And that’s when the woman beckoned her with her finger.
Raven went, too curious not to.
The cloaked woman stepped back farther into the woods and Raven narrowed her eyes, not sure at what she was seeing. The trees looked as if they embraced her.
“Don’t come any closer. No one must know I am here,” the woman said when Raven reached the edge of the woods. “Listen well, Raven, a terrible storm brews and when it finishes thrashing this land and people, nothing will be as it once was and it will take years before those torn apart are reunited. Stay strong. Your strength and courage will see you through this.”
“I don’t understand,” Raven said, a terrible dread squeezing at her chest and stomach.
“No one will. Blessings on you, my child.”
Before Raven could say another word, the woman was gone. She didn’t know what to make of the encounter. She could ask herself who the woman was, but she knew the answer.
She was the witch. How odd that Purity had only mentioned her and she suddenly appeared. Even odder was how the witch’s words had made her feel.
Raven rarely cried. She’d get angry, but avoided tears. To her they served no purpose. However, she couldn’t stop her tears from falling. They ran down her cheeks and dropped from her chin onto her tunic.
She could ignore the witch’s warning. After all, how did one trust a witch? Unfortunately, something deep in her heart believed the witch. She was about to lose everything she held dear and there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it.
Chapter 6
Tankards were filled with ale as Parlan, Arran, Royden, and Bayne gathered in Parlan’s solar. A fire burned in the hearth despite the unusually warm day. The stone walls had a way of retaining the cold and one warm day wouldn’t change that.
Bayne spoke after taking a seat. “My father heard from Chieftain Burnell.”
“I thought we’d agreed not to contact anyone about the King’s actions,” Royden reminded.
“My father did so before he spoke with you, and with Burnell’s land strategically situated, I think it was a wise move,” Bayne said.
Arran offered his own insight. “Clan Learmonth is insignificant in all other ways, the keep is small and the clan size as well with most being advanced in years. Where his keep sits, is what matters the most—high on a hill. He can see troops coming in all directions and from quite a distance.”
“And that was my father’s question. Were there any troops heading our way?” Bayne shook his head. “Chieftain Burnell confirmed that all was quiet.”
“I’m not one to doubt Burnell’s word,” Parlan said, “but his seven ten years have left him frail and his clan not as protected as it should be. Did your messenger see anything out of the ordinary?”
“You wonder if his clan is already under the King’s rule?” Royden asked.
His da frowned. “It’s not a pleasant thought but it’s one that can’t be ignored.”
“Actually, it was a servant who delivered the message since he has family there,” Bayne said.
“So you can’t be sure,” Parlan said.
“I wouldn’t swear on it, Bayne said. “I wonder also if there are other clans in the Highlands we don’t know about that have already succumbed to the King’s actions?”
Arran shook his head. “It makes no sense, the King claiming Highland clan lands. He has enough going on with the King of Norway and the never-ending strife with England.”
“If that is true, who dares to attack in the King’s name?” Royden asked.
“I think it would be prudent to send our best scout to find out what goes on at Clan Learmonth,” Parlan said and the others agreed with nods.
“I can’t imagine the audacity of someone who would attack and claim land, and the clan itself, in the name of the King,” Arran said. “Once he was discovered, he’d no longer have claim to it.”
“Wouldn’t he?” Royden questioned. “He’d already have claim on the clan and land through a forced marriage to a chieftain and or lord’s daughter. Why would the King resign his claim when it had been made in his name? Maybe whoever is doing this wishes to claim only so much land, giving the King a foothold in the Highlands.”
“We need to stay aware and be prepared,” Parlan said.
“Father and I have discussed sending Purity to the convent,” Bayne said. “This way if attacked, she wouldn’t be vulnerable to a forced marriage.”
“Someone could be dispatched to the convent to get her,” Arran warned.
“I’ve assigned a warrior the task to take his leave at first signs of an attack and get Purity to safety. Without her, no one would have clear claim to the clan or land,” Bayne explained.
“It might be wise to send Raven. God knows she could use some heavenly guidance,” Arran said with a grin.
Parlan rubbed the back of his neck, the thought weighing heavily on him. “I have given it serious consideration.”
“It might be best. At least until we can make sense of what’s going on,” Royden said.
“Purity leaves right after your wedding. I imagine she would be overjoyed if Raven joined her,” Bayne said.
Parlan appeared reluctant to agree. “I’ll give it thought.”
“Have you really spoken with my da about marrying Raven?” Arran asked, wondering why his da hadn’t mentioned it if it were true.
“I had hoped you would wed Purity and unite and benefit two powerful clans, but since you have declined, I have no choice but to seek marriage to your sister,” Bayne said and continued before anyone could voice their opinion. “And before you object consider my concerns. Unrest is custom in the Highlands. Kings come and go, but what remains, what always remains are the Highlands. The land is part of us. It’s what gives us purpose and power, to lose it is like losing yourself. We all were born and bred here. We have spilled blood for the Highlands and countless men and women have sacrificed their lives for the Highlands. This is our home, our hearts, our souls, and we do whatever we must to protect it. If I must sacrifice and wed Raven to see that we don’t lose our home, then I will do that.”
Bayne stood. “I have said enough. Let me know your decision on sending Raven to the convent and what you hear from your scout when he returns. My proposition to wed Raven can wait, but don’t dismiss it without considering what it would mean.”
“So the only eye he had for Raven was how beneficial it would be to him,” Arran said after Bayne was gone.
“He isn’t wrong in that aspect,” Royden said.
“Are you suggesting I should have wed Purity?” Arran asked.
“No. I can understand that she doesn’t suit you and as much as Bayne may be right, Raven will never agree to wed him. My thought is that Bayne talks of the Highlands being in his blood, being part of him. It begs the question—what would he do to keep his land, expand his land, gain more power, more wealth?”
“He would wed a woman for who he had no love,” Arran said.
“Aye, and would he join with the King to make sure he not only kept his land, but gained more?” Royden asked.