Page 113 of Captured by a Laird
“Empty the castle and hand yourself over,” Patrick shouted, “and I’ll release the two lasses.”
Neither side trusted the other, and David left it to Brian to argue the timing. In the end, it was agreed that the Humes would empty the castle first but that the gates would remain open until one girl was handed over.
David gave the order, and the Humes filed out. To ensure the agreement was followed, the Blackadder archers had arrows aimed at the girls’ hearts, while the Humes had arrows aimed at Patrick.
David was the last Hume to leave. The loss of this castle, which had been so important to him once, meant nothing compared to losing his brothers, his stepdaughters, and most of all, his wife.
Patrick and all but thirty of the Blackadders trooped into the castle. After conducting a search to make sure David had not left men hidden inside, Patrick appeared on the wall.
“Let one of them go,” Patrick called down.
Walter released Margaret. She ran across the thirty yards that separated the Humes and the Blackadders who remained outside the gate, straight into David’s arms.
He held her for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut, then handed her to Robbie. “Keep her hidden behind the men,” he said.
“Now for the moment of truth,” Patrick said in a loud voice. “Will the Beast give himself up for a useless lassie?”
Beatrix, who was still held by Walter, looked at David and shook her head. She was as brave as her mother.
“I’ve pledged to deliver your laird to the Council,” Patrick shouted to the Hume men. “But one wrong move, and we’ll kill both the lass and your laird.”
“Brian,” David whispered, “protect my family.”
“With my last breath,” Brian said. “I wish there was another way to do this.”
“A man has to die sometime.”
And if he must, dying to save those he loved was the best of reasons.
David took a deep breath. Then he did what he had vowed he would never do again.
Just as he had done when he entered Holyrood Palace with his father and uncle on the day they died, he ignored the prickle at the back of his neck and every instinct that told him to fight, and he disarmed himself.
He unstrapped his sword and handed it to Will. Then he removed the dirks from his belt and boot, and the hidden one strapped to his thigh. Finally, he pulled the ax from the back of his belt and dropped it on the ground.
Danger hung in the air and death awaited as he walked with steady steps toward his enemy. Two-thirds of the way across the divide, he halted. He stood alone and weaponless.
“Let the other lass go!” Brian’s voice rang out.
For an instant, David considered whether it was possible to fight, rather than give himself up. When Beatrix ran to him, could he protect her with his body until his men reached him? Nay, the risk of her being hurt was too great to attempt it.
Apparently, the Blackadders had considered this same possibility. Instead of releasing Beatrix as he had Margaret, Walter walked her across the divide to the Hume warriors with the point of his blade at her back.
David was surrounded by a dozen Blackadder warriors, who tied his hands behind his back and shoved him toward the gate. Up on the wall, the Blackadder archers still had arrows aimed at his heart. He looked over his shoulder and saw Beatrix pulled into the protection of the Hume warriors.
All of his family was safe. No matter what happened now, he had no regrets.
CHAPTER 46
Alison’s joy in embracing her daughters was bittersweet.
“Praise God I have ye back.” She broke down weeping as she held them.
“They’ve taken David,” Beatrix wailed.
“I know, I know,” Alison said, patting their backs. After they quieted, she asked, “How did the Blackadders manage to take ye from the castle without any of us knowing?”
“They didn’t take us from the castle,” Beatrix said.
