Ill-Fated Love by Marti Talbott

Author:Marti Talbott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Scotland, Young Adult, family saga, medieval, series, laird
Publisher: MT Creations
Published: 2013-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

SIX NAKED MEN TIED to trees was a sight not to be believed, and at first, Patrick feared they had ridden into a trap. With his hand, he signaled his guards to take up defensive positions and then slid down off his horse. He drew his dagger, walked behind the tree Baodan was tied to and cut the rope. “Are they gone?”

“Aye,” Baodan said. He leaned forward so Patrick could cut the rope around his wrist as well. After sitting in one place for so long, it took a moment for Baodan to get on his feet and as soon as he could, he headed for his clothing. Thankfully, those belonging to each man were in a separate pile, and he knew which were his. He threw on his long shirt, went to the pile of weapons, grabbed his dagger and helped Patrick free the other men.

Patrick patiently waited for the men to dress and arm themselves before he asked, “What has happened?”

“We were captured,” Baodan said.

“I can see that.”

At that moment, Baodan would have done anything to keep from answering any more questions, and thought to change the subject. “We saw a bear.”

“A bear captured you?”

Baodan hadn’t meant it to sound like that. “Nay, we killed the bear and skinned it.”

Patrick looked around, but he saw no bearskin, no horses and worst of all, no bags of salt. “Who captured you? Were they Kennedys?”

“One was, but the rest wore different colors.”

“But they were scots, not English?”

Baodan shared a worried look with Cobb. He knew Patrick would have to be told sometime, but he hoped to postpone it as long as possible. “I cannot say of that either.”

“You cannot say? Did they not speak?”

“Aye...they spoke.”

“Well, was it English or Gaelic, lad?” Patrick asked.

“Both...from time to time.”

“I see. What did they look like?”

Baodan bowed his head. “‘Twas a hard journey, you see. We needed a bath and thought to take one afore...”

Patrick was not pleased. “All of you bathed at the same time?”

“Nay, ‘twas only four of us. The other two were forced to take off their kilts later.”

“I see. So four of you were in the water and two stood guard. Then what happened?”

There was no way out, and once a flustered Baodan began to explain, he talked fast and barely took time to breathe. “Well, we heard a laddie of only four or five crying, and we two that were standing guard, could not just let the laddie...I mean, he was caught in a bush. ‘Twas then I felt the tip of a sword at the back of my neck, turned and drew my sword, but...”

“But what?”

Baodan puffed his cheeks. “I nearly cut one of them.”

Patrick looked from man to captured man, and all of them had their heads down. It took a moment, but at last, he realized what Baodan was trying not to tell him. “They were lasses?”

Patrick’s men started to smile, but the captured six looked as though they might pass out. Patrick tried not

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