Blood of the Clans Ch. 42

Grayson looked deeply into his tear stained eyes, then turned to Arabella and walked away from him to talk quietly.

"What shall we do wi' them, Bella? Spare their lives and take Iain's, or kill them all where they stand?" he whispered to her.

Arabella looked into her brother's eyes and then to Iain. She was torn between her past closeness to Iain, when she was married to Logan and the attack he had just led. A thought came to her, as she weighed one option against another. She walked back to him and looked him squarely in the eyes, wanting to see the truth in his words when he answered her question.

"Iain, yer were once my kin and cared fer my clan. Is it in yer heart tae see yer error and join wi' us again? Swear yer allegiance tae us and join wi' us. Fight against MacRae and we'll spare yer lives, if ye show a truth tae yer words and fight wi' honour fer us, What say ye tae my offer?" Arabella asked him, hoping he would accept, so she wouldn't have to kill her kin.

SIoan looked at Arabella in stunned amazement, hearing the offer and trying to imagine why she offered such compassion and an offer to align with his clan.. He looked at Grayson and then spun around to look at his men. Their eyes spoke volumes to him, seeing the offer to spare their lives and deny his just vengeance, making their decision clear. Iain knelt before Grayson and Arabella and bowed his head to them. Sloan saw no better opportunity to carry out what he wanted to do. He raised his sword quickly and brought it down towards MacLean's neck. Before it made its strike, Grayson's hand was clamped tightly around his wrist, holding him fast.

"No Sloan. Killing him now takes away any chance of us getting intae MacRae's camp and attacking from within. If Iain can get tae his men and let them know of the change, we can disrupt their attack from within their ranks and then we'll charge in and o'erpower them." Sloan understood the reasons, but it didn't lessen his need to kill the man before him. He pulled his hand away from Grayson and stormed away with his men following behind him.

"Ye'll ned tae answer tae them at some point, Iain. The deaths of his clan can'ne go unanswered. It'll take all my powers tae keep him from carrying oot his vengeance on ye, but he'll obey me." Grayson told Iain, who's eyes clearly showed he understood the precarious balance his and his men's lives were in.

"I swear from this time on, that the clan MacLean holds an allegiance tae the MacDonald's, ne'er tae raise arms against them and protect them at all costs. I make this oath freely and wi' good heart." Iain told them, his face showing his sincerity of his words.

Arabella and Grayson looked at the humbled man and then turned away to talk. They turned back and Iain looked at them, knowing his fate was in their hands.

"Rise Iain MacLean and be judged." Iain stood on shaking legs and looked at them nervously. "The MacLean's will no longer be thought of as an enemy and yer merits in battle will decide if yer tae get tae keep yer lives. Ha'e yer men come ashore and ha'e them swear an oath as well. Come intae the keep now and tell me of MacRae's plans fer Donan. This battle was tae keep us here fighting fer nothing, while Donan is at his mercy. That we know. I want tae know what ye know." Grayson told him and they walked to the castle, as men came ashore and knelt before Arabella and swore their allegiance to her.

Once the last man had done so, they were brought together with the other men and welcomed as allies. Some showed hesitancy at accepting them, distrusting their switch in allegiances and feeling it was a trap. Grayson sat with Iain and discussed the plans MacRae had for attacking Donan.

"When are they attacking, Iain?" Grayson asked first.

"Now. Ye know the plan was tae take ye oot of the battle and keep ye's here, so they could storm Donan wi' birlinns and his army. The Earl's men will be joining in a day or two hence. Grayson, they also ha'e a frigate coming from England wi' two hundred men. The land force has another two hundred or more, plus cannons. MacRae means tae take Donan and keep it. They're prepared tae stand tae the last man tae defend it." Iain told him, his apprehensions of telling Grayson how bad it was, showing on his face.

"They'll no take it while a MacDonald is alive tae defend it. Wi' yer clan joining wi' us, we stand a better chance of keeping it the seat of the MacDonnell's. Now, where is MacRae and the Earl's men attacking from?" Grayson asked him, wanting to know how his allegiance would begin with him.

"Blair MacRae is already in his birlinns and sailing tae Donan. He left in the middle of the night and sailed past ye's already. The ship is coming behind them tae bombard Castle Camus wi' shot. It was wi' us on Tiree and left fer there the same time we came here. His son, left o'er land wi' the MacDougall's and the rest of my clan two days ago. They saw yer spies and waited till they left. They'll join wi' the English army who've been camped out of sight in the Saddle, behind the Five Sisters. By now, they've amassed and are marching fer the bridge intae Donan. Grayson, there's no chance tae get there in time tae stop it. It would take a stroke from the hand of God tae do anything about it." Iain told him, the look of hopelessness on his face, his eyes trying to assure him of the truth, as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

Grayson looked at Iain with a searching look, trying to decide the truth of his words. He looked away, imagining the scene there. A defiance rose in him and he shook Iain's hand from his shoulder and pulled him up with him as he rose. He looked in Iain's eyes and told him with determined strength. "We sail now, Robert is ready tae ride wi' our army and wi' ha'e a few things tae surprise them wi'." Grayson told him, putting his hand on Iain's shoulder and walked him from the room, leaving no more room for discussion.

Grayson called for the leaders of the clans to join him and told them what Iain had relayed. The look of shock and horror came across a few faces, while others turned to rage. Hastily they made plans and the men were soon readied within the hour. Iain and his men returned to their birlinn and sailed with the other clans, making their way out of Loch Moidart and up the Sound of Sleat. Arabella looked at her cousin, Robert, as he mounted his horse and came to him.

"Robert, ride hard and fast tae Donan. God gi'e us the chance tae save them and return ye tae me. Yer like a brother tae me, Robert, my heart could'ne take yer loss." she told him, as she held his hand and then kissed it, before letting him go.

"No tae worry, Arabella. We'll save Donan and I'll be back tae celebrate the victory. Yer like a sister tae me, Bella, the one I ne'er had. Take care of Jacob fer me, he's my only son and I'm all he has. Will ye do that fer me?" Robert asked her, his feelings for her clearly showing.

"Aye, of course I will. Now ride, Robert, fer the MacDonald's, fer the MacDonnell's and Donan and most of all, fer the highlands of Scotland."

Robert drew his sword and raised it high and shouted loudly. "Fer Scotland. Save no souls, break no promises."

The men heard him and shouted it together, as they raised swords and arms in response.

Arabella watched with heavy heart, as those she loved and cared for, rode and sailed

away to an uncertain destiny. When everything was calm again, she walked into the castle and into her chambers, kneeling by her bed and praying with all her heart to God to save those she loved and spare her more grief from loss.

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Argus finished there, as Tavish came back smiling and feeling relieved.

"I told them everything tae the point where they're sailing fer Donan, Tav. Do ye want tae pick it up from there?" Argus asked him.

"I think Stuart can take it from there, Argus. I'd like tae take a wee break from the telling fer a bit, if that's okay?" he told him and looked to Stuart.

"Aye, no problem, Tav. I remember what happened from there." he told him, seeing his usual high spirits had left him, wondering if Argus' news was weighing heavily on him.

Stuart left the thought dwindling in his mind, as he recalled the events that followed.

"As ye know, MacRae and his men, along wi' the Earl's men, had made their way tae Donan, long before our clans started out. Robert led the cavalry at close to a full gallop for a third of the distance, before he slowed pace to let the horses wind down and not kill them, before they even got there. As much as the urgency tae get there weighed on them, they knew they had tae pace the horses and save them fer the battle. Ye can'ne fight a war on a dead horse. The birlinns had just made it out of Moidart, when the sound of cannon fire was heard. They knew it was tae close tae be coming from Donan, so the oars were set tae hard by the men, two per oar, making all haste towards the roar." he started off, seeing the look of rapt attention on everyone's faces, except Tavish, who seemed to be far off in his thoughts.