The courtyard was in confusion, with men shouting and running to gather weapons. Moira picked up her skirts and climbed the ladder up the side of the castle wall. The wall walk that ran along the top was crowded with warriors, and she had to push her way through them to look out.
When she caught sight of a dozen war galleys sailing straight for the castle, Moira sucked in her breath. The first ones were so close that she could see the fierce faces of the warriors above their shields. She was aware when Tait and Ilysa joined her, but she kept her gaze on the galleys filling the bay.
“That one is their chieftain’s,” Tait said, pointing to the galley with the warrior’s cross on its sail and a dragon head on its bow.
A tall man with dark golden hair stood in the center of the chieftain’s boat, a little apart from the other warriors, and scanned the hills like a hawk. When the boat glided into shore, escorted by a galley on either side of it, he was the first to vault over the side.
“I’m going down to the beach,” Moira said and turned to go down the ladder.
“No, ye mustn’t!” Ilysa said, gripping Moira’s arm.
“There is no point in sacrificing the lives of our men when it’s me they want,” Moira said. “If there is a price to be paid for taking my husband’s miserable life, I’ll be the one to pay it.”
Chapter 30
Duncan’s thoughts were on Moira as he and Connor rode back to Dunscaith escorted by a dozen members of Connor’s guard. There was no use talking to Moira until he took Trotternish Castle. Teàrlag told him he could change his fate, and she was right. Taking the castle would settle everything—with his father, with the MacLeods, and with Moira.
But what in the hell did Moira mean by saying he did not know her? He knew her every mood, every expression that crossed her face, how her breathing changed when he touched her.
Still, he had to admit there was one thing he had not understood before. Her blind determination to walk through the night and enter the MacLeod chieftain’s lair alone to get Ragnall had seemed utter foolishness to him. But the moment he met his son, Duncan understood why she did it. Though Duncan knew that Ragnall was under the protection of the MacLeod chieftain, whose word was law within his clan, Duncan shared Moira’s driving need to bring him home.
Ragnall was one more reason Duncan was relieved he would be sailing for Trotternish Castle tonight.
Duncan saw a rider crest the hill coming toward them and pulled his claymore before he recognized the man as one of their own.
“Looks like trouble,” Connor said and held up his hand, signaling the guardsmen to halt.
The rider came toward them at a full gallop, then pulled his horse up hard, causing it to rear.
“War galleys are approaching Dunscaith!” the man shouted.
Duncan dug his heels into his horse’s side, took the lead, and rode for Dunscaith at breakneck speed. Though they were only two miles from the chieftain’s castle, it seemed like fifty. When Duncan finally broke over the last hill, the familiar vista of Dunscaith on its protruding rock in the midst of miles of coastline spread before him.
But this time, a swarm of war galleys loomed just offshore, threatening Dunscaith and everyone in it, including Moira and Ilysa.
“This visit must relate to Sean MacQuillan’s death,” Connor shouted as he brought his horse up beside Duncan’s.
They both had recognized the ships at once, of course, as belonging to the powerful MacDonalds of Dunivaig and the Glens, who were allied with the less powerful MacQuillans. Before the rebellion, their two branches of the MacDonalds had been allies as well.
“They haven’t attacked yet,” Connor continued, “so they may be willing to talk.”
“’Tis worth a chance,” Duncan shouted back.
“I’ll invite the chieftain in as my guest,” Connor said.
The Highland customs of hospitality were sacrosanct. If the other chieftain accepted Connor’s offer, there would be no attack today. Of course, the constraint lasted only until the guests departed.
“What in the hell is my sister doing?” Connor shouted.
Duncan snapped his gaze from the war galleys to the castle and saw a figure stepping off the castle’s bridge.God have mercy, it was Moira!
Protecting his chieftain was Duncan’s first duty, but he had to stop Moira.
“Send her back inside!” Connor shouted. “If they see her, they’ll try to take her!”
Duncan veered his horse toward the castle, and they flew over the tall grass. Moira’s eyes went wide as he bore down on her. Leaning low over the side of his horse, he caught her around the waist and lifted her in front of him. He continued up to the castle bridge and then dismounted with her.
“Were ye trying to make it easy for them to take ye?” he shouted, shaking her by the shoulders.