He picked up her arisaidh and settled it around her shoulders himself, doing up the top fastening.His fingers brushed her throat briefly.He stepped back.
From outside the door came a dull soft thud.Then another.
Una's eyes went wide.
"The two guards," he said quietly."They will not be bothering us for now."
He clasped her free hand firmly in his and led her out of the bothy.
***
IT HAPPENED FAST.
Men stepped from the treeline.Far more than Una had imagined – they came from every side, double the number of Drunstan's men, moving without noise and without hesitation.The battle was over quickly as Drunstan's men were overpowered.
Una stood at the bothy wall and watched as Cormac and his men fought as one to subdue the gang.When it was over, he strode back toward her, clasped her hand, and did not let go.
When he stopped to speak to one of his men, he kept her at his side.When he moved, she moved.
His men nodded when they passed her.One or two dipped their heads.Several looked quietly amused.None of them looked surprised.
Drunstan himself came out of his shelter armed and furious, cursing once he realized he had made a serious tactical error.He was easily disarmed by two of Cormac's men and made to kneel in the dirt.
Cormac walked Una forward until they stood a few paces away.
Drunstan looked up.His eyes moved from Cormac's face down to their joined hands and back again, and something shifted in his expression – a flicker of uncertainty beneath the fury.
"Well," he said."So it was all a lie."
"Aye," Cormac said.
"Ye're going to kill us."
"No."
Drunstan's eyes narrowed."Then what?"
"Ye'll face the people ye stole from."Cormac left it there.
Drunstan stared at him.He opened his mouth and closed it again.There was no good reply to that, and they both knew it.
Cormac reached into his plaid and drew out his mask.
The cursing stopped.
Drunstan stared at the pattern on the cloth and went very still."You're the Shadow," he said.
"Aye," Cormac replied.
"So ye're going to hold her for ransom yerself?"
There was a silence.
"Damn.I should have killed ye when I had the chance," Drunstan said.
"Aye, ye should have," Cormac replied, then turned and walked away.
Seumas fell into step beside him.He looked at Cormac's and Una's joined hands, then very deliberately looked at the sky, grinning.
