A handful of men had gathered in the small space in front of the stables of the Keep, as the sun began setting afore the horizon. The night's cold fingers had begun to spread it's touch throughout the people, and it was the reason why the few whom Connor had chosen to go with them were wrapped up extra tightly in black shirt, tunics, and minimal armor to prevent excessive noise being made as they snuck into the Kincaid clan's lands. Connor and Hammond themselves were tightening the straps on the saddles of their horses, double checking the knives and claymores they had strapped to themselves, when the side door leading to the insides of the Keep burst open, and out waddled Evie, followed and held up by a worried looking Amhuinn, whose pace matched Evie with her usual, uneven gait.
Connor didn't miss a beat, and headed straight for his wife. The two shared soft murmurs meant only for each other's ears soon enough, which left Amhuinn looking at the rest of the men, and then turning her gaze to Hammond, who had rested his gaze on her with amusement. "I know why Evie is here, but is it too much to hope ye had come to see me off?" he tried to ease.
Not used to the kind of teasing Hammond often dished out, Amhuinn's cheeks blushed, but she scowled at the reaction, much to the redheaded laird's surprise. "Dinna think too much of it, Laird. I simply... wish fer yer safe return. It does guarantee my brother's safe return too, technically."
While he could not say he did not expect a scathing reply coming from her, especially since they have hardly known each other for a few days, it would also be a lie should Hammond say he did not feel the slightest bit disappointed at her less than warm reaction to him. After the evening of dancing and him discovering a different side to Amhuinn, the day in the keep had been pretty uneventful. He had spent the whole morning ensconced with Connor coming up with plans, and then the rest of the afternoon going over drills and trainings with a few of the men they had picked to come with them. In between, they had grabbed lunch and Hammond had seen to a few clansmen who had particularly urgent problems which needed his counsel.
But even at mealtimes, she had not been around. Only after he had queried Mrs. Griselda, was he notified that Gillian had brought her out to seek out herbs to be able to help Evie and also to tend to a few smaller ailments that had popped up around the clan. The knowledge of her being a healer was new to him, although somehow he had not been surprised.
Deciding to let it slide, he looked over at the married couple, and gave a wry grin at how Evie held on to Connor. Not that his first-in-command was doing anything to push the other away. "I sometimes think they would be happier just glued to each other's sides." he tried to joke.
Amhuinn looked over at where they were, and Hammond was surprised to find a tender smile come out instead. "At least tis proof that Commander Gilroy is truly concerned for his wife."
"Are married couples not supposed ter be in love?" Hammond returned his own sentiment. He knew of the arranged marriages that took place in England. Heck, Evie almost got caught in one, had Fabian Rothesay not been just as much of a romantic as Evie was. While he believed in love though, he simply had thought that he's always had no time for it. Amhuinn cocked a wry grin. "Not always."
Her mysterious reply left Hammond questioning, but she offered no further insight, and merely took  a step back. "Be careful, Laird MacKenzie. I dinna wish to have to go and save ye both instead."
---
The darkness as the sun set provided the exact cover Connor and Hammond were aiming for, as they got off their horses, leaving the steeds tethered to a nearby forest area, and then advanced towards the looming castle. The largest, most imposing structure towered above the rest of the smaller cottages and hut littered around the castle structure. In the darkness, it looked gray even in the dim moonlight, with two tall turrets on either side. From where they crouched in the ridge that faced the Kincaid lands, the MacKenzie warriors could spy a few moving shadows that patrolled the top of the towers. The main gate leading into the castle was barred shut.
"How are we supposed ter enter?" Connor whispered hushedly to Hammond. Both were in black, from head to toe. Hammond had strapped two daggers on either of his ankles, and a claymore was tightly tied against his back. Similarly, Connor too was sprawled on his stomach, with the two quickly calculating and weighing out options for their entrance.
"How long do we have till dawn?" Hammond asked.
Connor looked up. "Approximately 6 hours. Did Amhuinn mention where her brother was?"
"Nae, but I suspect tis either in the galleys, or in the dungeons." the laird replied.
Summoning one of the smaller sized men they had with them, Hammond quickly explained his plan to the one they called Tristan. "Enter, and try as quickly as ye could to see if ye can find oot where they keep Tamhas Kincaid. There should be whispers around ye, keep an ear out."
Sending the young but eager boy, Connor then called over another one, who had sandy hair and a bright pair of green eyes. "Isaac, go and find oot the lay of the land. See if we have any other escape routes, if one fails."
Watching the two escape, the laird and his first in command, along with the other handful of men crouched in the shadows, biding their time. It felt like an eternity before Tristan returned, with Isaac following quickly behind them. Both were light on their feet, their voices breathless but accomplished as they reported to Hammond. "I dinna hear anything aboot Tamhas Kincaid, but I did find out the side galleys are unmanned, at least from the outside, laird. They are locked, but I think tis an easy job fer us ter pick it."
"We may not have to, actually." Isaac started, grinning impishly as the other's stared at him in wonder. "I was going around the area, and heard scuffling in the stables. They dinna sound like usual horses, so I peeked in and saw someone gagged and bound against a pillar. I wasna sure if tis Tamhas Kincaid, but we can go and take a look."
Connor and Hammond exchanged looks. While it may not sound plausible, but why not. Hammond took the decision, and nodded. With a few quick gestures to his men, the dozen or so black cladded MacKenzie men spread out to watch for danger, while Connor and Hammond started towards the Kincaid lands, led by young Isaac MacKenzie. The silence was unnerving, but required for their mission. They waved between houses, careful not to step on any broken twig or crash into anything, finally making it to the stables Isaac had guided them to. "He's inside, laird." the young men pointed as they approached.
Hammond gave a grim nod. "Tis all good. We can take it from here, ye go on and look fer the rest of them. Dinna come unless I call for any of ye."
Watching to make sure no harm came to the boy, the two of them only approached the stables once Isaac was out of sight. Sure enough, they heard scuffling in the darkness. The two exchanged looks, and Connor drew out his claymore as precaution. Hammond pushed the doors open, cringing when it creaked, and the scuffles stop. They paused to let their eyes adjust to the darkness, before Hammond called out. "Tis Tamhas Kincaid in there?"
A muffled scream came, and Hammond quickly placed a hand on his lips to signal for the bound man to be silent. As his gaze shifted to be able to see in the darkness, Hammond's heart leapt to his throat. The streaked blond hair similar to Amhuinn's locks were matted with blood against the forehead and the back of his head. And the longer he struggled, the more flood seeped out from somewhere upon his body, soaking the hay beneath him even more with the crimson liquid. Even take in a deep breathe, Hammond could sense the metallic tang in the air, showing just how long he had been bleeding out. In fact, the laird was surprised that he still moved, considering how pale he looked.
"Dinna move so much. Yer losing too much bluid." Hammond hushed, as he and Connor surged forward. The commander lay his claymore on the ground, and began to work on the binds behind his arms, whilst Hammond gingerly took off the gag. "Who are ye?" his ragged breath of the captive asked, the moment the bound came off.
"Hammond MacKenzie. I chanced upon ye and yer sister last year, in the woods. Remember?" Hammond reminded as he began work on the ankles bindings. "Amhuinn came to ask fer help. She asked us to get ye back."
"She's too worried aboot everything." Tamhas replied, his blue eyes dull as his head lolled. It appeared as if he's used all his energy in his struggles to get out of the bindings. "Have ye seen a way in the castle?"
"We dinna bother, once our scout found ye here. Let's go." Connor murmured, once the bindings fell. The dark warrior picked up his claymore with one hand, and moved to hold Tamhas up from under his arms with the other. Much to the two's surprise however, Tamhas vehemently shook his head, and tried to get his arm out of Connor's firm grasp. "Nae, I came here to procure something. I canna return withoot it. Ammi would be disappointed."
"I think she'd be more then disappointed if we returned with yer body, Mister Tamhas. We have to go." Hammond reminded. Tamhas however, appeared as stubborn and as headstrong as his sister. Before any of the two could stop the injured man,he had yanked his arm out from energy Hammond suspected came from pure adrenaline, and started towards the exit of the stables.
Unable to just stand and watch him walk to his death, Hammond caught up and held the stumbling Tamhas up again. "What is this treasure ye speak of? Where is it? I will bring me men in, but ye have to go. Yer in no condition to fetch anything."
"In the first floor bedroom near the windows. In the bed. Adair MacCallan." Tamhas spoke in choppy blocks, blood sapping his energy. When he mentioned the name however, Hammond paused, shocked. Did he mean a husband? The idea somehow shot a cold thought through him.
"Is it.. is it a husband of yer sister? Is he held captive as well?" Hammond couldn't help asking. Connor raised a wry brow at his friend, but the redhead laird ignored him.
Tamhas gave a dry laugh, and shook his head. "Isna her husband. Tis her son."
The words immediately shot a cold arrow at Hammond. She had a son? Before he had the chance to process the information, Tamhas stumbled and almost fell had Connor not have a firm grip on his upper arm. They had no time to process, and if he wanted to help them, Hammond knew he had to get everyone out, or the two siblings would be stuck back at square one again.
"Connor, bring Tamhas with ye ter the horses and get him back as quick as possible. I'll go fetch the young boy." Hammond instructed
"Alone, Hammond? Tis dangerous, is it not?" his commander asked skeptically.
"We dinna have a choice Connor, like so many times before. Just go." Hammond commanded, recalling Tristan's report of the side door to the galleys being locked but unmanned. Watching as Connor led the injured Tamhas away by moonlight, Hammond squared his jaw, and headed towards the heavy side doors. One look assured him the noise they would make should he push them open would possibly echo loudly. He knew he shouldn't use these doors, and glanced upwards. The windows? But how was he supposed to go up in the first place?
"Well, there's always a first time for everything, Hammond MacKenzie." he muttered to himself, strapping his claymore to his back again. Hooking his fingers on the small gap between the bricks, he heaved himself up, wincing as he felt the gravel stick themselves against his skin, digging into his veins. The window was not a long way up, but with no grip, it was proving difficult for someone whose bulk was as large as Hammond. Even the cold Highland winds did nothing to prevent the perspiration that broke out on his brows. With each grip up, he grunted, his fingers slipping a few times on the sparse gap he had to hold his grip.
He cursed under his breathe, huffing by the time his fingers grasped the sill, and he managed to pull himself up. The redhead took a second to catch his breathe, before trying the lock on the window. The cross grilled window seemed to be latched shut, but nothing Hammond MacKenzie couldn't handle. He flipped up his pantaloons, and slid the dagger out of his boot. Slipping the blade in between sill and slipped it up, satisfaction curling his lips in a smirk when he heard the click, and the window loosened on it's hinge.
"Now, what did he say... servant's quarters? That's..." he muttered to himself as he swung his legs in, and landed softly on the bricked hallway. His eyes peered curiously at the sparse corridor, with dimly lit sconces. They were so sparsely spread out that they barely did anything to light up the corridor. The stone walls made the chill even worst, sending shivers right down Hammond's spine as he crept softly down the hallway, realizing that, with luck, he had crept in a window on the first floor. Now the question was, which room had Tamhas spoken of?
The question wrinkled his brows, as his eyes wandered curiously to the three doors which were tightly closed. Trying his luck, he pushed open the first door, and was greeted with sheets pulled upon a sleeping body of a naked lady twined around another equally naked man. He started, pausing in his movements, and quickly but quietly backed away, shutting the door with a huff. 'What kind of keep does this MacCallan fellow run?'Â Hammond wondered, gulping at the sight he had seen. While he was no virgin male of thirty one, he preferred to keep his bedsport fairly out of the public sight.
Deciding to try further, he crept down the hallway, and pushed open the door, a grin spreading across his face when he noticed a sandy head peeping out of the sheets. Stepping on the stone floor, Hammond paused. How was he supposed to take a boy obviously under the card of the Laird of the Kincaid clan out of his own home and land? If he was to be technical about it, he was kidnapping the boy. 'Wait, if this young lad happens to be Amhuinn's son.... who is the father?'
The moonlight casted a dreamy light on the boy's sleeping face. His cheeks were pronounced, with a pair of lips slightly agape in his sleep. The sandy head of hair was a tad bit lighter then Amhuinn's brunette streaked ones, but the boy had a high nose similar to the lass he now kept in his own keep. Would he kidnap a boy, when he didn't even know if the siblings spoke the truth? Afterall, there had to be a reason why they were exiled, and if they were even lying in the first place.
'Would she lie?' Hammond wondered, as the draft picked up again. The boy stirred in his sleep then, muttering intelligible words. The laird turned the question over in his head, and was surprise at the conclusion he came up with. He found it very difficult to believe that Amhuinn would lie. Hammond wasn't sure if it was his gut feeling, or was he simply in denial, but he really wanted to believe that the blue-eyed maiden in his keep was worth what he was doing, even if it meant raining the wrath of another clan down on his own clan.
With the decision made, he leaned in to scoop the small child in his arms, which to no surprise, woke him up with a start. "Hey! Who are ye, what are ye doin'?!" the young lad immediately started fussing in a loud voice.
"Hush lad. Yer mother wanted to see ye, and I'm here to bring ye to her." Hammond tried to hush, not releasing his grip on the young boy who stared at him, dumbfounded in his pants and shirt.
"I have no mother! I dinna need one, lemme go! Lemme go!" with each syllable, the boy's words climbed louder and louder, and Hammond had no doubt that he had definitely stirred up whoever remained in the Keep. He knew he had to go then and there. Not heeding the boy's struggles and loud shouts, Hammond hitched him over his shoulders, and dashed out into the hallway, only to be met by the exact man he had caught naked in bed just a scant five minutes ago, now in the hallway with a sheet wrapped around his waist, shouting when he saw Hammond come out.
With his escape route through the window now dashed with the man standing between him and the window, Hammond cursed loudly, and dashed the other way. He half ran, half jumped down the stairwell leading to the ground floor, heading directly for the main door. Heavy as they are, Hammond found himself held up when the latch upon the main door were heavy, too heavy for him to lift one handed by himself.
"Where do ye think yer going with young Master Adair! Get back here!" a well dressed man appeared, quite unlike the naked one he saw up above. With a plaid in Kincaid colors around his waist, Hammond knew at one glance that he was probably the guard on duty, and took a quick decision to dash into yet another room, wishing for a window.
When the doorway opened to a cavernous hall decorated with the Kincaid colors, Hammond didn't know if he should crow in success or curse further. The dining hall of the Kincaid castle was lined with windows, but from where he stood, Hammond was at least fifty feet away from the nearest one, and with a struggling boy upon his shoulder, he wasn't too sure if he would make it in time to push the window open and escape his pursuers.
Not that he had a choice. When Hammond turned his neck and saw that four other men, including the now dressed male from the first floor had joined the previous guard, he just took off as quick as his feet would carry him. He managed to get to the window, just ten or so paces before his pursuers, but cursed again when the window proved to be lock. "God's teeth, stop yer squirming laddie!" Hammond roared, as he finally got it out, managing to push the boy out just as a hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.
His instincts kicked in as adrenaline rushed, and Hammond reacted immediately by rolling his shoulders, simultaneously drawing his claymore out from the straps it was binded against, while knocking the one who grabbed him off of him. Not really paying attention to what had happened to the boy, Hammond focused on fending off attacks, trying to find a window where he could slip out of the opening he had behind him.
"Hammond, duck!"
The voice had came out of nowhere, but his easy recognition of the owner of the voice made him react immediate as instructed, ducking just in time to avoid the twin daggers whistling through to strike both assailants closes to him down as they writhed in pain. Caught surprised by the sudden flying daggers, the other's were stunned, and Hammond took the chance to jump out of the window. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the squirming lad was now held firmly by Tristan, and Connor motioned at him, throwing the reins of his horse at him. "Let's go, quick!"
"How did ye know what was happening?" Hammond asked breathlessly, as they all  kicked into motion, getting away as quick as possible as lights began blazing around the Kincaid castle.
"I didn't." Connor retorted without looking. They both leaned low in the saddles, letting the steeds have their heads as the rest of the MacKenzie's closed ranks around them, some firing arrows backwards to slow the Kincaid's approach. "I just figured yer gonna need some backup, and was just in time ter see the lad tumble oot of the window."
"And that's why yer my commander." Hammond smirked, laughing as they dashed away, their head start soon allowing them to leave the pursuers in the dust as they made their way back.