Free The Warrior by Margaret Mallory Page A

reached it.
    “Get in!” Duncan shouted. As soon as Niall jumped into the boat, Duncan thrust Moira
     into Niall’s arms and took hold of the side of the boat.
    “Get ready to raise the sail,” Duncan called to Niall. As he strained to push their
     galley farther out to the sea, a huge dark shape sailed past him and landed inside
     the boat. The wolfhound.
    Over his shoulder, Duncan saw men with torches coming down the bluff and onto the
     beach.
    “Now!” Duncan shouted as he flung himself into the boat.
    Niall unfurled the sail in the gusting wind, and the vessel lurched forward. It listed
     to the side before Duncan could grab hold of the rudder. He straightened the boat
     quickly, and they headed out to sea.
    When Duncan looked back again, torchlights filled the beach. The MacQuillans knew
     these waters far better than he did. But with any luck, they would wait until daylight
     to set sail after them.
    He wished Alex were with them. The old Viking blood was strong in Alex, giving him
     a sixth sense on the water that would be useful sailing through unfamiliar shallows
     in the dark. Twice the boat scraped rocks, and it was only by the hand of God that
     they made it out to deep water.
    As soon as it was safe to do so, he fastened the rudder in place, found a blanket,
     and went to check on Moira. She was shaking and weeping when he wrapped the blanket
     around her, so he put his arms around her as well. Despite the danger they were in,
     a fleeting sense of peace settled over him. This was not how he’d dreamed it would
     happen, but he had Moira in his arms again.
     
    * * *
    Moira slept fitfully, plagued by dreams that made her feel as if she were falling
     through time. She dozed and awoke so often that she did not know what was real and
     what was dream.
    No! No! Sean’s weight was crushing her, and she was begging God not to let her last moment
     on earth be with Sean’s smell in her nose and his body touching hers. Then the weight
     was gone, and Duncan MacDonald stood above her in all his glory. Duncan had fire in
     his eyes and his blade brandished, just as she had imagined him every time she had
     hoped and prayed he would come.
    But she must have dreamed him, called him up into the nightmare that was her life.
     As always, Duncan was too late to save her. Moira felt the motion of the waves beneath
     her, and she was floating in the sea beside her mother.
    Then Sean was alive again, and his hands were closing on her throat.
     
    * * *
    “It’s all right.” Duncan held Moira against him, stilling her flailing arms.
    He hated to awaken her again, but it was dangerous to let her sleep for more than
     a short time after how hard she had been hit on the head.
    “Drink,” he said, holding the flask of ale to her lips. Moira drank it greedily, but
     half went down her chin because the side of her mouth was swollen. He dabbed it gently
     with the corner of the blanket.
    “Duncan?” she said.
    “Aye, it’s me.”
    “You’re too late,” she murmured. “I watched for ye, but ye didn’t come.”
    Moira was out of her head. She had been saying that to him all night.
    He batted away the wolfhound, who kept nosing her face. “Leave her be or I’ll toss
     ye over the side.”
    “No!” Moira wailed.
    “Shh. I didn’t mean it.” Duncan brushed his fingers through her hair, which was still
     sticky with blood, as he rocked her in his arms. “He’s a good dog. He led me down
     the path to the beach.”
    “He’s my son’s dog,” she said in a choked whisper.
    The next time Duncan checked on her, dawn was breaking, and Moira seemed alert. Ach,
     her lovely face was a mess. He helped her sit up.
    “Tell me where you’re hurt, Moira.”
    “My head hurts like the very devil, and I can’t open my left eye,” she said in a strong
     voice, “but I don’t think he broke any bones.”
    God in Heaven . If Sean were not already dead, Duncan would go back and kill him now. “There was
     a lot of