Once dressed, she gathered her bag and tip-toed to the door, taking care to make as little noise as possible. Just as she was about to disengage the latch, she remembered that she didn’t have any coin. Errol had been paying for everything so far. Traveling alone, she would more than likely come across something that she would have to pay for.
Leaving her bag near the door, she crept over to Errol’s bag and found the coin pouch he had tucked inside. She could take the whole thing with her and leave him with naught. Being the son of the laird, he would have no problem getting around, but she wasn’t spiteful.
Instead, she took a small handful and tucked the coins into her pocket, trying to minimize the jingling noise they made as they rubbed together.
Carefully opening the door, she said a silent prayer when it made no sound, and then she slipped outside into the dark, empty hall.
Downstairs, she breathed a sigh of relief when even the innkeeper was nowhere to be found. Mayhap he had retired for the night as well.
Outside, she located her horse in the stable, and handed the sleepy-eyed stable boy a coin for watching and caring for the mare.
He looked confused as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but she told him that all was well and to go back to sleep. Nodding, he had curled back up on a bale of hay and fell back asleep.
Usually, she had Errol to help her mount, but of course, she was on her own this time. She found a stool and moved it over beside her horse and stepped upon it, then, using the reins, pulled herself the rest of the way up, careful not to hurt her mare.
Outside of the stable, she urged her horse left and once she was certain no one followed, she kicked the mare into a trot and headed in what she hoped was Northeast. According to what Errol had said, it should only take but a few hours to arrive at the hollow.
Moira tried not to think about how her father would react if he kenned she were traveling MacLeod lands by herself.
She shuddered. She hadn’t thought about that piece until now. Mayhap she should take off her cloak since it was in the Hart colors. That way she didn’t catch anyone’s ire if they happened upon her.
Thinking that was best, she untied the bow at her neck and slipped the cloak off her shoulders. Rolling it into a ball, she stuffed the cloak under her leg. She would put it in her travel bag when she stopped next, which would be when she got to the hollow.
Errol would be furious when he woke up to find himself alone in the room. Not because he cared about her, but because he wasn’t keeping up with the responsibility of being her guardian.
Well, she would show him. She didn’t need a guardian and she could travel just fine alone.
At least that was what she kept repeating to herself.
*
He was awakenedby the movement in the stable. He had been sleeping outside, near the blacksmith’s shed. It gave him a view of the stable and the horses inside. Though he was surprised to see the Hartbitch fetching her mare.
He was even more surprised to see that she was alone.
What was she up to?
He had waited to see if the MacLeod followed her, but once she’d mounted her horse and left the stables with no sign of him, it was clear she was stealing away in the night and leaving him behind.
That was fine with him. She would be much easier to track. She didn’t take care to cover her tracks like the MacLeod.
He mounted his horse, and set off to follow Moira Hart, keeping a wide enough distance that she wouldn’t hear his horse trailing behind her.
Where was she going without her escort?
Herprotection.
She was moving Northeast. But to where? Eventually, she would end up at the sea, unless she veered off in another direction.
Was she after another clue? He still had not learned what they had found in the hidden cave. But he had seen the small chest the MacLeod had carried with him down the rocks. What contents it held he had no idea. It could be empty for all he kenned, but he doubted that. Why would he burden himself with an empty chest whilst he climbed down a precarious rock wall?
He wouldn’t do that.
Nay. There had to be something valuable inside.
Ahead of him, Moira’s mare paused, and he signaled for his horse to do the same thing, stroking its neck to keep him at ease so he remained silent.
Whatever caused her to stop had passed and she once again moved forward.
