The mood at Kilderrick was festive as the sun set. The smell of roast venison carried through the entire keep, ensuring that appetites were whetted. There was gossip aplenty about the arrival of Rafael and his men, as well as lively speculation over what that mercenary might do. As much as those in the company knew Rafael had been loyal to Maximilian in the past, his arrival at their gates with even part of the Compagnie Rouge aroused a frisson of uncertainty.
Ceara and Nyssa had moved from Morag’s hut in the forest into the keep after the Yule. The tale had been that their assistance was needed—Ceara to hunt and Nyssa to watch over Alys. But the idea had been Maximilian’s and now Ceara wondered whether he feared some retaliation for Godfroy’s death. The Laird of Kilderrick had not been a
