27. Old Friends, New Enemies.

Maria stood at the edge of the forest where she had stopped when she heard the woman scream.

"What are we going to do?" asked Theodore in her head.

"I don’t know." she replied. "I was just going to confront them but now if they have a hostage, I can’t risk them hurting her to try to stop me."

The people with the caravan where looking at her and a large older looking man broke off from a group that all seemed to be wearing the same coloured shirt with the same markings on it. Maria saw as he came closer that the insignia was a hand holding a sword surrounded by a laurel reef.

She put away her sword, and upon seeing her do that, he to sheathed his.

He stopped just out of arms reach from her and said.

"I am Eachann Neuwoyagh mac Fhearchair. I am the captain of the guards."

He was using the full formal naming. Paul had taught her it just in case. His full name was Paayl Mooar-chreeagh mac Dhomhnaill. But it was easier for everyone to call him Paul.

"I am Moire Gìomanach inghean Gormal." she told him.

"We saw you enter the fight, though at first we thought you might be on the enemy’s side." he said.

"No." she answered. "I was searching for a man when I heard the commotion and found the one I was looking for was attacking you. I was hoping to get him here but he has run again."

"And he and his gang have taken a prisoner." he finished.

"Yes." she said. "That does not help matters."

"Who was the girl that was taken?" asked Maria after a small silence.

"Her name is Morag inghean Dhomhnaill." he answered. "Her family was going to the fair in Lorgrain, when we were attacked. My company was supposed to be protecting them and the others but we were caught unawares."

"Dhomhnaill?" said Maria. "It must be a coincidence."

"What is?" asked Eachann.

Maria realised she had been speaking out loud.

"I have a friend whose name is similar." she told him. "His name is Paayl."

"It wouldn’t happen to be Paayl Mooar-chreeagh? would it?" he asked. And described Paul fairly well.

A chill went down Maria’s spine.

"Yes." she said.

"Morag is his sister."

"How do you know him?" asked Eachann.

"I have worked with him. We became friends but I still know little of his family. But now I must be careful, I do not wish to return to tell him sad news. How is it you know of him?"

"I have worked for his family for many years." he answered. "I watched him grow up. And taught him how to use his axe."

She looked Eachann in the eyes.

"Tell the parents I am going to go get her back. I would not be a proper friend if I did nothing. Besides I still have someone to collect."

"Wait." said Eachann. "I will come with you. After all I am in charge of security and I did fail. I must take responsibility. I will inform them and then we can go, while the others continue on."

He walked of before she could say anything.

"Damn." she thought. "I don’t need him right now."

"And what about Paul?" asked Theodore who had been hiding out of sight all this time. "You really think we shouldn’t let him know about this?"

"That’s why I didn’t want anyone around." she told him. "I thought we could get him here so he could be a familiar face for the girl, and he could take care of getting her while I took care of the other. Now it will be more difficult to explain his sudden appearance to Eachann."

"I think we should still get Paul." said Theodore. "He can explain things to Eachann."

Eachann was walking back to them.

"For now we will wait, if things get too complicated you can get paul. Until then we work with Eachann. Who knows, maybe we can do this quickly and return with good news."

"I don’t like these coincidences." said Theodore. "I keep feeling that someone somewhere is pulling strings and laughing."

"You’re not the only one." said Maria.

"I have let them know what is happening." he said upon reaching her. "They wish us God speed. I feel we may need more than that."

"Let’s go then." said Maria.

They entered the forest leaving the rest to continue on to the city.

They walked in silence for a while looking for tracks. Since the robbery had not gone as planned they were rushed and were not as careful about hiding their movements.

At least twice, Maria saw Eachann walk right by what seemed an obvious mark. He acted as if he was out of his environment.

Theodore kept well out of sight during this time, but let Maria know if he spotted anything from his vantage point in the trees.

At one point she broke the silence.

"Is this gang known?" she asked Eachann.

"There was news as we left that some brigands had gotten together and formed a team." he said. "That is why we added extra men on this trip, though little good it did us."

"Do you think their target was young Morag all along?" she asked.

"Oh no. I don’t think so." Eachann answered quickly. "I am sure they were after the goods. They must have decided to take her when everything fell apart just as you showed up. They got very little of the goods."

They returned to searching in silence.

"Got something!" cried Theodore. "The horses came through this way."

She spotted him hanging from the trunk of a nearby tree, and pointing in a westerly direction.

She walked over to where he was and could see signs of scraping on the tree.

"They must have scrapped the tree with the stirrups or something as they passed. Well spotted." she told Theodore.

She called over Eachann who had wondered completely off the trail.

"Not very good at this is he." snarked Theodore. "He should stick to guarding caravans that follow easy to see roads."

"Quiet." she told him.

"They went through here in that direction." she told Eachann.

He saw the marks and nodded.

"You’re better than I." he said.

"Come on, we don’t know how far they have gotten since they ran."

They followed the trail until they came to the edge of the forest. They cautiously made their way to the edge and peered out.

What they saw did not make Maria very happy.

In the clearing they were looking down into, there was a stone building.

Paul had said that in the countryside were old castles and keeps that had been abandoned after the invasions and skirmishes. They were still in fine shape but no one wanted to pay for the upkeep.

And now this band of ruffians and outlaws were using one as their home base.

As she watched she saw that one of the band was herding a young girl into the keep.

"Well at least we know she is unharmed." she said out loud.

She heard the shink of metal being pulled from a sheath.

She calmly turned around to see Eachann pointing his sword at her.

"You don’t seem surprised." he said.

"I’m not really." she answered. "I wonder how you could be captain of an entire company and not have the modicum of abilities to find your way through a forest. You kept missing obvious marks and head of in the exact opposite direction."

"Yes." he said. "You were a lot better than I had first thought, you never followed me."

"And the quickness of your answer to my question as to the real motives of the band. That was a little suspicious as well. But I gave you the benefit of the doubt."

"That was a mistake." he said with a grin.

"So what happens now?" she asked.

"I take you to see my friends, then we will decide what to do with you." said Eachann. "So if you will kindly turn around."

She did so.

He removed her sword.

"Now, walk down to the front door if you please."

The two of them started down the hill towards the keep.

"Theodore."

"Yes."

"Go."