Scottish Beauty

Chaper Twenty-Seven - Scottish Beauty

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Lying and waiting for sundown was killing Andrew.   He wasn't about to wait anymore, without warning, he shouted the McKenna battle cry and stormed the pile of rocks that once was a castle. Gaining entrance to the castle was easy enough.  No sentries were on watch, no gatekeeper.........it was as though no one lived in the castle.  Only the smoke billowing in the breeze was the only indication that life existed.

When they reached the door to the hall, Andrew was the first one through it.   The door opened with such force, it smashed upon the castle walls and splintered into nothing.  The score of men seated around the hall all jumped to their feet, swords in hand, waiting for attack.

Andrew casually sauntered in the room, sword in one his, his dirk in the other.   He quickly scanned the room and noticed that neither Colin nor Emma were anywhere to be found.    He was flanked by his Da on one side, his father-in-law on the other.   All the others filed in behind him, they knew their orders and surrounded Colin's men.   No one was going anywhere.

"Where is he?" Andrew shouted for them all to hear as he walked closer to the men.  When no one answered him, Andrew decided to put on the pressure.   "If ye want to live, ye will talk, if not..."he shrugged his shoulders now...."twill be the death of ye."

A few of the men started shaking now, some looking at the others as to what they should do....still no one spoke up.  All of a sudden........one of Colin's men decided that he wasn't going to be pushed around........he let out a low growl and went in to attack Andrew.

Andrew was on guard and aware of everything going on around him.   He was waiting for this, knew that at least one of them wasn't a coward and would defend himself, now was his chance to prove his threat was real.

Andrew blocked the first blow from the hulking man before him.   He decided to toy with him, pretend to give him some edge and then go in for the kill.   Five minutes was enough Andrew decided, the man was overweight, clearly not use to sparring, it was time to prove his point.   With one charge Andrew speared him in his belly and then twisted his sword.  The man went down quickly enough, died instantly from his mortal wound.

Andrew walked over to the man then, bent over and grabbed a piece of his plaid, cleaned off his blade and stood before the onlookers.

"Who's next?" Andrew asked them casually, as if killing the man meant nothing to him.

Everyone then seemed to have taken a step back, no one came forward as they watched the lifeblood of their friend pour out of his belly wound.   A shout from the back is what caught everyone's attention now............"He's in the tower with your lady wife," one of Colin's minions told Andrew.

Without turning his back on these men........Andrew started barking out orders.  "Grant," he shouted to get his brother's attention.   He knew he was just a few feet behind him.

"Aye," Grant stepped forward to stand beside Andrew.

"Ye will take men with ye, and ye will find the bastard and bring him to me.   Ye will bring Emma as well," Andrew's voice was murderous now.  Grant nodded and then made some eye contact with their trusted soldiers and left taking off up the stairs to the tower.

"Grant!" Andrew shouted as his brother and the men he had chosen were halfway up the stairs........"Ye will bring him to me alive, aye?" Andrew's eyes were dark and dangerous right now, he only had murder on his mind without a hint of guilt.

"Of course Andrew," Grant reply with a sly grin on his face.  "Twill be my pleasure."   And with that, he and his men took off up the tower stairs in search of Colin and Emma.