dismissively.
" Such as?"
Her face reddened. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Niall quickly glance at him.
Angus knew there was some other reason for her being out here alone. And he didn't like it. "Who were the men you were with?"
At that, she raised a brow. "Are you serious?"
Aye, he was. Only mayhap he had not gotten the scenario right this time either. "Your da will want to kill them when he learns who they were and that they took you beyond the keep without his permission."
Her face paled a bit. "They…they know I speak the truth. They wanted to help me find my brothers as much as I did."
" To earn your favor?" Angus asked, unable to curb the harshness in his voice. Neither of the men should have ever left the keep with the chief's daughter, except with his blessing. And he suspected one or both of the men were sweet on the lassie.
Her cheeks blossomed with color again. He'd never seen a woman wear emotions on her face as much as she did.
" Of course, no'!"
He didn 't believe her. He couldn't imagine any man not wanting the lass…well, except maybe because of her peculiarity. "And now because of their actions, you were alone and vulnerable. What if someone had come upon you and had wished you harm?"
" I dinna worry about being alone. I have my sword—which I already used on a brigand—and I have my dirk. I had no choice. Not when my brothers need me."
Angus stared at her in disbelief and snapped his jaw closed. How could she have survived an encounter with someone who wished ill of her? "Tell me, what manner of man did you dispatch with your sword?" He couldn't imagine unless the man was small, drunk, and half starved. And unarmed. Mayhap a green lad. He couldn't visualize her fighting with her wee sword either.
" Similar to you in build," she said.
He didn 't believe it.
" Of course I was taller, seated upon my horse."
Angus wanted to curse out loud. The woman could have gotten herself killed. "And if there had been more of these big ruffians to attempt to stop you?"
" More than the two might have given me difficulty," she agreed.
" Two?" Angus said in disbelief.
Gunnolf grinned . "She would make a good Viking bride."
She gave him an annoyed look.
Niall shook his head. "She doesna need a man to escort her. She can be the escort."
" Did you injure them?" Angus asked, ignoring his friends' jests. His stomach knotted at the notion she could have been injured or killed.
" Their pride, I warrant."
" Then they are no' dead?" He knew she couldn't fight a man and take his life.
" Nay."
" Then they are still out there."
" Aye, aye. Are you willing to help me?" she asked.
" A dungeon," Niall said, skeptically. "You promise we willna end up in one, Angus, if we attempt to prove the lass's claim true and run into trouble of our own?"
She reache d over and took Niall's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you. When do we ride out?"
When had Niall taken charge of their destiny?
"We will return you home and ask your da about the route your brothers took. We will see if there are any keeps along the way and verify that your brothers are not locked in any of them. When we find them, we will send word of them home."
She frowned at Angus , and he could tell his plan was not agreeable to her. "I will go with you."
" Nay, you willna, lass. Your place is home with your da."
" You need me. I can listen for my brothers calling to me, but I fear they will weaken the longer they are in captivity. We can find them faster if I go with you."
"' Tis too perilous for an unmarried lass to make the journey such as that. We canna take you."
" You are no' returning me home."
" Aye, we are. Your da wishes it of you, and we will do as he asks." Angus was beginning to think his plan of last eve had been better. Ensure the lass didn't leave the shieling and have her father's men come for her. Instead of him and his companions having a fight on their hands, her father's men could have dealt with her.
Y et, he wouldn't
" Such as?"
Her face reddened. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Niall quickly glance at him.
Angus knew there was some other reason for her being out here alone. And he didn't like it. "Who were the men you were with?"
At that, she raised a brow. "Are you serious?"
Aye, he was. Only mayhap he had not gotten the scenario right this time either. "Your da will want to kill them when he learns who they were and that they took you beyond the keep without his permission."
Her face paled a bit. "They…they know I speak the truth. They wanted to help me find my brothers as much as I did."
" To earn your favor?" Angus asked, unable to curb the harshness in his voice. Neither of the men should have ever left the keep with the chief's daughter, except with his blessing. And he suspected one or both of the men were sweet on the lassie.
Her cheeks blossomed with color again. He'd never seen a woman wear emotions on her face as much as she did.
" Of course, no'!"
He didn 't believe her. He couldn't imagine any man not wanting the lass…well, except maybe because of her peculiarity. "And now because of their actions, you were alone and vulnerable. What if someone had come upon you and had wished you harm?"
" I dinna worry about being alone. I have my sword—which I already used on a brigand—and I have my dirk. I had no choice. Not when my brothers need me."
Angus stared at her in disbelief and snapped his jaw closed. How could she have survived an encounter with someone who wished ill of her? "Tell me, what manner of man did you dispatch with your sword?" He couldn't imagine unless the man was small, drunk, and half starved. And unarmed. Mayhap a green lad. He couldn't visualize her fighting with her wee sword either.
" Similar to you in build," she said.
He didn 't believe it.
" Of course I was taller, seated upon my horse."
Angus wanted to curse out loud. The woman could have gotten herself killed. "And if there had been more of these big ruffians to attempt to stop you?"
" More than the two might have given me difficulty," she agreed.
" Two?" Angus said in disbelief.
Gunnolf grinned . "She would make a good Viking bride."
She gave him an annoyed look.
Niall shook his head. "She doesna need a man to escort her. She can be the escort."
" Did you injure them?" Angus asked, ignoring his friends' jests. His stomach knotted at the notion she could have been injured or killed.
" Their pride, I warrant."
" Then they are no' dead?" He knew she couldn't fight a man and take his life.
" Nay."
" Then they are still out there."
" Aye, aye. Are you willing to help me?" she asked.
" A dungeon," Niall said, skeptically. "You promise we willna end up in one, Angus, if we attempt to prove the lass's claim true and run into trouble of our own?"
She reache d over and took Niall's hand and squeezed it. "Thank you. When do we ride out?"
When had Niall taken charge of their destiny?
"We will return you home and ask your da about the route your brothers took. We will see if there are any keeps along the way and verify that your brothers are not locked in any of them. When we find them, we will send word of them home."
She frowned at Angus , and he could tell his plan was not agreeable to her. "I will go with you."
" Nay, you willna, lass. Your place is home with your da."
" You need me. I can listen for my brothers calling to me, but I fear they will weaken the longer they are in captivity. We can find them faster if I go with you."
"' Tis too perilous for an unmarried lass to make the journey such as that. We canna take you."
" You are no' returning me home."
" Aye, we are. Your da wishes it of you, and we will do as he asks." Angus was beginning to think his plan of last eve had been better. Ensure the lass didn't leave the shieling and have her father's men come for her. Instead of him and his companions having a fight on their hands, her father's men could have dealt with her.
Y et, he wouldn't
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