Page 71 of Highland Fire

Una sighed. “I wish I was a clever lass so that I could find the words that would convince ye to stay with Tavig MacAlpin. Ye love the mon—more deeply than mayhap even ye ken.”

“What stands between me and Tavig isnae something that can be talked away with clever words. Now, I really dinnae wish to talk about that. It may be foolish, but for a wee while I want to pretend that our only trouble is Iver.”

A grimace twisted Una’s pretty face. “And that is the last thing I wish to think about. It means a battle, and men get hurt or killed in battles.”

“I ken it, but I just cannae feel that we will lose this battle or any of the men we care about.”

“Moira, ye dinnae have the sight, too, do ye?”

“Nay, ’tis just a feeling. Mungan and Tavig ken weel the mon they face, and ken the type of men they must fight. They even ken weel the place they must do battle in. They have the favor of the people Iver tries to rule. With so much in their favor I just cannae believe they will lose. I cannae help but wonder if Iver was always aware of that and ’tis the reason he tried so hard to kill Tavig before he could gather his supporters together.”

“I dinnae suppose Tavig has seen anything.”

“Not that he has mentioned. He acts verra confident. I would like to think there is more behind that than male bravado. It looks as if they have decided what we will do next.”

Moira soon found herself caught up in the business of setting up camp. She overheard snatches of conversation from the men, but not enough to know exactly what was going to happen next. When Mungan sent three men to Drumdearg, she began to get annoyed by her own ignorance. The moment she sat by the fire with Tavig, Mungan, Nicol, and Una, she decided she could wait no longer to be told.

“What are ye planning?” she asked Tavig as the wineskin was being passed around.

“We stay here until just before dawn, then slip into Drumdearg,” he replied, handing her the skin.

She took a long drink of wine and passed it on to Nicol. “Is that a good time to attack?”

“As good as any. We will have light enough to see but shadows enough to hide in. ’Tis a time when men are often less alert. Iver changes the guard at sunrise, so if we plan it correctly, we will catch the guard at the end of their watch when they are weary and concerned mostly with when the new guard will arrive so that they can go to their beds.”

“I have sent three of my men into Drumdearg to alert our allies there,” said Mungan.

“Are ye certain ye can trust them?” asked Moira. “If any of them reveal your plans to Iver, he will have hours to prepare a trap for you.”

Tavig put his arm around her shoulders, tugged her closer, and kissed her cheek. “They can be trusted with our lives, dearling. Even if Iver began to suspect something, he would ne’er pry the truth from these men. They are the kinsmen of the men Iver murdered. E’en if they werenae loyal to me, and they are, they would still do most anything to make Iver pay for those deaths.”

“Doesnae Iver ken that his victim’s kinsmen could be a danger to him?”

“Aye, but Iver ne’er took an interest in the people he seeks to rule. The ones most closely related to the men he murdered have gone into hiding, but Iver simply doesnae ken that the duty of revenge will be taken up by others. He doesnae think of how the men have more family than a mother, daughter, father, and the like. The lands he took from me teem with the men’s cousins, uncles, and others, and he is too blind to see the danger of that.”

“And considering that he has no qualms about killing his own kinsmen, he probably doesnae think any of them would trouble themselves to seek revenge. Especially if they are poor men.”

“Aye, Iver looks upon all men who arenae knights, wealthy, or weelborn as little more than witless beasts to be worked and used until they die. There is no sense of clan in Iver. He sees the people of Drumdearg as no more than tools to feed him, house him, and gain him coin, to buy more mercenaries. He takes what he wants, including their women, and feels they are all too stupid or cowardly to stop him.”

“How can he think such things after living there for so long?”

“He ne’er got to ken the people. He ne’er noticed or thought about them except in how they could serve him. I should have banished the mon years ago, but I was able to curb his worse instincts, and that seemed to be enough. My family isnae a verra large one, and mayhap I feared acknowledging the need to be rid of one of them.”

“Ye cannae be faulted for trying to keep a kinsmon from cutting his own throat,” said Mungan. “And that is what Iver has done. E’en he has to ken that one of you must now die. He has done his best to insure that that one was you. He failed.” Mungan shrugged. “I ne’er liked him, ne’er trusted him, and I willnae hesitate to cut him down, but, as ye said, Tavig, we arenae a large family. E’en I regret the need to lessen our number. Iver has given us no choice.”

The men began to discuss the details of the forthcoming battle and, although she dreaded the possible consequences of such a confrontation, Moira could see that the plans were thorough and promised victory—if all went as planned. Once the battle began, Mungan and Tavig would gain more men from the people of Drumdearg. Some of the men who had been hiding would probably return in time to take part in the fight. They had a way to get inside the keep. Mungan had even chosen three of his youngest men to guard her and Una while Tavig had chosen the place they were to remain until it was safe. Her mind told her it would go well, but her heart feared some terrible mishap.

When Tavig stood, pulling her to her feet, and led her to a secluded place within the surrounding wood, she did not resist. Even the knowing looks of the men did not trouble her. In a few hours Tavig would be in the midst of battle, facing a man who desperately wanted him dead. She needed to be alone with him.

“Have ye had any feelings on what is to come?” she asked as he spread out their bedding.

“Ye mean a vision?” He sat down, tugging her down beside him.

“Aye. I was hoping your sight may have come to your aid, warned ye, or given ye some hope. Do ye see nothing?”

“I see Iver dead.”

“Ye dinnae sound as if ye believe that prophecy.”