Blood of the Clans Ch. 12

Garreth gave her a smile and a soft bow to her, "It is always a pleasure to see you. Till we meet again then, Lady Therese."

Therese bowed softly to him as well and smiled in return. "Till next time, Laird Garreth."

She walked up the stairs, with a lightness in her step, her smile still strong on her face. Garreth turned and headed to the office, smiling at his thoughts.

Grayson was waiting for him as he approached. "What took ye so long? I've been here fere'er already."

"Sorry, my friend. I was detained by a lovely smile." Garreth said to him, his smile still strong on his face as well.

"Yer daft man. She's betrothed tae the Earl, in case ye've fergotten." Grayson warned him needlessly.

"I know Grayson. I can'ne help it, if we bump intae one another on the stairs, now can I? And I must be polite tae her, don't ye agree?" Garreth retorted with laughter, after he spoke.

"Och, I told ye already. I'm no spending one night in the jails because of ye." Grayson feigned disgust at his actions. "Ye really think she fancies ye, then?"

"Aye, I think she does." Garreth said smiling, pondering the question as he spoke. The pair walked to the door and were presented once again to the Earl. Douglas was looking at a map of the area, as well as charters of title.

"Ah, my Lairds. Your timing is perfect. I was going through the charters and it seems neither of your lands are titled under a charter by the King. Were you aware of that?" Douglas informed them.

"My Lord, Dunvegan and the lands of Harris ha'e been under MacLeod rule fer hundreds of years. There's no need fer us tae have it titled under a charter." Garreth explained to him.

"Aye, the same with Tioram as well. They were declared ours by the Lord of the Isles." Grayson added.

"That may be so, my Lairds, but the King's law states that all lands must be chartered by the King to be declared legitimate. I'm not in a position to make laws, I can only enforce those made by the King." Douglas informed them, with a feigned sense of washing his hands of the matter, letting them know his hands were tied by decree.

"I'll go tae war wi' anyone who tries tae take Tioram, or our lands away from us. No charter is going tae make a difference tae us." Grayson said it with more aggression and approached Douglas, who moved back in reaction.

"No one is talking of war, Laird Grayson. I'm merely stating the position of the King and of course, my position. It is the law of the land." Douglas returned with a sense of grace, hoping to diffuse Grayson's aggression.

"Whether the King wishes tae present charters or no, my good Lord, our lands and castles will remain in our possession, law or no law." Garreth calmly stated as civilly as he could. "Now, tae the reason we came, we wish tae make claim tae the MacRae's crimes. We'll provide the events as they happened and swear testament tae it." he continued, taking the focus away from one law and putting it on another.

"I will take your statements my Lairds, in good time. I'm still rather busy with other things though, as you can see. Please enjoy your time here, while I conduct my business and I will send for you when I'm ready." Douglas gave them his best look of authority and dismissed them.

Garreth looked at Grayson and nodded his head to leave. Grayson looked at Douglas and bowed, then turned back again before leaving with Garreth. They waited until they were in the open grounds before Garreth started talking.

"I don't know what the Earl is up tae, but I'm getting the feeling he is'ne taking this seriously fer some reason." Garreth queried.

"I don't know either, and I don't like the sounds of this charter shite as well." Grayson said louder, not caring about ears overhearing them.

"That was something of interest tae remember, indeed. If I did'ne know better, I'd think the Earl is thinking of expanding the King's lands, charter or not." Garreth opined to him.

"If you ask me, the whole bloody thing stinks. I don'ne like that wee fart of a man, I don'ne, Garreth." Grayson professed strongly.

Garreth laughed at the mention of Douglas' description and they both enjoyed a moment of laughter at the Earl's expense. Once again, desirous eye's watched them walking.

Looking at the letter in her hand and feeling it putting words to the song in her heart, she watched him with more depth of hope. A chance to live a life with a man who she admired and in her heart now, someone to cherish. She knew for certain that she would never return to this place, to that loathsome man below her. A marriage of convenience to bolster her position and gain favour for prosperity by marrying to Scottish nobility, no matter who it may be, was not something her heart would accept, ever.

Her thoughts now lay in securing her home and lands, as well as hope to be with Garreth. There would be no compromise to her wants now. She had money and wealth again, further to bolster her already beautiful face and body. She wanted her heart to be happy, living each day with someone she loved and being loved in return.

She smiled to herself, holding the letter to her breasts, her mind wishing it was Garreth holding her. Staring out the window, gazing into the distance towards home, her mind took her there, letting her imagine what it would be like now. She imagined standing in the front hall of her chateau, her heritage displayed proudly on the walls. The rich tapestries accentuating the beauty of the hallway, the massive hearth roaring a warmth into the room. Portraits of her parents predominantly placed in their honour. The sound of hoof beats closing outside. Then the door opens and Laird Garreth, finely dressed, enters and comes to her. Smiling, his eyes sparkling brightly in the firelight, standing before her, reaching for her...

After the two Lairds had left, Douglas had set his mind to see if he could some how take back Donan, without force. He proposed to look into the laws and his rights as Earl, to see if there was anything he could manipulate to his advantage. Douglas sought to enjoy his final night with his bride-to-be and see how she was doing after reading the letter. Finding her door open, he had the opportunity to watch her for a few minutes. Therese was far off in her thoughts, that was obvious, but to what did she pay her attention to, was his question. Not knowing her desires for Garreth, Douglas assumed it was the trial of her uncle and her feeling of safety now.

"You look lost in a thought, my Dear. Are you troubled, Lady Therese?" Douglas asked her quietly.

Therese let out a quick gasp and turned quickly, to see Douglas standing in the doorway again. Her face was a mix of guilt and fright, one disguising the other.

"My Lord, you startled me. I didn't hear you knock." Therese gently reminded him of his rudeness. "I am fine, thank you. I was just thinking of being in France again. I do miss my home and the people. That is what I was thinking about as you came in. I will need to see that the chateau is secure, as I will be taking my place at the head of the estate." she finished, hoping the details would suffice in her defence of her dreamy state of mind.

"Yes, of course, you must see to your estate." Douglas was sensing a long departure by her. " As you said my dear, you will send notice of your expected return once your affairs are concluded. It would be my pleasure, to spend time there with you, after our marriage." he added with a flair of surety in his pronouncement.

Therese tried to remain smiling and positive towards Douglas, as her mind reeled, in how to respond to him. The thought never occurred in her romanticizing, on how to inform Douglas, she was denying him her hand in marriage.

"That would be a nice way to spend our first night," a knowing smile of Garreth in her mind again. "I will make arrangements while I'm there to decorate the chateau for our arrival." her smile assuaging his doubts and allowing him a sense of false comfort.

"I shall return then to my office and leave you to your thoughts, Lady Therese. I will see you later at supper." Douglas said, smiling impishly and bowing to her, as he departed her room.

Therese sighed hard at the thought of being caught by him, as well as being trapped into confirming marriage to him. Her mind raced wildly trying to put it all together. How to leave and remain in France, leave Douglas forever, yet find a way to let Garreth know her intentions and be with him.

The rest of the day passed by in a daze for her, as she pondered one scenario after another. All of them ended one way or another, with her and Garreth being together. As the late, spring sun set the sky ablaze with colour, Therese realized her only way of accomplishing her goals, was to write Douglas a letter, stating her intentions to go back to France, declining the arrangement of marriage to him and allow an opportunity for her to pursue her feelings towards Garreth and hope he is of the same mind. As she prepared for supper, her mind was fixed on playing out her time with Douglas, until the ship sailed back for France.

**********

Stuart finished the telling, as they rounded the point leaving the Kyle of Lochalsh and headed south to Tioram along Kyle Rhea. The mid-day sun was getting warm, but the channelled breezes provided an element of relief. The guests were enjoying deck chairs and standing along the rail, as the yacht smoothly plowed through the choppy water.

"On the right, up ahead a wee bit, is where Knock Castle used tae be. It's gone tae ruin noo, but ye'll see where it stood." Tavish informed them, pointing off to the distance on the right.

"Tavish, I keep hearing it called different names, Knock one time and Camus the next, why is that?" Patricia MacLeod from Harrisburg, Pa. asked, gaining everyone's curiosity to the same issue.

"Aye, well. it goes like this. Cnoc means hill and Uaine means green, in Gaelic. O'er the years, it's just been called Knock, like ye do on a door. Castle Camus is what it was originally called when it was built. The castle stands on a green hill, o'erlooking the sea, hence the names Knock and Camus." Tavish gave his best explanation of the names to everyone.

"So the real name is Castle Camus and the nickname Knock Castle, is because it sits on a hill. I understand now." Gayle replied and everyone nodded along, that it told them what they wanted to know.

The yacht encountered a fog bank rolling in from the sea, a common occurrence in the area, due to the climate. but un-nerving to those who hadn't experienced sailing into blindness and the unknown. The mood took on a sombre tone and Tavish couldn't resist increasing the nervousness of the guests with a tale of ghosts.

"Oh, I forgot tae mention about the Gruagach that haunts that place. Do ye's know what a Gruagach is?" Tavish teased them, getting their interest levels up. "She's the Green Lady of Knock."

With a unanimous showing of no, by shakes of the head, Tavish felt delighted in telling them a ghost story.

"A long time ago, before the castle went tae ruin, the spirit of a slain Lady inhabited the castle and watched o'er the fortunes inside. E'en though the castle is gone, she still watches o'er the place. It's said if you gi' her good news, she'll laugh, and gi' ye good luck. If it's bad, she'll screech and bad luck will fall upon ye. There's the castle the noo." Tavish finished saying, pointing at the ruins on the coast.

Dennis slowed the twin deisels down to a low idle, so they would have as much chance as they could, to get a few good shots. His only worry was anyone coming along and not seeing them sitting still. The guests turned to look at it and tried to take pictures, the fog making it an eerie display to capture. Debra looked through her viewfinder and focused on the castle. There on her screen, was a greenish glow coming from behind the last remaining wall. She looked up to see it, but it wasn't there. Looking back at her screen, the glow was still visible.

"Tom, look at the castle. Do you see a green glow coming from behind the wall?" she asked, pointing in the direction of her camera. Tom looked at the crumbling wall, peering through the fog billowing by them. He shook his head and told her, "No, I don't see anything. Why?"

"Look at this." Debra whispered quietly.

Tom looked at the viewer and could see the green glow. It was faint, but slowly pulsing.

"Uncle Tav." Tom called to Tavish, without causing attention to come to them.

"What is it, Tom?" Tavish asked smiling, as he came.

Tom spoke in hushed tones now, "Do you see a green glow coming from the castle?"

"No, I don't, but I know some people ha'e. Do ye see a glow?" Tavish asked him with anticipation of Tom saying yes, ready to tease him about it.

"Look in Deb's camera. Do see it there?" Tom asked with uncertainty.

Tavish looked into Deb's viewfinder, then looked up quickly. He looked back and then at Deb. He covertly looked at some of the other screens of the guest's cameras and didn't see the glow. He walked back with concern and looked into the screen again. There was the glow, as certain as any other thing in the image. Tavish looked around and went for Stuart. He found him on the bridge with Dennis, discussing the route into Loch Moidart to Tioram.

"Stuart, come wi' me fer a minute, there's something ye ha'e tae see." Tavish said, a serious look on his face.

Stuart left Dennis to his course and followed Tavish back on deck. They walked to Tom and Deb, Tavish whispering in Stuart's ear. Stuart stopped smiling and looked in the screen. He looked up as well and quickly back.

"Looks like the Gruagach has chosen ye tae offer news tae her. Tell her yer news and see if she responds." Stuart told her.

Others over heard and quickly wanted to know what was happening. Stuart saw the rush to see and told everyone to stand behind Debra. He turned and yelled to Dennis to cut the engines, which were quickly turned down and left idling, the current carrying them back along slowly. Stuart looked back at Deb excitedly.

"Go ahead Lass, tell her yer news." Stuart told her softly.

Deb immediately froze at being centre stage in such a bizarre situation. "Do I have to say it out loud or think it, or what do I do?, Uncle Stuart?"

"Being a ghost, I guess ye can send it by a thought." he replied, not knowing the true answer for her, but allowing her some choice of privacy.

Deb closed her eyes and sent her thoughts across the water to the greenish glow. She told of her love for Tom and her joy at becoming a MacLeod member, once they were married. Finishing, she looked at her screen and the glow lightened in hue, brightening as well. Everyone craned to see the screen and looked at the castle in disbelief. In the foggy eeriness, the sound of muddied laughter could be heard.

"I guess we'll ne'er know what it was ye said tae her, but it must ha'e been good." Stuart told her, smiling in astonishment at what he saw and heard.

Everyone asked Deb about the experience, some guessing at what she told the Gruagach. Deb looked at her screen and the glow was gone. Others quickly looked to see if they might have a glow and take a turn, but it wasn't to be. The moment passed, adding a note of the mysterious unknown to the trip.

"What did you say to her, Deb?" Tom asked her, once the people went back to the rail, straining to see the castle clearer.

Deb smiled deviously at him, "I'll tell you, the way you told me what you said."

Tom smiled, remembering how he had told her he loved her last night and pulled her into a hug. He looked into her eyes lovingly, a smile growing on his lips. He kissed her softly and told her after a wink, "Later"

Deb saw the look in his eyes, that he knew what she meant, then took his face in her hands and kissed him. "Later, then." she quipped back and slapped his butt, to which Tom gave her rounded cheeks a good smack.

Tavish watched the two go at each other and laughed once they kissed again. "Do ye think things might'a turned oot a wee bit different, if we fought the MacRae's like that, back then?" he said loud enough for everyone to hear, looking at the couple.

Everyone laughed at the poke at them, some of the women sighing, but smiling none the less, recognizing the love between Tom and Deb. They kissed once more to cheers and applause by everyone, then broke away and laughed along, enjoying the moment. The engines came to life again and the yacht slid forward through the water, heading for a point unseen to everyone. Dennis sounded his foghorn, the sound cutting through the moving shroud. Faintly in the distance, a unified yell was heard. Once again he sounded his horn, everyone listening now for a return signal. Seconds later another yell was heard, a bit closer this time and louder.

"Coming on your port side, Captain." the deck hand informed him.

All eyes looked to port and waited, as the captain slowed to pass. Out of the fog, a dark green horse head at the prow of a black birlinn appeared. Soon a green sail with a castle tower, a sword held by an arm projecting from the turret, two black stripes on each side, could be seen being gently filled by the light breeze blowing the fog in. Oars were being rowed in uniform strokes by each man and soon it was abreast of them. A row of battle targes guarded the faces of those inside, not allowing recognition of who was in it. Only the person at the tiller could be made out. Long, flowing, dark hair, a sheepskin robe and a dark kilt were all that could be seen with any clarity. As one, the men inside yelled out, "Dh'Aindeoin co Theiradh E", as they rowed past. In moments, the birlinn disappeared again into the fog, once more hearing the cry from the men, as it faded.

All eyes had a bewildered look in them at what they had just seen and heard. They looked at Tavish and Stuart for assurance they had planned it. Both of them shrugged, along with a shake of their heads, showing the same incredulous look, relaying they had no idea who they were either.

Clint MacLeod, Patricia's son, broke the bewilderment and asked them, "What did they shout as they passed? It sounded Gaelic to me."

Tavish looked at Stuart and answered honestly. "It was the MacDonald battle cry. It means, 'Gainsay Who Dare'. And they were flying MacDonald battle colours as well. That was a battle-ready birlinn if I ever saw one. Tae be honest, I know of no one who has a birlinn in the clan, so I ha'e no idea who it was."

That just made the whole scene that much more eerier, than it already was. Everyone talked amongst themselves about what they saw, or suspected. Tavish and Stuart were questioned up and down about it, wanting to know if they had anything to do with it. In a matter of minutes, the fog cleared and the sun beat down brightly again, slowly wiping away thoughts and talk of the birlinn. Dennis sped up and soon after turned to port, to head into Loch Moidart. Knowing the loch better than anyone, Tavish played guide to Dennis, helping him weave past the sandbars and other outcroppings of rocks to watch for.

The sight of Castle Tioram, was an imposing spectacle to the natural panorama. Hundreds of years of disuse and weather had taken their toll on her, but it's glory was still very present. The yacht pulled up as close as it could, before cutting the engines and dropping the anchor. All the cameras were busy capturing the vista of the castle, as the brothers lowered the dingy into the water. Everyone climbed into it, then took off their shoes and rolled up their pant legs for the few chilly steps in the water and onto shore. Stuart stayed on-board, as did Argus, while Tavish led the guests around the castle.

Once they were at the entrance, Tavish continued telling of Tioram's history and the event's leading up to a grand battle between the clans. Stuart asked Dennis where to stop in for a bite to eat, looking for the sea equivalent of a drive thru fish and chip shop, once they left Tioram. He suggested a stop at Mallaig to re-fuel and there were several good shops to choose from. They expected their return to Dunvegan would be about six, so Stuart took out his mobile phone and called ahead to Gordon, to have dinner prepared for eight. He finished his call and looked out at the people on shore.