Page 9 of A Flawed Scotsman

“Ye think it was the doing of the Mackenzie?”

“Not directly. But he sends men to hunt on our lands as a way to goad us into battle. Of course, declaring war would mean sending my men to slaughter, so I have been ignoring it. Now, after this…I cannot continue to do so.”

“Did she say it was them?”

“She has not said anything yet.” The laird wiped his hands down his face. “Will there be an alliance?”

If Clan Fraser was about to enter a war with the Mackenzie, Ruari could not, in good conscience, align his clan with them. He pondered the best way to reply without giving the man hope.

“Laird Ross is curious as to why ye do not align with the other Fraser Clan?”

The laird gave a weary shrug. “They fight their own battles right now. There is little my cousins can do for us. We are aligned. As yer laird may know, even united, we are not large enough to stand against the Mackenzie.”

Clan Ross was almost as large at the Mackenzie Clan. And now that they were aligned with Clans Munro and Monroe, they were a force to be reckoned with.

“My laird asked me to come and speak to ye. He is not against an alliance. But he does not wish to be drawn into battle. We have just entered a time of peace after a long time of clan clashes between us and the McLeods.”

The Fraser stood and paced. “If my daughter dies, I will not stand idly by and ignore it.”

“Ye do not know who is responsible for it. There is little that can be done until she tells ye.”

Just then, Keithen returned. “The guards are formed.”

Laird Fraser motioned to Ruari to walk with him and, together, they went outside to the courtyard. Ruari noted that the men present were well armed. With grim expressions, they probably expected a call to war.

Ruari leaned into the laird’s ear. “Unless ye are prepared to send them all to their deaths, I suggest a meeting between ye and the Mackenzie. I will come to show my clan’s support of yers.”

When Laird Fraser let out a long sigh and nodded, Ruari felt assured he had done the right thing. It could be there was a way to help the small clan without having to marry the man’s daughter.

As the laird informed the guards of more stringent rules for overseeing the keep, he also chastised the men for being negligent in their duties. The men were questioned until one admitted to seeing Esme leaving that morning, but he swore he had seen a pair of guards following behind. “Who were they?” the laird asked.

“I couldn’t tell from where I stood atop the keep,” the guard replied. “I beg yer pardon, Laird, but the men at the gates may have seen better.”

The men who’d been on guard that morning reluctantly admitted to not keeping proper watch.

“This is all for naught. Ye see what is wrong now? We are on the brink of being taken over and yet we act as if it is nothing.” The laird was yelling at them now, his face reddened with anger.

While the men shifted uncomfortably, Ruari felt no pity for the lot of them.

The laird then assigned each man to a new position. They would be guarding the keep day and night. Those that were not on guard would be at sword practice.

The men were dispersed with instructions and the laird turned to Ruari. “Let us prepare to go visit the Mackenzie. I wish to speak to my daughter and find out as much as we can about who attacked her.”

“May I come with ye and see how yer daughter fares?”

The man nodded. “Aye, of course.”

Ruari studied the determined man beside him. “Whoever injured Esme could have mistaken her for wildlife as she’d been dressed in colors that blended with the forest.”

Understandably, the man was angry and frustrated and, sometimes, emotions clouded decisions. “I do not believe it. They wished to kill her and therefore goad me into battle. If she dies, I will not hesitate.”

“Have ye considered whoever caused the injury did not mean to and fled, fearful they’d killed yer daughter?”

The laird stopped in his tracks. “She left and went after two young lads from the village that I allowed to hunt.” He turned on his heel, racing back outside. “This is on my shoulders to handle now.”

“Lars, Gavin! Go to the forest and find the two young men I allowed to hunt yesterday. Bring them here at once,” the laird called out to guards.

He then, once again, headed back inside. “Come. Let us find out what my daughter has to say.”