Her Healing Touch.

Chapter 5.

       "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MY SISTER IS GONE? YOU FOOL!"

Laird Rickard Baldie said as he shouted at his first in command,  Fergus.

    "I mean what I say, Laird..., she's no longer at her cottage. Her clothing and her other belongings are no longer within the cottage. It looked like she was in a hurry to flee too!"

Rickard swore silently under his breath. Many people thought that Bella was his sister, but that was untrue, she was a bastard born and was found by his father when she was a bairn in the forest. Rickard found out the truth when he was a teenager after he had an argument with his mother. After he found out the truth, he made sure to watch her closely as she grew up. The old crone who taught her the healing arts, allowed Bella to stay away from the castle, which suited him just fine growing up, now, however, his situation had changed, he needed a wife, and what better way than to have relations with a woman whom you knew intimately instead of seeking out one. His thoughts on Bella were interrupted when Angus his second in command came through the servant's entrance to inform him, that Robert Crane wished to speak to him in private.

"My Laird..., I know where that Witch of a sister, fled to."

      "WELL, WHY ARE YOU HESITATING? SPEAK!"

Robert swallowed deeply and sneered at him. It was a shame that their clan was being run by a greedy and selfish man, like the present laird. He too had a secret that no one knew about, the legitimacy of their current laird. Robert knew that if he had his way, he would be the laird instead of Rickard. He was, in fact, Rickard's elder brother and should be the one to be in charge! Too bad, that this was a fact that Rickard's mother Iona Baldie had kept hidden from her late husband..., Donald.

      "That 'Witch', ran off with a large and strong man. I think you know him..., his name is Laird Cambryn McKladdon of McKladdon Keep."

Rickard smashed his fist upon his desk in the solar and grit his teeth tightly. It just had to be his worst enemy to take Bella away from him. He remembered a fine girl he came upon in surprise and raped all those years ago. He could remember clearly how satisfied he felt when he discovered who the girl was, and how he inflicted damage and sorrow on his enemy..., Cambryn McKladdon. He thought as he rubbed his chin in glee. Certainly, he could pay a visit to the McKladdon Keep again, of course with the company of his army and either take Bella by force or try to find a way to their stronghold.

      "CRANE! DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ANY CURRENT ENEMIES BESIDES MYSELF THAT THE MCKLADDIN'S ARE FIGHTING AGAINST?"

      "I know that their current enemy is the McKenzie's. In fact, the reason why Cambryn was here on our lands was that he became injured from a blow that he suffered from Laird McKenzie's broadsword." 

He replied in a conniving voice. Rickard Strode over to the Bell pull and rang for Fergus to come to the solar. When Fergus arrived, he whispered quietly so that Robert could not hear his command.

Robert looked at Rickard and wondered what the secret words were that he had spoken to Fergus.

     "So what are we to do Laird? How are we to proceed with rescuing that Witch of a sister of yours?"

Rickard picked up the empty wooden bowl that sat at his right side on his desk and threw it at Robert's head.

      "BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU CALL MY SISTER A WITCH! IF I HAVE TO HEAR THE 'W' WORD  COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH ONE MORE TIME..., I WILL COMMAND FERGUS TO RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE WITH HIS DAGGER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Thankfully Robert was able to duck before the bowl hit him, and he gave Rickard and ugly look and feigning obedience, Robert bowed to his brother and then he made his way out of the solar and began making plans of his own to deal with Bella and his weak and pathetic son Kollen!