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Greer had immediately started a search, and Dougall and his brothers were helping with it.
"I should be out there helping them look," Saidh exploded with sudden frustration.
"Aye, ye should," Murine agreed mildly, turning her gaze back to the sewing that she'd been holding for quite some time, but hadn't sewn a stitch in.
She could feel her friend's indecision and then Saidh threw herself into the chair next to Murine's with a sigh and muttered, "Nay. I should stay here."
Now it was Murine's turn to sigh, although she did so with more exasperation than anything else. Standing up, she set the sewing aside and said, "I ken ye stayed behind to keep an eye on me, Saidh. But I am perfectly safe here in the keep. Besides, I'm tired. I have no' slept well the last two nights for worry about the journey today, and I would like to lie down for a rest, but so long as ye're here, I feel I need sit with ye. Why do you no' go help with the search," she suggested. "That way I can go have a lie-down and stop watching ye pace about like a mother hen."
Saidh couldn't get out of her seat swiftly enough. Bouncing to her feet, she gave Murine a quick hug, then rushed for the door, calling, "I'll wake ye when we find him."
Murine watched her push through the doors, then shook her head and turned to make her way across the great hall and above stairs. Saidh had mentioned Alpin several times over the last week. Murine had figured out pretty quickly that she'd come to care for the boy, but hadn't realized just how much. Today though, she'd come to realize that Saidh pretty much counted the boy as an eighth brother, or even an adopted son. Murine sincerely hoped they found the lad alive and well. She suspected Saidh would be inconsolable otherwise.
The sack holding the gowns Saidh had given her waited on the bed next to Dougall's bag and Murine grimaced at the sight of them. They seemed to symbolize the trip they were supposed to start that morning, the one that had caused her lack of sleep, and the reason she was so exhausted now. A trip they hadn't ended up taking.
Her mother used to say that worry was a waste, what would happen would happen, and sometimes what you worried about never occurred. Her mother had been a wise woman, Murine acknowledged as she walked to the bed and grabbed Dougall's bag to move it to the floor. She'd just set it down and started to straighten to move her own bag as well when a scuffing sounded behind her.
Murine started to turn, and then cried out as something slammed into her head. She barely had time to recognize the dark embrace of unconsciousness closing around her before it had fully enfolded her.
"Two guards."
Dougall glanced to the man riding beside him. Greer was scowling ferociously, rage, fear and frustration in every line of his body as he muttered those words again. Dougall didn't have to ask what his brother-in-law was talking about. Alpin's father had sent the boy back with an escort of two guards, both of whom were dead, their bodies on the way back to Alpin's father with the message that his son was missing.
"And two lads barely old enough to grow hair on their faces at that," Greer snarled. "What kind o' idiot sends his only son on a journey with but two striplings to guard him?"
Dougall grimaced, but didn't comment. He suspected Greer was just venting his upset and did not really want a response.
Alick was among the men traveling with them, however, and sometimes didn't know when he should comment and when he shouldn't.
"Well, ye did say his father was English," Alick pointed out. "They're no' always the brightest o' people."
"Alick," Dougall growled in warning.
"Well, they're not," Alick insisted. "Grandfather always said it was on account o' inbreeding."
When Greer arched an eyebrow and glanced to Dougall, he immediately shook his head and advised, "Ignore him. He's young."
"What's that got to do with anything?" Alick asked with irritation. "I'm just telling ye what Grandfather said."
"Alick," Dougall began, but then paused as he spotted a woman riding toward them, her dark hair flying in the breeze. "Is that Saidh?"
"Aye," Greer said slowly, concern creeping across his face.
"I thought she was going to stay at the castle with Murine," Alick said with a frown.
Mouth tightening, Dougall spurred his horse forward to meet her, barking, "Where's Murine?" as they met and both reined in.
"She was tired and wanted to lie down so I came to help with the search," Saidh answered quickly.
Dougall nodded, relief flowing through him. For a moment he'd feared she too was out here riding around somewhere.
"Why were ye all headed back to the castle?" Saidh asked as Greer and the others caught up. "Did ye find Alpin?"
"Nay," Greer answered solemnly.
"Then why are ye heading back to the keep?" she asked shortly. "He is out there somewhere, alone and afraid and--" Her words died as Greer pulled her from her horse and into the cradle of his arms on his own mount. "Breathe, love. We are doing all we can. I have the men looking further afield, and have sent a messenger to his father with the news and requesting he let us know if he receives a demand fer coin for the boy's return. In the meantime, we were heading back to the keep to map out the area and try to decide the best course of action."
Saidh sagged against him at this news. "I'm worried about him, Greer."
"Aye, I ken," he said on a sigh, then pressed her head to his chest and urged his horse forward again.
Dougall leaned to the side to grab the reins of Saidh's mare, and then followed the couple, aware that his brothers were on his heels.
Most of the MacDonnell men were out searching for Alpin, so it was something of a surprise to ride into the bailey and find it full of men. Dougall rode up next to Greer and glanced to him in question as they slowed, but his brother-in-law gave a slight shake of his head that said he had no idea who the men were.
"Aulay's back," Alick said suddenly and Dougall relaxed as he spotted his brothers Aulay and Conran standing by the stairs with Greer's first, Bowie, and an older man he didn't reco
gnize.
The plan had been for Aulay, along with the soldiers he'd collected from Buchanan, to ride straight out to where they were to meet MacIntyre rather than take the slight detour to MacDonnell. The rest of them were going to ride from MacDonnell to meet the two parties. Of course, once the issue of Greer's squire had popped up, Dougall had sent Conran to meet up with the group and explain the delay. It appeared they'd got the message, Dougall decided as Greer said, "And if I'm no' mistaken, that's Laird MacIntyre with him."
"Perhaps they've come to help with the search," Saidh said hopefully.
"We shall see," Greer said quietly.
Noting the concern in the man's voice, Dougall eyed him briefly, and then peered more carefully over the men by the stairs. This time he noted the grim expressions each wore and felt concern begin to lay claim to him. It was looking to him like if they'd found the boy, it wasn't alive.
Sighing inwardly, he reined in next to Greer and quickly slid off his mount. By the time he turned to help Saidh down, however, she'd already dropped to the ground and started toward Aulay and the other men.
Cursing, Greer pretty much leapt out of the saddle and ran the first several feet to catch up to his wife before she learned whatever news the men had. Dougall held back with Geordie and Alick to allow them a moment's privacy with whatever news they were about to be given. But much to his surprise, when the four men realized Dougall was hanging back, they moved around the couple and approached him.
"Dougall," Aulay said solemnly. "Murine is missing."
"What?" he asked with confusion, his gaze shifting to Saidh as she hurried back.
"Nay," she told them with a frown. "Murine went to lie down ere I left. She's probably still up in her room."
"Nay, she's not," Aulay said solemnly, never moving his gaze from Dougall. "Laird MacIntyre asked to see her the moment we arrived. The servants in the hall said she had gone up to the room you shared, and hadn't returned below. But when Bowie went to knock there was no answer. He opened the door and the room is empty." Pausing then he grabbed Dougall bracingly by the shoulders, before adding unhappily, "There is blood on the bedchamber floor."
