“Keeley kicked two of the men betwixt the legs and told me to run. She tried to run too, but the third man, the one who wasn’t rolling around on the snow, caught her by the hair and pulled her back. She screamed at me to go and that she’d never let me throw another snowball in my life if I didn’t heed her instructions.”
“The lass saved the boy’s live,” Cormac murmured.
Alaric nodded. “Aye, ’twould seems she has a habit of saving the McCabes.”
He grasped Crispen by the shirt. “Are you hurt anywhere, lad? I need you to go back to the keep and tell your father what has transpired here. Tell him we need horses and men. Make sure he leaves enough behind to defend the keep and that Mairin is safely locked away.”
“Aye,” Crispen said, determination etched into his youthful features. Only now he didn’t appear so young. He looked damned angry.
“Come,” he ordered Gannon and Cormac. “We continue on foot until the others have reached us on horseback. We must stay on their tracks.”
Chapter 22
Several long minutes later, Ewan thundered up, leading a horse for Alaric. Behind him, his men trailed, armor on, weapons at the ready.
Alaric threw himself onto the horse and ignored the scream of protest his side gave at the first time he’d remounted since his injury. Behind him Cormac and Gannon also mounted, while six of his men herded the children into a protective circle and took them back to the keep.
Not awaiting Ewan’s orders, Alaric charged forward, sending his horse into the drifts. At first the horse struggled but then found his footing and charged over the terrain.
He followed the sets of hoofprints, his brothers and men close behind him all the while.
“Have more care, Alaric,” Ewan called. “Could be an ambush.”
Alaric’s lips curled as he glanced back at his brother. “They thought they’d abducted Mairin. Think you that you would be telling me have more care if it was she who was danger?”
Ewan grimaced but fell silent.
“They couldn’t think to get far in this weather. ’Twas a risky abduction,” Alaric muttered as he studied the terrain.
“Aye. They’re desperate and hoped to strike when we least expected it.”
Caelen spurred his horse through a particularly deep drift. “We shouldn’t be leaving the keep unattended. ’Tis Mairin and the babe who are all important.”
In that moment, Alaric would have struck his brother if he were close enough. As it was, it was all he could do not to launch himself across the distance and drag him from his horse. Only the knowledge that for every moment lost, Keeley would be farther away kept him from venting his rage.
“Enough,” Ewan barked. “Keeley is important to the well-being of Mairin and the babe. We go after her. The keep is well guarded. Only a fool would launch a full attack in the dead of winter.”
“Cameron has proved he’s a fool tenfold over,” Alaric pointed out. “Let’s find her before it’s too late.”
Even as he said the words, dread filled his heart. He knew that as soon as it was discovered Keeley wasn’t Mairin, her life would be forfeit. She’d be discarded. Of no use. Cameron was ruthless in his pursuit of his goal and he’d allow no one to slow him down.
He urged his horse onward, to the point of exhaustion. If their pace was quicker, they’d close the gap.
“ ’Tis madness for you to be out here,” Caelen growled. “You’re not fit to be riding a horse or going into battle.”
Alaric stared hotly at his brother, rage bubbling like a cauldron. “If I don’t fight for her, who will?”
“I won’t leave her to Cameron,” Caelen said. “I don’t understand your fascination with the lass, but I’ll not abandon her to her fate. You should return to the keep.”
Alaric ignored his brother and pushed onward, snow flying up in great puffs. The longer they spent in pursuit, the more his spirits flagged. It had been an hour. Maybe longer. He had no sense of time. The sun was sinking lower, and soon dusk would be upon them. Any chance of tracking would be gone until torches could be brought forth to continue the search.
They rode on in silence, their gazes scanning the horizon for any sign of the attackers.
They almost rode by her.
Caelen was the one who first spotted the lump in the snow. He pulled up hard, his horse rearing. He’d dismounted and was wading through the snow before Alaric could process what was amiss.
“Alaric, ’tis her!”
Ewan and Alaric both slid from their horses, and Alaric’s knees buckled from the sharp pain that splintered through his side. He gasped, yanked his arm against his body, and shoved all but the thought of Keeley from his mind.
Caelen knelt and began frantically brushing away the snow from her body. Alaric rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside her. He aided Caelen in clearing the rest of the snow from her clothing and then lifted her into his arms.
“Keeley,” he whispered. “Keeley!” he said louder when she didn’t respond.
She was cold. Her skin like ice. He pressed his ear to her nose and mouth and relief nearly crushed him when he felt the light brush of her breath.
He pulled away just enough that he could examine her for injury.
“She’s bleeding from the head,” Caelen said grimly, as he ran his finger through her hair. “Or she was. ’Tis too cold and the bleeding has stopped.”
“We must hurry,” Ewan urged. “Her attackers may still be about and it’s growing colder.”
As Alaric started to rise, she stirred and her features twisted in pain.
“Keeley?”
Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared up at him, her eyes dazed.
“Alaric?”
“Aye, lass. Thank God you’re all right. ’Tis the truth you scared ten years from my life.”
“We can’t have that warrior,” she teased. “You may only have a few years left if that’s the truth.”
Some of the tightness eased in his chest and he felt faint with relief. He squeezed her against him and hurried back toward his horse.
“I’ll have the whole of the story but not now. We must hasten back to the keep,” Alaric said.
Wordlessly, Caelen took her from Alaric’s arms and waited while Alaric carefully mounted. Then he held Keeley up for Alaric to take. Further surprising Alaric, Caelen retrieved a blanket from his mount and held it up so Alaric could wrap her in the warmth.