“Ho, she is right now, stuck in the process of coming down,” Joshua said, making Cain and Gideon look to the steps. “Not that way.” Joshua pointed toward the entryway. “She is climbing down from her window.”

“What?” Cain didn’t wait for further explanation but ran toward the entryway. He heard Gideon curse as he followed.

“I thought to assist, but ye told me to keep away from her,” Joshua yelled from his seat.

Cain grabbed the rough stone of the broad doorway as he rounded the corner, surging out into the morning air and turning immediately to the right where the tower rose four stories straight up. There were a half dozen soldiers underneath staring up, their arms out as if preparing to work together to catch the lass. “Let me through,” Cain commanded.

“Joshua said he would tell ye,” Keenan said, the men parting.

He looked up the smooth curve of the tower. Ella was halfway down, with what looked like strips from a blanket braided together and wrapped in a crossed hold around her back while her booted feet stepped down the curved granite. The blue gown was tucked around each leg, but part of it still hung down. Meow. The kitten was somewhere on her person and quite vexed.

“What the bloody hell are ye doing?” he yelled.

She stopped, one hand at her back where she held the rope as easily as if she sat on a swing. She frowned down at him. “Coming to breakfast.”

He stood below her with the rest of the onlookers, heart pounding in his chest. One slip and she could drop to the hard dirt of the bailey below. “We have stairs inside.”

She took another step down the wall, and his arms rose as if to catch her. “Stairs that are guarded.”

“Merida was about to bring something up.”

“I was hungry.” She yelled the words succinctly as if rebuking the wall. With a big inhale, she continued to step down while leaning back, letting out the long rope she’d braided as she went. She’d been busy last night.

Each step down seemed to take forever as he waited, his own arms out and ready. But she continued without fault, stubbornly lowering herself until the tips of Cain’s fingers could reach her.

Meow, the kitten called, but he still didn’t see it. “I will catch ye,” he said, his thick arms out and ready.

“I am fine on my own.”

He caught her around the waist anyway, pulling her into his arms, her back against his chest. “God’s teeth, Ella,” he cursed, guiding her feet to the earth and turning her toward him. “What the hell were ye doing?”