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They had waited until dawn, certain that the mercenaries would not leave until then, giving them time to reach their camp before or shortly after they left.
A scout rounded the bend and approached on a run. Breathless he said, “The camp was abandoned last night.”
Alyce watched the band of rogue warriors gathered not far from the Connors farm from a safe place. They would attack them first, leaving suffering and grief behind, then move on to the next farm until someone stopped them.
She motioned for Hagen to follow her and when they were a safe distance, she ordered him to go to the keep and get help, and have them sound the alarm. She had hoped Lachlan had come after her and if he had, he might not be too far away to help her.
Alyce rode to the Connors farm as if she was going to pay a visit, calling out a lively greeting when she arrived. She kept a smile on her face until she entered their cottage and delivered the news.
“We’ll have help soon enough,” she encouraged when she watched Mary turn pale with fear.
Jake and his sons went into action, gathering weapons and pushing furniture aside to open the hiding spot he had fashioned for moments like this. He got upset when Alyce wouldn’t join his wife and daughter.
“I won’t hide from battle; I never have and I never will,” Alyce said and took hold of one of the swords.
“You are pregnant,” he said, clearly worried.
“My child is the son of two brave warriors,” she said with a smile. “He knows better than to get in my way.”
The blood-curdling scream outside announced the rogue band’s arrival and had the two young men jumping in fright, but the sound of the horn from the keep denoting attack gave them courage.
“Word has been received,” Alyce said joyfully. “Help will be here soon. Unfortunately, we can’t remain inside for long. They will torch the cottage in their need to hurry their attack.”
Lachlan urged his stallion to go faster but he was already going as fast as he could. As soon as he and his brothers had heard the attack horn sound, they hurried to the keep.
“It can’t be Septimus,” Lachlan called out to his brothers.
“We would have noticed that he reversed his tracks,” Cavan said, keeping pace beside him. “Besides, Alyce would never have allowed it.”
Lachlan was relieved to hear his brother say that, but he was damn frightened for his family’s safety at the keep. At least he needn’t worry about his wife; she was safe with Septimus.
Alyce took one warrior down with an arrow from the window and Peter, the youngest of the two Connor brothers, got another one. She quickly calculated that ten or more warriors remained and that was a hefty amount for her and Jake to fight on their own, but soon they would have no choice. The warriors were preparing torch arrows and she and Jake couldn’t let them do that.
She turned to Peter and John. “You both keep as many warriors from descending as you can.”
“No,” John protested. “We’ll join you.”
Alyce shook her head. “You’ll be more help to us in here with your arrows.”
“Don’t argue with us,” Jake ordered his sons.
“We have to go now. They’re almost ready to fire the first torch,” Alyce said and looked to Peter. “Get him before he releases it. Get as many as you can.”
The young lad nodded, though fear glazed his brown eyes.
The lad didn’t disappoint them. He took the warrior down, and another, allowing his father and Alyce to make a hasty exit and surprise two warriors. Two more came at her and, while she was quick to wound one, the other sliced her shoulder before she landed a knife in his gut. Just then Hagen arrived, leading a group of Sinclare warriors.
He was off his horse and in front of her in seconds. She didn’t protest since her shoulder burned and she didn’t feel herself, though the babe remained calm. She was surprised to suddenly see Zia beside her and then she heard Honora’s voice and not soon after Addie’s. The clashing of swords continued around her, and she wasn’t sure but she thought she saw a bow in Honora’s hand and her shooting arrow after arrow, while it seemed that Addie, sword in hand, battled alongside Hagen who had left her side.
The whole scene seemed surreal and Alyce couldn’t quite understand what Zia was saying to her. She staggered trying to remain standing. Then everything began spinning, and she heard shouts in the distance and the ground shook and just before everything went black, she saw her husband’s face and felt his arms go around her.
Chapter 36
Lachlan sat by his wife’s bedside waiting for her to wake up. He had so much to say to her and he was anxious to say it. When he had seen her collapsing, he had bolted off his horse and ran to her, leaving his brothers to protect him as he ran through the melee to his wife.
