The Eagle by Hildie McQueen
Chapter Seven
The first thing Stuart wanted to do was retch upon waking. His stomach heaved and he gagged. The swaying under him meant he traveled on water. He attempted to sit up but being bound made it impossible.
“I am about to be sick,” he told the closest man, who stood and grabbed him by the back of his tunic and roughly dragged him to the side of the bìrlinn.
The combination of nausea and his hatred of being at sea made him furious. He threw up until he was sure his next heave would send out his stomach. The continued movement of the boat made him want to jump into the water and drown himself.
“For a man who lives on the isles, I am shocked that ye are not a seafarer,” the man said.
He recognized the voice. It was Ethan, one of the Uisdein’s sons.
“What in the devil do ye want with me?” he snapped. “Did the lesson after imprisoning Darach not teach yer father anything?”
“Father wishes to see ye. I am bringing ye to finish what ye started.”
The blood in his veins turned cold. “What exactly do ye mean?”
“Ye and my sister are betrothed. Ye must marry her.”
Falling back, Stuart began to laugh. In turn, heaving and laughing until he felt delirious.
“What is so funny,” the Uisdein’s son asked.
“I-I cannot marry them all.” Stuart could not stop laughing. “Can I have three wives?”
Ethan glared. “What nonsense are ye spewing?”
He sobered and glared at the man. “I will not marry Flora. Yer father is who broke off the betrothal. What has changed?”
“Ye do not know anything,” he responded bluntly. “Ye will marry her as soon as we arrive.”
The trip to the Isle of Benbecula was not long, perhaps a pair of hours. Stuart mentally timed how long it would take for Artair, or one of the guardsmen, to make it back to the keep—if they’d survived.
“What happened to my men?”
Ethan shrugged. “None were killed if that is what ye wish to know. We are not barbarians.”
“No, that is not the reason ye did not kill them. It is because ye fear my brother’s wrath.” Once again Stuart chuckled. “Ye underestimate him if ye think he willna come after ye with all his fury.”
Because of the seasickness, the short trip seemed to take much longer. Of all his brothers, he was the only one that got sick when on a boat. Despite it, he was not glad to see the shoreline.
Once they came ashore, Ethan ordered that his hands be untied. Horses waited on the shore. Stuart mounted, eager to get the confrontation over with. When Ethan gave him a suspicious look, he hitched an eyebrow. “Let us go and see what yer father hopes to accomplish.”
Ethan grunted but did not reply.
The Uisdein was a pampered egotistical man, with little sense. Stuart prayed he’d find a way to talk himself out of this predicament before anything permanent occurred.
It was not Stuart’s first time visiting the isle. Several times he’d accompanied his father, who for some reason wished an alliance with the Uisdein.
Part of the agreement was for him to marry the Uisdein’s daughter, Flora. At the time, it had been a surprise to Stuart and the lass.
Apparently, his father had not chosen Darach, as he hoped for a more beneficial match for him. Duncan could not be forced to do anything, and Ewan was gone. That just left him. He was given no say in the matter.
Although he had come to care deeply for Flora, now all he felt was contempt. Not only for the Uisdein who’d abruptly broken the agreement, but for his daughter who he’d been told had decided to marry someone else.
If Flora was in love with someone else, it was understandable. At the same time, he often wondered why she’d initiated intimacy between them.
His stomach had yet to settle so he breathed deeply in an effort to be in a good frame of mind once coming face to face with people he never thought to see again.
They passed through the gates into a small but well-tended courtyard. Once there, he dismounted and was shoved forward into the main house.
He entered flanked by Ethan and another man.
“Stuart Ross, I am pleased at yer appearance.”
The Uisdein made a show of waving him in. Sitting at the high board in a chair that would be best suited for a king, the laird looked down at him.
At Stuart remaining silent, the man continued, “There is much to do and little time. I am sure yer brother and his army of warriors will arrive soon. Therefore, this marriage must be completed immediately.”
“Are ye mad?” Stuart asked.
The laird glared at him. “No, ye are the one who is mad to think ye can stand up to me. I am Laird Uisdein.” He motioned around the room to guards that stood at a ready. “I will not stand for disrespect from another Ross.”
“I am not going to marry yer daughter.”
“Where is Flora,” the Uisdein asked, clapping his hands. “Tell her to come at once. It is time.”
A maid ran across the room, tripped on her skirts, and fell to the floor, sprawled with her hands and feet at odd angles. The woman squealed in fright when someone yanked her up, and then rushed up the stairs.
Again, laugher bubbled from deep in Stuart’s gut. The situation was ludicrous. Of all the hardships his family had faced in recent months, if this was the worst fate could do to him, he was one lucky bastard.
He imagined the three women, not that he had any idea what Lila Maclean looked like. The only one that held any appeal was Cait.
“Ye will keep yer word to my daughter.”
“It was not I who broke the betrothal, but ye,” Stuart rebutted.
“Do not contradict me,” the laird replied. “Ye remain without a wife, therefore ye can marry Flora.”
Stuart looked to the other men in the room and then to two maids who stood frozen with trays of food. Obviously, they were unsure if to serve or wait.
One of them gave him a worried look.
Like a maiden, he’d been kidnapped and would be forced to marry.
“Will my virtue also be taken by force?” Stuart asked while staring at the laird. Once again it was hard not to laugh.
A chuckle escaped. “Ye should be aware that I am not a virgin.”
The Uisdein, Ethan, and the others exchanged annoyed looks, as he began laughing so hard, he was doubled over.
“Not another word. And stop laughing,” Laird Uisdein growled. “Ye must marry Flora.”
Stuart could barely speak between each eruption of laughter. “Mar-ry. I… must marry…” He laughed so hard his sides ached and unable to stand, he lowered to the floor. “My predicament is to choose between three women… ha ha ha…”
“What is the matter with him?” the Uisdein asked.
“He was laughing and throwing up on the bìrlinn,” Ethan replied. “I have never seen a man in hysterics, but I do believe that is what happens.”
“They are here,” someone announced, which for some reason made him laugh even harder. It was to the point that he too wondered if he’d gone absolutely mad. Stuart pulled himself up to a chair breathing hard in an effort to regain some semblance of composure.
“Ye either marry or die.” The Uisdein warned him and then turned away and shouted, “Where in the devil is Flora?”
“She and yer wife have barricaded themselves in her bedchamber, my laird,” someone said.
If not for the fact he was in pain from laughing so hard, Stuart would have erupted into more. Instead, he shook his head and said, “I’m going home.” He straightened and stumbled through the great room and out the door.
No one stopped him.
Upon reaching the gates, guards blocked him from leaving and without a weapon he was at their mercy. In that moment, he considered the fact that if he died today, it didn’t matter.
He walked up to one of the guards and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. Caught by surprise, the man doubled over.
When he was grabbed from behind, Stuart swung and with great satisfaction felt his fist sink into someone’s face. He fought with all his might, not caring about the consequences. Unfortunately, after laughing so hard, he was weak. It didn’t matter. He reached deep into his last resources of strength and managed to hold his own for a few minutes.
Obviously, the guards had been instructed to contain him, not kill him, because they did not draw their swords. Four against one, Stuart was aware he would lose the fight, but it did not stop him from doing as much damage as he could.
When a strike sunk into his gut, he doubled over letting out a loud whoosh of breath. He tried to lift his arms to defend against the next blow, but it was impossible he’d used up his last bit of strength.
Just as he fell to the ground, war cries sounded, and arrows flew overhead impaling the ground all around him.
What was his brother thinking? He could be struck as well.
Then again, fury made little sense.
Realizing his brother would not stop until he got his revenge, Stuart took advantage of the guard’s distraction and raced over to the wall and stood next to the gates where the arrows would not strike.
Thundering hooves were quickly followed by the gates hit by battering rams and flying open. The guards had been slow to close them, so the Ross warriors were able to breach moments later.
Darach’s blond mane flew around his head as he swung his sword from atop his horse.
Too weak to move after the beating he’d sustained all Stuart could do was watch as the scene unfolded before him.
When Duncan’s deep growl sounded, Stuart pitied those coming against the giant.
Caelan jumped down from his horse to fight a group of men. Like a berserker, he left bodies in his wake, not hesitating but instead stepping over them as he attacked one after another. It was almost fascinating to see the otherwise proper Scot turned into a relentless killer.
The sounds of battle filled the air. Men shouting orders. Swords clanging together. The powerful hooves of warhorses striking the ground. All mixed in with the groans of the dying. The unfortunate ones who’d been unable to seek shelter, scurried in terror as there was no mercy from the attackers.
Doing his best to stand, he managed to get to his feet; but moments later, he stumbled backward onto the ground. The fight had taken the last of his strength, all he could do was sit in the grass and watch as his brothers became destroyers.
The Ross warriors breached the house and sometime later, the Uisdein and his family were dragged out. The sons were badly beaten, the laird, his wife, and Flora looked to be unharmed.
Stuart got to his feet and stumbled forward. Duncan spotted him, jumped from his horse, and hurried to him. “Are ye injured?”
“The damsel in distress will live,” Stuart replied bitterly. The bad taste in his mouth growing with each moment.
Darach stalked to where warriors held the Uisdein and his family. “I warned ye I would not take kindly to ye ever provoking me again.” His deep voice rumbled over the people gathered that had escaped his wrath.
“Which one?” Darach said motioning to the Uisdein’s sons who were forced to their knees. “Choose!” he growled. “Which one dies for ye daring to take my brother.”
The Uisdein’s eyes rounded in horror. “Stuart made a vow. He was to marry…” He stopped talking seeming to realize the absurdity of his words. Then he took a step forward, reached for the sword in Darach’s hand, and lifted it to his own throat.
“Neither of my sons will pay for my deed.”
“Very well,” Darach said.
“No!” Flora cried out and stood between Darach and her father. “Take me. My brothers and father did this because of me.”
Her gaze went to Stuart. “I am sorry. I did not mean for things to get to this point.”
“No,” Ethan said. “It is I, as eldest, who takes responsibility.”
Lady Uisdein pushed her husband forward. “Take responsibility for yer actions. My children should not pay.”
There was a beat of silence and seconds later the Uisdein sunk to his knees then fell forward onto the ground. A bright red puddle formed around the Uisdein’s head. There was a dagger in his right hand. The man had cut his own throat.
Lady Uisdein screamed and collapsed. Flora took her mother in her arms and they held each other tight, as her two brothers gathered around their dead father.
Darach walked away from the grisly scene. “Let us return home.”
The sea wascalm as dozens of Ross bìrlinns traversed the blue expanse back to South Uist and Ross lands. Stuart sat away from the others not sure he could speak. His brothers seemed to sense he needed time and kept their distance. Instead, they discussed the logistics of what had occurred and how it could have been done better.
“Am I a training lesson?” Stuart asked looking at Duncan, who’d been explaining something about the ways the men had formed during the short battle.
“Every battle is an opportunity to learn,” Darach replied.
In silence, he looked over the water to another bìrlinn, which Caelan was on. It seemed Darach had left the helm of the lairdship in Ewan’s able hands.
“I am glad to serve some purpose.” Bitterness dripped from each word.
His brothers exchanged a look, which he recognized as them thinking he needed time to get over whatever had happened to him.
“I should be overcome and taken away more often. That could be my value.”
Darach’s jaw tightened, the muscle on the side of his face flexing. “What ye are is an idiot.”
“True,” Stuart said. “I am the idiot that needs rescuing, while the rest of ye . . . ye are the true warriors. Each of ye.”
He motioned to Duncan. “Ye were stolen away, Father abandoned ye to be sold. Ye survived years of captivity and ye remain a good man and became a great warrior.”
He could not stop now. “Ewan… well should we even discuss what Father did to him? He too was gone for years because of the evil one that gave us life. And ye,” he said to Darach. “Father killed yer mother. And ye were charged with taking over the lairdship from a man who was hated by the people.”
“What does this have to do with anything?” Darach replied. “None of us can help our lot in life.”
“That is just it. I have no lot. I have been afforded a good life. Because of the sufferings of my brothers, I gained richness and stability. Why did ye risk so much to come for me?”
His brothers were silent. It must have been because what he said was true.
“Ye are our brother, we would give our lives for ye, just as we know ye would do for us.” Duncan glared at him. “Stop being an idiot.”
Stuart suddenly felt hollow, the sensation so horrifying he wanted to scream. Instead, he met Darach’s gaze. “I must go. I cannot remain at the keep. Allow me to go.”
“Where?” his brothers asked in unison.
“Ye should consider this more,” Darach said. “Aye, ye have benefitted, but ye have also fought side by side when it was needed. Ye are not without some of the sufferings we endured at the hands of our father.”
“Ye must allow me to go,” Stuart repeated too exhausted to argue further.
