The sun was falling as an exhausted Ewan rode back to Fraser Keep. Instead of taking the usual route back to Fraser Keep, he detoured into the nearby woods that marked the border between Mackenzie and Fraser lands.
If the attackers had not wanted to be seen returning to Mackenzie lands, it was possible they stayed on Fraser wooded lands before crossing into theirs.
The birds silenced as he rode past, a giveaway to others of his presence. A crack, like a branch breaking, sounded and Ewan listened intently. But soon thereafter, it was silent again. It could have been a wild beast or the wind, he supposed.
Ewan dismounted at seeing a broken branch. It was newly broken. Someone had just been through there.
Again, he considered, it could have been a wild beast.
At the sound of a primal growl, Ewan whirled. A man on horseback crashed through the trees.
Ewan went for his sword, but it was with the horse, and the attacker blocked the way.
A red birthmark covered half of the man’s face. Ewan’s blood went cold as he recognized the man he hated with all his being.
The marked man was the lead guard for Laird Mackenzie and the one directly responsible for the vicious attack on Catriona McKay, the woman he cared for deeply.
Fury swept through every inch of his being. Not only was he finally face-to-face with the man he’d been hunting for months, but it was impossible to get to his sword.
The man held up his sword, a cruel twist to his mouth. “Ye will die today.”
“Who are ye?” Ewan called out, hoping to distract him. “I am sure ye do not know who I am.”
The man sneered. “Oh, but I do know ye. Ye are an archer, perhaps the one who killed my laird.”
It was impossible for the man to know anything about it. No one knew he’d been the one to shoot three arrows into the bastard. Then again, he’d given away his gift of archery at the last competition. The small tournament had been at the Fraser Keep and attended only by those close to the family.
So, the fact remained. Someone had told this man.
The warrior charged forward and Ewan dove to the ground. He would not be able to keep the man at bay unless he sheltered behind trees.
Scrambling to his feet, he ran for the nearest tree only to stop at the unmistakable sensation of a blade plunging through his body. He gasped when pain erupted and unable to remain upright, he fell face-first onto the forest ground.
***
“Ye are fortunate to have survived.” Catriona’s face came into focus and Ewan Ross wished with all his might that it were possible to lift his hand and caress her cheek. Her amber brown eyes pinned him for a moment before she turned away. “He’s awake.”
He tried to lift his head to see who she spoke to, but no matter how hard he tried, no part of his body responded. Twice, Ewan tried to ask for something to drink, but the only sound he made was a croak.
“What is it? Are ye in pain?” Once again, Catriona peered down at him. “I’ll get ye some water.”
Moments later, she lifted his head and tipped a cup, allowing the precious liquid to flow down his parched throat. He drank greedily until every drop was gone. “Thank ye.”
“Laird Fraser asked to be informed as soon as ye were awake.” She turned away and went to a table and began mixing items with a pestle. “A maid will return shortly to care for ye. I have been helping the healer with yer care.”
It was a struggle to keep his heavy eyelids open, but he managed to. “What happened?”
Catriona’s head whipped up and her mouth fell open. “Ye do not remember?”
All he could recall was the last meeting with Laird Fraser, where they’d decided to go to a farm after an entire family had been killed, except for a bairn. Laird Fraser wished for them to find proof of who was responsible.
He also remembered that they suspected the slayings were ordered by Clan Mackenzie.
Had he ridden out that day? With whom had he gone?
“I do not remember anything other than leaving to go in search of attackers. How long have I been back here?”
Moving closer to the bed, she lifted the edge of her apron and wiped her hands. “Three days. Someone cut ye through in the forest, near the border between our land and that of Laird Mackenzie.”
“Who found me?”
Catriona disappeared from sight to be replaced by a man.
“What were ye doing on Mackenzie lands?” Laird Fraser’s face was contorted in rage. “Ye and the rest of the guards know better than to travel into Mackenzie lands.”
Ewan grimaced when he shifted, as even the slightest movement brought discomfort. “I do not recall going to Mackenzie lands.”
“Ye were found by hunters. Ye’re very lucky.”
“I cannot remember.”
Laird Fraser frowned. “Ye separated from the four that went with ye. They said ye ordered them to ride back here without ye.”
Since Ewan had only come to live at Fraser Keep for a little over a season, he was not familiar with where, exactly, the land borders were. In the past when he’d traversed into Mackenzie lands, it was with a plan in mind.
“If I was across the border, perhaps I was following who I thought responsible for the killings.”
“When ye can ride, it may be best for ye to return to yer clan. If the Mackenzies think ye are dead, it may serve to our advantage.”
When Laird Fraser left, the room was eerily silent. Ewan tested his limbs, first one leg, then the other. He wiggled his feet and then flexed his hands. Then he repeated each movement once more, just to be
