Page 37 of Luthias

“I know that what you found is upsetting, and you want to protect me, but I’m not just any woman,” Emery reminded him. “I’m a fully-trained forensic anthropologist who analyzes bones and artifacts from burial sites. That’s my job in the future.”

“Why should you do such things?” the laird asked, sounding worried.

“It’s how the people in my time learn about yours. Death is never pretty or easy to look at, but it can help us understand so much that we don’t know. That doesn’t frighten me.” She looked up at him. “There’s another very good reason I should look at it, too. You already know what that is.”

“Mayhap ’tis the reason the Fire Sword chose to bring you to us.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “You’re certain you wish to do thus, my lady?”

Emery nodded. “If you let me have a look at the cave, I’ll call you Luthias––not in front of the clan, though. There’s already enough gossip about you and me.”

He changed direction, and led the horse down an older, less-used trail. A short time later he stopped at what appeared to be a recent rockslide and dismounted, lifting her out of the saddle before he waved an arm over his head.

When Emery looked up, she saw three archers retreating from a high ledge. “Do you think the guy who did this is planning to come back here?”

“I dinnae ken what the mad may do.” Luthias met her gaze and held out his hand. “I’ve had the men leave everything as ’twas when first found. If you feel sick, tell me.”

The laird helped her up the steep slope almost to the top, and then stepped out onto a narrow ledge in front of a partially-covered cave. He pulled aside the roots to reveal the interior, which contained a number of bizarre-looking assemblages.

“Are these built from animal bones?” Emery murmured as she peered inside.

“Aye. Mostly deer, but some sheep, hare and vole as well,” Luthias said.

The smell of the cave drifted out, enveloping her in its unpleasant reek. Even that told her a little about the person who had used it; such an odor would be hard to tolerate by someone unaccustomed to or repelled by it. To remove the bones, clean the flesh from them and then assemble the constructs would have required the intruder to remain inside for many hours. The assemblages looked too delicate to have been first built and then transported over the rough terrain that led to the cave. She saw no signs that a fire had ever been built inside the cave, so the work would have been done by candlelight or during the day.

“This resembles an ossuary––a place where the bones of dead people are placed,” she told the laird as she took a step closer. “The bones are arranged by type, not by the individual animal, so it’s probably not a kill tally or hunt memorial.” She had seen pictures of buildings and rooms made from human bones that resembled the cave. “This reminds me of a trophy room...or a temple, maybe. One thing I can tell you, you’re probably right about him being mentally disturbed.”

Luthias caught her arm. “Dinnae step foot in there. ’Tis evil.”

Emery saw why when she spotted the cage made of antlers at the back.

“I’m getting the same feeling.” She peered at the strangest of the assemblages. “That looks like a gibbeting cage. Is that how executions are done in this time?”

The laird shook his head. “The courts here execute noblemen by beheading, and common men by hanging. They drown females.”

“Right, I remember reading about that. They thought drowning was kinder, the monsters.” She shuddered and turned away, allowing the light her body had blocked to illuminate the cave. Something sparkled on the dirt floor, and she bent down to scoop up a small handful. On closer inspection she was able to pick out a few grey-white crystals.

“I’ll have to test this with water, but I think this is salt.” She looked around at the rest of the floor. “It looks like it’s been scattered all over the cave. Could the intruder have been using salt to preserve the meat he took from the carcasses?”

“’Tis too precious,” Luthias said, and offered her a small pouch. As she put the crystals inside he looked around the cave. “’Twas also brought here, for we’ve no salt mines or springs in the highlands. We buy what we need from the brine houses by the sea. ’Tis so costly we lock away our supplies.”

“The scattering of salt may be for a spiritual reason.” Emery thought for a moment. “In ancient burials of many cultures salt at a grave site usually represents the soul. But in Scotland at this time it was thought to be used as a deterrent, to ward off evil spirits.”

“Some villagers strew salt over any place where someone dies,” he said, nodding. “Only they dinnae do thus for slaughtered animals.”

“Then we can assume that the person who did this was afraid of a dead person.” Her gaze shifted to the grotesque cage. “Maybe someone who died here.”

Luthias felt relieved only after he put some distance between Emery and the cave; his skin had crawled the entire time she had stood inspecting the ghastly things done in that wretched space. After talking over her theories with him she had also gone quiet. He considered continuing onto the farms, where he might distract her with the pastoral beauty of the pasturelands and the herds, but at last he decided to ride to the westernmost loch, where they could rest.

“I’m sorry,” Emery said as he guided his mount toward the trail leading down to the loch. “I should have told you more details about my work in the future. All that stuff I said must have sounded pretty gruesome to you, especially coming from a woman.”

So his opinion of her was what preyed on her thoughts, not what she had seen. Luthias felt a surge of relief.

“If you fear I reckon you less a lady, dinnae,” he assured her. “You saw much more in what ’twas left there than I might. What you said, I’m certain ’twill aid us in finding the madman.” He hesitated before he asked, “Seeing such terrible things, they never trouble your dreams?”

“For me my work is about solving old mysteries, and revealing the truth. Bones and artifacts can’t hurt anyone.” She glanced back toward the cave. “People are much scarier.”

“You’ve no’ told me all,” he guessed.

“I noticed some signs about the personality and habits of whoever used that cave,” Emery admitted. “I’m not an expert, so I don’t want to make you jump to any conclusions without more evidence.”