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“But she’s no longer here,” Tyra said.
“What do you mean?” Iain asked, feeling a sliver of concern.
Lachlan said, “She left at dusk yestereve. A missive arrived from Ruadh, and two guardsmen, Connor and Diarmid escorted her.”
“What!” Iain growled.
The two men in question entered the hall.
Iain said, “Where is Yesenda? Why are you not escorting her?”
“We met a MacDonald retainer along the way, and he said he would take it from there, so we returned.”
Iain gritted his teeth and said, “She just pulled the wool over all your eyes.”
Connor asked, “How?”
“I bet the retainer is her friend from the abbey.”
“That cannot be. I just saw Naomi above stairs,” Tyra said.
Iain just shook his head, part prideful that she outplayed him, and part angry at the worry she was causing him now. Iain stormed out of the hall. When he got to the cottage, he packed and gathered provisions, then he saddled his horse and rode out to find the troublesome wench.
***
A Day Later
Thanks to his fast pace and excellent tracking skills, Iain had caught up with Yesenda the following day. When he rode over the rise, Yesenda was fighting three men.Bloody typical,he thought. He urged his horse into a fast gallop, unsheathed his claymore and shouted a battle cry as he rode towards her.
Yesenda heard Iain riding to her rescue before she saw him. She remained focused on her current attackers as her bronzed head mace clashed against their swords. She tried to reason with them, but they kept repeating that their orders were to kill.
Iain leapt from his horse and was at her side in a heartbeat. He threw himself in the melee as his claymore clashed against steel.
“Gaah! Not again. I cannot leave you alone for a day without you finding trouble. I am sick of this shit,” he muttered.
“I warned you, several times, you will not listen. Tis your own damned fault.” Yesenda scowled, but deep inside she felt relief.He did not abandon her.
They blocked and parried as the three men came at them from different sides.
Yesenda nudged Iain behind her and she realized something important. She had faith that Iain would protect her back as surely as she protected him. They fought as one. With silent communication between them. To fight side by side like that took something more than skill. It required complete trust.
And out there on a dusty road fighting for her life, Yesenda had an epiphany.I trust Iain.
By the end of the skirmish, the attackers lay dead.
“This is beyond the pale,” Yesenda said as she bent over the dead men, closing their sightless eyes, and offering a silent prayer. “Tis such a waste of life.”
Iain nodded but remained silent as he dragged the bodies off the road. When he was atop his horse, he waited for Yesenda to lead the way. He would not demand or ask; he would just follow her lead. Yesenda paused for a moment and then she turned her steed towardKentallen.
***
Chapter 15
Trust
Several hours later they came by abothywhere they would stay the night. They secured the area, built a fire, and settled the horses for the night. Yesenda went down to bathe by the bay while Iain kept vigil. When she emerged, he took his turn.
When Iain walked into the little cottage, he took a sharp intake of breath. Yesenda was wearing a chemise with anairisaidhdraped over her shoulders. She was preparing food for them both. She set out two trenchers with a variety of food.
