HIGHLAND SONG BWWM

Chapter Nine

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Chapter Nine

MacIver wasn't surprised that Lyla had fallen asleep. He had been surprised when she'd turned herself around and wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a small nuzzle as she'd fallen asleep.

It was a day's journey to his keep from Aberdeen's land. His people weren't open to outsiders and they enjoyed their solitude, keeping out of clan feuds and minor skirmishes. The only time they'd suffered for their solitude had been when his father had been betrayed and they'd been attacked.

His hands tightened on his reins, his father's foolish weakness being the cause.

A sudden awareness caused him to stop his horse. He lifted a fist in the air, making the others who followed come to a stop as well.

They were a few feet away from the copse of trees that lined Sinclair land. His eyes narrowed on the border of trees. The silence was overwhelming, then it came flying straight and true. He jerked his basket sword from his side, and with amazing speed, whipped it up. Two pieces of an arrow fell to the ground in front of his horse. His horse whinnied and lifted its hooves. MacIver let out a shout. He could hear his men as they quickly moved around him and raced towards the trees.

"Bring the sneaky bastards to me!" He shouted his order. He looked down into the wide and frightened eyes of Lyla and was taken aback that she hadn't said a word, or made a sound.

She was trembling, and her hand was curled in his tartan. "What happened?" she whispered, her fear apparent in her shaky voice.

"Nothing," he said in a hard voice. He pulled his cloak from around her and motioned towards Alec, who was himself moving Ericka from his lap and lowering her to the ground. "You will watch them."

He lifted Lyla up and lowered her so she stood next to her sister. She quickly wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders, seeming to try to give comfort to the young woman. "It'll be okay. Nothing happened," Lyla whispered, but it was loud enough for the men to hear.

MacIver gave Alec a sharp nod and chased after his men.

"I think someone attacked us from within the forest," Ericka said, her voice low. She pointed to the pieces of arrow on the ground. Her voice held some awe when she spoke. "The laird cut the arrow before it even reached him."

Lyla stared at it for a minute and realized the arrow had been aimed towards his chest, where she'd been laying her head. She shuddered; it was a disturbing thought. She could have easily been dispatched.

A few minutes passed and the men came racing back, only this time, there was a young man being pulled behind one of the horses. He'd obviously been beaten up, for his lip was busted and his eyes were swollen.

MacIver pulled his large mount to a stop and hopped down. He said something to Alec before he turned to the other four men and said something in a demanding tone. One of the men with long blonde hair pulled back, and dark, almost black eyes. Nodded, as he jumped down. He was shorter than MacIver but was broader in the chest.

"Erwin, bring the boy here!"

Erwin nodded. He pulled out his sgian-dubh and used the small knife to cut the rope. The boy, who'd been struggling against it, fell on his back, into the dirt. Erwin stomped over to him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and jerked him up. He dragged the boy over to his laird and tossed him to his feet.

MacIver braced his legs apart and glared down at the youth, who couldn't be more than fifteen. His face was freckled, and his eyes were a dingy grey. He was pale in fear and his visible Adam's apple wobbled as he kept swallowing.