page9 (1/2)
“Who were these priests?” Braeden asked
“Father Franklin was the healer I asked hiotten there, and he said he didn’t know”
“Did you believe him?” Colm asked
“Yes, I did, after he explained He told me that Father Gelroy came to hi over me,” he added
“And Father Franklin wasn’t curious to kno you’d gotten there?” Brodick asked
“Aye, he was curious He asked me how I’d been injured, and I told him I couldn’t remember I heard him ask Gelroy the same question, and Gelroy told him it was best if he didn’t know the details”
“What about this priest Gelroy? What did he tell you?”
“He said he was outside unloading a wagon of grain when he happened to look up, and there I was”
“There you were? That’s it? No one ith you?” Colm asked
“I asked Gelroy that very question, and he couldn’t give me an exact answer When I asked him to explain what he meant, he said that he couldn’t say yes and he couldn’t say no”
“He speaks in riddles,” Colm snapped
Liaainst the rock, hehis weakness, he rested another ain
“This priest Gelroy will not speak in riddles to me,” Colm said “He will tell me what I wish to know”
“Colht to protect ht come inside the abbey—”
“To kill you” Brodick nodded as he finished Liaht
“Yes,” he said “Gelroy believed that the demons, as he called the men who attacked reed to keep my presence secret as a safety measure until you arrived, Coluard oversuspicion, and neither would be very effective against an intruder”
“And hoas this problem solved?” Colm asked
“Gelroy enlisted the help of a few good men he knew to protect me while I slept He explained to ”
“Priests would have no such training,” Braeden interjected
“No, they wouldn’t,” Colreed
He stopped pacing in front of his brother “Who did this priest find to watch over you?”
“He asked soldiers ere there for Laird Monroe’s wedding”
“What clan were these men from?” Brodick asked
Before Liahlanders?”
“No, they were not, but Gelroy trusted them completely”
“Then they had to be Highlanders,” Brodick reasoned
All of the warriors listening to the conversation ihlanders were to be trusted, and even then with caution
“I’hlanders I don’t knohere they came from, but Gelroy must have known them well to trust them”
Colet as much information as he could froht up with him Liam was already drowsy He could barely keep his eyes open, and he was having trouble concentrating
“How many were there?” he asked
“How many what?” Liam asked wearily
Colm held his patience “Soldiers, Liam How many soldiers watched over you?”
“Four There were always two either inside the room with me or just outside my door”
Brodick glanced at Colm when he asked, “And these men carried weapons?”
Liam actually smiled “No, they did not”
“The question a to understand Liam’s reaction
“Aye, it does When you see these men, you will understand why But I will assure you of this, Laird Buchanan They do not need weapons”
“They are invincible? Is that what you suggest?” Braeden asked as though the notion of such praise of an outsider’s strength should be taken as a personal affront to his own ht
“No man is invincible,” Colm snapped “What did these soldiers tell you, Liam? Did they explain how you came to the abbey?”
“No They talked to one another, but they wouldn’t talk to me”
Both Colm and Brodick waited for Liam to explain further When he didn’t, Brodick asked, “Why wouldn’t they talk to you?”
“I don’t think they understood me,” he said finally “And I certainly didn’t understand thee I’ve never heard before”
Col even more frustrated “Gelroy must have understood them”
“I’m not sure he did I never heard him speak to them”
“Then how did he—” Col his brother Liarew stronger, he would be able to remember more about the men who had taken him captive
Besides, he reasoned, Gelroy would tell him what he wanted to know
He removed his sword and sheath and handed both to Braeden “Take Liam home,” he ordered
He went to his horse to get his bow and arrows and gave those to Braeden as well “And send the Buchanans holance at Brodick, he added, “All the Buchanans”
Before Col up onto hisback to the abbey with you”
Braeden nodded “Do you want any of us to go inside the abbey with you?”
“I do not” Col
Braeden was used to his laird’s gruff ways “Then est that half of our men take Liaates with your weapons, Laird”
Brodick’s commander stepped forward to stand beside Braeden “And since est that I also ith our laird’s weapons outside the gates The other Buchanan soldiers will see Liam safely home”
Brodick agreed “It would be to our advantage to take our swords should we have the good fortune to run into the men who tortured your brother”
“I prefer to use my hands,” Colm said
“Even if others have swords?”
Colave him a hard look “What do you think?”
Brodick shook his head “I think you’re just itching to kill someone, aren’t you?”
“I a to kill whoever did this to my brother,” Colm answered
This wasn’t a hope or a promise It was a solemn vow
THE COMPETITION BETWEEN BARON COSWOLD AND BARON Percy had turned deadly Or so it seemed
Each ths to find out what devious sche Spies were everywhere Certainly not all of Baron Percy’s companions were loyal to him One—William, his herald in fact—was secretly in the employ of Baron Coswold The herald was a well-compensated informer who committed to memory every word said and every action taken by Percy and his conspirators, and reported back to Coswold
When word of Laird Monroe’s murder reached Percy’s camp, the traitorous herald left the abbey on a false errand and rushed to give Coswold the news The baron had made certain that William knehere he would be at all times, and the informer was therefore able to catch up with him just as he sat down to supper with Laird MacKenna in MacKenna’s palatial great hall
The terrible news didn’t get the reaction William expected Neither Coswold nor MacKenna seeed indifference and MacKenna, apparently just as unaffected, looked bored as he reached for a chunk of black bread and popped a wedge into his mouth
Baron Percy had seemed just as uninterested when he’d heard the news Had both barons expected this to happen? Had they anticipated Monroe’s death, or had they simply wi
shed for it? And as Laird MacKenna also indifferent? One of his own countryht have been at least a hint of remorse
Coswold pushed the chair back from the table and motioned for the herald to follow him outside When they were alone, he ordered him to return to Percy’s camp to keep his eyes and ears open for further developments
“Go nohile there is still light to guide you You can make some of the distance back before darkness falls I’ll arrive at the abbey tomorrow”
The herald watched Coswold strut back inside and then stood there a long h he’d wanted to, he didn’t dare ask the baron the question plaguing him Monroe had been a powerful, and froly ht
Why wasn’t anyone surprised?