Page 24 of A Fearless Rebel

“Ale,” he told the woman who shuffled over and she hurried away to fetch his beverage.

“There will be a peculiar thing in the eastern forest the next two nights,” the man said, looking in his direction. “A lone sheep is easy to hunt.”

He nodded and studied the worn wood of the tabletop. “I will hunt.”

“Be with care, sheep can bite,” came the cryptic reply.

He wondered what the man meant by the last words, but he could not ask as the stranger walked past, grabbed the bag of coins Keithen had set on the table and then slipped out.

Once he drank the ale, Keithen went to his horse and considered the best route to go to the forest on Mackenzie lands in order to avoid detection. Of the areas around Mackenzie Keep, the eastern territory was the most dangerous. Guards constantly patrolled that portion because it bordered several other clans, Clan Ross included.

Although his clan was allied with the Ross, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t be questioned if caught by them as well. There was much to worry about and plan for.

However, if he managed to kill one of the bastards who’d attacked Catriona, it would be well worth it. He knew exactly who he was hunting that day. It was the man with a reddish birthmark on the right side of his face.

He’d failed to protect her before, had allowed not only Catriona, but his own mother to fall into the hands of abusive men. So now it was his responsibility to ensure it never happened again.

There would be no rest for him until every man who had dared to touch Catriona or his mother was dead. He’d managed to kill three, and each kill had been satisfactory.

Just then, a familiar horseman appeared. Ewan Ross dismounted and sauntered over to him. “I thought ye’d be in this area.”

“What are ye doing here?” Keithen could not believe his bad luck. Not only did he have little time to get to where he was going, but now had to figure out a way to get rid of Ewan.

“Looking for ye,” Ewan replied, his keen gaze moving from him to the horse. “Ruari asked that I keep an eye on ye. He told me what ye are doing.”

Keithen had wondered why it had been almost impossible to get away in the last few months. He’d managed to get away from his keep once. But other than that, each time he’d set up a meeting with the man who’d just left the tavern, something had gone awry.

“It’s been ye that have impeded my progress then?” Keithen asked with a glare. “Do ye realize how much it has cost?”

“Yer life perhaps.”

“Return to the keep. Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with ye or my sister’s husband.”

Ewan shrugged. “Matters naught to me. However, think of Catriona and what this would do to her. If ye get yerself killed, it would only add to her burden.”

Disgruntled, but with no other choice, Keithen rode back to his keep. There wasn’t much to be done with Ewan Ross following him.

As night fell, he considered that he’d not have another opportunity for a long time yet.

*

Keithen, Ewan and several guards rode out as part of their daily patrol the next morning. Keithen studied the Ross archer. “Ye did not grow up with Malcolm and his brothers, did ye?” he asked, referring to Laird Ross.

“I grew up on Uist.” Ewan looked in the direction of his home with a faraway look. “I have always lived by the sea.”

Although he’d never been to Uist, Keithen had traveled to the shore several times. He studied the man. “Why did ye leave?”

“Riders approaching,” Ewan said. In the distance, a group of men on horseback galloped toward them.

The Fraser tartan was instantly recognizable and Keithen relaxed. Upon seeing Keithen, the man in the lead signaled for the group to slow and they came to a stop.

“What is going on?” Keithen asked.

“Mackenzie warriors are out in force, searching out a band of men. They are on attack.”

As a group, they rode hard until reaching Fraser Keep. Keithen called out for the gates to be closed and ordered every guard to his post.

His father, upon being informed of the possible threat, sent a group of warriors to protect the village.