Ceanna shot a sideways glance at Sandulf. To her relief, he stayed silent, watching with hooded eyes. ‘Urist made a dreadful error, throwing his lot in with those people.’
‘A mistake. A terrible one.’ Bertana’s mouth firmed. ‘I can see that—you being alive and here.’
‘Who is the prisoner? And how did they come to accuse him?’ Ceanna asked as an idea began to grow in her brain. Urist might hate all Northmen with a passion and see this as a chance to strike a blow, but if he saw Sandulf there instead of Danr, what would he do? Excitement filled her throat.
‘I don’t know, but he faces judgement tomorrow morning. Urist is not well enough to be moved today and remains at Dun Ollaigh under Lady Mhairi’s care. In the morning, he and your lady stepmother are coming to view the prisoner.’ She worried her chatelaine’s belt, making the various keys and scissors jangle. ‘My lady, I am not sure what is for the best, but my cousin said that something peculiar was happening up at Dun Ollaigh. That Feradach has been taking your father’s place, acting as though it belongs to him. All I can say is that I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. You were right to go when you did and I was wrong to allow my man to send that boy to tell on you...only he were found tied up. It is all most confusing.’
‘And is Captain Feradach’s brother, the monk, at Dun Ollaigh?’ Sandulf asked, breaking into the conversation in heavily accented Pictish. Ceanna gave him a quelling look, but he nodded.
Bertana stopped and stared at Sandulf, taking in the obvious foreignness of his sword and colouring. ‘You look familiar. Weren’t you here that day Lady Ceanna left, or am I mistaking you for someone else?’
‘This is my husband. We married at Nrurim with my aunt’s blessing.’
The woman’s brow furrowed. ‘The lady abbess sanctioned your marriage to a Northman? Will wonders never cease. Feradach’s brother has been saying masses for your soul. Night and day. They say it won’t be long until your father follows you...that is, well I don’t know...but I think he is alive.’
‘You explain,’ Sandulf said in an undertone. ‘I doubt my Pictish is sufficient yet.’
Ceanna nodded, agreeing with his assessment. They were going to have to move quickly to rescue Sandulf’s brother and were going to need help. She had to trust Bertana and rapidly told the woman about the attack, her distrust of Urist’s intentions and the missing sons of the late King Aed. Her eyes grew wide.
‘I have never liked that Feradach and I know your stepmother is a great lady and all, but something’s going on and I don’t like it,’ Bertana said when Ceanna finished her brief recital. ‘Two boys, you say? Now that I come to think of it, there were two boys crying their eyes out in one of the chambers, according to my cousin, the one who works in the kitchen up at the keep. I thought she were exaggerating, like. Why would Lady Mhairi have any children there, seeing how ill her lord was and that begging your pardon, my lady, her stepdaughter had been foully murdered.’
‘I’ve promised my aunt I will see them to safety. I intend to keep that promise.’
Bertana put a hand on Ceanna’s shoulder when she finished. ‘I know what you have done for everyone around here. You carried on doing what your mother did before you, looking after everyone, but your stepmother has a different approach. Those bairns, if they are the ones my cousin saw, my blood chills to think about what could have happened to them. I want to help, my lady, and make amends for sending my boy to tell on you.’
A lump grew in Ceanna’s throat. Her efforts had not gone unnoticed. ‘Then you will keep my secret until I decide what is for the best.’
Bertana gave a sideways glance at Sandulf. ‘Only thing is, if you were in trouble, my lady, you should have come to your friends first and explained instead of throwing your lot in with a Northman.’
‘Northman or not, Sandulf Sigurdsson is my chosen husband. A true friend to... Dun Ollaigh. Remember that.’
Bertana gave a quick curtsy. ‘I don’t mean no disrespect, but if he were such a friend, you should have told us afore you left. My sister Mildreth ran away with the man she loved, but she told me afore she did it so I didn’t worry. I don’t know what happened to her.’
Silently Ceanna resolved that if she could, she would pass on news of how Mother Mildreth was faring and strive to bring them face to face. She pressed her lips together. She hoped she would still be here to do it. The same with the harvest. Her destiny lay with her husband, but these people commanded part of her soul.
‘You grow solemn,’ Sandulf said. ‘Is everything well? A new complication?’
She gave him a quick smile, banishing the thoughts as problems for the future. ‘Our luck holds. We can rescue your brother before confronting Feradach and Lugh.’
‘If we rescue my brother, this will let everyone know what is happening. There is much more at stake here. Do you want Lugh and Feradach to steal your lands?’
Ceanna frowned. ‘I’ve been working on a plan.’
Sandulf’s eyes narrowed.
‘This is a good one, I promise.’
‘You will be taking far too many risks for a start, whatever this plan of yours is.’
She smiled back at him. ‘Calculated risks. Nothing is going to go wrong. I’ll have your sword with me when I reveal myself, but in order for my scheme to work, you must take your brother’s place.’
Sandulf’s eyes gleamed. ‘We don’t look much alike.’
‘To the
