Intimidating. Formidable. Threatening. Arianna stared at Scarglas as those words rolled through her mind. She desperately tried to think of a flattering word for the dark keep they were about to enter. Not one came to mind. Scarglas was built for defense, for keeping the people within it safe and making it easier to slaughter any enemy that approached its walls. It did not say welcome to any traveler brave enough to approach. It said beware. Brian’s soft laughter distracted her and she looked at him, a little afraid that the expression on her face might have revealed her less than flattering thoughts about his home.
“Ye seem much akin to the others who catch their first look at this place,” he said. “It isnae pretty.”
“Nay, it isnae.” She glanced to either side of them as they rode through an opening in a berm that rose as high as their horses. “I was just thinking that it doesnae appear to offer shelter as much as it offers a tomb for anyone foolish enough to attack it.”
Brian nodded. “’Twas just that message that my fither wished to send. I am thinking the mon who left it to him had a verra similar plan in mind but ne’er finished it. Your lads are safe in there.”
She looked at the keep, which grew even more imposing as they drew nearer, and then smiled. “Oh, aye, I am sure they are.” She glanced at him. “As were ye and all your brothers.”
“True enough, although, if my fither hadnae been so skilled at making enemies, it all wouldnae have been so dearly needed. But Ewan has been the laird now for o’er a dozen years and we arenae surrounded by enemies any longer. I willnae call them all friends or true allies, but they dinnae wish to see us all dead and this place razed to the ground any longer.”
“Ah, weel, that is certainly a good thing.”
The dry tone to her voice made him laugh. “Aye, a verra good thing indeed. I warn ye that ’tis a strange lot ye are about to meet. My fither has calmed some since he wed Mab, but only in that he doesnae try to lift the skirts of every female twixt here and Berwick. He is also verra fond of arguing.”
“Oh, I have kenned a few men like that. A few women, too. Dinnae worry, Brian. I am certain I shall like your family.”
Brian was not as certain of that but said nothing. The one thing he was most concerned about was how sharp his father’s tongue could be. He could all too easily recall some of the things his father had said to Fiona, but she was a strong, confident woman. He was sure that Arianna would be, too, once she had shed the rest of old Claud’s poison, but for now she was still bleeding a little from the wounds he had inflicted.
He shook aside his concern as they rode through the gates of Scarglas. All he could do was make certain that his father did not verbally bludgeon Arianna. Aside from that, she would have to stand on her own. He inwardly grimaced, doubting he could hold fast to that decision. He was more likely to lurk around her like some fretful nursemaid, ready to shield her from any harsh words.
Arianna edged her mount a little closer to Brian’s as they entered the bailey. It was crowded with a lot of tall, dark-haired men. A closer look revealed that many of those men bore a strong resemblance to Brian. She had heard all the tales of how old Fingal had been trying to breed his own army. Brian made no attempt to hide the truth about his father’s profligacy. To see so many gathering in the bailey and knowing with but a look that most were Brian’s bastard brothers drove that truth home with a vengeance.
Then she caught sight of Ned and Simon nudging their way through the growing crowd. The moment they made an opening in the large group of men, Michel and Adelar rushed through, stumbling to a halt mere feet from her mount. Their smiles were bright and wide, the smiles of boys who felt they were safe. Arianna dismounted with more speed than grace and rushed to embrace them, falling to her knees in the dirt to hug them tightly to her.
When the boys began to squirm in her arms, she eased her hold on them and leaned back a little. “Ye both look verra hale, my bonnie lads. No hurts, aye?”
“Nay, we are hale,” said Adelar, still clutching her braid with one hand. “It was a verra hard ride, though.”
“I am sure it was, but ye are safe now.”
“Aye, we are,” said Michel, resting his cheek against her arm. “Ned and Simon are stout warriors.”
Arianna hid a grin by pressing a kiss to his dark curls. “I could see that when I first looked at them, which is why I was able to leave ye in their care.”