in good conscience, send them off alone with the men. I go to protect them and ease their journey. I love you and I will let you know as soon as I return.”
With that, she departed, in part because she couldn’t stand to see her brother so tormented.
Her next stop was to visit her supervisor, Dougal Hamilton, assistant to the steward Alexander of Dundonald, whose job it was to ferret out important information for the Scottish Crown. Gwyneth had spied for him for the past year, covertly following men of interest to see whether or not they were loyal to the Crown. Her position had been arranged through the priests at the Kirk, though her brother had only agreed because of Hamilton’s importance and persistence.
When Hamilton had first approached her, he had been hesitant. Word had reached him about her prowess as an archer and he had been searching for another spy. Word of unrest among the Western Isles and the King of Norway had spread through the land like wildfire, but the information was rumor, at best. He had wanted someone he could trust to sneak covertly into areas of interest around certain people.
Her first assignment had sent her to the royal burgh at Ayr in search of a traitor selling information. Gwyneth had discovered his identity within a sennight. He had been arrested and hung by the sheriff of the burgh.
Hamilton had smiled when she returned to him in Glasgow. She had passed her test because no one had suspected her role due to the fact she was a woman. Gwyneth had just shrugged her shoulders as he chuckled in delight.
Her final test had been to demonstrate her prowess at the butts, Hamilton claiming to want to guarantee she was capable of protecting herself in the field. Dougal had guffawed in delight every time she struck her target and hired her without hesitation.
With the Norse fleet coming closer, she had been on continuous assignment. One of her ongoing tasks was to find Duff Erskine and discover his activities. Hamilton had encouraged her to follow him along with three others. Gwyneth had been successful in uncovering the underhanded actions of the other three traitors, but Erskine was as elusive as ever.
Her latest assignment had been to follow Duff Erskine and to learn his current pursuits. The government had known of the previous doings with women, but was unaware of any recent activities. No missing women had been reported. He was a primary suspect in selling information to the Norse, but they had been unable to prove it.
Dougal Hamilton would be shocked to learn what she had discovered…and that she had been part of Duff’s cargo.
As soon as he noticed Gwyneth in the castle, Dougal Hamilton motioned her into his solar. “Tell me everything. Rab had contacted me about your disappearance and I have men searching for you. Where did you get those bruises?”
Gwyneth filled him in on the details.
“My apologies. Erskine needs to be stopped. I had wanted to catch him selling information, but selling women to the East is beyond heinous. We need to take him out now. You will finish your mission?”
“Nay. I have something I must do for a friend first.” She panted, out of breath from tearing across the countryside. Somehow, she would have to convince him how important this task was to her. The lassies needed her and she wouldn’t desert them, even if it cost her time she could have spent pursuing Erskine. Robbie had been right. The weasel could wait. “I am to escort two wee lassies to the Highlands with Captain Robbie Grant of the Grant warriors and Logan Ramsay of Lothian. If I don’t go, there may be trouble for the bairns. And Ramsay is overbearing and stubborn; he would be slow to let it go. I will be back to complete the assignment as soon as possible.”
“Gwyneth, I can see the marks on your face. You have much that needs tending and that is the only reason I am agreeing to this journey. You also look exhausted. Please go slow so you can heal. I will assign two others to
With that, she departed, in part because she couldn’t stand to see her brother so tormented.
Her next stop was to visit her supervisor, Dougal Hamilton, assistant to the steward Alexander of Dundonald, whose job it was to ferret out important information for the Scottish Crown. Gwyneth had spied for him for the past year, covertly following men of interest to see whether or not they were loyal to the Crown. Her position had been arranged through the priests at the Kirk, though her brother had only agreed because of Hamilton’s importance and persistence.
When Hamilton had first approached her, he had been hesitant. Word had reached him about her prowess as an archer and he had been searching for another spy. Word of unrest among the Western Isles and the King of Norway had spread through the land like wildfire, but the information was rumor, at best. He had wanted someone he could trust to sneak covertly into areas of interest around certain people.
Her first assignment had sent her to the royal burgh at Ayr in search of a traitor selling information. Gwyneth had discovered his identity within a sennight. He had been arrested and hung by the sheriff of the burgh.
Hamilton had smiled when she returned to him in Glasgow. She had passed her test because no one had suspected her role due to the fact she was a woman. Gwyneth had just shrugged her shoulders as he chuckled in delight.
Her final test had been to demonstrate her prowess at the butts, Hamilton claiming to want to guarantee she was capable of protecting herself in the field. Dougal had guffawed in delight every time she struck her target and hired her without hesitation.
With the Norse fleet coming closer, she had been on continuous assignment. One of her ongoing tasks was to find Duff Erskine and discover his activities. Hamilton had encouraged her to follow him along with three others. Gwyneth had been successful in uncovering the underhanded actions of the other three traitors, but Erskine was as elusive as ever.
Her latest assignment had been to follow Duff Erskine and to learn his current pursuits. The government had known of the previous doings with women, but was unaware of any recent activities. No missing women had been reported. He was a primary suspect in selling information to the Norse, but they had been unable to prove it.
Dougal Hamilton would be shocked to learn what she had discovered…and that she had been part of Duff’s cargo.
As soon as he noticed Gwyneth in the castle, Dougal Hamilton motioned her into his solar. “Tell me everything. Rab had contacted me about your disappearance and I have men searching for you. Where did you get those bruises?”
Gwyneth filled him in on the details.
“My apologies. Erskine needs to be stopped. I had wanted to catch him selling information, but selling women to the East is beyond heinous. We need to take him out now. You will finish your mission?”
“Nay. I have something I must do for a friend first.” She panted, out of breath from tearing across the countryside. Somehow, she would have to convince him how important this task was to her. The lassies needed her and she wouldn’t desert them, even if it cost her time she could have spent pursuing Erskine. Robbie had been right. The weasel could wait. “I am to escort two wee lassies to the Highlands with Captain Robbie Grant of the Grant warriors and Logan Ramsay of Lothian. If I don’t go, there may be trouble for the bairns. And Ramsay is overbearing and stubborn; he would be slow to let it go. I will be back to complete the assignment as soon as possible.”
“Gwyneth, I can see the marks on your face. You have much that needs tending and that is the only reason I am agreeing to this journey. You also look exhausted. Please go slow so you can heal. I will assign two others to
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