Hiding Katherine by GG Shalton (most difficult books to read txt) 📕

Daniel searched each store in the village for the third time. Where was his mother? Dorian’s men had split up looking for her. An uneasy feeling surrounded him, but Daniel pushed it to the side. After several attempts of asking shop owners, Daniel frantically approached the town’s people desperately asking if they had seen her. Finally, an old woman appeared walking around the corner. She heard his pleas and came up to his side. “Did the woman you are looking for have blond hair?”

Daniel nodded. “Yes, she has long blond hair.”

“I spoke to a woman with that description a few hours ago, quite a beauty. But she must be too young to be your mother.”

“Please, if you could tell me where she is, I will pay you.”

The old woman lifted her finger pointing to the open dirt road. “She needed some salve for her skin. I sent her to the healer’s hut about a mile down the road over the bridge.”

Daniel dug a coin out of his satchel and put it into her palm. He ran to Dorian relieved to have some news. “She is at the healer’s down the road about a mile. I will go and get her.”

Dorian grabbed his shoulders. “Wait! It may be a trap. I inquired around the village and it seems there were some English soldiers here last night, who all have seemed to disappear this morning. According to inn’s owner, they inquired about you.”

“Me? Why?”

“Apparently, they overheard me using your name to get rooms for us last night.” He let out a breath of frustration rubbing the back of his neck. “I knew we were too close to the border to stop last night. If it weren’t for that storm, we would have never stayed. I will gather the men and we will proceed with caution. Katherine should have been back by now.”

“Let’s hurry.” Daniel ran and mounted his horse with Dorian close behind. They spoke to the men and split up to hide between trees as they came over the hill. After they climbed down, they could see the bridge had collapsed and several horse tracks were at the healer’s hut. They called out for the healer, but no one came. They could not cross the water but saw pieces of an English tartan that was lying on the ground. A sinking feeling came across his stomach acknowledging his worse fears. The English had his mother.

“I must go after her.” He paced with his horse up and down the bank of the creek looking for a way across.

“Daniel! Even if we can get across, they have at least a two-hour head start and will be at the border in a few more hours. We can’t cross into England without reinforcements. I must go back to my keep and gather more men. I will send a missive for more clans to help.”

“I have an army—I am the Earl of Barragan.”

Dorian grabbed Daniel’s reins. “Listen to me, Daniel! Your army is spread out and under the king’s orders. Not quite at your disposal right now. It would take too much time to gather them and get the king’s permission to go after your mother. Your best course is to let me get some men and help you. Granted, many clans will not help us due to your family’s support of the king, but I can call in some favors.”

Daniel’s heart pounded. “I will go alone if I need too.”

Dorian met his eyes. “Be smart, Daniel. Your mother is English and when they find this out, they may just let her go. You are a good fighter, but you are only sixteen.”

James came up beside him. “I will help you too. But my father is right, we must be smart, Daniel.”

“Something is not right. If they asked about me, then they know my mother and that she is half English. I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I, but you will get yourself killed if you go after her now. Let’s get some more men and be smart. Your father would want you to carry on his legacy.”

The thought of his father gave him a moment to pause. The man taught him that being a soldier was more than physical strength—it was mental too. He would not disappoint him and agreed to go with Dorian.

The men traveled the next few days relentlessly and finally made it to Dorian’s keep. Deanna was waiting with Katherine’s children to welcome them home. She ran to hug Dorian and Daniel’s sisters ran to hug him. Deanna searched the men and the horses coming in the keep.

“Where is Katherine? Where is my sister?”

Dorian reached for her. “Calm down. I believe she is still alive.”

“Did the rebels…? Did Ian hurt her?”

“No. She was able to get Daniel released, but as we were traveling back, we came to a village. I think the English may have taken her.”

Deanna’s face turned white. “English? What are you saying?”

“I feel at fault, Deanna. I made some inquiries to stay at an inn during the storm, but they had no rooms and were full of English soldiers. We were close to the border, but still in Scotland, so I tried to use Daniel’s title for a room, but they claimed to have none. We stayed in caves a few miles away. But when we returned to the village the next morning, Katherine went to a healer’s hut outside of town. We believe she was taken by the English there.”

“Why would she be taken?” Her mind raced and suddenly she spurted out, “Oh, no!” Suddenly, she took off running.

Daniel looked at Dorian, and he looked at James confounded by her behavior. Deanna went inside the castle as everyone stood stunned at her reaction. A few moments later, she returned and had a rolled parchment in her hand.

“Daniel, this came for you last night. It’s from England, my family. I almost opened it but didn’t want to intrude.”

Daniel looked at the parchment in her hand as all eyes were