Braden: A Seventh Son Novel (McClains Book 3) Read online

  “That seems to be what we are doing here. Starting our own,” Robert said softly. “We will see how it goes, and you will receive help on the morrow whether you think you need it or not. The stronger you start out, the less will be willing to fight you. That is the hope anyway.”

  Braden nodded. “All right. We will make it through this.”

  “Aye, we will.” Katerina moved over to Braden and linked her fingers with his. “We are all together on this.”

  Braden brought her fingers to his lips, kissing them softly. “I know I can do anything with you at my side,” he said softly.

  The others made their excuses and left, and Katerina told Braden how very frightened she was by the situation they faced. “This is a clan made up of misfits and men who have no rules. I worry that one will do something when you are not looking.”

  “We will do our best. It is all we can do.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and held him, hoping it would not be the last time. She was almost as worried for their safety in Scotland as she had been in England.

  The following morning came too quickly for Katerina. She woke in Braden’s arms, as he was starting to stir. “Is it time already?” she asked softly.

  “It is. I need to get ready for this first fight. I do not look forward to it.”

  “You will not wear your armor?”

  “Armor would do no good. It would slow me down. With hand-to-hand combat, much of the battle is made up of speed. I will do better without.”

  She knelt on the bed watching him dress, wearing nothing but a nervous look. “How can I help you?”

  “Sit with my mother and grandmother and keep them from worrying too much. That is all I can ask or expect of you.”

  Katerina nodded, getting out of bed to dress. “We need to get me a dress that does not look so English.”

  “Aye, we do. The people will not accept us until we look, talk, and act like them. I pray that we can take care of all of that very soon.”

  She walked to him and wrapped her arms around him. “Stay safe. I need you in one piece.”

  “I will come back to you. We need to have our seven sons, after all.”

  His words reminded her that she could already be expecting a child. “Aye, we do. Your parents would never forgive me if we stopped short of the goal.” She grinned at him, stepping back to pull on her shift. She worried, but she could not let it show too much. She did not want him thinking about her when he should be concentrating on his opponent.

  After a quick meal, they joined his parents and grandparents in front of the keep. The clansmen were slowly starting to gather as well, and one of the men stepped forward. He looked very strong to Katerina, and she worried if he was the weakest what their strongest would look like.

  As she looked around at the other men gathered, she realized he was the strongest-looking. Mayhap Mungo had told Braden that he would start by fighting the weakest to make him worry about what was to come.

  The two men stepped forward and Mungo counted down for them to start their fight. Braden and the other man circled each other, and the other man went for Braden’s middle. With a flick of Robert’s finger, the man missed and went sprawling on the ground, surprising everyone watching. He got back to his feet, and with one punch from Braden, the man went flying, falling onto his back with the wind knocked out of him. He did not get back up.

  Mungo stared at Braden in shock. “The first round goes to our laird!” He said the words first in English and then in Gaelic. “We will meet here on the morrow for the second challenger.”

  Braden looked at his father and frowned. That had been too easy, and he did not want anyone to suspect that there was magic at play. He prayed that no one would notice the champion had barely been touched.

  He went back into the keep with Katerina, watching as his parents and grandparents went off in their own directions. He would talk to them that evening about letting him at least do a little fighting. He had not even done enough to scrape his knuckles.

  After praying with his wife to thank God for his help in combat, he went to see Mungo and find out what else was on the agenda for the day.

  Katerina joined Andrina in the kitchen and immediately started washing the dishes and giving the Gaelic word for each thing she touched. Then she went through and gave the Gaelic word for all the foods she could see. Andrina began to teach her more difficult words then. The woman still watched her oddly, but Katerina did not care. She was going to be as sweet as honey, while the woman acted like a viper.

  When Katerina left the keep after lunch to report to Lady Lina, she felt the whispers following her. She waved as she walked, being friendly with everyone she saw. She knew why people whispered, and she hoped that people would know her family was powerful and not be willing to cross them.

  When she reached Lina’s cottage, she knocked, hearing voices coming from inside. Alex let her in with a smile. “Your friend is here, and her baby is already much improved. I think we are carving out a place for ourselves here.”

  “That is good because it does not seem as if the people want us even now.”

  Arlene picked up her baby and hurried over to Katerina. She spoke in fast Gaelic, smiling at Katerina. Alex translated for her. “Thank you for taking the time to help my baby. I will be your friend always.”

  Katerina smiled and hugged the other girl. “I am glad Elspeth is getting better.”

  Arlene hurried away after the words were translated, and Katerina sighed. “I need to learn Gaelic more quickly. Andrina is teaching me words, but no phrases.”

  “We will work on some new phrases during supper tonight. We all need to be able to speak Gaelic fluently as soon as possible.”

  Lina started her lessons then, showing Katerina how to mix potions, and explaining how to diagnose and heal common ailments. Katerina was glad there were notes that would one day be hers, because all of the information was complicated. At least Lina had drawn a picture of each different plant, so Katerina would know what she was looking for when she hunted for ingredients.

  She had never imagined herself as a healer, but after a day of learning, she knew that it was her future. She could feel it inside her. Becoming a healer was no longer just something she would do for her clan. It was something she would do because she knew it was the best way for her to feel fulfilled and happy.

  Chapter Eight

  The second day of the fighting, it was obvious that Mungo had lied. They had started with the strongest opponent and were gradually going to weaker ones. Four men had backed out of the fights after watching how Braden handled their first champion. On that second morning, Arlene was there, standing beside Katerina, Elspeth in her arms. She was obviously trying to show everyone there that she was on the side of the McClains.

  The fight lasted less than a minute again, and Arlene let her pleasure show. Then she did something that surprised Katerina. She told the others how the new family had come and saved her baby. She told how Katerina had become her friend. And she told them that they had a new laird, and they should be pleased about this.

  Alex softly translated everything that was said for his family, and Katerina hugged her friend when he finished. “Thank you,” she said softly in Gaelic. It was one of the few phrases she knew.

  The smile she was given in reward for her efforts to learn the language sent a feeling of peace through her. Mayhap the entire clan was not ready for them to take over, but one at a time, they were changing their minds.

  Katerina again spent the afternoon with Lina, and several sick people came to see her, including the man who had been defeated in his fight with Braden that morning. The man spoke halting English.

  “Laird strong. Good for clan.” He had a broken rib from Braden’s fist, and they quickly wrapped his ribs after putting a salve on it that would help his pain.

  “Braden is a good man,” Katerina said softly.

  The man nodded as he left the cottage, obviously convinced that the new laird w
as the best man for the job. They had convinced two people. She had no idea how many more they had to convince, but she would be at Braden’s side for every bit of it.

  As soon as the man left, Alex nodded. “I do not like these challenges, but it seems that Braden is gaining more and more respect with each one.”

  “As he should,” Katerina said with a smile, getting back to her work. She only hoped most of the other men backed out of the challenges now that the two strongest had been beaten.

  Supper that night was a bit of a celebration. Mungo and Andrina were both impressed with Braden’s strength and skills, and they both seemed more respectful. To Katerina, it had felt like they would never give Braden the respect he deserved.

  Braden drank another one of the potions his grandmother made after supper, but he felt like they were unnecessary. “I am not even a little bit injured from the first two fights.”

  “How many men still want to fight you?” Robert asked. “Has Mungo told you?”

  “He said it was down to five men left,” Braden responded with a smile. He was glad their plan was working so quickly. “I do not enjoy the fights, but I think there are more clansmen willing to follow me every day. These fights are convincing them of my strength.”

  Katerina shook her head. “Why do not they realize that there is more to a leader than whether or not he can knock someone to the ground. A real leader has to be smart and think on his feet.”

  “Aye, he does. And soon they will see that I can do that too.” Braden ran his hands up and down Katerina’s arms, trying to calm her. “I promise you that we are going to change this clan into a real one. They will be happy for my leadership before they know what is happening to them.”

  Once they were in bed together, Katerina scooted closer to Braden. “I hate these fights, but I agree that they are making your leadership much stronger.”

  “They are,” he said softly. “I just wish they did not worry you so much.”

  “Of course they worry me. I do not want to see you hurt.” She pressed a kiss to his chest, stroking her hand over his shoulder.

  “Grandmother said people are coming to her for healing now. And the speech your friend made this morning made people think. You could see it on their faces.”

  Katerina nodded. “I think Arlene did much for our cause. I wish all of the people would realize that our cause is their cause. You have leadership experience, and you have been trained to take over an army your entire life. Not to mention your ability to grow plants with your mind…”

  “If we have to tell them of the powers the family has, we will. I would rather lead them without powers though. What if our seventh son does not have the powers my father and I do? The powers never appeared before father, so they could disappear just as fast. If that happened, and the clan only followed because we had powers, then where would that leave him as a leader?”

  She sighed. “You are right. I just do not want you to have to keep fighting. It seems silly to me.”

  “I think if the fights stopped now, I would not be given the respect I will get in the end.”

  She nodded sleepily. “Then we will go on as we have been, and very soon all of this will just be a dreadful memory.”

  There were two more days of fighting before all the men who wanted to challenge Braden were either satisfied or had backed out. Once the fights were over, Braden declared a day of feasting. The entire clan was part of it, and many of the women made an effort to meet Katerina for the first time.

  Alex still had to translate for her, but she realized she was picking up bits and pieces of the conversations. The feeling of celebrations filled the village, and Katerina was pleased. She knew they were accepted now.

  When Alex asked to meet with the family that night before bed, Braden and Katerina weren’t sure what to expect. When Alex started speaking, they were all surprised at what they heard. “My luck worked for all of us today,” he said softly. “I was on my way to the outhouse during the celebration, and I overheard two men talking. I never saw their faces, and they did not realize I was there, which is a good thing. They were talking about killing Braden while he slept. We are going to have to take turns guarding him for a while, until we find out who it is that is trying to kill him.”

  Braden sat down and rubbed his hands over his face. “Why? I thought the people were finally accepting all of us.”

  “I think most of the people are, which is one of the reasons you are a target. They do not want you to become leader and be a popular leader.” Alex shook his head. “I really thought we were close to being ready to lead the clan, and then I hear this.”

  Katerina stared at her husband. “Maybe we should move on. Find a place where people do not hate us and start over there.”

  Braden shook his head. “Absolutely not. I have worked too hard to gain the trust of the people here, and there is no reason at all for these people to hate me. I have earned the right to be laird between the crops, the fighting, and the leadership they have already seen from me. I am not backing down.”

  “I was afraid you would say that.” Katerina looked at his mother. “Do you agree with me or with him?”

  “You, but I understand how he feels. We will have to just be careful. There is no other choice.”

  Alex looked at Braden. “What men do you trust enough to guard you at night?”

  Braden thought for a moment and shook his head. “No one outside of this room.”

  Alex looked at Robert. “We will take turns guarding you then. We can each take four hours per night.”

  “What about me? I could stay up some nights as well.” Braden was more than willing to help find the men who wanted him dead.

  “There is no need,” Alex said. “We will be sure you are safe.”

  Braden looked at Robert and then back at Alex. “Grandfather, you are very old. Are you sure you are up to a fight like that?”

  Alex laughed. “I am stronger and more able than most men half my age. I will do fine.”

  Braden nodded. “Should I stay awake tonight?”

  Robert shook his head. “No, I will guard you tonight, son. We will not all three sleep at the same time until we know who it is who is conspiring against you.”

  After the others had left, Katerina shook her head. “With all the dangers in England, I wonder if mayhap it would have been the right choice to stay.”

  “It would not have. This is where we are supposed to be. I can feel it. Grandfather can feel it. We will work through these little problems and then we will be fine after that.”

  “I pray you are right,” Katerina said. “Only you would call men conspiring to murder you a ‘little problem.’ I worry for your sanity at times like this.”

  “I am surprised you do not worry for my sanity at all times,” Braden said with a grin. “I think I can grow plants with my touch after all.”

  She grinned and went into his arms, settling into bed beside him. It was hard to sleep with her worry that someone was trying to kill him, though.

  She finally fell asleep, her dreams filled with waking up to Braden’s throat being slit.

  After the noon meal, Katerina walked across the village to learn from Lina. She had meant to spend more time than she had meeting more of the women in the clan, but there just had not been time. As she walked past Arlene’s house, she was stopped, and she went into the cottage with her friend.

  Arlene held up a dress like her own and offered it to her friend. Katerina smiled and held it in front of her, wondering how it would look. She had no idea how to wear it, though, so she thanked her friend in Gaelic and went to leave.

  Arlene stopped her. She pulled at the shoulders of Katerina’s dress, letting her know she should undress and Arlene would help her.

  Katerina smiled and immediately unfastened her dress and dropped it to the floor. Arlene picked up the other dress and carefully showed her how to don it. When she was dressed, Arlene took a step back and looked at her, studying her carefully. Finally, s
he nodded with a smile and hugged her.

  Katerina thanked her again, hurrying out of the cottage, knowing she was going to be late for Lina. She was sure the older woman would understand when she saw her though.

  Alex opened the door and looked her up and down with a grin. “I think that is a big step toward acceptance here. The people need to see that we are willing to change our ways to be more like them. There is no doubt in my mind at all.”

  Katerina grinned. “Arlene gave me the dress and then helped me put it on. I did not even know how.”

  “It is very different from the garb we are used to wearing.” Lina looked at her with pride. “You do look wonderful in that, Katerina.”

  By the time she was finished with her lessons for the day, Katerina was dragging. “I am so tired. I do not know what my problem is.”

  “Is it possible you are expecting?” Lina asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

  “I do not think so. Not yet.” Katerina would love to have that excuse for her tiredness, but it was not possible for her to know she was expecting. They had only been in the new clan for two weeks. In another month she could know. “I did not sleep well after hearing about the threat on Braden.”

  “I can understand that.” Lina hugged Katerina. “I am happy that you care enough to lose sleep.”

  When she got back to the keep, Katerina found Braden in another discussion with Mungo. “Some of the men are not happy that you won all the challenges,” Mungo said.

  “Happy or not, I have fulfilled their requirements to be their laird. If they do not want to follow me, they can leave.” Braden knew his words were harsh, but they truly were not for the army. He had most of their support now. The words were for Mungo, for Braden suspected he was the man who wanted him dead. Without proof he could do nothing, but the other men were training hard and seemed happy to do so. They acted like they were happy to finally have a real leader—one who would unite them and train them to be a true army, who fought together.