“I’ve been warned against it by my brothers at the monastery. They tell me the devil will take my soul if I seek the witch’s help. I wonder if the devil already hasn’t claimed it with this plague that eats my body. I have heard many stories about the witch’s power. I have heard the tale of how she healed your da, Chieftain Royden.”
“What?” Royden asked, taking several steps forward. “You say my da is alive?”
The leper coughed and his gravelly voice became more of a growl when he spoke. “A tale I heard tell. Surely you have heard it.”
“No, I haven’t heard it. Tell me this tale,” Royden demanded.
“The tale I heard was that your da was badly wounded in the wedding day battle that claimed many lives. He was thought dead, blood pouring from his chest. When the battle ended, his body couldn’t be found. No one knew what happened to him. Some claimed the witch dragged him away and healed him, so he owes her his soul and cannot return home.”
Royden glared with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me this when we first spoke?”
“I assumed you had already heard it. Someone in your clan must have bared witness to it or how would the tale have gotten started?” the leper said.
“I’ll see you have your food and I bid you farewell,” Royden said, making certain the leper understood he was to leave. He turned and grabbed his wife’s hand when he reached her, forcing her to walk along with him.
“You go to ask Bethany what she knows, don’t you?” Oria said, taking two strides to his one to keep up with him.
“If anyone knows anything, she would,” Royden said and approached the kitchen.
The kitchen extended off the keep and was connected by a narrow passageway. It was the busiest part of the keep, with constant food preparation going on.
Royden released her hand just before he entered through the open door. Oria came to a stop behind him and saw that all activity had come to a halt.
“Prepare a generous sack of food for the leper and leave it by the oak tree,” Royden ordered. “Bethany, I will speak to you in the Great Hall.
Bethany had had only one person to help her in the kitchen, but with Royden’s return that had changed. She now had two more people to help her and she left them to carry out his order.
Royden walked to the middle of the Great Hall, stopped, and turned his arms going across his chest. It was a purposeful stance, one meant to intimidate and Oria saw that it did just that since Bethany stood, her hands clamped so tight together that her knuckles turned white.
“Do you know about the tale of my da being alive and stuck with the witch since he owes her his soul for saving his life?” Royden asked and hearing himself thought how foolish it sounded, but tales existed in the Highlands with some ring of truth to them. That meant his da could possibly be alive.
“I’ve heard many tales these past few years, sir. But I can only speak to what I saw with my own eyes,” Bethany said.
“And what is that?”
Oria cringed at the harsh command in his voice.
“I’m afraid not much, sir. As I told you, I don’t know what became of your da,” Bethany said. “When the battle ended the warriors who remained here ordered me to tend to the wounded that were brought to me. I asked about Chieftain Parlan, but was told he’d be brought to me if needed. He was never brought to me and I never saw what happened to him.”
“Is there anyone here who might know?” Royden asked.
Bethany thought a moment. “Mildred was tasked with collecting all the weapons off the dead and wounded MacKinnon warriors. She is well aware of those who died, but she never mentioned seeing your da. A troop of warriors were sent out, I assumed to search for Raven, but perhaps they searched for your da as well. I can’t say for sure since the warriors kept tight lips. But then we all kept tight-lipped not wanting to bring harm to anyone who may have escaped.”
“Thank you, Bethany,” Oria said.
“I will do anything I can to help reunite the family,” Bethany said.
“You’ve done more than your share of keeping the Clan MacKinnon together, Bethany. I’m forever in your debt,” Royden said.
Oria smiled softly hearing the old, strong, yet thoughtful Royden in his voice.
“I’ll send one of my helpers to fetch Mildred to see if she can be of any help.” Bethany bobbed her head and left.
Oria could see how frustrated her husband was, his hand roughly rubbing the back of his neck. She hated seeing him suffer when she could easily ease his hurt, but first she had to speak with—