Though she made him want what he’d never considered before. Cailin shifted, winced at the shot of pain. ’Twas foolish to allow those needs in his life when naught lay before him but war. Notions of family were for those who had the luxury of preparing land to till, not for battle. Once all of Scotland lay beneath King Robert’s control and the day came to wed, if the king was involved, ’twould be to dictate whom he married.
But, because Rónán was his friend, Cailin would explain. “Regardless of what Elspet makes me feel, if she knew how much I cared for her and I were to die, ’twould break her heart.”
Rónán scoffed. “With her in love with you, if anything happens to you, her heart will be broken regardless. Telling her how you feel now, in the end, will spare her naught.”
Irritated that his friend could be right, he scowled. “And you are an expert because?”
His smile widening, Rónán held up his hands. “’Tis obvious, but then, my mind isna skewed by thoughts of a woman in my bed.”
Refusing to linger on the topic, Cailin scanned the distant castle, noted the guards making rounds on the wall walk. Inside, no doubt his uncle awaited reinforcements and prepared for war.
On a rough sigh, he glanced skyward. Clouds slowly drifted past, their thick puffs blocking out the sun before moving on and streaks of golden sunlight again illuminated the land.
“Until your arrival, I far from had enough men to attack the stronghold. Now, with my uncle’s losses, I believe the siege will securehis surrender.”
“Unless reinforcements arrive.”
“Aye.” He curled his hand into a fist. “Blast it, I canna allow him to gain any lord’s support!”
“What can you do?”
He scoured his mind for any answer, then an idea came to mind. “My uncle mentioned the Earl of Odhran. He is the closest noble who could offer him support and is but a two-day ride. More important, he was a close friend of my father. Though his runner has already set out, if I can reach the earl, regardless if he is en route, I believe I can convince him to joinranks with me.”
Rónán’s eyes narrowed. “God in heaven, with your leg injured, you canna be thinking of making such a hard ride.”
“I—” he gritted his teeth against the pain as he shifted—“had little trouble riding here.”
His friend scoffed. “There is a big difference between a few hours’ travel to lay siege to Tiran Castle and a hard,two-day ride.”
“Mayhap, but I have little choice. If my uncle receives reinforcements, he will ensure that we all die.”
Chapter 15
Hints of purple lingered in the western sky, an ode to the upcoming night. At best, they had another hour of daylight. Fighting to wash away the memories of battle all too clear, Elspet drew a deep, cleansing breath of the chilly, pine-scented air.
“Though Tiran Castle is now surrounded and my uncle’s ability to attack is contained,” Cailin said, a scowl in his voice, “I would have preferred that you had remained with Rónán rather than ride with me to Syridan Castle.”
Muscles aching, she glanced over. Snow littered Cailin’s red hair as he guided his destrier through a narrow stand of trees. “As I explained at camp, with my stepfather a close friend of the Earl of Odhran and his favoring me, if there are any issues, my presence will help him to shift his supportto your cause.”
“There willnabe problems.”
The defiance in his tone reminded her of how stubborn he could be. “Had you been sure, you wouldna have allowed me toride with you.”
A muscle worked in his jaw.
“Do you think your uncle’s runner has arrived at Syridan Castle?”
He shook his head. “With the heavy snow throughout the day, I believe the earliest he will arrive is tomorrow. Even at our hard pace, at best ’twill take two more days to reach the stronghold.”
Limbs rattled overhead beneath a strong gust, and errant brown leaves tumbled across the blanket of white marred by stones breaking through.
On a shiver, she tugged her cape tighter and guided her mount around a fallen oak. “What if we encounter the Earl of Odhran’s men heading towardTiran Castle?”
Cailin’s mount snorted as he forged his way up a steep incline. “A possibility I doubt. Even if Odhran gives my uncle his support, it should take a large force several days to ready their arms and prepare to ride.”
“What if the earl refuses to recognize that you are the rightful Earl of Dalkirk?” she asked, voicingher worst fear.
“If we canna gain Odhran, or any other lord’s support, we will fight with the troops we have.”
