The Condemned Highlander (Highland Intrigue Trilogy 2)

They walked off together, not saying another word to each other.

They entered the village to shouts and hurried to find out what caused them. Shock brought them to a sudden halt seeing one of four warriors delivering several hard blows to Iver.

Brogan didn’t hesitate, he took off. The warrior did not see the fierce blow coming. Brogan sent him sailing into the air and landing on his back, knocked out cold.

“Another one of you,” Brogan yelled, “touch anyone here—ANYONE—and I will see you suffer harshly for it.”

“They are not allowed to hunt,” one warrior said.

Brogan turned to Iver.

“I told him you ordered us to hunt and also hunted along with us, but none believe me,” Iver said, his daughter handing him a cloth to wipe the blood from his mouth.

“Keep your back to Annis, until the bleeding stops. She has a weak stomach when it comes to blood,” Brogan said and turned back to the warriors, his angry eyes falling on a familiar face, a warrior loyal to his father. “This man spoke the truth, Rudd. Harm him, or any in this village, and my wrath will know no bounds. And you can tell my father I said that.”

“You can tell him yourself, Lord Brogan. Your father orders you home and the woman who broke his edict concerning the path brought to the keep and placed in the dungeon.”

5

Annis avoided glancing at Iver when she approached Brogan and kept her eyes off the man on the ground. She wasn’t taking any chances with blood, and she was taking no chance of being sent to the dungeon. That was why she headed for Brogan. She was confident he would not let that happen to her.

She came to a stop beside him, and he immediately reached for her hand and hooked his around it, keeping their joined hands tucked at his side.

“Tell my father that I refused to surrender the woman to you and that I have no intentions of returning home now,” Brogan said, his voice turning even more commanding as he finished. “And, Rudd, if you are contemplating using force against me, know that I will not fight to harm—I will fight to kill.”

“Your father will not be happy to hear this,” Rudd said.

Brogan shook his head and laughed. “My father is never happy with me.”

“I have no desire to fight you, my lord, and I believe the men with me feel the same,” Rudd said, and the men behind him nodded as did the man on the ground who had come to. “I will deliver your message. Though, I warn you that you will undoubtedly hear from your father.”

“Aye, you are right about that,” Brogan said. “A drink before you go?”

The men looked ready to dismount and their disappointment was evident when Rudd responded. “Your father will want to hear the bad news right away.”

“I am sure I will see you again, Rudd,” Brogan said, acknowledging that he knew Rudd would return.

Once the man on the ground mounted, the small troop took their leave.

“They will return with more men,” Iver said.

Brogan turned and before responding to the man, he looked to Annis. “No blood. You are safe.”

Annis smiled and squeezed his hand in thanks. She thought he would let go and when he didn’t, she let her hand linger in his, feeling a comfort she wasn’t ready to let go of herself.

“Aye, they will, but it will be my father who returns next with them,” Brogan said and hurried to ease the rash of concerns that spread over the faces of everyone there. “I need him here so I can make sure you get what you need for the winter.”

“He will refuse us. He always does,” the old man who had slept in the lean-to said, rubbing at his white beard.

“It is Lord Brogan requesting help this time, Seward,” Iver said, hopeful.

“Iver is right. It could be different this time,” a woman said, her long gray hair hanging loose from its braid and wearing a worn tunic that at one time must have fit her but now hung too big on her thin frame.

“I hope so, Maddie, I truly do,” Seward said, not sounding hopeful.

“Worry not about it,” Brogan said. “I gave you my word and I will keep it. Now there’s hunting to be done and a shed to build.” As the few people dispersed, he turned to Annis. “I would say we could try again to find the witch, but the hills seem clear of mist today and you have only four times left to travel the path.”

That remark had Annis slipping her hand out of his. “You should have listened better. I said I would try six times before I would consider stopping, not that I would stop completely. Though, I am not opposed to searching at night, Nolan mentioned a full moon.”