“James is right. Ella and Ethan always fight to make things right.” Hamish gripped his shoulder, his gaze firm on his. “A vision just assailed me and I’ve seen you should go and aid her. I’ll take care of one and all here.”
The last thing he wanted to do was leave these villagers when every hand was needed to douse the fires, yet Hamish had never set him on the wrong path before and if he said he needed to go, then he would go. “This village is under my care. Gavin’s hit here is a direct strike against me and ’tis unacceptable.” He wouldn’t tolerate such treacherous attacks. “Hamish, ensure no lives are lost this night. I’ll return as soon as I can.”
“I shall, and watch out for the low branch as you ride.” Hamish heaved a pail forward. “Go easy on the lass too. You’ve expressed a sudden dislike of her these past few weeks, and that worries me.”
“She frustrates me, more than any other lass ever has.” Although, no more could he delay if he wished to catch up to her. He sprinted up the beach and raced across the grassy verge, bounded over the top beam of the corral and snagged a horse, the animal thankfully already saddled. “Open the gate,” he hollered to the lanky stable hand.
“If ye are after Mistress Ella, she took the entrance to the forest at the top of the hill, followed in the tracks of the MacDonalds and her brother.” In loose breeches and a dirt-smeared tunic, the lad swung the gate wide and pointed to the place he spoke of.
“You have my thanks.” Knees shoved into the horse’s flanks, he burst out of the stables and rode along the winding upward trail that rimmed the village. As the skies darkened further, he plunged into the depths of the forest and followed the tracks heading to the east.
In the near dark, Ella bolted along the forest trail, her horse snorting frosty air and the wind plastering her tunic to her chest and breeches to her legs. Fallen leaves and pine needles twirled as she urged her horse to a faster pace and hurtled on. She had to catch up to Ethan, to do all she could to aid him in halting Gavin in his tracks. She also intended on blasting her brother for leaving her behind at their village on the mainland, no matter that she’d been ill. Thankfully, he’d successfully infiltrated Gavin’s band of men. At least that she could be grateful for. Ensuring peace was now within their grasp.
The wind rushed all around, swept her woolen cap from her head and sent it smacking into the wide trunk of an oak tree behind her. Blast it. That was her favorite cap. No time to retrieve that. Head down, she hugged her steed tighter as she followed the scored tracks in the trail sprinkled with moonlight penetrating through the thick canopy overhead.
Up ahead, the pounding of horses’ hooves ricocheted toward her. She was close, and gaining on them. When she caught up with Gavin she intended on halting his madness once and for all. No more stealing and slaughtering cattle, no more setting fires and burning down the homes of innocent villagers, and certainly no more vindictive attacks against Duncan MacKenzie. If he wanted to raise the stakes in the battle between their clans, he was doing a very prime job of it.
“Ella!”
She swung a look over her shoulder. Drat. ’Twas Duncan himself. In battle leathers and his claymore bobbing in a baldric across his back, his blue eyes blazed as he charged in beside her. “What are you doing here?” Her raspy voice barely made a noise.
“James said your voice comes and goes and he’s clearly right. I’ll hunt down Gavin and his men, bring your brother back as well. Head back to the village. There’s no need for you to be out in the cold this night, not when you’re still recovering from whatever illness you’ve had.”
“You dinnae command me.” Ethan was her brother. She’d be the one to find him.
“I said head back.” He rushed ahead and dust swirled in her face. “Return, now,” he bellowed over his shoulder.
“’Tis you who should head back.” Not that he would have caught her whispered comeback. Aye, never would she abandon her brother when he needed her so greatly. She snapped her horse’s reins and picked up her pace, rode up alongside Duncan and shot him a fierce look, wished only her voice could be just as fierce too. “Be gone with you.”
“You cannae think to deal with these men without your ability to compel, which you clearly are amiss of since your command has no’ made any difference to me.” Determination and anger slashed his face. “Your commands will do naught to Gavin as well.”
“I’ll find a way around the loss of my—” A low branch loomed and she ducked, tried to warn Duncan only—
Thunk. Crash.
His horse, rider-less, sped past and she jerked on her reins.
Behind her, he lay sprawled on the ground and heartbeat pounding, she catapulted off her horse and skidded in beside him. Clutching his leather jerkin, she shook him. “Duncan?”
His breath whooshed out then rasped back in, his eyelashes sluggishly lifting. Groaning, he rubbed the back of his head and muttered, “So that’s what Hamish meant by ‘watch out for the low branch.’”