“Only the sword,” Hall answered. “It would appear that Dobbie Caskie made off with the scrolls. We’re headed now to the site where Mathew saw him last so that we might pick up his trail.”
“Dobbie Caskie! I had hoped one day to cross paths with that young man again.” Eric MacNicol’s lips curved in a humorless smile. “The lad claimed he was headed to family on Skye, back when I took Jeanne to deal with Eymer’s remains. If he’s still prowling these trails with the same claim—”
“Then like as not he’s part of a gang of thieves,” Patrick jumped in. “And that would mean they’ve an encampment or a house or someplace out here where they hole up.”
“And that would mean we can find them,” Hall finished.
Patrick’s conclusions confirmed his own suspicions regarding Dobbie Caskie. He just needed a trail to follow.
“Why are we wasting time on the scrolls? We have the sword,” Bridget interrupted as she joined them again. “Why not simply cut our losses and go after Torquil now?”
Hall answered, “We need the scrolls if we’re to capture the Beast.”
“Then our path is settled. We follow you,” Patrick said. “We find this Dobbie Caskie and his friends, and we take back our scrolls so that we can get on with what’s most important—securing the future.”
Twenty-six
WAITING, WAITING—IT WASas if her whole life had come down to waiting! Brie pulled her fur up over her head and huddled against the wind blowing off the loch beyond the trees.
Just before noon they’d picked up Dobbie’s tracks and within another hour or so they’d arrived in this place. And here they sat, hours later, powerless to move against the men who held the treasure they sought.
Without having met Caskie, Brie already detested the wee thief with every bit of her being.
“I dinna suppose there’s a back way into the floating fortress?” Mathew sat across from her, close enough that she could just make out his form in the dark.
“They don’t float,” Hall corrected. “The crannog is set upon poles to hold it above the water. And no, there is no back way in, else we wouldn’t be sitting here in the cold dark, waiting for them to make a move. The only way in is to cross the water.”
Light wavered eerily from the center of the loch, taunting them. With only a sliver of moon, and that well hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, it was impossible to see exactly where the light came from. It was as if a magical sprite danced out there in the black just beyond their reach.
In spite of the way it looked now, she knew well enough that there was nothing at all magical about the house on stilts sitting out in the water. The sun hadn’t yet set when they’d arrived here, and they’d all seen it well enough. But without a boat to reach the man-made island, seeing it was all they could do.
“If it were summer, we might try to swim over,” Eric muttered.
“And if I were only the eldest MacCormack son, I’d be home in my warm bed, fast asleep,” Finn retorted with a chuckle. “Alas, I’m sixth in line to a holding that would do well to support one, and here we all sit, freezing our arses off, with no fire and no way across those waters.”
“And snow beginning to fall.” Brie held out a hand to make sure she’d been right as a few groans pierced the dark. “Don’t forget to add that to our list of complaints.”
Maybe if it got cold enough, the lake would freeze and they’d be able to walk out and knock on the gate to demand entrance.
Something wet and cold touched her cheek and she jumped, realizing as she did that it was only Finn’s huge wolfhound nuzzling up next to her. The big animal’s soft brown eyes seemed to beg, and she lifted her fur to allow him to edge in close. He lay down with his big head on her lap before she pulled the fur back up to cover them both. The extra body heat more than made up for his dirty smell.
“Quiet yer blethering, all of you,” Patrick ordered, his voice moving away from them in the dark. “I’ll take the first watch. You’ve only a few hours left to get some rest. We’ll want to be sharp when they begin to stir and head for the shore.”
“Ifthey head for shore,” someone muttered in the dark.
Ifwas right. With proper stores, the thieves might remain in their compound for days.
Brie huddled down into her fur and put her arms around the big dog, who seemed quite agreeable to cuddling. With his warmth next to her, she couldn’t help but think of another large body she’d so recently held even closer.
Memories of her night with Hall tumbled one over the other, leaving her aching for his touch and wishing it was he who shared her bed.
But only Dog wanted to be her sleeping companion this night. Hall had remained withdrawn and aloof ever since they’d joined up with the men from Castle MacGahan, ignoring her completely.
She scratched the big dog’s ear and he breathed a heavy sigh of contentment. When all this was over, she just might get a dog of her own. A dog would return her affection and her loyalty. A dog wouldn’t ignore her.
Unlike one particular man she could name. And after all she’d done to help him, this was how he repaid her.
Yes, she was definitely getting herself a dog. One who hated men as much as she did.