Black Raven's Lady: Highland Lairds Trilogy by Kathleen Harrington

Author:Kathleen Harrington [Harrington, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2014-10-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

KEIR SWUNG HIMSELF up into the rigging and joined the lookout at the top of the mainmast.

“There, sir,” the seaman said, pointing north.

Keir searched the northern horizon and caught a faint glimpse of a far-off sail against the brilliant sky. It was too soon to identify the ship, but his instinct told him they’d spotted the lateen sail of a Macdonald galley hurrying toward the Little Minch and the safety of the countless islands of North Uist.

He slid down to the deck and told the quartermaster’s mate, “Signal the Hawk and the Dragon: Giving chase to strange sail. Remain line-ahead. Proceed all due speed north.”

Macraith waited nearby for further orders, along with al-Rahman and Apollonius, who’d both hurried to the main deck at the first call of, “Ahoy the deck. Strange sail sighted.”

“There’s no need to clear for action right away,” Keir said. “We’ll have plenty of time to prepare. I doubt we’ll catch her before nightfall.” He glanced at Apollonius. “Check our powder and shot,” he said. “Put the gun crews to work on it.”

The Black Raven followed the patch of white sail all afternoon, never drawing close enough to identify the ship. Keir became convinced that no galley could move away from him quite so fast. The crew was piped to dinner, but the possibility of imminent battle had spread through the ship and voices were low and speculative. The seamen would share in any prize money or reward for capturing the rebel leaders.

By sunset Keir grew certain the stranger was deliberately staying just ahead of the Raven, not trying to slip away, but attempting to lure him onward.

But why? The Macdonalds would hardly engage three warships while armed with only longbows and crossbows. Not even if there were ten oared galleys ahead carrying a fighting force of a thousand men. The mighty guns of the Hellhounds of Scotland were legendary throughout the northern seas.

Raine came to join Keir on the quarterdeck at twilight. “You are sailing into a trap,” she told him with calm self-assurance, though she kept her voice low so others wouldn’t hear. “The ship you follow is not a galley, although there are certainly armed Macdonalds aboard.”

Keir frowned into the gathering dusk. “Whether we chase a galley or a carrack, we came to the Isles to hunt down the traitorous clan chiefs. I intend to bring Donald Dubh and MacMurchaidh back to Edinburgh for hanging.”

Wrapped in that damn serene aura that sometimes surrounded her, Raine turned and looked up at Polaris overhead. Keir knew she could easily identify Ursa Major and Minor and point out Saturn glowing steadily in the darkening sky.

“Would you like another lesson in stargazing?” Keir asked with a smile, happy to have an excuse to stand close behind her.

She shook her head. “We’ll soon be engulfed in fog. I believe I’ll retire to my cabin and get some rest, in case I’m needed later.”

Keir caught her elbow. “If we should come under fire, Raine,” he told her in a hoarse whisper, “you are to stay belowdecks with Barrows.

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