Seth was the only one who was smiling. “Walsh MacLoon was right. He got word that Lord Northwick’s son would arrive soon and here he is.”
“Seth is here to give you a choice,” Tarass said. “Side with him…”
“Or,” James asked when Tarass didn’t finish.”
“Die,” Seth said. “From what I’ve heard his son Ruddock spent the last two years with barbarians. Tales are he did unspeakable things and grew to enjoy it. It’s said he thinks nothing of cutting out a tongue of anyone who lies to him and eating it in front of him.”
James turned a worried glance on Tarass. “How do we defeat such a man?”
Seth snorted. “You don’t. You join forces with him or die.”
The drumbeat grew louder and with it the fear in the village grew.
“He won’t attack now,” Tarass said to James and lowered his voice so no one could hear him. “Hear him out and ask for time.”
James saw no sense in that. “What good will that do?”
“It will give me time to see it settled,” Tarass said with enough confidence that had James nodding.
“Whatever you’re plotting, it won’t work,” Seth said annoyed he couldn’t hear what the two men had discussed.
Tarass signaled two of his warriors and called out. “Escort a small troop of men who approach here to the keep steps. The others are to remain on the outskirts of the village.”
The two warriors nodded and turned their horses around and rode off.
Seth laughed and shook his head. “You think they will obey two warriors when there is a troop of them?”
“There is a reason Lord Northwick never lost a battle. He never went in blindly and he stopped many before they even got started,” Tarass said.
“How do you know about him?” Seth asked.
“He is a legend. How does one not know about him?” Tarass turned to James, dismissing anything else Seth might have to say. “Lord Ruddock is here to speak with you. I will stand to the side unless addressed. You should send the women inside the keep.”
James cringed, knowing what kind of reaction that would bring, and he was right.
The three Macardle sisters shouted out in unison, “No!”
Thaw even joined in with a strong yelp.
The approach of horses turned everyone silent once again and by now most of the villagers had gathered around out of fear and curiosity.
Six men on horses rode behind Tarass’s two warriors. An older man was the only one to dismount and approach the keep steps.
He dropped to one knee, bowed his head, then lifted it and looked to John. “Lord Ruddock, it is good to see you again.”
Chapter 13
Sorrell’s mouth fell open in shock, her eyes spreading open so wide that she thought they would burst from her head, and anger stirred like a bubbling pot in her stomach. That her husband didn’t even look at her worsened her churning stomach.
Ruddock nodded at Erland and called out for all to hear, “With my marriage to Sorrell, the Clan Macardle joins with the Clan Northwick. I rule here now and my word is law.” He looked to Seth. “Go tell Walsh MacLoon that the land in dispute between the Clan Macardle and the Clan MacLoon is no more since MacLoon and Macardle land now belongs to Lord Northwick.”
“That wasn’t the agreement,” Seth shot back.
“Let Walsh MacLoon tell me that himself,” Ruddock said. “And as for you… pledge your fealty now to me or I will see you and the Clan MacCannish wiped out.”
Seth paled and, for a moment, appeared as if he didn’t know what to do.
“I will hear it now from you on bended knee or you are a dead man,” Ruddock warned.
Seth dropped on one knee, words spilling rapidly from his mouth. “I pledge my fealty to you, Lord Ruddock, and the Clan Northwick.”
“Come here to me,” Ruddock demanded.
Seth approached Lord Ruddock with caution.
“Closer,” Ruddock ordered when the trembling man stopped a few steps down from him. As soon as Seth placed his foot on the second step from Ruddock, his fisted hand swung out catching Seth in the mouth.
Seth went tumbling down the steps, blood pouring from the split in his lip.
“I’ve warned you before about besmirching my wife’s good name. Next time, I’ll slit your throat as soon as the words leave your mouth. Now get out of my sight.”
Seth nodded and hurried down the steps, stumbling as he went, then mounting his horse with difficulty and riding off.
Sorrell shook her head, gathering the last of her wits about her and gave John a jab in the arm. “John or Ruddock or whoever you are, you are no husband to me.”
She took off down the steps running.
Ruddock turned to James and Tarass. “I will speak with you both in James’s solar, after I speak with my wife.”
“I would leave her be if I were you,” Willow said, stepping toward him.