The MacGahan men, or more of Torquil’s? There was only one way to know for sure.
He’d delayed sharing the information as long as possible.
“Make yourselves ready. Just around the next curve of the trail, we’ll be overtaking some riders.”
Bridget visibly jerked in her saddle, as if her mind had wandered far afield. To her credit, she recovered instantly and pulled her bow from her back to fit an arrow into it.
“Dobbie, do you think?” she asked, her gaze fixed on the spot ahead where the path disappeared around the side of a large hill.
“No. Too many of them and all on horseback. Five riders as best I can tell. Could well be more of Torquil’s men.”
Sharing his saddle, Mathew tensed. “Turn back. If it’s Torquil’s men ahead, we should turn back now. I have no desire to cross their paths again.”
“Calm down, Mathew.” Bridget had dropped her bow to her side but kept the arrow nocked in place. “It could be anybody.”
“We’ll know soon enough.”
As they rounded the hill the men he’d heard came into sight, along with a large ragged dog that loped toward them, tongue hanging out of his mouth as if he wore a wide grin.
“Jamesy!” Bridget leaned forward in her saddle and kicked her horse, sending the animal into a full gallop as she waved one arm in the air. “Jamesy!”
“I take it those are no Torquil’s men.” Relief was evident in Mathew’s voice.
“They are not,” Hall confirmed, urging his own mount to a trot.
“You seem well recovered, O’Donar,” Jamesy greeted him, though his look was anything but welcoming. “And still encouraging my sister to pursue this dangerous path, I see.”
Hall bristled at the accusation he heard in Jamesy’s tone, but he held back any comment. He’d likely feel the same if the roles were reversed, and a sister of his traveled with some stranger on a perilous cause. His best course of action was to maintain as much distance as possible from this argument.
“You think he could stop me from doing what I choose?” Bridget, on the other hand, appeared to be in no mood to hold back. “You tried as much when you left me behind at Castle MacGahan. How successful were you at that, brother?”
Unlike his sister, Jamesy seemed in full control of his temper. He turned his emotionless stare from his sister to Hall. “My apologies, O’Donar. It would appear all our hands are tied when it comes to Brie risking her safety to do as she pleases.”
“No apologies necessary, MacCulloch. I’d be the first to agree this is no safe place for your sister.” Not that he could think of a better alternative right now. Staying with them was much safer than venturing off on her own. “But I have little to say about what she does.”
“You have nothing to say about what I do, and no right to say it,” she asserted, pushing her wild hair back from her face.
“And what in the name of the Seven have you done to yer face?” Jamesy pulled his horse next to his sister’s and pushed back the hair covering her cheeks. “Oh, la, dinna tell me you gave yerself over to the auld stories. What fool allowed you to do this?” He turned a sharp eye toward Hall.
“No oneallowedme to do anything. I did this of my own free will, choosing to honor the truth of our ancestors.” With a toss of her head, Bridget turned her mount, pulling away from the group to wait alone.
“They were but stories, Bridget,” her brother called after her. “Stories told to a small child to quiet her down for the night. And now look what you’ve done to yerself.”
“I dinna believe I’ve ever heard these stories, of beautiful women who decorate themselves as they might decorate their tapestries.” Jamesy’s friend Finn drew his horse closer, peering at Bridget. “But I would like to hear more of them.”
“Our mother’s stories,” Jamesy explained, shaking his head in disgust. “Children’s fantasies about our ancient ancestors, who painted their bodies with magical symbols to protect them in battle and frighten their enemies.”
“They’re not fantasies,” Bridget called, leaving little doubt she had heard every word even if she didn’t choose to respond to her brother.
Finn arched an eyebrow, turning his gaze from Bridget to Jamesy and back to her again. “Thewholeof their bodies? Now, thatdoessound like a story worth investigating.”
“I wouldn’t recommend that course of action,” Hall heard himself saying.
So much for maintaining his distance.
Finn laughed, his eyes lighting with amusement, and he dipped his head in mock apology. “As you say, O’Donar. All things considered, it’s perhaps best all round that I leave this subject entirely alone.”
“Is this yer missing minstrel?” Patrick MacDowylt brought them all back to the reason they were here. “Does this mean you’ve reclaimed the items we need?”
