him for he is not as recovered as he deems.”
Magnus nodded to him. He wasn’t about to demand that Hayden stay at the healer’s cottage. If his soldier considered himself well enough, then he wouldn’t gainsay him.
Hayden stepped outside. “I vow that man is maddened. He wouldn’t cease prodding and poking at me. Methinks he hasn’t had a live person to tend to for some time.” He bellowed with a grunt. “I cannot believe Oswald was killed. When I awakened in the woods, I realized ye were gone. I thought you’d gone for help but when we returned, I wasn’t thinking right. Clarence said that Oswald was struck true in the center of his eyes.”
Magnus grunted. “He was struck harder than ye were.”
“I have a hard head,” Hayden said and grimaced. “I will miss my comrade, my brother-in-arms… There was no one I trusted more than him, except for ye, Laird. Until I avenge him, I won’t be able to mourn him.”
“Aye, me either. I visited him this morn, his resting place. Ye should go and see him. The clan could not await us for his burial and he was laid to rest before I returned.” Magnus had left his friend’s grave with anger filling him. Since he’d been able to rid it with the use of his sword arm most of the day, he felt much better.
“I understand, and aye, I probably will visit his grave this eve.” Hayden walked beside him. “Before the attack, ye were going to tell me what happened at the harlot’s home… What did ye find out about Ned’s murder?”
Magnus had forgotten that he had yet to explain what transpired and what he’d found out about Ned. He quickly filled Hayden in on what Mary had told him and that they now searched for Gordon and Ezlen. In brief, he spoke of what happened when he was confronted by Geoff Chattan, and lastly, that Kendra had left him.
“I know them both well, Gordon and Ezlen, and cannot believe they would extort coins from Ned. But that is not to say they wouldn’t. When we find them, we shall force the truth from them,” Hayden said.
“ If we find them. They’ve been missing for some time. It is probable that they have left the area and absconded to who knows where…? We may never get the truth about Ned’s death. I find I grow weary of worrying about it.” Magnus approached the main fief and invited Hayden to supper .
“I am sorry, Laird, to hear that Milady returned to her da’s home. But I understand that she needed to take her da’s body home. It is only right that the lord be buried on his land. She will return. As to the Chattans, ’tis about time we show them that the Camerons will not be tread upon. We’ll make them see that we mean business when we take to arms.”
Magnus waved Hayden to enter the keep before him. They ambled inside and took cups from the buttery on the way to the table. Inside the hall, his parents sat at the trestle table. The table was laden with various foodstuffs. He found himself hungry after training most of the day. He piled on stew, bread, and a handful of nuts on his trencher and set it before him.
His mother gazed at him with reproach. Magnus grunted in objection at her look, but she didn’t desist. “What is it, Mother? Ye appear to want to say something so speak, go on.”
“I am disappointed in ye, Magnus. How could ye let this happen? Ye should go and collect your brother from that healer’s cottage. Bring him home. We should tend to him, not some stranger. And I disbelieve ye allowed your wife to leave and have no concern for her. Ye should be riding hellbent to get to her, and yet, here ye are, eating supper as though ye have no troubles.”
He sighed and peered at his mother with angst. “Think ye I do not want to go after Kendra? I cannot leave when we are on the brink of war with the Chattans. They insist that we allow their sheep to graze on our land. I will not allow it. Along with that horrid situation, I must find the men who murdered Ned. Och , ye are right though. We should bring Jake home. He should be here, tended to by Clarence. I’ll see to it on the morrow.”
“I’ll go with ye, Laird,” Hayden said.
His mother pounded the table with her closed fist. “Ye worry about a small tract of land when our clan mourns. Who cares if the Chattans allow their sheep to graze upon our land? Let it be, Magnus, and go and retrieve your wife. Your soldiers can bring Jake home and when ye return, ye can find out who killed Ned. I do not know why ye are making this so difficult.”
“I am the laird, Mother, not ye. I make the decisions for this clan and family, and right now the matters that I must handle are more important than fetching a wife who should not have left the holding without my permission in the first place. Now cease haranguing me.” Magnus rose and with a pound of his fist on the table, said, “I do not need to hear this cosh, not from your surly tongue.” He turned to Hayden. “Be ready at first light and we’ll retrieve Jake.”
No one spoke to him on his way from the hall. Magnus trudged up the stairs and entered his bedchamber with a thrust to the door. The quiet eased him but being there also reminded him that he needed to get to Kendra. He wanted to be there for her in her time of need, and yet, he was unable to leave his holding at the present. Torn between his duty as the laird and his duty to his wife, Magnus raked his hands through his hair and growled in frustration.
On the approach to his trunk that held his garments, he spotted his grandmother’s brooch sitting atop. Kendra had left it behind. He sighed in objection because he wasn’t sure what that meant. Did she intend not to return? Or had she left it behind to keep it safe? Regardless, he held the brooch and closed his eyes at the coldness of the metal in his hand. Lord, he hoped she was safe.
He disrobed and got into bed. Sleepless, his mind wandered from one thing to another. But he finally drifted off as he thought of how bonny his wife was, how winsome she was in spirit, how pleasing she was. He missed her. As much as he wanted to be there for her, he admitted that he needed her too. She had a way of solacing him. What he wouldn’t do for a wee bit of peace now and with his wife held in his arms.