1

In the evening, Mairin Stuart performed her nightly prayer while kneeling on the stone floor next to her pallet and bent her head. Her hand accidentally moved to the tiny wooden cross that was dangling from a scrap of

leather was wrapped around her neck, and she rubbed a familiar trail with her thumb over the surface, which had become smooth.

She hushed the words she'd been reciting since she was a young child for a number of drawn-out minutes, and then she concluded it in the same manner as she usually had.

I beg you, Lord. Please don't let them track me down.

She pulled herself up from the floor, her knees scratching against the uneven stones as she did so. Her status as a novice was denoted by the plain brown attire she wore, which she shared with the other newcomers. Despite the fact that she had been present for a period of time that much exceeded that of the others, she had never taken the vows that would culminate her spiritual journey. That was never her goal at any point.

She moved over to the basin in the nook, and then she poured water from the pitcher into the basin. She flashed a grin as she dipped her cloth into the water, and the words of Mother Serenity floated through her head.

To be clean is to be holy, as the saying goes.

She had just finished wiping her face and was about to remove her dressing gown in order to make her wash last longer when she heard a tremendous crash. She was so startled that she dropped the cloth and spun around to peer at the door that was already shut. After being roused to action, she went up to the door and flung it open before sprinting into the hallway.

The other nuns soon followed her into the hall and began to whisper in shock as they surrounded her. A resounding bellow could be heard coming from the direction of the abbey's main entrance. After the bellow, Mairin heard a cry of pain, and her heart stopped beating. Mother \sSerenity.

Mairin and the rest of the sisters sprinted in the direction of the sound, with some of the sisters falling behind while the others pushed their way forward with determination. Mairin came to a sudden stop as they approached the chapel because the view that greeted her rendered her speechless.

18/756 Soldiers could be found in every direction. At least twenty of them were there, and they were all decked out in combat gear. Their faces were filthy, and they had sweat dripping down their garments and hair. But no blood. They were not looking for safety or assistance when they arrived. Even though they were separated by some distance, Mairin could see that Mother Serenity was in a great deal of discomfort since the leader was holding her by the arm.

The man inquired in a hushed tone, "Where is she?"

Mairin recoiled slightly in her seat. He had the appearance of a furious warrior. Evil. The rage that he felt was building up in his eyes like a snake ready to strike. When she didn't answer, he gave Mother Serenity a good shake, and she wiggled around like a rag doll in his arms.

After making the sign of the cross, Mairin uttered a fervent prayer. The nuns who had gathered around her formed a tight ball and joined her in prayer at the same time.

"She is not here!" Mother Serenity exclaimed in shock. "She is not here!" I've already told you that the woman you're looking for is not in this location.

He yelled, "You lie!" at her.

He turned his attention onto the congregation of nuns, casting a chilly glance over all of them.

"Mairin Stuart. Please let me know where she is.

Mairin's body went ice cold as she felt fear well up inside of her and begin to boil. How exactly did he come across her? After this much time has passed. Her nightmarish experience was far from ended. It was, indeed, just beginning.

Because her hands were shaking so terribly, she had no choice but to conceal them in the creases of her dress. Her brow was covered with sweat, and she felt a knot form in her stomach.

She forced herself to swallow while mentally preparing herself to stay sick.

Mairin felt a shiver run down her spine at the sight of the man's smile when she was unable to respond to the man's question. While maintaining his focus on them, he lifted Mother Serenity's arm so that it could be seen more clearly. Cruelly, he bent her index finger till Mairin heard the telltale pop of bone. This betrayed his true intentions.

One of the nuns let out a yell and hurried forward, only to be knocked down by a soldier who was standing behind her. The remainder of the nuns reacted with shock and disbelief to the brazen outrage.Mother Serenity spoke in a raspy tone and declared, "This is the house of God." "You commit a grave sin by

committing acts of violence on sacred ground."

The man snapped at the elderly woman, telling her to "shut up."

If you don't tell me where Mairin Stuart is, I'll have to kill each and every one of you.

Mairin drew a deep breath in and coiled her fingers into tight balls at her sides as she did so. She put her faith in him. There was an excessive amount of evil and an excessive amount of desperation in his eyes. He had been given a mission from the devil, and he was not going to be turned away.

Mairin made a beeline for him as soon as he got a hold of Mother Serenity's middle finger.

"Charity, nay!" The weeping of Mother Serenity.

She was disregarded by Mairin. "I'm Mairin Stuart.

Now, don't hold her back!

The man let go of Mother Serenity's hand before shoving the woman in the opposite direction. He gazed at Mairin with interest, and then let his gaze wander alluringly down her body before returning to its original position above her head. Mairin's cheeks began to burn as a result of the flagrant disregard, but she did not show any sign of retreat and instead stared back at the man with as much defiance as she dared to muster

He snapped his fingers, and two men rushed forward to grab Mairin before she could even consider the possibility of running away. They knocked her to the ground in a fraction of a second while their hands fumbled with the hem of her gown.

She kicked her legs wildly and flailed her arms, but their power was too much for her to overcome. Would they rape her right here on the floor of the chapel? As they tried to pull her clothing up over her hips, she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

They rotated her to the right and placed their fingers on her hip in the exact spot where the mark was located.

Oh nay.

She hung her head in shame as tears of defeat ran down her cheeks as she bowed her head.

" It is she!" exclaimed one of them in utter elation.

As the leader bent down to inspect the mark for himself, he was immediately shoved aside.

He, too, touched it, thereby tracing the outline of Alexander's royal crest. He let out a sigh of contentment as he coiled his hand around her chin and yanked on it until she turned around to face him.

The sight of his grin repulsed her.

"Mairin Stuart, we have spent a significant amount of time looking for you."

She spewed, "Go to hell!" at him.

Instead of striking her, he smiled wider and turned away.

"Oh my goodness, this blasphemy is taking place in the house of God!"

He stood up quickly, and before Mairin could bat an eye, she was being hoisted over the shoulder of another man, and the soldiers were filing out of the abbey and into the cool night outside.

They did not waste any time and quickly mounted their horses. Mairin was first bound with a gag, then her hands and feet were trussed, and finally she was tossed over the saddle in front of one of the men. Before she could respond, they had already disappeared into the night, the sound of their hooves reverberating across the silent landscape. They were meticulous in their execution of their ruthless goals. While she was riding, the saddle dug into her stomach, and she bobbed up and down so much that she was convinced she was going to throw up. She moaned in pain, terrified that the gag would prevent her from breathing because it was wrapped so tightly around her mouth.

When they finally came to a stop, she was so exhausted that she was almost unconscious. A hand was resting on her neck, its fingers gliding around the slender column with ease. She was hoisted into the air and then hurled back down to the ground with no ceremony.

While she lay trembling in the cold and wet air, they set up camp all around her. At last, she was able to make out a voice saying, "You had better be seeing to the lass, Finn.

If she were to perish as a result of exposure, Laird Cameron would not be pleased.

She then let out an irritated grunt, but one minute later, the gag was taken off and the restraints were removed.

Finn, who appeared to be the mastermind behind this kidnapping, crouched down over her with his eyes shining brightly in the glow of the fire.

"There is no one here to hear you scream, and if you utter a sound, I'll shake your jaw," the assailant said.

She confirmed her comprehension with a nod before pulling herself to a standing position. He stomped on her rear end with his boot and laughed when she whirled around in a fit of rage after he had done so.

There is a blanket hanging up by the fireplace. Get on it and get some sleep. We will be leaving at the crack of dawn."

She tucked herself into the warmth of the blanket with gratitude, oblivious to the fact that the rocks and sticks on the ground were scratching her skin. Laird \sCameron. She'd picked up tidbits about him from the soldiers who passed through the abbey on their way in and out.

He was a man of cold-blooded cruelty. eager to add to his growing power while also being greedy. It was said that he commanded one of the largest armies in all of Scotland, and that King David of Scotland was afraid of him because of this.

In an earlier attempt to seize the throne, Malcolm, the bastard son of Alexander and her half brother, had already led one rebellion against David. Should Malcolm and Duncan Cameron decide to join forces, they will be an extremely difficult adversary to beat.

She did so while covering her eyes and swallowing. If Cameron were to gain possession of Neamh 'lainn, he would become unbeatable.

She uttered the words, "Dear God, help me" in a hushed voice.

She had no choice but to deny him the opportunity to take control of Neamh lainn. It was the only thing that she had that belonged to her father, and it was her legacy.

It was impossible for her to fall asleep, so she lay there wrapped in the blanket, her hand curled around the wooden cross in front of her as she prayed for wisdom and for the ability to persevere. While some of the soldiers were sleeping, the others stood vigilant watch. She was not so naive as to believe that she would be provided with a chance to flee the scene. Not at a time when she was more valuable than the precious metal she weighed.

However, they would not kill her, giving her a distinct advantage in the situation. By making an attempt to flee, she had nothing to worry about and everything to gain.

After she had been praying for an hour, there was a commotion behind her that caused her to sit bolt upright and stare into the gloom for a while. As a child's scream ripped through the night, the sleeping soldiers all around her began to stumble upward, their hands landing on their swords. A man brought a child who was kicking and wiggling into the circle that was around the fire, and he dropped the child on the ground there. While the adults were laughing hysterically, the child got on all fours and started looking around erratically.

Finn demanded to know, "What on earth is this?"

The man who had the child in his custody said, "Caught him trying to sneak one of the horses."

The intensity of Finn's rage distorted his features into those of the devil, which were accentuated by the satanic glow of the fire. The young boy, who couldn't have been older than seven or eight years old, lifted his chin defiantly as if daring the adult to treat him in the worst possible manner.

Finn screamed at the disrespectful young dog, "Why you insolent little pup!"

Mairin leapt across the ground and threw herself in front of the child as he raised his hand. The child's cheek was struck by the punch as it came from behind her.

She became disoriented but quickly regained her composure and threw herself back over the child. She drew him close to her in an effort to cover as much of him as she could.

The young boy struggled frantically under her while yelling profanities in Gaelic. When his head connected with her already sore jaw, she saw stars and the pain immediately returned.

She spoke to him in his native tongue and said, "Hush now." "Be still. I won't stand by and watch as they hurt you.

Finn yelled in a rage, "Get off of him!"

She wrapped her arms more tightly around the young boy, who had finally stopped thrashing around and kicking. Finn reached down and curled his hand into her hair, yanking brutally upward, but she insisted on holding on to her charge despite the fact that Finn was trying to take it from her.

When he forced her to look at him, she responded calmly, "You'll have to kill me first," as he did so.

After cursing at her and pulling her hair out, he turned around, kicked her in the ribs, and then dropped her hair. She hunched over in discomfort but was careful to protect the child from the psychotic brute who was approaching the

One of the men yelled at Finn, "Enough!" "The laird wants her to remain whole," the servant said.

He retreated while muttering an expletive under his breath. "Allow her to keep that scumbag beggar. Sooner or later, she will have to break free of his control.

Mairin jerked her head up and aimed her gaze directly at Finn's pupils. If you so much as brush against this child again, I will cut my own throat.

The night was made louder by Finn's infectious laughter. "That's one crazy bluff, lass," said the gentleman. If you are going to make an effort to negotiate, you have to find a way to convince the other party that you are credible.

She got up slowly, moving closer to the much larger man until she was only a foot away from him. She kept her gaze fixed on him until he looked away and his eyes began to flutter.

She asked in a low voice, "Bluff?" "I don't think that's the case.

In point of fact, if I were in your position, I would make sure to keep any and all pointed objects out of my reach. Do you imagine that I am unaware of the path that my life will take? to have sexual relations with that brutish lord of yours until the 29/756 time that my belly swells with child and he can lay claim to Neamh olainn.

I'd rather die."

The pupils in Finn's eyes contracted. "You're daft!"

"Yes, I suppose that could be the case; however, if it were, my concern would be that one of those pointed objects might wedge its way in between your ribs."

He made a motion with his hand. "The boy is yours to keep.

The laird will take care of both of you and him. Theft of horses is not tolerated under any circumstances.

Mairin paid him no attention and turned her attention back to the boy who was kneeling on the ground and gazing up at her with an expression that was equal parts awe and reverence.

"Come," she beckoned to him softly. If we make ourselves as small as possible and cuddle up together, there is enough blanket for the both of us.

He rushed over to her eagerly and pressed his smaller frame up against her larger one.

After he had taken a seat next to her, she questioned him by asking, "Where is your home?"

He said it with a mournful tone, "I don't know." "It must be quite some distance from here. At a minimum of two days. "Shh," she whispered in a reassuring tone. "How did you get to be in this location?"

"I couldn't find it. My papa warned me that I should never leave the keep without his guards, but I had grown weary of being treated in such a submissive manner. You should know that I'm not.

She flashed a grin. "Yes, you're right. You've abandoned the keep, have you?"

He nodded. "I got myself a horse. It was only supposed to be a quick visit with Uncle Alaric. Because I knew he would be arriving soon, I decided to wait for him close to the border.

“Border?”

"Of the lands we own."

Who exactly is your father, my little one?

"No, 'little one,' that's not my name; it's Crispen." His tone conveyed his distaste clearly, and it caused her to smile once more.

"Crispen is an excellent choice for a name. Please proceed with the rest of your story.

His question was, "What is your name?"

"Mairin," she responded in a low voice.

My grandfather's name is Laird Ewan McCabe.

Mairin did her best to place the name, but there were so many clans that she was unfamiliar with that it proved difficult. Her home was in the mountains, but she hadn't been to the land of the almighty in a decade of toil and suffering.

"So you made your way over to see your uncle. Then, what exactly took place?"

He said it with a mournful tone, "I got lost." "When a McDonald soldier came across me, he had the intention of taking me to his laird to be held for ransom, but I was unable to allow that to take place. It would bring shame on my father, who is a hardworking man, and he could never afford to buy me back. It would be catastrophic for our family."

While his warm breath brushed against her breast, Mairin gently stroked his hair. He had a voice that was many years beyond his tender years. And to have such pride.

"I was able to flee and take refuge in the shopping cart of a passing merchant. I had been riding for one full day before he found me. He cocked his head to the side, inflicting another bump on her aching jaw. He hushed her and asked, "Mairin, where are we?" "Are we still a long way from the house?"

She said it with a bittersweet tone, "I don't know where your home is." "However, we are currently in the lowlands, and I would wager that your keep is at least two days' worth of travel away from us."

He spat out the word "lowlands." "Are you a person from the lowlands?"

She cracked a grin in response to his vehemence. “Nay, \sCrispen. I come from the highlands."

He continued to press the issue by asking, "Then what are you doing here?" "Did they kidnap you and take you away from your house?"

She let out a sigh. " This is a very long tale. One that started long before you were even conceived."

She gave him a light squeeze whenever he showed signs of getting ready to ask another question. "It's time for you to turn in, Crispen. If we are going to make it out of this alive, we have to keep our strength up.

He uttered the question in a hushed tone, "Are we going to escape?"

"Yes, of course, of course. "That's what the prisoners do," she said with a happy tone in her voice. She felt an intense pang for him as soon as she heard the terror in his voice. How terrifying it must be for him to be so far away from home and the people who love him."Will you bring me back to my father so that I can see him?"

I'll get him to look out for you in front of Laird Cameron.

She couldn't help but grin when she heard the ferocity in his voice.

"Of course, I'll make sure that you get home safely," the speaker said.

“Promise?”

"I promise."

* * * "Locate my son!" * * *

The roar of Ewan McCabe could be heard throughout the entirety of the courtyard. His men were all standing at attention with solemn expressions on their faces. Some of them wrinkled out of sympathy. They were under the impression that Crispen had passed away, but no one dared to mention the possibility of his survival to Ewan.

It wasn't something that Ewan hadn't thought about himself, but he was determined not to give up until his son was found, regardless of whether or not he was still alive.

Ewan consulted his brothers, Alaric and Caelen, about the situation. He spoke in a hushed tone and said, "I cannot afford to send every man in 34/756 searching for Crispen." If we did that, we would put ourselves in a vulnerable position. I put my life, as well as the life of my son, in both of your hands. I would like for each of you to assemble a group of men and set out in a different direction. Bring him to me when he gets home."

The second-oldest of the McCabe brothers, Alaric, indicated his agreement with a nod. You are aware that we will not give up looking for him until we find him.

"Aye, I know," Ewan said.

Ewan watched as the two marched off while yelling commands to their subordinates. He clamped his eyes shut and balled his hands into angry fists as he glared at her. Who had the audacity to take his son? He had been sitting around waiting for a ransom demand for the past three days, but none had materialized. Over the course of three days, he searched every square inch of McCabe land as well as the surrounding area.

Was this a warm-up for an impending assault? Were his adversaries hatching a plan to attack him when he was at his most vulnerable? When would each and every soldier that was available take part in the search?

35/756

As he looked around his falling apart keep, a hardening came over his jaw. He had been working hard for the past eight years to keep his clan alive and strong.

Since the beginning of time, the name McCabe has been closely associated with both power and pride. They'd managed to hold out against a devastating assault eight years ago. Caelen's love was betrayed by the woman he loved. Their young son was the only member of the family to survive, and the only reason he was able to do so was because one of the staff members had hidden him.

When he and his brothers had returned, there was almost nothing that had been left behind. Just a huge pile of ruins with his people dispersed across the land and his army nearly wiped out completely.

When Ewan became laird, there was nothing for him to take over from his predecessor.

The reconstruction had taken this much time. His troops had the most rigorous training of any in the highlands.

He and his brothers toiled away for interminable periods of time to ensure that the oldting ork, the women, and the children had enough food to eat. There were many occasions when the men did not eat. And so it was that they 36/756 expanded invisibly, adding members to their ranks until, at last, Ewan had started to bring about a turnaround for their faltering clan.

Soon, he might start thinking about exacting his revenge.

No, that's not how it worked out. For the past eight years, his only source of motivation had been the desire for revenge. He did not go a single day without giving it some thought.

"Laird, I bring you word about your son," the messenger said.

Ewan abruptly turned around and saw one of his soldiers racing up to him. The soldier's tunic was dirty and it appeared as though he had just dismounted his horse.

He issued a command to "Speak."

Around three days ago, a McDonald's employee came across your son while he was walking along the northern border of your property. He took him with the intention of handing him over to their laird so that the laird could pay the ransom for the boy. Only, the boy managed to get away. Since then, no one has reported seeing him.

Ewan's fury caused him to shake physically. "Bring eight of your soldiers with you and travel to McDonald. Please deliver this message to him. Either he brings the soldier who took my son to the gate of my keep or he signs his own death warrant. The soldier's identification number is 37/756. If he continues to disobey the rules, I will go after him personally. I will kill him. And it won't be an easy process. Do not omit even one word when responding to my message.

The soldier bowed to the crowd. "Aye, Laird."

Ewan was left feeling a mixture of relief and anger after the man quickly turned around and left. At the very least, Crispen had been alive at one point. McDonald was a moron for going against their unspoken agreement to live in peace. McDonald was not so foolish as to provoke the wrath of Ewan McCabe, despite the fact that the two clans could hardly be considered allies to one another.

Even though his stronghold was falling apart and his people were not the clan with the healthiest diet, his power had been increased by a factor of two.

Those who lived in close proximity to Ewan's holdings were aware that his soldiers constituted a lethal fighting force that had to be taken into account. However, Ewan did not have his sights set on his neighbors. They had reached the point of Duncan Cameron. Ewan wouldn't be satisfied until every inch of Scotland was saturated in Cameron's blood, and he would not rest until that happened.