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Chapter 21
Alastair awoke with a crick in his neck and pain in his calf, having slept in his plaid again. The damned chair was so uncomfortable that he should have slept on the floor with the dog instead.
He sat up and looked across the room. Caitlin and Fia shared his bed while his hound was also lounged atop the pallet, on its back and with its legs up in the air.
“Losh me, ye’ve got to be jestin’,” he said softly to himself. Even the damned dog got to sleep with Fia while he fell off the chair three times trying to get comfortable – in his own room.
Needing some ale or mayhap something stronger like whisky, he got up, grabbed his tunic, boots and weapon belt, and tiptoed to the door. As soon as the door opened a crack, Cerberus bounded off the bed and pushed him down in his hurry to leave the room. Alastair dropped his things, looking up only to have his face washed with a long tongue.
“Stop it, ye fool.” He got up and picked up his things and quietly closed the door. With the beast tripping him every step he took, he finally managed to make his way to the great hall to find Niven standing in the doorway stretching and yawning.
“Niven, take the dog,” he said, needing a minute of peace. Seeing the great hall filled with drunken bodies from last night, he opted to go up to the battlements for some fresh air to clear his head instead.
“Come here, Cerberus,” said Niven, trying to catch the dog. But it kept darting away from him. “Why didna ye have Fia show ye how to control him, my laird?”
“I dinna need a lassie to show me how to do anythin’.” He put his weapon belt on the floor with his boots while he quickly pulled his tunic over his head.
“Speakin’ of Fia, I’m sorry about last night.” Niven lunged at the dog and landed on the floor when the hound stepped back and then jumped over him and ran like a possessed demon through the great hall. Rushes flew up in the air from the animal’s feet, and Cerberus’ tail knocked over a few empty tankards from last night’s celebration. Several of the men complained and started cursing at the dog.
“It would have been better if ye werena in yer cups and could have watched over Fia for me, but it doesna matter since I saw to matters. If Brohain or Rhodric show their faces here again, I will keep my promise and kill them.”
“Where is Fia?” asked Niven, getting off the ground and brushing the dirt from his palms.
“She’s still in bed.”
“Ah.” Niven smiled from ear to ear. “She was so appreciative that ye saved her virtue from Brohain and Rhodric that she gave it to ye instead.”
“Nay. She spent the night in my bed but not with me. She was consolin’ my half-sister, Caitlin, all night.”
“Caitlin? How did that happen?” asked Niven, scratching his head. “I swear I heard ye say ye were takin’ her to yer bed when ye left the great hall last night.”
“I did say that.” Alastair strapped on his weapon belt. “But before I kent what happened, I agreed to let Caitlin sleep in my bed while I slept in the damned chair.” He stretched his neck to the side and rubbed it with his palm. “Even the dog got a better sleep than me. I swear I dinna ken how Fia does it.”
“Does what, my laird?” asked Niven with a yawn.
“She made me think it was my idea when I had somethin’ different in mind.”
“So it was her idea that ye let Caitlin sleep in the room with ye?”
“Nay. Aye. Hell, I dinna ken. I need to take a walk on the battlements to clear my head.” He bent over and put on one boot. As he reached for the other, Cerberus ran up and snatched it from him, getting down on his haunches, looking up at him with playful eyes. “Give me the boot, boy.” His hand shot forward, but the dog jumped up and started running around the room with the boot in his mouth.
“I’ll get it for ye, my laird,” offered Niven.
“Hell, dinna bother. I dinna even care.” He limped away wearing only one boot, climbing the steps of the battlements, almost getting run over by Earc on his way down.
“Sorry, my laird, I dinna see ye there. It looks like Finn is back and I see a travelin’ party approachin’ as well. I’m goin’ to open the gate.”
“Finn is back?” he asked. “From where? Why? Who sent him anywhere?”
“Niven told me that Fia sent him out to the Iron Eagle yesterday.”
“Why would she do that?” Alastair had a strange feeling that Fia was deceiving him about something.
“I’m no’ sure, my laird. Did ye want me to send Finn up here to speak to ye?”
“Aye. Nay.” He ran a hand through his hair in aggravation. The last thing he wanted to do was to go behind Fia’s back checking up on her. If she was hiding something, he wanted her to tell him herself.
“My laird?” asked Earc in confusion.
