Part 31 (1/2)

In spite of herself, Maggie felt a little bit of pride at her accomplishment as she noted the large camp of men laying siege to the walls where women stood along the parapets taunting them. It was truly a miraculous sight. One she hoped to someday share with her grandchildren.

As the three travelers drew near the camp, Maggie saw the men had left their tents and were grouped around a single individual. From the looks of the camp, it appeared Ceana MacDouglas had wasted little time after Maggie's departure putting her husband and his men out. And by the dour looks on the men's faces, she could tell they didn't share Maggie's humor at their predicament.

Braden pulled her to a stop as he caught sight of the MacDouglas.

Barely a score and ten years of age, Robby MacDouglas was almost as handsome as the MacAllisters, and he was a feared laird in the prime fighting years of his life. Wide of shoulder and every bit as tall as Braden, the man could terrify a demon.

His reddish blond hair complimented his bright blue eyes. And by his carriage, it was obvious that he was a man who had been born to command others. He held his spine straight, his jaw stern.

Maggie felt her legs go weak in fear. Her moment at hand, she found herself seriously lacking in courage.

What an arrogant braggart I am, she thought ruefully as she watched the MacDouglas snarl at the men around him.

How on earth would she ever dare confront such a large, terrifying man?

But she must.

Run, her mind railed.Run before it's too late .

Still, she couldn't. She'd never in her life been a coward and this was not the time to become one.

Ha! Her mind argued.This is the perfect time to learn cowardice !

Maggie refused to listen. Taking a deep breath for courage, she stepped forward, then froze as she heard Robby MacDouglas's words to the crowd. ”I'll give a king's ransom in gold to the man who brings me Maggie ingen Blar's head on a pike! I swear I'd rather break bread with the king of England than that horse-faced, toad-eating lickspittle!”

Maggie's heart pounded, and for a minute she feared she might run after all.

Sin bent down to whisper in her ear, ”What are you waiting for? Go on and tell him how wrong he is not to end this.”

Aghast, Maggie gaped at him. At the moment, she didn't find him funny. Not in the least.

Braden grimaced at his brother and pulled her aside. But before he could speak, the entire camp grew quiet as a horse came running from the castle walls and into the circle of tents.

The men broke apart enough that Maggie saw a rider slumped over the back of a white horse.

And he was covered in...

Or rather he was dripping... ?

Frowning, Maggie stepped forward, not quite sure if she could trust her own eyes and what she thought she saw.

The horse stopped and the rider looked at his leader as if he were sick to his stomach.

As the rider stood up in the stirrups, there was a strange sucking noise, and as he threw his leg over and dismounted, an odd, iridescent trail marked his descent. Then he slopped his way toward the MacDouglas as flies and other insects buzzed around his head.

”They honied me,” the rider said to the group, shaking his arms and sending trails of honey in all directions. Several men cursed as the honey landed on them.

His face grim, the rider snarled, ”Them wenches done honied me from head to toe. Said they'd be throwing cabbages at the next one of us what comes near the gate.”

Maggie covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.

Robby MacDouglas cursed. ”Did you tell her you were there for a truce?”

”Aye, my lord. The lairdess said there would be no truce until she saw you and Lochlan MacAllister side by side at the gate.”

The curse Robby MacDouglas let out shamed his former one.

”My lord,” Braden said all of a sudden.

Maggie went cold as she gaped at him. What was he thinking?

Her heart pounding even more fiercely than before, she watched in stunned silence as Braden crossed the short distance between them and stopped directly in front of his family's mortal enemy.

How on earth could he appear so calm and unshaken while it was all she could do not to faint?

Robby MacDouglas turned a hostile eye to Braden. ”I don't know you.”

The silence was deafening.

Braden nodded at Robby MacDouglas-the man who had sworn to see him and his brothers in their graves.

Braden couldn't believe he was doing this. There must be a special corner of h.e.l.l for a fool such as he.

He only prayed it would be a few more years before he learned whether or not that was true.

In the meantime, Braden had to find some way to end this standoff before the three of them were slaughtered by the men or cabbaged by the women.

”Nay,” Braden said in a good-natured tone, hoping to allay the laird's fear and mistrust. ”You don't. I'm just a traveling bard, but I'm thinking I might be able to help you with this matter.”

Braden resisted the urge to snort at himself.

How the h.e.l.l did he keep getting himself into this?

Sweet Mother Mary, Braden thought,can't you keep your mouth closed for a minute? Why must you always get yourself right into the thick of any fight ?

Robby's eyes reflected his own doubts over Braden's ability to handle the situation. ”Can you, now, lad? And how do you figure that?”

”I'd like for me and my brothers to try and talk to the women.”

The men broke out into laughter and several of them openly jeered.

Turning to face him, the man in honey raked Braden with a disbelieving stare. ”Want to look like me, do you?”

Braden shrugged. ”There are worse things than being covered in honey, and I've had harder things thrown at me than cabbage. But I think my brothers and I might be able to get the women to listen to reason.”

Laughing, Robby MacDouglas put his hands on his hips and shook his head. ”If you're of a mind to try, then I'm of a mood to see you harmed. Go ahead, lad, and G.o.d's favor upon you.”