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‘No, I’m a bit thin, but now I’m eating enough for ten men. Since they starved me, all I can think about is food,’ he said smiling.

‘Aye, well, you’ll soon pile the muscle back on,’ said Duncan squeezing his arms tightly and then ruffling his hair. He turned away abruptly, and Conall wondered at the emotion which seemed to overcome his father, who was usually terse and hard with him.

‘Don’t worry, Father, I didn’t give in to them. I stood up to them. For the honour of the clan, I stood up to them, no matter what they did to me.’

‘Of course, you did, son, as I knew you would.’ Duncan sniffed and wiped a hand over his nose. ‘Come, let’s go inside and decide how we will punish those bastards for what they did to you.’

***

‘How is the girl, Rory?’ said Duncan.

‘She is well cared for, my friend, a bit thin, but we are putting the bloom back in her cheeks.’

They sat in Duncan’s study before a roaring fire. Murray and Rory had joined them. It was time to have a serious conversation about the Moncurs and revenge.

‘Why did you bring her along, Conall? Did she come willingly?’

‘Aye, she couldn’t wait to get out of the place, for she was sorely mistreated by her father.’

‘Are you sure she is not a spy, conning you into bringing her along so that she can find out Dunslair’s secrets?’

‘I saw Moncur beat her, treat her worse than a dog and her brothers, they’re worthless bastards the pair of them. She got no protection there. Trust me, Kenna’s bruises were real, and she saved my life, at great risk to her own.’

‘Forgive me for doubting, Conall, but we have many enemies, lad, and they have been circling since the battle at Mallach Moor, sniffing out our weaknesses. We can’t be too careful.’

‘If Conall has it right, then Sgathach Dun is surrounded by marshes Laird, we cannot make a frontal assault on it without a great loss of men,’ said Murray grimly.

‘Could you get canon to the gates?’

‘It is a killing ground before the gates father, no cover, sucking mud on either side and deep water. If men try to scatter, they will die in the marsh, and even if a canon could blast through the gates, the effort of dragging it there over the rough terrain around the castle would perhaps be futile. Even with the gate down, we’d still have to get through it. The approach is narrow. There would be a great loss of life. As I see it, we don’t have enough men to waste.’

‘Do we have the patience to starve them out?’ said Rory. ‘Do we have the stomach for it? Conall, you said there were women and children inside?’

‘Aye, it’s not just a garrison. It is a home to many families, albeit a miserable one. And I don’t want innocent people or my clansmen to die for my vengeance. There’s the sea crossing to consider, and it’s an awfully long way to go to pick a fight.’

‘Aye, but they took you, Conall, and that can’t go unanswered, can it?’ growled Duncan.

‘Of course not, but it is for me to do it. I will go back and wait until Gregor Moncur crawls out of his miserable hole, and then I will cut him down.’

‘And you are capable of that, Conall, executing a man?’

Conall kept his face impassive and betrayed nothing of his unease. ‘Do you doubt it?’

‘No, son, I don’t. There’s clearly enough anger in you to kill twenty men and not feel it, but the fact is, you should feel it. Besides, what would killing Moncur really achieve?’

‘He’d be dead, and Kenna would be free of him. The world would not miss him.’

‘Aye, but what Duncan means is, we still wouldn’t know why he took you, Conall,’ said Rory. ‘Think on it. We have no quarrel or history with this clan, no old grudges festering. They are, as far as I have been able to find out, not allied to either of our old enemies – Clan Sinclair or Clan Grant. If they were, then why not kill you straight away, to strike a blow to our heart?’

‘So you think someone put them up to taking me, Rory?’

‘Aye, that is what I think.’

‘I agree,’ said Murray. ‘This feels personal, as if someone had a grudge and wanted Conall to suffer.’ His face was cold and angry. Woe betide anyone who got on Murray’s bad side. ‘Conall, did they, at any time, talk of a ransom?’

‘They never said as much, all I knew was what Kenna overheard, but she told me all along I had to get out of there because she didn’t think I would be released. Murray, they showed me their faces, rode me straight through the gates in broad daylight. I knew who they were, and they did not care, so no, I don’t think they ever had any intention of letting me live in return for money.’

‘So it comes down to a question of who hates us the most. Shall we all name our enemies?’ said Murray with a smirk, pouring himself another whisky. ‘This might take some time, so I’ll not go thirsty. Rory, you first.’

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