The Highlander's Secret(46)

Conrad gave a nod to Murray and Scott who took that as a signal to move. When they came towards Jain, Alan drew his sword again and stepped in front of her. “No!”

Moira sobbed next to them holding her daughter by the hand. “This is my daughter! Everyone in the village kens her, they ken her character. She’s lived with us most of her life and has proved to be a valuable member of society. Yet, the first opportunity ye accuse her of unspeakable betrayal and would give her to the Vikings like a lamb to the slaughter?”

“In an instant,” Conrad growled. “She’s one of them, and the brooch here proves it. Why else would they come back fer her? She’s nothing but a snake in the grass.”

The crowd murmured with confusion, unsure of what to think about the accusations taking place.

“What proof do ye have?” Moira shouted. “Ye’re taking advantage of the situation to spread lies and unrest so that ye can take Keenan’s place as chieftain. Well, I won’t have it! Eamon is a good and honorable man, well respected in this clan. There’s more to being chieftain than knowing how to fight, it’s about leading the people. The only thing ye have to offer is a thirst fer power. If ye had any respect fer Clan Gordon ye’d step down and stop this foolishness at once.”

Conrad sneered. “Lock the lass up before she can escape!”

A few of the men came forward and tried to grab her when Alan pushed them off furiously. “Dinnae touch her. Ye’ll never take my bride-to-be!”

Jain gasped as Alan threw himself onto the horse that he’d been riding in one fluid motion. Before she realized what was happening, Alan grabbed her by the arm and lifted her onto the horse as well. There was barely any time for her to get secure before he turned the horse around and galloped out of the village green.





Chapter Twenty-one


Jain wrapped her arms around Alan’s waist as they rode his horse through the twisted roads of Elign. She didn’t know what possessed Alan to take her and run, but at the time it seemed like a prudent decision. Tensions were high and the way things were going it didn’t feel safe for her anymore. Her body swayed with the movement of the animal, repositioning herself on the saddle so that she wouldn’t fall.

Alan didn’t look back even when they left the village, he seemed focused on the road ahead. The land dipped down a steep slope and then spanned out in a rich even stretch of earth, which was bordered by the forest. “We are we going?” she asked him nervously.

He snapped the reins to pick up the horse’s pace and led them down the glen, following a goat path through the shrubbery. It was off the beaten path and brought them all the way to the river’s edge. “I’m not sure,” he told her honestly. “We’ll follow the river until we can find a place to rest.”

It was not the answer she was hoping for, but Jain knew he would keep her safe and they would find a solution to the problem together. She rested her head against his back and held on to him for comfort. All they had now was each other.

She wasn’t sure how long they rode, but the sun was high above them beyond the canopy of trees. Alan led the horse to follow the river – it was the only way they could find a way back.

For all Jain knew, they might not even be on Gordon soil any more – they might have crossed over into a different clan’s territory. After a while the horse was getting tired and Alan suggested they dismount to have a rest. It was a quiet and secluded stretch of earth along that bank perfect for setting up camp.

They spent the afternoon collecting supplies and catching fish out of the river before settling down to eat. The sky grew dark overhead and Alan crouched over the open flames to spin the trout cooking on the spit. “That’s starting to smell delicious,” Jain commented. “Will they be done soon?”

Alan grinned, looking up at her sitting on the fabric of her cloak as a makeshift blanket. Her long red hair was unbound and hung down low across her shoulders.

“Aye, they should be cooked through.”

Jain sighed and laid back against the ground, resting her head on the wool fabric so her hair spilled out around it in a halo. She was so beautiful, looking up at him with a dreamy sort of smile.

Alan took the fish off the fire and brought them over to where Jain was, offering one to her. He sat down and rolled his neck to relieve some tension.

“This is all my fault,” she told him sadly when she started eating.

“No, it isn’t,” he told her soothingly. “What do they want from ye? Who are those Norsemen?”

She sighed, knowing she couldn’t keep the truth from him any longer. “I can only guess Leif and Ragnar are in their number.”

“Who?”

“They’re my brothers.”

“Yer brothers!” Alan repeated in astonishment. “How is that possible?”

“Years ago, when I was very small, my family and a few others came to the northern shore to start a new life fer ourselves. One day, men came riding over the hill and burned our settlement to the ground. I hid in one of the buildings, but everyone else was killed except a few that managed to escape. I dinnae ken what to do at the time, I was so scared. Then Eamon and the others came, he took me back with them. We dinnae think anyone would come back fer me after all this time, but now…I’m not so sure.”

“Ye said that two of them were yer brothers?”