by Seoras Wallace (Author)
Edward Longshanks prepares to invade France and levies many Scots into his army against their will. Bishop Wishart of Glasgow sees and seizes an opportunity to drive the English usurpers army out of Scotland. He first sends a deputation into England with ransom monies to free Andrew Moray the younger and bring him home to Scotland. William Wallace attends, and the two young friends are reunited once again.
Upon the ransom deputations return to Scotland, Wishart plans to take advantage of the popularity of Wallace and Moray amongst the common folk of the realm, to foster national discontent, but his plans are thwarted by a series of unexpected and cruel events in the town of Lanark, when the son of the English Sherriff, Arthur de Hazelrigg, becomes besotted with the wife of Wallace, the maid, Marion Braidfuite.
Wallace, while returning to Lanark to be with his wife, is informed that the English baggage train of Sir Henry de Percy will be passing the nearby Loudoun hill, commanded by Lord Fenwick, the English knight personally responsible for the murder of his bond uncle Sir Malcolm Wallace the year before. Wallace knows that should he make this move to exact revenge, there will be no turning back. It is time for him to claim, "the Blood Tax..."