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As she rode, she shouted, “Free our men. Free our men! Someone free our men!”
Robert swept his gaze back to the outbuilding, and the breath was snatched from his chest. The young squire had somehow managed to get to the outbuilding. Niall was there, as well, along with six more of Robert’s men. They held the English guards back, but one broke free and raised his sword to strike down the squire as he stepped toward the door and seemed to be opening it. Robert ripped his dagger from its sheath and flung it with all his might toward the knight. The dagger pierced the man’s hand as he was bringing his sword down and he dropped his weapon. The squire, who’d turned toward his attacker, eyes wide with fear, twisted back around to the door and slung it open. Moray’s men poured out, weaponless.
Robert unhooked his shield from his saddle, and then dismounted amid the chaos, his sword in one hand and his shield in the other. He raced toward the stumbling Moray men and the squire, parrying blows as he went. When he reached the boy, a call to fire at the lad and the Moray men went out from de Burgh. Cursing, Robert looked to his right to find that a line of knights had covered the distance from the scrimmage below to the castle, and they were lined up to shoot. Robert shoved the boy behind him, as a volley of arrows flew through the air. They clanked against his shield.
“Again!” de Burgh shouted, clearly not caring if he struck down his own men.
Robert moved to shield the boy once more, but the squire stepped out from behind Robert and ripped off his helmet. Long blond hair tumbled out over his—no,her—shoulders. Robert could do no more than stare in shock at de Burgh’s daughter, Elizabeth de Burgh. Her clear blue gaze met his for a brief moment.
“Cease fire! Cease fire!” came de Burgh’s frantic call.
The chit’s eyes, bluer than any Robert had ever beheld, widened with what appeared to be shock. Had she thought her father may not save her?
She turned to Robert. “Thank you for your aid, my lord.” The words tumbled from her mouth in a rush, and then to Robert’s surprise, she dashed, as graceful as a deer fleeing a predator, past him and toward her father.
Robert stood dumbfounded for a moment at the young chit he’d seen at court but had never met. One of his men lunged toward her, and Robert shouted, “Leave her!”
She raced through the melee, surprisingly agile and quick, and she managed to reach her father unscathed. At once, she was snatched up by the hand she stretched toward her father and slung on the back of the destrier he had mounted once again.
Lady Moray and her husband’s warriors came into the fray of the battle that was now moving ever closer. English arrows flew toward them. She raised a hand as she raced forward, and Robert looked to the rampart of the castle, relieved to see four dozen or so bowmen. Within a breath, more arrows soared through the air, but this time toward the knights lined up to shoot at her. As she reached Robert, he said, “My lady, I would stand in defense of yer home if ye will allow me to.”
She arched her eyebrows over glittering gray eyes. “It’s about time a Bruce came to his senses,” she said with a nod. “I’ll fight alongside ye, for this day ye have saved many Moray lives.”
Robert glanced around at the already fallen men from both sides and made a decision. “De Burgh!” he bellowed, before any more casualties came to pass. “The Moray men fight with me. Stand down and leave, or be prepared to die.”
De Burgh twisted his mount toward Robert while calling an order to his men to hold, and Robert did the same to his and Lady Moray’s men. De Burgh was an astute man. He had to see he was outnumbered and that the best option would be to flee as Robert had graciously offered to allow.
“I name you traitor, Bruce, and I’ll inform King Edward of your treachery.”
“I can nae be a traitor to a man I do nae call king!” Robert reminded de Burgh. A roar of approval arose from his men and the Moray men alike.
A command to his men to depart was the answer from de Burgh, and the English garrison quickly complied, taking their mounts and turning to ride out. As Robert watched them leave, Elizabeth de Burgh twisted in the saddle, her unwavering gaze meeting his.
Beside him, Lady Moray spoke. “That girl forever has my debt. I pray the punishment for her deeds this day are not too grave.
Robert nodded. Elizabeth de Burgh had mettle, that much was certain. It would remain to be seen if it was not beaten out of her after today.
“What will ye do now?” Lady Moray asked.
Robert thought briefly of his father ensconced in Durham at one of their English manors. He would need to send a messenger to give his father fair warning of what had occurred this day. What he did with that information was on his head.
“My lord?” Lady Moray said.
He caught the lady’s inquisitive gaze. “I’ll send word to my father of my actions—”
“Honorable actions,” she said, reaching out and squeezing his forearm.
He inclined his head in gratitude, certain his father would not feel the same. Swallowing a sudden swell of emotion for the rift he had placed between himself and his father this day, he said, “then I’ll ride to Hugh Eglinton’s Castle. I’ve received word that the nobility leading the rebellion have been given safe haven there to meet and plan, and amongst the party is also William Wallace.”
Lady Moray’s eyebrows arched. She bit her lip for a moment then spoke. “Ye ken many of those men fight in the name of Balliol. They fight for his return to the throne.”
“Aye,” Robert replied. “But Balliol abdicated and I have heard that the Comyns—” saying the name of his family’s bitter enemies who years before had put the force of their great power behind their cousin Balliol to have him named as the man with the best claim to the throne over Robert’s grandfather, always made Robert’s throat tighten. “—are imprisoned by Edward. I go to fight for Scotland, as I did this day.”
She nodded. “I pray for ye that it will be enough to see ye well.”
“I’ll gladly take yer prayers, he replied, sensing deep within that he would need them.
“I’ll send a messenger ahead of ye with word of yer deeds for me to my husband who is at Eglinton Castle,” she revealed with a secretive smile. “That way, ye are more likely to keep yer head when ye approach the Scots. Many think ye a traitor.”
