FINDING THE TRUTH
Broderick and Duncan rode in silence. This was the second day since their departure. They still had no word from the castle.
They had sent two men, Keith and Walter, back with explicit instructions. They were to ride to the abbey and, if the coach of Lochlann was not there, they were to ride back.
“It'll take a day to reach the abbey,” Duncan assured Broderick. “We cannot expect any news until tomorrow at the very soonest.”
“I know,” Broderick sighed. “I cannae stop worrying.”
Duncan frowned. “I know. I, too.”
Broderick had barely slept when they stopped overnight. All night, he had chastised himself. How could he have simply ridden away? Let her go? How could he have thought she was not lying to him? He should have known her sudden anger was an act.
If she is endangered...
If she was endangered, he was to blame. He had believed her even when he should have questioned her more closely. He had made her believe she had to lie, when she should have been able to confide the truth. Where were they going? He had an idea that she must be going somewhere dangerous. Why else not trust him with the information?
“Brother?” Duncan whispered.
“Yes?” Broderick whipped around, his self-flagellating interrupted by the query.
“Is there some reason why we have still seen no men?”
Broderick grimaced. “Possibly.”
The further they rode toward the woods round Dunkeld, the more he started to believe the stories false. They had seen no sign of a great army. There was almost no one on the road, save a few peddlers. And no visible disturbance. They rode past crofters and cottagers, small farm and homesteads with smoke from the chimneys and livestock penned behind, everything relaxed and ordinary.
If anyone planned on besieging Dunkeld, they would surely have made a better job of devastating the surrounding landscape?
“We should see soon,” Duncan continued. They were almost through the trees. If they saw no one here, they could be fairly sure the tales were false. Or their enemy moved.
“We shall,” Broderick agreed. They were almost out of the trees now, heading toward Dunkeld. If he really looked, he fancied he could see the stone walls rising up.
“My lord!”
Broderick spun around. He could hear hooves on the hard earth.
He and Duncan both looked for the approaching rider.
He rode up beside Broderick, horse breathing hard. Broderick recognized Walter, one of the men he had sent back. He frowned? Why had he returned?
“Walter?”
“My lord!” he called. “I found the coach.”
“What?” Broderick stared at him. “But... Walter! How?” The abbey was two day's ride behind them. He had been gone a day. How could he have reached them so soon. Unless...
Duncan nodded slowly. “You found the coach,” he said quietly. “Where?”
“On the road, milord.”
Broderick felt his heart gripped as if the frost chilled it. “What? Where? Who...?”
Walter leaned over, coughing. He spat, then wiped his mouth, clearly exhausted. “A day's ride back, my lord, along the route they would have taken.”
“Were they within?” Broderick asked, already fearing his answer.
“No.”
Broderick gripped the reins. He looked at Duncan, who'd paled.
“Duncan?”
“Broderick.”
“We cannot stay here. We have to go back.”
Duncan shook his head cautiously. “Wait. What else, Walter?”
“Milord,” the man looked around, clearly frightened, “I dinnae want to tell you this. But... there were tracks everywhere.”
“Tracks?”
“Hooves, lord. Horses – about a dozen of them. Must have halted them.”
Broderick stared at him. “You saw where the tracks went?”
He was already turning his horse, heading back the way the messenger had come. Duncan looked at him.
“I couldn't say, milord,” the man said, scratching his head. “Except that they went north.”
“North. Not east?”
“No, milord. In the direction of...”
“Of the MacDowells.”
Broderick felt all his hair rise. He should have known. She’d told him. He should've listened!
He turned to face Duncan, eyes black, face white.
“I need to go back. I need to find them.” Broderick knew that, as the elder brother, he should stay and lead their men. But at Dunkeld, his brother had always taken equal charge of affairs, slipping naturally into the task when Broderick had left to wed. His duty to his father and brother clashed painfully with his duty to his wife. He looked at Duncan, face twisted with indecision. “Duncan? What should I do?”
Duncan did not hesitate. “I'll ride to Father,” he said at once. He inclined his head in the direction of the fortress. Tell him what we plan. He can conduct the defense as I would have. I'll play your role. Blaine will surround them.”
Broderick swallowed hard. “Thank you, brother. Thank you more than I can say. I should stay, though. I know that.”
“You know the Lochlann sisters better than I, brother. You have more chance of guessing where they went. Find Alina, brother,” Duncan said firmly. “That is all I want.”
Broderick swallowed. His heart ached. “I will do my best,” he said shakily. “I promise.”
The two brothers gripped hands, then Broderick turned and rode back along the troops, Walter following behind. Back the way they had come. Before it was far, far too late.