Chapter 130

Thorburn lit the candle in the tunnel with the one taken for his investigation before extinguishing it and returning it to it's resting spot. He looked around for a moment to ensure they weren't leaving evidence of their visit behind, then he waved Stuart through and closed the door behind them making sure it latched. Down the tunnel, up the stairs at the end, blow out the candle before moving the cabinet, out and close behind them. Return the candle to the drawer, get a boost from Stuart, reach down and pull him up and they were both sitting on the roof again, with plenty of darkness to get away. Before dropping to the ground, Thorburn returned the straw as best he could to hide their entry point. Lowering himself from the roof, Thorburn dropped the final two feet. Together they moved away, keeping the tunnel house between them and the guardsmen, stealthily using the darkness to make their way to the edge of the ruined village, then following their return path up the hill.

"We need to leave now while it's still dark. We can approach the Keep while it's light, but I don't want to be moving on Blackthorne land in the daylight. Grab all your things, leave nothing behind. We go," Thorburn said.

Girding their swords and knives around their waists, they grabbed their cloaks and blankets, tied them in bundles for carrying, any remnants of food, and set out for home, slipping through the woods as silent as ghosts. The sun rose two hours into their journey. When they were a safe distance from Blackthorne property and on Cameron Keep land, Thorburn stopped and told Stuart to sleep while he watched for an hour, then they'd switch and Thorburn would sleep.

"We haven't slept much the last couple days and it's important to remain alert since we're out here alone," Thorburn said.

Stuart gratefully accepted and was asleep instantly, Thorburn watching over them. After an hour, he woke Stuart and he slept, his back against a tree while Stuart kept watch. When Stuart woke him up, they continued toward the Keep, still alert, still moving quietly. About two hundred yards from home, Thorburn stopped, holding a finger up for silence. He pointed and there was a man in the bushes, watching the Keep instead of away as one of their own guardsmen would be doing.

"Do you recognize him?" Thorburn asked in a low voice.

"Nay, brother. He's not one of ours."

"Then he doesn't need to be questioned," Thorburn said. "Kill him."

"Without a word or warning?"

"He's not here for peaceful purposes which makes him an enemy. One we'll have to fight some day if we don't take care of him now. It's time to send a warning to Blackthorne. If he found one of our women outside the Keep, this man would take them without a second thought. Kill him now."

Stuart still couldn't bear the idea of shooting him in the back, so he gave a low bird whistle and the fellow turned, saw them and started to draw his sword. Two arrows swiftly followed, both to the chest and the man fell over, dead.

"Don't show mercy, Stuart. We're fighting an evil, vicious man who's shown he will stop at nothing to harm us. He cares not whether he uses or kills women or children, and will do so in the most hideous fashion imaginable. We are outnumbered and he's got more power and influence than we do. It won't be a fair fight. If you must kill, do it swiftly and without regard for propriety. You've not fought in a war, brother, and this is a war, one in which our loved ones could die. Don't hesitate to do what must be done."

"I couldn't shoot him in the back," Stuart said.

"And if there'd been more of them and he could have given warning to his comrades? Your whistle might have done so, even if he couldn't. If I teach you nothing else, it must be this. You have to be ruthless in battle. We will not threaten or kill innocent women and children, but all combatants we'll dispatch without compassion, whenever we find them, on our land. It's war now. Màiri has shown us that. We might need to sweep these woods more frequently, kill all we find out here."

"Aye, Thorburn, I suppose you're right. I hate it though."

"It's okay to hate it. Shows you're a good man, but I'll not be sitting back waiting for Blackthorne to make the next move again. I want to take the battle to him."

"Did we learn anything about the tunnel? Can we attack him through there?" Stuart asked.

"I don't think so. Teárlag is probably right. It's a deathtrap. He could trap any party of size within the tunnel and attack us on two sides, crushing us between them. The door into the Keep will take time to get through and his men can be on the other side waiting by the time we get through it. We cannot take a sizable force without alerting the guards, not even by going the way we went, the noise alone would give us up. They'd have to be carrying steel weapons."

"What about the stairway? You took your time looking it over."

"I suspect it's worse than the door. I thought I detected several traps on it, enough to slow us down and present the same problem as the other door does but worse as it would kill those attempting to use them. Given a choice, I'd prefer the steel door."

"Then our scouting did nothing. We still don't have a way into Blackthorne Manor," Stuart said.

"Not nothing, Stuart. We have answers we didn't have before. We know we probably can't attack that way, though I may still think of some way to do it. Information is never useless, never nothing."

Stuart pointed to the dead body. "What do you want to do with him?"

"Leave him for the wolves and ravens. Let Blackthorne guess what's happened to him."

Stuart nodded and plucked his arrows out of his chest and made them ready again. Thorburn made his way to the gates, still alert for other spies in the woods. When they reached the gate, all but Bjarkë were surprised to see them coming out of the woods, despite the fact they hadn't been seen the previous day.

"Good morning, Laird," Bjarkë said. "Did you have good hunting?"

"Good enough, uncle. We need to send regular patrols out to sweep the woods around the Keep. It seems rats are infesting the woods. We found one on our way back."

"I'll order it now," Bjarkë said. "The first patrol will be out within the hour. Oh, and I should tell you Abner McTavish was found dead on the road. It appeared to be robbery."

Stuart and Thorburn looked at each other. Teárlag said Blackthorne would kill him. Seems she was right.

"Thank you. Stuart and I will be getting some sleep now. You may report to Lady Cameron and Frang we've safely returned to the Keep. Continue working the men at Lady Luck hard, Bjarkë. We'll need all the fighting men we can get before it's over, I suspect."

"Aye, Laird. I'll let them know. Lady Cameron will be relieved. She was worried when she left yesterday. She said nothing, but it was in her eyes. Have a good rest. I'll make sure you're not disturbed. Three men I think, but keep your door locked in case."

"Excellent. I'll see you on Market Day in two weeks."

Ailene fenced with Frang, going back and forth on the training grounds. They had worked hard every day she was there, working with Isobel and the other students first thing, then with Frang, putting the finishing touches on her training with him. While working with him, she frequently gave up more ground than she gained, Frang still too good, but she was proud of the progress she'd made. This morning, Frang touched her six times, but she'd touched him four. The training of the others had finished a half hour ago and they were going about their own business, but others had stopped to watch. Her own students were particularly proud of her performance against Frang who none of them could touch. Their attitude towards her had completely changed from one of dismissal to one of eagerness to learn, just as it had with Isobel, who was nearly her equal.