Free Plead Forgiveness (Loyalty Series) by Aury Dobsyn

the-”
    “Aye,” Gavin began, “goes bathe in the burn before the
men come back. Dinna take over long or I will be forced to come after ye.” Of
course, despite his gruff tone, it would be no hardship to see her wet, naked
body.
    Releasing her, he watched as she clutched a saddlebag
to her chest, and then head down the hill towards the burn. He took Apollo’s
reins and walked the stallion over to where Osgood and Tavish waited with the
other horses.
    “Apollo, my friend, ye truly are a beautiful
creature,” Osgood said in a cheerful voice, before adding, “Ye master is nae
bad either.”
    With a glare, Gavin asked, “So, ye are warming to the
English lass?”
    “Anyone who treats their horse the way she does canna
be all bad.”
    Despite himself, Gavin grinned as he handed Osgood
Apollo’s reins. The giant always judged a person by the way they treated their
horse. Those who knew little about responsibility and duty owned abused horses.
It was a man’s duty to care for what belonged to him, whether it be kin, land,
sword or horse. A fine horse, such as Apollo, spoke highly of Ella’s character,
at least in Osgood’s opinion.
    With Edric and Paen hunting deeper in the woods,
Osgood and Tavish seeing to the horses further down the burn, Gavin and
Nicholas were alone in the small clearing.
    After building a fire, Nicholas spread out the
bedrolls, and Gavin quickly noticed an additional pallet. He crossed his arms
over his chest, and then eyed Nicholas, waiting for him to explain.
    Seeing his laird’s scowl, Nicholas acknowledged, “Aye,
she sleeps on a pallet this eve, nae tied to a tree.”
    Unlike most people, Nicholas never feared speaking his
mind, and Gavin highly valued the blond warrior’s opinion. And he sensed
Nicholas had a strong opinion on the way he treated the young woman thus far.
    With his arms still crossed, Gavin lifted his
eyebrows, silently amused that Nicholas had not waited for his permission on
the matter. “I take it ye believe I was overly harsh with our captive.”
    “Aye that I do,” Nicholas said as he stood, facing his
laird. “ Lady Ella dinna deserve to be treated in such a foul manner, and
I think ye agree with me.”
    The look on Gavin’s face when his gaze fell upon Ella
was easy for Nicholas to read. Lust mixed with admiration, which could change
to pure rage when he spied his men mistreating her. Gavin may be able to hide
his feeling for Ella from the others, including his own brothers, but Nicholas
was more perceptive than most.
    “Aye,” Gavin stated.
    As Nicholas added more wood to the fire, he noticed
Gavin’s gaze fixed on the narrow trail to the burn. “Ye care for her, that much
is obvious, at least to me.”
    “Nae, I care naught for the hellion. My concern is
solely for my nephew, and she is the means to see that he is returned.”
    “Ye still dinna believe her story, despite the fact
that we have been following the same tracks all day. Tracks that verra well
could be from Sir James and Gabriel.”
    “As always, I’m grateful for yer subtle guidance,”
Gavin sarcastically replied.
    Nicholas laughed, and then said, “Let your instincts
guide ye, nae yer hatred for the English or the worry in yer heart for
Gabriel.”
    Gavin heaved a heavy sigh before taking off his
leather brigandine and preparing himself to bathe after Ella. Bare chested, he
began sifting through his saddlebag as he conceded, “The lass will have a
pallet this eve; in truth, she has earned it. I heard nary a complaint from her
all day, yet to look at her, ye would think she was either exhausted beyond
measure or in inexplicable pain.”
    “Aye, I picked up on that too. Hopefully, a hot meal
and a warm pallet is all she-” Nicholas stopped when his laird raised a hand
for silence.
    Listening intently for a scant moment, Gavin then
unsheathed his sword and moved to where he could see down the hill to the burn.
Ella was nowhere in sight. However, he heard the distinctive sounds of