Page 29 of The Eagle

Too weak to move after the beating he’d sustained all Stuart could do was watch as the scene unfolded before him.

When Duncan’s deep growl sounded, Stuart pitied those coming against the giant.

Caelan jumped down from his horse to fight a group of men. Like a berserker, he left bodies in his wake, not hesitating but instead stepping over them as he attacked one after another. It was almost fascinating to see the otherwise proper Scot turned into a relentless killer.

The sounds of battle filled the air. Men shouting orders. Swords clanging together. The powerful hooves of warhorses striking the ground. All mixed in with the groans of the dying. The unfortunate ones who’d been unable to seek shelter, scurried in terror as there was no mercy from the attackers.

Doing his best to stand, he managed to get to his feet; but moments later, he stumbled backward onto the ground. The fight had taken the last of his strength, all he could do was sit in the grass and watch as his brothers became destroyers.

The Ross warriors breached the house and sometime later, the Uisdein and his family were dragged out. The sons were badly beaten, the laird, his wife, and Flora looked to be unharmed.

Stuart got to his feet and stumbled forward. Duncan spotted him, jumped from his horse, and hurried to him. “Are ye injured?”

“The damsel in distress will live,” Stuart replied bitterly. The bad taste in his mouth growing with each moment.

Darach stalked to where warriors held the Uisdein and his family. “I warned ye I would not take kindly to ye ever provoking me again.” His deep voice rumbled over the people gathered that had escaped his wrath.

“Which one?” Darach said motioning to the Uisdein’s sons who were forced to their knees. “Choose!” he growled. “Which one dies for ye daring to take my brother.”

The Uisdein’s eyes rounded in horror. “Stuart made a vow. He was to marry…” He stopped talking seeming to realize the absurdity of his words. Then he took a step forward, reached for the sword in Darach’s hand, and lifted it to his own throat.

“Neither of my sons will pay for my deed.”

“Very well,” Darach said.

“No!” Flora cried out and stood between Darach and her father. “Take me. My brothers and father did this because of me.”

Her gaze went to Stuart. “I am sorry. I did not mean for things to get to this point.”

“No,” Ethan said. “It is I, as eldest, who takes responsibility.”

Lady Uisdein pushed her husband forward. “Take responsibility for yer actions. My children should not pay.”

There was a beat of silence and seconds later the Uisdein sunk to his knees then fell forward onto the ground. A bright red puddle formed around the Uisdein’s head. There was a dagger in his right hand. The man had cut his own throat.

Lady Uisdein screamed and collapsed. Flora took her mother in her arms and they held each other tight, as her two brothers gathered around their dead father.

Darach walked away from the grisly scene. “Let us return home.”

The sea was calm as dozens of Ross bìrlinns traversed the blue expanse back to South Uist and Ross lands. Stuart sat away from the others not sure he could speak. His brothers seemed to sense he needed time and kept their distance. Instead, they discussed the logistics of what had occurred and how it could have been done better.

“Am I a training lesson?” Stuart asked looking at Duncan, who’d been explaining something about the ways the men had formed during the short battle.

“Every battle is an opportunity to learn,” Darach replied.

In silence, he looked over the water to another bìrlinn, which Caelan was on. It seemed Darach had left the helm of the lairdship in Ewan’s able hands.

“I am glad to serve some purpose.” Bitterness dripped from each word.

His brothers exchanged a look, which he recognized as them thinking he needed time to get over whatever had happened to him.

“I should be overcome and taken away more often. That could be my value.”

Darach’s jaw tightened, the muscle on the side of his face flexing. “What ye are is an idiot.”

“True,” Stuart said. “I am the idiot that needs rescuing, while the rest of ye . . . ye are the true warriors. Each of ye.”

He motioned to Duncan. “Ye were stolen away, Father abandoned ye to be sold. Ye survived years of captivity and ye remain a good man and became a great warrior.”