The Highlander's Secret(62)

“We first came here for a better life,” she reminded him. “Our parents were humble farmers. What if we tried again, and this time…”

Ragnar flinched while Jain was talking, and she gently patted him on the arm. “This time we have an alliance.”

“Jain, even if I wanted to, your people would never agree to that. There’s too much bad blood between us.”

“You cannae be sure about that. It might be rough for a while, but I’m sure over time we could live in peace. We’ll never know unless we try. I don’t want to see any of the people I care about die this eve. Let me ride out to them. I am sure I can negotiate something.”

“It’s an appealing offer,” Ragnar allowed. “Farming land is more valuable than gold or silver. What is to keep us from just taking that land ourselves?”

“Because if you did that, no one in your settlement would ever find peace. I can give you that – farming land and the opportunity to thrive.”

His light blue eyes were cold and calculating as he spoke, “Your father would agree to that? He would let us settle here and start a community?”

“I’ll go ask him.”

She was already climbing onto her horse before Ragnar could respond. A few of his fighters tried to block her path, but he waved them off, saying, “Let her go.”

Jain smiled at him one last time before riding off towards Alan and her father. Both of them rode off to meet her and met halfway in between. “Jain!”

“Alan!”

Alan and Jain met each other’s gaze and smiled as everyone else melted away. He walked through the throngs as if in a daze. He only saw her. When they approached, Jain’s lips curved into a smile. She laughed and threw herself into his open arms. He kissed the top of her head and rested his fingers on her hair.

Her husband shook his head. “What could ye have possibly been thinking? Do ye have any idea how scared we’ve been?”

“It was worth it,” she informed them flatly. “My brother Ragnar is the Earl, which means he’s in charge. I convinced him to make peace talks with ye.”

“It could be a trap,” Alan cautioned.

Jain frowned. “Such little faith in me, husband? I’m telling ye their offer is real. Nae one person has to fight.”

Eamon sighed. “I’m afraid it’s a chance we’ll have to take. Lead on.”

Jain turned her horse and walked him slowly towards the camp. As they approached the spike fence around the edge, most of the warriors were already on their feet. None of them spoke, but their eyes were full of curiosity and fear.

Jain walked the horses back to Ragnar’s tent and dismounted without saying another word. Ragnar stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest and watched them approach with measured caution.

She spoke to him in his language and said, “Ragnar, this is Eamon. He is chieftain of Clan Gordon, and he’s been a father to me fer many years. I brought him here to speak with you.”

“Who is the other one?” Ragnar asked.

Jain smiled. “That is my husband, Alan.”

Ragnar nodded in acknowledgment to both of them and strode back into his tent. He sat down on a wooden chair covered in a bear skin and looked over Eamon carefully.

This time, when the Viking spoke it was an attempt to communicate in their native language. His broken dialect was nothing like the Gaelic language. Even the way he spoke the words came out hard and grating. “Yew knoo Jain?”

Jain knew the words came out clear enough for her da to understand. “Aye, Jain is part of our family. We love her.”

Ragnar’s expression softened. “Aye…love er thoo. Yew tayke karr of er, dat veens we ahr fhamelee. Jain tuld mee Aye beeuld sattlemint.”

Jain grinned at his broken dialect and knew that he was trying. She spoke to him in their native tongue and offered to translate, which he agreed to readily with a nod.

“Da, I told Ragnar that if he wanted peace, if he wanted to have a better life fer his people, that they could build another settlement here on the coast. The ground is better and it’s easier to farm than where they live up north. He’s agreed not to fight us and to have a quiet life, but…”

Eamon raised an eyebrow. “What is it, Jain?”

“He’s concerned about what happened here last time. If they start a settlement, he needs assurance that Clan Gordon will be their ally. That we’ll protect them and spread word that these people are not our enemy.”

“Jain, ye ken I cannae speak fer the other clans. One of his men killed our chieftain, our men will never forgive that.”

Ragnar questioned her in their native language and she explained to him what was happening. “He says yer men killed our chieftain and peace may not be achievable.”

“Who was the chieftain?” Ragnar asked her.

She described him to the best of her ability and watched as Ragnar shook his head. “None of my men killed your leader,” he insisted firmly. “It was one of your own men who turned on him in the midst of battle. He was tall and had blackish hair—”

Jain gasped. “Conrad.”

Eamon sat up higher in his seat and raised an eyebrow. “What is it, Jain?”

She cleared her throat and said, “Ragnar says it wasn’t them. He said it was one of ours. The man who killed Keenan was from Elign and he had blackish hair.”