Marti Talbotts Highlander Series 1 - Anna Rachel u Charlet

hadn’t considered that and was about to speak when someone in the forest shouted Kevin ’ s name. There was no mistaking the urgency in the lad’s voice and all the men instantly got to their feet prepared to fight. Kevin quickly go t off Connor and glanced around to see if anyone was watching their backs. He was pleased. Just as many faced the opposite direction and Rachel was out of sight.
    A second later, Justin broke through the trees on his horse. He halted, quickly slid down and ran to Kevin, “Three slain!”
    Kevin was shocked. For years, he successfully avoided conflict with the other clans and the MacGreagors lived in peace. Now there would be a war. “Who?”
    “Olson, his wife and one son. We are searching, but we fear the other two boys have been taken.” The rage in all the men was building and Justin could feel their tension.
    “Did you find the lads who did it?”
    “Nay, but Olson put up a good fight. We found this.” He opened his hand and showed a bloody piece of torn yellow plaid.
    Kevin turned to his men and pointed at six of them, “Bring the other families inside the wall until we know what is happening.” Then he chose six others. “Find the priest, bury the dead and do it quickly.” He watched the men run toward the stables and then turned his attention back to Justin. “Ferguson?”
    “You know it is, Kevin. Laird Ferguson thinks you have a better life than he and he aims to take it from you.”
    “We have heard these rumors for years. Why now?”

    Anna didn’t go to meet Emily as she said. Instead, she went to her mother’s cottage. She knocked on the door and as soon as it opened, she pulled her mother into her arms.
    Catherin caught her breath. “What is it, Anna?”
    She kissed her mother ’ s cheek and smiled. “I did not mean to alarm you. Come sit down, there is something I have not yet told you.” She waited for her mother to sit down at the table, and th en took a seat across from her.
    With the same dark hair and blue eyes as her daughters, Catherin was still an attractive woman even at her age. Her cottage was typical with two small rooms. The first held Rachel’s bed, a table and chairs and in the second was the bed she shared with her husband, Justin.
    “Rachel asked about my broken nose today.”
    Catherin looked down. “She has seen my scars often and she does not ask. Why now suddenly? Has something frightened her?”
    “She did not say so. The memories are there , Mother, in the back of her mind. We both know they are . S he was almost four when we left England. Neil is six and he remembers things that happened when he was three.”
    “I would die a thousand deaths before I would have her remember.” Catherin got up and walked to the window. “When my nightmares wake me, I sometimes cry out. Rachel does not open her eyes, but she covers her ear s. I know she hears; she must.”
    Anna went to her mother, turned her and pulled Catherin into her arms again. A tear rolled down Anna ’ s cheek, “I did not tell you, but she was there the day he beat me. She saw it.”
    Catherin began to sob.
    Anna let her cry for a while, then pulled away and wiped her mother’s tears with her thumbs. “We should go back and burn the manor again.”
    That made Catherin smile. “Aye, we should. We should even build it back and then burn it again.”
    Suddenly, Justin burst through the door and he looked surprised to see his wife’s tears. “You have already heard?”
    Catherin went to him and hugged him. “Heard what?”
    “You have not heard? Then what upsets you, wife?”
    Catherin poked him in the shoulder. “I asked first.” He did not return her smile. Instead, he kept one arm around his wife and reached for Anna. When Anna came to him, he whispered, “Three slain; Olson, his wife and son.” Justin gave them a few moments to absorb the news and kissed each on top of her head. “Where is Rachel?”
    “She was south of the meadow when I last saw her,” Anna answered.
    “I will find her. Kevin wants everyone inside the wall and has already sent lads to bring the other families in.”
    “Sween and Donny went fishing,” said Anna.
    “Kevin knows ; he will find them.”

    Finding Rachel turned out to be far easier than finding Sween and Donny. One stream fed the moat from the north while another emptied it to the south. Once the four men realized the boys were not fishing the moat, they split up to search along the two streams. Kevin warned them