Page 47 of Highland Fire

“I dinnae think that I am as brave as ye try to make me,” she protested, although flattered by his words. “If I see a danger and still walk toward it, howbeit, is that not foolish? Especially where there is a choice of direction? Then, too, did ye not think that I might be doing what is best for ye or whatever children we may have? Mayhap I am simply not brave enough to face what could happen to you or to our bairns because we tried to spit in the eye of superstition.”

“My people arenae so blinded by such foolishness. We could be safe amongst them.”

“Ye can be safe, but even their tolerance can be pushed too far.”

“I think not. There is only one way to prove that to you. Ye must stay with me until ye meet my people. Then ye can decide.”

“Why prolong the matter? I cannae see it changing my mind. ’Twould be better to go when my kinsmen come to collect Una.”

Moira wished that he would not keep trying to persuade her. It made it harder and harder to say nay. She desperately wanted what he offered even though he never once mentioned love. His persistence kept reminding her of the secret she was keeping from him, something she was feeling increasingly guilty about. As far as she knew, he kept no secrets from her.

Tavig stepped closer, gently grasping her by the shoulders. “Ye can go back to the wretched life Sir Bearnard offers at any time. All I ask is a few more days of your life. Now, promise me ye will stay with me until I have regained all Iver has stolen from me.”

“Aye. I promise.”

He grinned, gave her a brief but stirring kiss, and took up the goat’s lead again. As Moira followed Tavig, she cursed herself as a weakling. She had given him the promise because she did not have the strength to refuse him something he wanted so badly. It was also tempting to accept a few more days with him, to delay the pain of leaving him. She prayed his people were not as tolerant as he thought they were, or she could easily be coerced into staying longer. Moira knew that would be a grave error. She could not hide her gift from him forever.

Chapter Fourteen

“Ye said your cousin’s keep was just o’er these hills. Ye didnae say these hills were endless,” Moira grumbled as she sat down on a moss-covered rock. “We have been crossing them for two cursed days.”

“We had to take a winding route to avoid Iver’s men,” Tavig reminded her as he finished milking the goat and handed Moira Adair’s noon feeding. “If Iver’s hired dogs dinnae block our way at every turning, we will reach Mungan’s keep by day’s end on the morrow.”

Frowning at Tavig over the contentedly drinking Adair, Moira said, “I really hadnae thought those men would pursue us with such vigor and determination.”

“Iver is offering a heavy purse in ransom for me. Then, too, they dinnae wish to return to Iver without their quarry. Iver isnae one who forgives failures. Since two of the men are now marked with wounds, Iver will easily guess that the men had had me in their grasp but lost me. He willnae believe them if they try to deny it. It could weel be that they see finding me as a matter of life and death.”

“That would certainly explain their persistence. Of course, if they keep riding about they will soon have to halt and take time to bury those two wounded men. They cannae survive much longer without rest and care.”

“I wouldnae wager on the others stopping to bury anyone.” He shrugged when her eyes widened with a hint of shock. “They dinnae possess even that much delicacy of feeling. They fight weel together, but not one of them would exert himself or put himself at risk for another. In truth, if they gained the price Iver offers for me, they would undoubtedly take to killing each other over it. The only thing that binds them together is that they have all been cast out by their own clans.”

“They will follow us to Mungan Coll’s verra gates, willnae they?”

“I expect them to be putting themselves between us and Mungan. They have to have guessed that I am traveling there.”

“Then I pray I am right in assuming ye have some plan to slip us past them safely.”

“One or two—aye. Dinnae worry so, sweet Moira. We do have one advantage.”

“Over six armed and mounted men? I should like to hear what it is.”

“They willnae want to be seen by Mungan or his men. Mungan will recognize who and what they are and will be eager to cut them down. ’Tis a small advantage, true enough but better a small one than none at all.”

Moira nodded but inwardly sighed. She had not given much thought to what Iver’s men would do once they discovered their prize was gone. She certainly had not imagined the dogged pursuit she and Tavig had been struggling to evade for two exhausting nights and days. The food they had brought from the last village was nearly gone, for they had not been able to light a fire to cook up their porridge. Even a small fire could be seen by Iver’s men and lead them right to her and Tavig.

They had been hunted from the beginning of their long journey, but never like this. Now her fear for Tavig was a constant sour taste in her mouth. She feared for herself and Adair as well, but not as strongly. Moira knew Tavig would do exactly what he had done before, put himself in the hands of his enemy in order to give her and his son a chance to reach safety. She feared that most of all, for she was certain her sense of guilt would become crippling. It was bad enough already, for she knew that caring for her and Adair slowed Tavig down.

“Mayhap ye should leave us here, Tavig, and go onto Mungan alone,” she suggested as she set aside Adair’s empty feeder and proceeded with the ritual of rubbing his back.

Tavig stared at her, then rolled his eyes. “There are times, lass, when ye say the most foolish things.”

“There is nothing foolish about it. Ye cannae deny that Adair and I slow ye down and make ye less, weel, agile. Without us ye could probably slip right past those men.”

“And what are ye to do whilst I save myself?”

“We will wait here until ye can get some help to come back for us.”

“And what will ye do if Iver’s dogs stumble upon ye and the bairn? What if those wolves we have heard in the night come sniffing about? Ye cannae light a fire to ward them off without telling Andrew where ye are. I am not even sure ye ken how to start a fire.”