The Raven's Wish Read Online Free
Author: Susan King
her, his several golden braids hanging down like silken ropes. He was a few years older than the others, but Elspeth thought he was more like an ancient Celtic god, all golden strength and beauty. As a child, she had adored him.
But now her heart surged with sympathy for him. Pain and anger, too, flowed through Magnus like a dark, silent river. He still carried a deep hurt from the death of his wife two years earlier. Since then, he had hardened, his rare gentleness reserved only for his little daughter, who now lived with her grandmother.
Kenneth came out of the water and sat to rub his feet dry with an untucked end of his long plaid. "I would rather eat fish than risk Flora's vengeance," he said. "If we do not have enough fish today, we can go down to the loch. Angus Simson will give us some of his net-catch. He is always generous to his laird."
Magnus looked grim. "Angus lost several cattle the other night to reivers," he said. "His son came to Glenran early today, and said that Angus was sore beaten when he went outside, hearing a noise. But he did not see the raiders for the murk and the rain."
"Surprising to hear of reiving so soon," Ewan said. "The summer nights are too short for it, with sundown coming so late."
Elspeth frowned and toed one bare foot along the rocky ground. "MacDonalds," she said softly. "I know it was them."
"Perhaps you do, seeing things that others cannot," Magnus said. "But we must be cautious. We cannot attack the MacDonalds without good cause."
"Making a marriage with Ruari will not end this feud," Elspeth said crossly.
"I do not think Elspeth should marry into that clan of wolves," Callum said.
"Thank you," Elspeth said.
"But this feud has brought the wrath of the crown on our heads now," Magnus said. "The queen's lawyer will come and order us to end it quickly. This marriage will do that instead."
"I will not sacrifice myself to end this feud for you," Elspeth muttered.
"The marriage is not made, the lawyer is not here, and cattle reiving must be repaid in kind," Ewan said. "We must take back Angus's cattle, and a few more for our trouble."
Callum nodded. "So it goes."
"They will expect a counter-raid," Kenneth agreed. "We should not disappoint them."
"One quick raid," Elspeth said. Her cousins nodded, though Magnus shrugged.
"The nights are yet too short for reiving," her older cousin said.
"We could take back the cattle and leave all the fish," Callum suggested.
Chuckling, Elspeth glanced up, and then straightened, alert. "Hold," she said. "Look there, across the stream."
They looked northward. The burbling chant of the stream filled the sudden quiet. Crossing the grassy moor on the far side of the stream, three horsemen galloped toward them and halted their mounts by the bank. Bright multi-colored plaids, red over blue, fluttered over their shoulders, and their sturdy, shaggy garron ponies snorted restively as the three riders glared across the sluicing boundary that separated them from the Frasers.
Kenneth bounded to his feet. One by one, the Frasers rose in silence. Elspeth stepped between Magnus and Kenneth, but Magnus put out an arm to hold her back.
"MacDonalds," Kenneth muttered.
"What the devil do they want here?" Ewan said.
"Take no fish from our waters, Frasers!" The cry boomed across the stream. "This land belongs to the MacDonald clan!"
"By hell it does!" Callum called. "This stream is on Fraser land, and well you know it!"
Ruari MacDonald, his hair bright as rust in the sun, snarled and put a hand to the sheathed dirk stuck in his belt. Some of the Fraser cousins stepped back to pick up their own dirks, which lay piled on their dry shirts heaped on the bank.
Elspeth stepped forward. "Leave here, MacDonalds!" she yelled. "Ride on, or I will be the first at your throats!"
"That is not a proper way to treat your betrothed!" Ruari called back.
Elspeth moved toward the water. "Curse you, Ruari MacDonald, for a fool and a—"
"Elspeth," Magnus barked out.
But now her heart surged with sympathy for him. Pain and anger, too, flowed through Magnus like a dark, silent river. He still carried a deep hurt from the death of his wife two years earlier. Since then, he had hardened, his rare gentleness reserved only for his little daughter, who now lived with her grandmother.
Kenneth came out of the water and sat to rub his feet dry with an untucked end of his long plaid. "I would rather eat fish than risk Flora's vengeance," he said. "If we do not have enough fish today, we can go down to the loch. Angus Simson will give us some of his net-catch. He is always generous to his laird."
Magnus looked grim. "Angus lost several cattle the other night to reivers," he said. "His son came to Glenran early today, and said that Angus was sore beaten when he went outside, hearing a noise. But he did not see the raiders for the murk and the rain."
"Surprising to hear of reiving so soon," Ewan said. "The summer nights are too short for it, with sundown coming so late."
Elspeth frowned and toed one bare foot along the rocky ground. "MacDonalds," she said softly. "I know it was them."
"Perhaps you do, seeing things that others cannot," Magnus said. "But we must be cautious. We cannot attack the MacDonalds without good cause."
"Making a marriage with Ruari will not end this feud," Elspeth said crossly.
"I do not think Elspeth should marry into that clan of wolves," Callum said.
"Thank you," Elspeth said.
"But this feud has brought the wrath of the crown on our heads now," Magnus said. "The queen's lawyer will come and order us to end it quickly. This marriage will do that instead."
"I will not sacrifice myself to end this feud for you," Elspeth muttered.
"The marriage is not made, the lawyer is not here, and cattle reiving must be repaid in kind," Ewan said. "We must take back Angus's cattle, and a few more for our trouble."
Callum nodded. "So it goes."
"They will expect a counter-raid," Kenneth agreed. "We should not disappoint them."
"One quick raid," Elspeth said. Her cousins nodded, though Magnus shrugged.
"The nights are yet too short for reiving," her older cousin said.
"We could take back the cattle and leave all the fish," Callum suggested.
Chuckling, Elspeth glanced up, and then straightened, alert. "Hold," she said. "Look there, across the stream."
They looked northward. The burbling chant of the stream filled the sudden quiet. Crossing the grassy moor on the far side of the stream, three horsemen galloped toward them and halted their mounts by the bank. Bright multi-colored plaids, red over blue, fluttered over their shoulders, and their sturdy, shaggy garron ponies snorted restively as the three riders glared across the sluicing boundary that separated them from the Frasers.
Kenneth bounded to his feet. One by one, the Frasers rose in silence. Elspeth stepped between Magnus and Kenneth, but Magnus put out an arm to hold her back.
"MacDonalds," Kenneth muttered.
"What the devil do they want here?" Ewan said.
"Take no fish from our waters, Frasers!" The cry boomed across the stream. "This land belongs to the MacDonald clan!"
"By hell it does!" Callum called. "This stream is on Fraser land, and well you know it!"
Ruari MacDonald, his hair bright as rust in the sun, snarled and put a hand to the sheathed dirk stuck in his belt. Some of the Fraser cousins stepped back to pick up their own dirks, which lay piled on their dry shirts heaped on the bank.
Elspeth stepped forward. "Leave here, MacDonalds!" she yelled. "Ride on, or I will be the first at your throats!"
"That is not a proper way to treat your betrothed!" Ruari called back.
Elspeth moved toward the water. "Curse you, Ruari MacDonald, for a fool and a—"
"Elspeth," Magnus barked out.
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