Chapter 140
After sleeping for about sixteen hours, Stuart got up, still groggy. He didn't realize Ailene was just going to sleep for the first time after her fencing scare. He wouldn't learn it for close to two weeks. He would be both angry and relieved he wasn't told when he finally found out. He found Thorburn had risen before him and was working on the practice field with several of the men. He went into the kitchen for bread and meat before going out to join him. Thorburn halted his practice and sent the men off to other tasks.
"Good morning, sleepyhead. Bout time you got up."
"How can you be up and so cheery? You didn't get any more sleep on our expedition than I did."
"I didn't waste a couple hours tupplng my wife when I should be sleeping before I left. Plus, if I sleep as much as I think I should, I always wake up feeling I still need more. I find it best to get an hour more than my normal sleep and try not to make up all the hours I missed at once."
"I'm dragging. If I tried sword practice now, I'd be black and blue in no time. If I tried my bow, the livestock might be in danger from errant arrows."
Thorburn laughed. "Try running around and get the blood flowing, maybe have some tea. You'll wake up eventually."
"Have we heard from anyone while I was asleep?"
"Nay. All's quiet. Found another spy in the woods. He's dead."
"Why even bother with spies on the outside, since it's likely he's got them on the inside?"
"You can never have too much information," Thorburn replied.
"Maybe we can pick them off one at a time until they're all gone," Stuart mused.
"He can hire more faster than we get rid of them," Thorburn said. "He's got the wealth of Croesus."
"I feel we're just waiting for something to happen. I hate it. I hate that Ailene has to train to defend herself, that she has to be gone to do so, that we have to sneak to Frang's and Isobel's. I hate everything about it. When can we be done with it?"
"Probably when Blackthorne is dead and not before."
"It can't come soon enough for me."
"Nor me either, brother."
"Have you had time to consider what we discovered and how we can use it?" Stuart inquired.
"I've thought about almost nothing else in every spare moment and nothing comes to me yet. I'm confident it will. It would be easier if Blackthorne ever left the manor, but he hardly ever leaves, and when he does, it's usually with 150 men. We'd be lucky to put together a hundred well trained between our two farms. If he's in the manor, he's impregnable. We'd need 500 men or more to mount an attack and even then, we'd have to starve him out unless we wanted to lose most of our force."
"So you believe we have to draw him out?"
"Yes, and with a relatively small force."
"So that's what you're concentrating on now. How to get him out of his hole?"
"Primarily."
"Could we hire the mercenaries we need to arrange an army large enough?"
"Do you have any idea what it would cost?"
"No. It's more your line of work than mine," Stuart explained.
"Probably the entire proceeds of both farms for five or six years. There's a reason only kings and heads of state can afford mercenary armies. They can tax the people to support it. Even if we could afford to hire one; if Blackthorne heard we were hiring one, he'd hire a bigger one."
"Why doesn't he hire one now if he wants to get rid of us so bad?" Stuart asked. "He's rich enough."
"For the same reason we don't. At the Keep, we can probably hold off a thousand men for four months. He'd need more to attack both places at the same time and he'd have to replace all the losses we would make him suffer to make it work. It would be ridiculously expensive and he thinks he can do it cheaper. Additionally, we could probably hold out long enough to attract the attention of the crown and we have enough friends at the court to make Blackthorne uncomfortable. If the King got angry enough, he could strip Blackthorne of all his lands and money and would probably be happy to do so given all the money it would add to his coffers. The king doesn't need to take bribes when he can take the whole thing."
Stuart fell silent thinking about everything. "I'm glad you're the one who has to figure this out. I just want to farm. When do we meet with Lady Luck Farm again?" Stuart asked.
"Market day after next. We're both well supplied until then."
"God, I wish this was over."
"If wishes were horses..." Thorburn responded.
"I'd have a full cavalry by now."
Stuart started exercising as Thorburn suggested, stretching and moving until he felt sufficiently awake to go against Thorburn with claymores. He never beat him; he was more a bowman, but he needed to practice against the best if he wanted to be better than he was. When crossing swords, he liked to go against Bjarkë and Thorburn because to avoid a severe drubbing demanded excellence. After he had worked for an hour with Thorburn, he picked up his bow and started shooting at the large target across the yard. He started at fifty feet and slowly worked backward the full length of the courtyard, about 85 yards. Stuart was proud he could still hit within six inches of the bull's eye even at the full distance. There were so many things which could happen to an arrow shot from over 250 feet. A gust of wind, an imperfect arrow, a bad feather.
He used to have a target set up outside the Keep and practice out to about two hundred yards, but he no longer went outside the Keep unless he was with a large number of men and it was difficult to take up the time of so many people while he shot for an hour or more. At two hundred yards, it was difficult to hit a man sized target, but he'd been proud to do it about fifty percent of his shots. His excellence with the bow made him the primary trainer for those selected to train with it and he'd be willing to match his group with any other fifty archers in existence. He knew the archers he trained would be the primary reason the Keep could hold off a thousand men.
He was on his last flight of arrows when one of the lookouts called out there was a carriage coming. The gate was opened and the carriage was admitted to the courtyard. When it stopped, Teárlag's maid got out, then she helped her Lady Mackintosh to the ground. She appeared to have twisted an ankle, she could hardly walk.
"Good afternoon, Stuart. Could you please inform Laird Cameron I've accepted his generous offer to move here in preparation of our future nuptials. Unfortunately, I have to leave for Dervaig to put the affairs of my house there in order. I anticipate being gone for a minimum of two days. I will move my things in when I return." She looked at Stuart with a look of pleading so profound, he couldn't help but notice.
"That's wonderful news, Lady Mackintosh. But let me offer you some refreshments before you continue. I'm sure you're all tired, hungry and thirsty given the long drive from Tobermory. We've got some stew simmering on the fire and tea or water to drink. Please. I'm sure everyone would like a brief respite in your journey."
"You're very kind, Stuart. I'm sure we'd all appreciate a brief rest and a chance to quit bouncing around in a carriage. And I really should speak to Thorburn personally. I'd feel foolish if I let you deliver the news for me. It's a momentous occasion after all."
"I believe he's in his bedroom writing letters. With Ailene absent, much more work falls to us. If you tell me what you'd like, I'll have the maid bring some and lead you to his room."
"Thank you. I'll have a small bowl of the stew and some tea, please. And ensure my maid and driver receive refreshments as well."
"Of course." He had the maid and driver follow him to the kitchen and invited them to partake of some food and asked for stew and tea to be delivered to Thorburn's room. He then took Teárlag's arm and escorted her up the stairs. She was moving so slowly, it was like she'd suddenly become crippled and he wondered again if she'd twisted her ankle. They reached Thorburn's room and Stuart knocked.
"Come in," he said.
Stuart opened the door and admitted Teárlag, Thorburn standing when he saw who it was.
"Lady Mackintosh has some news she'd like to share with you, Laird."