Page 30 of The Anguish of the Scottish Lairds (Clans of Mull #3)

Sloan

Sloan couldn’t help but smile. The lass had more gumption than he’d ever given her credit for. He knew she had something planned, so he’d hung back after the group left, sending Ingelram ahead with instructions for Lennox and Miles, then hid off the main trail at the fork in the path where the group split.

Sure enough, Eva waited long enough, popped out of the forest with her dog on her lap, and followed the others.

So Sloan followed her. He waited until they were halfway to Thane’s castle before he ventured up behind her, startling her a wee bit, but she’d traveled alone for long enough.

“Sloan?” she asked, a little nervous.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to escort you back. I didn’t agree with your brother. After training as an archer and then working with Meg, you’ve got enough skills to help us, Eva. And you have a good reason to wish to see this whole situation finished. I don’t know where these men are from, but we all hope to see it come to an end.”

She let out a sigh and said, “My thanks, Sloan. My brother is overprotective.”

“He is, but don’t be too harsh on him. These men are ruthless and dangerous, but you demonstrated the amazing ability to be quick on your feet, lass. I don’t think he gave that much consideration.”

“I did?”

“Most people save themselves when confronted with an outright attack. Verra few can think enough in that type of situation to save two bairns. And even after you saved two, you saved Magni when he came along. He was risky. He’s been abducted by them before.”

Eva nodded and said, “I didn’t really think, Sloan. I have to admit it was just instinct. I love bairns, and I didn’t wish to see any more taken. Poor Dyna and Maitland.”

“And Derric. He acts strong for Dyna, but he’s writhing inside, I would bet. Not one but two of theirs. I’d be beside myself.”

They rode in silence for a bit, then she asked, “Do you think they’ll send me back?”

“Nay. You can be helpful in some way or another. Or were you going to try to go before the first group goes? You wouldn’t be foolish enough to try on your own, would you? Against eight rowers and six masked men?”

“Nay. I need some rest first. Even a corner in a servant’s chamber would suit me right now. I’d forgotten how tiring it is riding a horse. But I will be there with the others at first light. I’ll do whatever I can to help. Does Lennox know?”

“Probably by now. I told Ingelram to go on ahead and tell Lennox I’d be there in a few days. I told Ingelram only that I suspected you were going to try to follow along. He’s not to tell Lennox anything about you unless someone comes from his castle for you. Ingelram will tell your brother that I decided to go with this group, but I’d be back on my land the day after the morrow.”

“My thanks. I just wish to be helpful. I don’t like sitting around and watching others while I do nothing.”

“You’re maturing, lass.”

“I guess I am,” she said, a bit wistfully.

Once they arrived, he covered for her and said the two of them had decided to assist this group for now. No one questioned them, and Eva asked Tamsin if she could find a bed for a short respite. Sloan was glad to see her go with Tamsin.

Eva was a stubborn woman, but even that didn’t change how he felt about her. If anything, his feelings for her were becoming stronger.

He followed Thane and Maitland outside, and at the last minute, he decided to go along with the group. As they rowed over to Ulva in two boats, he took in the view from Thane’s land. Nearly as nice as his own.

“Have the inhabitants changed much since Garvie’s death, Thane?”

“Nay, not that I’m aware of. There were verra few who lived there because Garvie chased them all away. As far as I know, the structures had not been kept up, so no one was interested in staying. There were no vendors or markets on the isle. Too few people to buy. The one baker I spoke with said Garvie forced them to come once a fortnight. Said he’d never come back if Garvie hadn’t forced him. He preferred Mull.”

“Why would one prefer to be isolated if you had a choice?” Maitland asked. “Mull has more resources, better hunting. True, the views might be better, but at what price? I’d stay on the larger isle.”

“Thane, what about his men? Second-in-charge? Any guards of his. Could they be part of this group?”

Thane thought for a moment and said, “Surely, it’s possible. They had nowhere to go and no coin, though they probably took everything of Garvie’s they could. Tamsin didn’t take anything of his.” He held up his hand as they approached the isle. “See, this is eerie to me.”

“Why?” Dyna asked.

“Because there are no signs of life. No boats, no torches lit anywhere. No animals. It won’t take us long to search the isle. There were only four or five structures and they’re all close to this side. The other is all forested coastline. Uninhabitable. If no one is here, no one is on Ulva.”

Maitland asked the question everyone was thinking. “Then where would they be?”

Thane’s gaze searched the surrounding sea, off toward Tiree and Coll especially. “I don’t think they would cross to Coll at night. They would have had to stop somewhere along the way, especially with bairns. They have to feed them somehow, give them liquids.”

“Another place on Mull? MacClane is building on this side of the isle.” Sloan looked back onto Mull for any sign of life past the area where most of the fishermen kept their boats.

Thane followed his gaze, but didn’t see anything either. “True, but I don’t see him harboring bairns. He hires some guards that are questionable, and has fired some because of that, but you can’t hide bairns. Grant is still at the breast. He won’t be quiet because some bastard tells him to.” Thane looked to the others for confirmation.

“My son can be quite loud when he’s hungry. Probably why they are keeping them in such an isolated place like this. Maeve said Ulva, so they have to be here.” Maitland did his best to convince everyone. “I’m thinking back on what Sylvi said. I didn’t look that closely, Thane, but the view of the trip to Coll is right in front of your castle, aye?”

“Aye,” Thane said.

Sloan added, “Or from my land. If we miss it, Lennox will see them. I fear they are not here. Just another odd inkling.”

“It’s possible they didn’t make it this far. There is a fine area of beaches on the far coastline, but no inhabitants that I’m aware of. All forests. If we don’t find them here, then we man the boats on the morrow looking for any activity on Loch Tuath or near Coll. I’m telling you, Maitland, what Sylvi said was the best advice. They’ll be waiting directly in front of my land to meet the larger boat. If they are there at low tide, we could walk halfway out to them, and I have four boats total, enough to hold us all. We’ll get them soon enough.” Thane looked confident and Sloan had to agree with his reasoning.

“Does Coll have more inhabitants?” Connor asked.

“Aye, one castle that I know of and several cottages in the village near the port and probably more on the far side. It’s larger than Ulva.”

They approached Ulva, so Sloan and Thane hopped out to pull the boats onto shore. Thane pointed to a path up to the buildings.

***

Two hours later, the group stood on the beach in front of MacQuarie Castle, discussing their alternatives. Alasdair and Broc joined them. Thane said, “Most everyone is down for the night. We’ve only got a few hours left. Why don’t we all go in for some sleep?”

Maitland said, “I’ll never be able to sleep with my wife and son missing.”

Dyna shook her head, leaning against her sire, his arm around her shoulders. “Me either. What do we do now?”

They’d searched every building on Ulva and found them all deserted. A couple structures held evidence of recent activity—dust missing on a hearth mantle, footprints in sand—but they found no evidence of any person still there.

Dyna had searched for raggies outside every structure. Not a bairn or raggie in sight. “Gwyneth told me that. Look for smelly raggies tossed out the door. That’s how they found Gracie and Ashlyn. But there were none,” Dyna said. “I looked everywhere.”

Alasdair said, “You all have to get something to eat, or you’ll be of no help on the morrow when the boats are out there. Some of us could be swimming and that takes a strength you may not have without food or sleep. You’ll not do it without some food in your belly. Come inside and find a bite and an ale. Mora left bread and meat pies out. We all heard what Sylvi said. I’m confident in our team waiting for the boats on the morrow, but I need you all strong enough to help.”

Connor said, “Alasdair is right. I’ve got to eat something, Dyna. And I need a couple of hours of sleep.”

The group agreed, so Thane led them all inside. Sloan held up the end of the line, still looking around for anything. At the last minute he heard a dog’s whimper. He said to Alasdair, “I’ll be right in. Going to relieve myself.”

He followed the sound, surprised to see it was Shadow, Eva’s dog. And he was doing his best to tell him something. “All right. I’ll follow.”

Shadow led him back to the spot across from Ulva where all the fishing boats sat. The closer they got, the more the dog whimpered.

Sloan sighed and said, “She went on her own, didn’t she? All right. Get in the boat. I’m going to borrow this one and take you across. We’ll find out where she is.”

The dog’s whimpering was like a fist to his gut. Sure, Eva had gone inside, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t snuck out on her own. Or that she woke up an hour later and took her leave.

Eva must be missing, or Shadow wouldn’t be acting the way he was. Where the hell could she be when they had just come from Ulva and found the isle deserted? And they hadn’t passed her along the way anywhere.

The dog’s tail wagged as they crossed, so Sloan was convinced he was headed in the right direction. Once he landed the boat, the wolfhound leapt off and began sniffing all around until he found her scent. Sure enough, the beast stopped and turned to look at him as if to ask him what was taking him so long.

The hound was off, following the scent to the middle of the small isle where they’d just been. They passed a set of trees, Sloan’s focus on the dog, but that was his mistake.

Someone brought a boulder down on Sloan’s head and the world turned black.