Read Online The Raven's Moon by Susan King - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan King
Tags: Romance, Historical Romance, Love Story, warrior, medieval romance, Warriors, Highlander, Highlanders, Scottish Highland, Highland Warriors
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cried.
"Fetch it quick," Heckie snapped, and Jennet ran into the house.
"You swore we would not be harmed," Mairi said. "A Borderer's word is his life. You've broken it."
"You are not harmed," Heckie grunted. "And you have seen my honor for the last time. Next time, do you refuse to pay, we'll put a firebrand to the roof. Worse than that may come to you as well. And neither a nursling nor its mam, nor a bonny Hieland lass, will stop us." He called to his men.
They emerged from the house carrying sacks of grain, curtains, even cooking pots. One man stopped to pat the dog, circling nervously, no longer barking—useless Bluebell, Mairi thought. Then they mounted and rode out, a few of the men herding with them two horses, four cows, and several bleating, confused sheep.
Jennet joined Mairi, sobbing as she held her swaddled son in her arms. As the child began to wail, Jennet turned to go back into the house, while Mairi ran toward the barn to close the door and keep the remaining animals inside–another six cattle and about a dozen sheep, as well as her own horse. But they had lost a sturdy workhorse, as well as Christie's stallion.
The lad would be furious about that. Earlier, he had befriended Rowan Scott's sleek bay horse, and had ridden it back to Lincraig Castle.
Running toward a low hill, Mairi climbed it, clutching her plaid around her in the whipping wind, watching as the reivers faded into the distance and the darkness.
Soon she heard the thunder of other horses, and turned to another direction to see a few riders galloping over the moor in pursuit of the reivers.
One horseman angled away from the rest and cantered toward Mairi, halting to look down at her in the moonlight. She recognized Simon Kerr, the warden of the Scottish Middle March.
"Are you harmed, Mairi?" he asked.
"I am fine, Simon Kerr," she answered. "As is Jennet, but not so for her house or her beasts."
Sitting his tall English horse, the warden looked equally as frightening as the reivers. A breastplate of Spanish steel encircled his torso; his coarse features were shadowed beneath the wide rim of his peaked helmet.
"I've been trodding after that band o' scoundrels all this night," he said. "Heckie's Bairns—riding together and taking what they please. Sure you're all right, then?"
"Aye. But they took some of Jennet's things, along with cattle and sheep, and two of our horses."
"They raided Willie Nicksoun's house tonight and stole ten o' his cattle. Burned his byre to the ground when he refused to pay blackmail to them. Did they ask blackmail from Mistress Jennet?" When Mairi nodded, Simon Kerr swore. "I swear to you, I will arrest that Heckie Elliot. He deserves to be hanged."
"Not all of your prisoners deserve that," Mairi said.
"Holding a wardenry is not easy, lass. Just this night I've chased English reivers back into their own March. And I'm still searching for that wild Alec Scott, and no trace of the rascal. And we've been trodding after Heckie and his lot the past hour."
"So many brigands, and yet my brother is not one," Mairi said bitterly.
Simon glanced down at her. "I do my best to keep the law here, Mairi Macrae, and I've watched after your safety too. My nephew Johnny loved you well. What must I do to please you?"
"Release my brother, Jennet's husband."
"I'm sorry for your troubles, lass. Will you like me for it?"
"Help Iain, and I may like you a bit better."
He grinned. "A bold lassie, like a hot pepper spice in my stew. We could be a fine match together, you and me."
"In hell!" she burst out.
He laughed and lifted a gloved hand. "Peace. You and your brother were fostered by Kerrs, and you were betrothed to my nephew. But I cannot release Iain, and you know it."
"I thought Borderers always protect their own."
"I am the warden. But this time the council and the English wardens are watching me close. Iain was caught in the red hand that night. He and Alec Scott were coming back over from England with a herd o'
"Fetch it quick," Heckie snapped, and Jennet ran into the house.
"You swore we would not be harmed," Mairi said. "A Borderer's word is his life. You've broken it."
"You are not harmed," Heckie grunted. "And you have seen my honor for the last time. Next time, do you refuse to pay, we'll put a firebrand to the roof. Worse than that may come to you as well. And neither a nursling nor its mam, nor a bonny Hieland lass, will stop us." He called to his men.
They emerged from the house carrying sacks of grain, curtains, even cooking pots. One man stopped to pat the dog, circling nervously, no longer barking—useless Bluebell, Mairi thought. Then they mounted and rode out, a few of the men herding with them two horses, four cows, and several bleating, confused sheep.
Jennet joined Mairi, sobbing as she held her swaddled son in her arms. As the child began to wail, Jennet turned to go back into the house, while Mairi ran toward the barn to close the door and keep the remaining animals inside–another six cattle and about a dozen sheep, as well as her own horse. But they had lost a sturdy workhorse, as well as Christie's stallion.
The lad would be furious about that. Earlier, he had befriended Rowan Scott's sleek bay horse, and had ridden it back to Lincraig Castle.
Running toward a low hill, Mairi climbed it, clutching her plaid around her in the whipping wind, watching as the reivers faded into the distance and the darkness.
Soon she heard the thunder of other horses, and turned to another direction to see a few riders galloping over the moor in pursuit of the reivers.
One horseman angled away from the rest and cantered toward Mairi, halting to look down at her in the moonlight. She recognized Simon Kerr, the warden of the Scottish Middle March.
"Are you harmed, Mairi?" he asked.
"I am fine, Simon Kerr," she answered. "As is Jennet, but not so for her house or her beasts."
Sitting his tall English horse, the warden looked equally as frightening as the reivers. A breastplate of Spanish steel encircled his torso; his coarse features were shadowed beneath the wide rim of his peaked helmet.
"I've been trodding after that band o' scoundrels all this night," he said. "Heckie's Bairns—riding together and taking what they please. Sure you're all right, then?"
"Aye. But they took some of Jennet's things, along with cattle and sheep, and two of our horses."
"They raided Willie Nicksoun's house tonight and stole ten o' his cattle. Burned his byre to the ground when he refused to pay blackmail to them. Did they ask blackmail from Mistress Jennet?" When Mairi nodded, Simon Kerr swore. "I swear to you, I will arrest that Heckie Elliot. He deserves to be hanged."
"Not all of your prisoners deserve that," Mairi said.
"Holding a wardenry is not easy, lass. Just this night I've chased English reivers back into their own March. And I'm still searching for that wild Alec Scott, and no trace of the rascal. And we've been trodding after Heckie and his lot the past hour."
"So many brigands, and yet my brother is not one," Mairi said bitterly.
Simon glanced down at her. "I do my best to keep the law here, Mairi Macrae, and I've watched after your safety too. My nephew Johnny loved you well. What must I do to please you?"
"Release my brother, Jennet's husband."
"I'm sorry for your troubles, lass. Will you like me for it?"
"Help Iain, and I may like you a bit better."
He grinned. "A bold lassie, like a hot pepper spice in my stew. We could be a fine match together, you and me."
"In hell!" she burst out.
He laughed and lifted a gloved hand. "Peace. You and your brother were fostered by Kerrs, and you were betrothed to my nephew. But I cannot release Iain, and you know it."
"I thought Borderers always protect their own."
"I am the warden. But this time the council and the English wardens are watching me close. Iain was caught in the red hand that night. He and Alec Scott were coming back over from England with a herd o'
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