“Sorry, but I needed to set firmly in my mind all Nathan told me and that required me to repeat it to myself several times. I am certain it is fixed firm in my head now. I believe it is going to be verra, verra busy here for a while.”
“Nathan did surprise us. The mon has some verra sound ideas and thinks on things I would ne’er have considered need doing or fixing. He might find himself called on from time to time now that his secret is out. ’Tis a most valuable skill he has there.”
“Verra valuable. S’truth, having him give me specific things to do, things I can see will be most helpful, e’en safer for us all, makes me feel safer as weel.” The last words emerged in a trembling voice that belied her claim and Annys took a deep, steadying breath. “I am afraid and I am also deeply, blindingly furious.”
She sighed with relief when he pulled her into his arms for she needed it. Annys refused to think that need revealed a weakness. She knew that if he was not back in her life, she would have been wanting a comforting embrace from Joan, or David if he was still alive. Whether she believed it or not, she just wanted someone to hold her, pat her back, and tell her everything would be well. When Harcourt did just that, she had to smile.
After staying in his arms long enough for his warmth to chase away the chill of fear, Annys stepped back and gave him a quick kiss. “Now I must see to my assigned duties. I may have to borrow a few men to help me move the benches and turn David’s bedchamber into a nursery.”
“A nursery?”
“Aye, and ’tis a wondrous idea. ’Tis the one place we will put all the wee ones with a few women or girls to tend them. Not only will they be safer, and easier to collect if we must flee the keep, but it frees their mothers to help if it is needed.” She started up the stairs, stopped, and turned to look back at him. “Oh, and Nathan says ye need to speak to Geordie and decide what to do with him.”
“I havenae the time for that.”
“I think ye may want to find it. Nathan says he is an archer.” She tossed him her keys.
Harcourt gaped, retaining just enough of his wits to catch her keys, and then staring at her as she disappeared up the stairs. Shaking free of his shock, he immediately headed down to the cell holding Geordie. The man leapt to his feet and came to the door of the cell as Harcourt approached.
“Something is happening, aye?” he asked, gripping the thick bars. “What is it? An attack?”
“We got word that Sir Adam has joined his men so we are preparing ourselves for the attack that is certain to follow soon.” Harcourt leaned against the bars and studied the man. “I am here to talk to you and decide if I can trust ye enough to let ye join our side.”
“And how do ye think ye can make such a decision? And why would ye want to?”
“One can always use another mon in a fight such as we are facing but I think ye may have a skill we have a particular need for. First, I need to ken why ye have no clan name. Ye were outlawed?”
“Nay, just tossed out of the clan. Laird said any of them could kill me without fear of punishment, though few would even try, but I am nay outlawed.”
“What did ye do?”
“Put an arrow through the arm of the laird’s son. Bastard was beating on a wee lad and ye could see he wouldnae stop ’til he had killed the boy. He had that look, ye ken.”
Harcourt nodded. “So, ’tis true. Ye are an archer.”
“Aye, though the lad took my bow and all. Only got a sword and a knife or two from, er, collecting them as I wandered about.”
“Did ye kill for them, Geordie?”
“Killed only one mon because he had the urge to kill me.”
“What are ye doing with Sir Adam then, for I have heard naught yet to mark ye as one of his ilk.”
“Mon has to eat, doesnae he. Only skill I have is fighting. Once my laird made me a broken mon I couldnae just walk o’er and join another clan’s fighting men. Jaikie took me along with him when he decided to sell his sword.”
“But ye didnae tell them ye were an archer?”
“Didnae have my bow but I had a sword.”
“How good an archer are ye?”
“Weel, I havenae seen too many better than me, but a lot who be worse.”
For reasons Harcourt suspected he could never adequately explain that not quite humble statement decided him. “Weel, best we get ye cleaned up and give ye a bow then,” he said as he unlocked the cell.
“Ye are done deciding then?” Geordie asked, stepping cautiously out of his cell as if he expected a hasty killing rather than freedom.
“They have verra skilled archers. Near twenty of them. I have about a dozen adequate ones.” He watched as Roban unfolded himself from the cot, jumped down, and sauntered over to them, only to walk out of the open cell through the bars.
“He does that to taunt me,” grumbled Geordie.
“How does that cursed animal still get into these places?”
“He comes out of there,” said Geordie, pointing to the storage room across from his cell.
“It! ’Tis a cat, nay a person,” snapped Harcourt as he grabbed the torch from the wall outside Geordie’s cell and followed the cat.”