Leif didn't waste any time wondering if he should go after the lasses. They had left in a hurry without provisions because of his anger. They were fleeing from him. He needed to find them and bring them back to safety.

And how dare he have thought of kicking them out of Cresh Manor? Once offered, his protection didn't end simply because he was angry at someone or found out something about them he didn't like. No, once protection was offered it could not be taken back.

Perhaps this should be a lesson in not giving protection so lightly, but that was a lesson for another day. He headed into the house for his travel bag, speaking to Taran and Luag without looking at them.

"We wull use the water in the tank for the water closet tae fill up the water skins we hae been keeping in reserve."

Taran sped up to walk alongside him, putting a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

"Aye. And we wull find the lasses and bring them home tae safety. Dinna fash."

Luag hung back at first, but Leif had noted the way his blond friend doted on Katherine. He would be kicking himself if he didn't come along, and so Leif made it easy for him.

"Ye are coming with us, Luag. We need yer help, ye ken?" Leif put his hand on his sword when he said this last part. It worked.

Luag stood up straighter, putting his shoulders back and thrusting his chest out in deserved pride for his fighting skills.

"Aye, Leif. Whenever ye need me I will come along. What dae I enjoy more than a good fight, eh?"

Leif clapped his friend on the back as they entered Cresh Manor.

"Aye indeed, and I hae na telt ye lately how much I appreciate yer company. I am truly blessed by it, considering the lands ye hail from."

They quickly filled the reserve water skins — the water closet proved very convenient indeed, saving them a trip down to the well — and were ready to leave in moments, thanks to the soldiering bags they rummaged through making sure nothing else had been taken, and nothing else had.

Before Leif could even ask her to, Senga came out of the kitchen with provisions for their journey — in double portions, likely thinking of the lasses.

Amena ran out of the kitchen with the cook, and as usual, their sister fastened herself to each of their legs, squeezing tight in full awareness that they were about to leave without her.

Taran caressed their sister's hair out of her face.

"We will na be gone long this time, Amena. We're just gaun'ae go get the lasses and bring them home. We will be home ourselves afore ye ken."

Amena nuzzled her head into Taran's hand.

"Senga says ye wull be going off tae battle soon. What if that happens afore ye come back and I never get tae say goodbye? Sae I am gaun'ae dae it now."

Leif went down on one knee so that he could look his sister in the eye.

"Och, ye are smart for such a wee lass, and 'tis glad I am ye wish tae tell us goodbye. Careless we are, and undeserving o' the love o' such a fine lass as ye."

He punctuated this last part with a kiss on top of Amena's head and then got up and took the provisions Senga offered, nodding for her to take Amena in hand and not allow her to follow them.

Senga solemnly nodded in return, assuring him with her eyes that she would care for his sister and the house in his absence.

Leif smiled frankly at Senga and turned his head sideways in order to let her know there was never a question about whether she would do that, and he was grateful.

She gave him her best twinkling smile in return and shared that also with Taran, who must have been giving her a similar look.

With that, they were ready to go. They left Cresh Manor and climbed the steep trail the lasses had taken.

“I wonder if the lasses ken where they are going, or if they only took the nearest way oot o' toon,” Leif mused.

Taran gave him the ghost of a smile.

“The nearest way oot, I am guessing.”

This trail led to Laird Ualraig's castle, and because of the difficulty in getting there, Leif and Taran hadn't been since they were lads. Leif’s heart was glad the lasses had gone this way though. Ualraig was a generous soul. He would receive the lasses with kindness.

He tested Taran to see if he agreed.

"Mayhap we can stop for sleep on the way, aye?"

Taran nodded, giving Leif his own wee grin.

Leif guessed his brother was also remembering how he had begged to come along on that trip to Laird Ualraig's in much the same way Amena had begged to come along with them. Leif hadn't teased Taran about it in years, and he suspected that his brother’s wee grin was partly in the hope Leif wouldn't start anew.

"Aye. He will take good care o' them, and from what I recall, his son is just as kindly."

Leif nodded.

Luag put a hand on Leif’s shoulder as they made the steep climb.

"Dae ye recall as clearly as dae I when the messenger came tae tell o' Laird Ualraig's son’s wedding?"

Leif threw back his head and laughed heartily.

"How could I ever forget that? All the lasses in town were certain he wanted them to attend the bride. Even Senga."

Luag’s smile was not as ironic as it usually was, the man was so amused.

"’Tis a wonder all men dinna make themselves seamsters o' wedding celebration leine, there is such a fortune tae be made."

Even Taran chuckled at this jest, rather tame for Luag. Which reinforced Leif's notion that Luag was more put out over Katherine's plight then he would admit.

There was not much daylight left, and so they had to take the inferior campsite, the one on this side of the mountain, where the winds came into the small overhang that kept them dry from the almost constant rain at the tops of the Highland mountains. But with their fire they were cozy enough, and after quickly chewing some hardtack they were off again first thing in the morning.

They were halfway down the trail on the other side of the mountain and Taran was regaling them with memories of how unsure he'd been on his first deer hunt when he froze, looking down into the canyon.

Leif followed his brother’s gaze and saw a lone traveler in a leine he couldn’t quite place… Wait. Leif looked to Taran for confirmation on whose leine that was.

And he received it. Taran's eyes went wide, and without even thinking, he stopped and put his hands around his mouth and yelled out to alone traveler.

"Lauren! Lauren, up here! Where are Katherine and Jessica? Are they hurt? Is there danger?"

Lauren didn't yell back. Instead, she tried to play that game of charades she loved so much. At least they had taught her some of their own gestures, so they kenned her meaning.

She hooked a hand around her neck sideways and dragged herself sideways to indicate capture and then put her hand behind her and raised up two fingers to indicate it was the other two lasses who had been captured.

What!

Seeing red, Leif opened his mouth to reprove Lauren, but Taran beat him to it.

"Quit the game and just tell us, Lauren! Which way did they gae?"

But this was serious. Lauren choked herself, indicating she was unable to speak.

Taran gasped and took off running down the treacherous hill toward her.

Even Leif, the older brother who thought he knew better, found himself agreeing that it was worth the risk. If they didn't catch the lasses soon, their captors would have them in a stronghold and it would be nigh on impossible to get them back. As he rushed down, Leif was gratified to hear Luag running behind him.

Lauren continued her gestures while they ran, indicating that Jessica and Katherine's captors had taken her in the direction of the druid castle.

This loaned even more urgency to their errand. The druids! They had been trying to capture the lasses all along. What would the druids do to them?

Taran must've been thinking the same thing.

"Is it druids who capturit them?" he yelled down to Lauren.

She shook her head no and then held her hand out palm down at her waist, which usually meant children, but that didn't make sense.

Taran spoke his guess instead of yelling now, for they had almost reached her.

"Henchmen hae her?"

Lauren nodded yes with tears in her eyes, sobbing as Taran took her in his arms and held her fiercely to him, rocking back and forth to comfort her.

"Here," he said after a few moments, dragging some of Senga's provisions out of his pack. "Ye must be hungry."

She frantically pointed in the direction the lasses had gone, indicating they needed to go, now.

But Taran held her fast and pushed the food into her hand.

"Ye must eat. Mayhap later we will be in the middle o' a fight, and that would be a bad time for yer strength tae give out. Eat."

It was a command, and Leif fully expected the lass to bristle over it, but she surprised him by doing as Taran said and eating the hardtack quickly, washing it down with water from one of the skins she carried.

He didn't resent her at all for taking the water skins. Not when he had plenty. Everyone needed water, and it had been his fault the lasses left so suddenly. He needed to get control of his temper.

He admired his brother for waiting until she was done eating before asking her any more questions.

"Why canna ye speak? Hae ye been hurt? Was there fighting? Hae the other lasses been hurt?"

To all this she shook her head no and pointed back to Cresh Manor, indicating that she would explain why she couldn’t speak when they got home. Next, she beckoned them to go in the direction of the druid palace, quite frantically.

“How many captors?" asked Leif.

She held up four fingers.

“For henchmen against the three o' us shouldna be too bad odds.” Leif looked at Luag, who nodded agreement.

But Lauren squatted as if seated and then held her hands out in front of her as if holding the reins and then held out her hand and outlined the shape of horses rather than cattle. Not good.

The lasses’ captors had them in a horse-drawn wagon and would make verra good time. No wonder Lauren wanted them to hurry.

"There's one more thing you should know," Lauren signed to them. "If ye go intae the castle o’ the druids, I canna go with ye. I canna go anywhere near that place."

Taran turned to Leif.

“Let us leave her at Ualraig’s castle. We can get horses and more men there.”