by Fiona Faris
He crept as quietly as he could through the tall grass. The element of surprise might be all he had to prevent harm from coming to her. Or to him. As he broke through the reeds, he saw what caused the lass to scream. She was standing on the edge of a small clear pond, and surrounding her were who Lucas guessed to be the three soldiers from Fergus’s barn.
How the bloody hell had they found them, Lucas thought. It must have just been their dumb luck. Perhaps they changed direction from where Fergus saw them ride off. None of that mattered now. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest. He was all that stood between Ella and certain death. Either by the soldiers’s hands or Evans. He hadn’t been able to help his father, but he was certainly not going to let Ella down.
Taking in all three, Lucas guessed the skinny one the furthest from Ella was probably Smith. He looked scrawny and too young to do any damage. That left the other two. If he moved quickly and his guess about Smith was correct, he may be able to take the other two down on his own. Ella had switched her position and now held firm against a small tree near the pond. She caught his eye, and he knew she saw him. Her screams became frantic and the soldiers move toward her. All three trying to quiet her, as if they could not handle the sound of a woman in distress. Then suddenly she surprised all of them by fainting. She fainted dead away. Smart lass, he thought as she made no outward movement to give away his position. If he fails in this there is no way Ella will make it out alive. After what the men said they would do to her back at the barn, he knew she would never make it back to Dunkeld. Rage begins to fill him. He looked around for any advantage he may have in the fight. He didn’t know if Ella still had the dirk she showed him in the barn, but he had to plan as if she didn’t. I’ll have to train the lass on how tae use it proper, if we get out of this alive, he thought.
He had to think. He wished he had known which of the three was which. The best chance they had of survival would be to cut off the head of the snake, and that would be Peters. But which one was Peters.
When he and his clan mates went into battle they would let out a yell, that when cried sounded like the banshees coming straight from hell. The goal was to knock the enemy off their game, and gain a small advantage in the fight. All three soldiers were now leaning over Ella trying their best to wake the sleeping beauty. This was Lucas’s only shot. Taking a deep breath, Lucas summoned all the strength in his lungs and heading for the largest soldier let out a loud and boisterous battle cry.
Lucas had the unique ability to slow down his surroundings when engaging in battle. He was able to see more clearly, anticipate his opponents moves, and counter strike with absolute certainty and this moment was no exception. His cry alerted the soldiers to his presence but they were unable to move as quickly as he knew they would have liked. He dove at the largest soldier driving his sword into the man’s back, and pulling up to release it. Barely registering when the man fell to the ground, dead. Turning to the next largest soldier, he recognized something of an intelligence in the man’s eyes. This must be Peters, the leader. Lucas misjudged, and now he had a tougher fight on his hands. Peters was at the ready with his sword and lunged for Lucas. No longer pretending to be out cold, Ella let out a terrified scream warning him to watch out, and he managed to dodge just in time, avoiding what could have been a devastating blow.
Peters lost control of his sword, and Lucas took advantage of the moment to knock the blade away from the man, but in the process lost his footing and his own blade. Now the two men were engaged in a hand to hand battle. Lucas was quickly getting winded. His injuries were slowing him down. He knew if any of his battle energy ebbed he would lose this fight. He refused to let it happen.
As quick as lightning, Lucas saw Peters take note of his bandages and before he had a chance to block the man’s assault, Peters punched Lucas in his side wound, knocking the wind right out of him, and driving him to the ground. Ella screamed again, but the pain kept Lucas from being able to continue.
“Well, looks like a mighty Highlander has a weakness,” Peters said, laughing and wiping the bloody spit from his face. Lucas watched barely registering what was happening as Peters picked up his sword. Peters stood over him, and Lucas felt a wave of despair wash over him. He was unable to protect Ella, he had lost this battle. He only wanted to see her face. Please, he thought. Let the last thing I see on this goodly earth be the lass’s face.
He frantically scanned the area and he couldn’t see her. Could the third soldier, Smith, have grabbed her in the scuffle and made off with her? As quickly as the thought entered his mind, he heard her wail at the top of her lungs, and looking up at Peters saw a look of shock come over the soldier’s face. Blood pooled at his center as he fell to the ground beside Lucas, dead. Standing above him with a sword in her hand and a look of fright in her eyes stood Ella.
Ella collapsed to her knees dropping Lucas’s sword beside her. She had just killed a man. She, Ella Pearson, actually took a blade and used strength she hadn’t known she possessed to run Peters through. She watched him fall, lifeless. Tears begin to pool in her eyes, when Lucas jumped up and grabbed her into a tight embrace.
“He was going to kill you...” she said. She had to do it. There was no choice, had she not intervened he would be dead.
“Shh now, sweet lass. I cannae begin to ken how ye did it, but thank ye for savin’ my life,” he whispered into her hair as he rocked her back and forth. She gripped him tightly. Running her hands up and down his body checking him for new wounds.
“Are you hurt again, Lucas?” she said through tears.
“Nae, lass. Just a few bumps and scrapes is all,” he said, planting soft kisses in her hair. “But ye need tae stay put. One of the men got away, we need tae find him, before he gets word back to Evans.”
“No Lucas, don’t leave me, please!” Ella cried. It was unlike her to be so afraid of being left, but the fear of being dragged back to Evans was all consuming. Lucas was the only thing that stood between her and that horrible fate. She couldn’t bear to be apart from him. Nor could she fathom what could happen to him if confronted and forced into another battle. She saw the blood seeping through his bandage, and knew she needed to change the dressing as soon as possible to help him avoid another infection. She was also terrified that if he left her the soldier would return.
“Hush now lass, twill only be a moment while I check the wood,” he replied, slowly and painfully getting up and pushing her back into the tree, wrapping her in the plaid and moving the brush around to offer some form of protection. The idea of being separated from Lucas was frightening, but he was headstrong, and she agreed that if the other soldier, Smith, was still lurking around he needed to be found.
“Please Lucas, if you find him, don’t kill him. There has been enough blood spilled today,” she implored.
“Lass, I promise I willnae kill him if I find him. But I fear ye are in shock, lass, please dinnae fash over it. I will be back,” he said, calmly, kissing her on the forehead.
Ella watched as Lucas disappeared into the forest. Shaking from head to toe she worried Lucas was right, and she was in some sort of shock. She stared up at the clouded grey sky. All of the color of the day had faded and the weary cold of autumn was settling in. She wrapped herself tighter in Lucas’s plaid, hoping it wouldn’t rain before Lucas had a chance to return and they could leave this place. It smelled of him and that calmed her a little bit, but the worry that more of Evans’s men would be soon coming still gnawed at her. She had no idea how much of the day had passed, it was early morning when she first came upon the pond, but everything after that happened in a blur. Without the sun it was impossible to tell, but by the look of the sky she guessed it was late in the afternoon.
Her thoughts turned dark as the time crept on and there was no sign of Lucas returning. What if he didn’t come back for her? It was entirely possible he had had enough of the endless trouble that swirled around her. She couldn’t say she would blame him if he decided to continue on without
her, but what would she do? She would be alone and left to fend for herself. She had done it before when she left the carriage and found Fergus and Sarah, but did she have the courage and strength to do it again? She had come to rely on him so much, and even though she was hurt when he told her he wanted to send her to France, and the thought of leaving him stung, deeply, but after she saved his life he wouldn’t just leave her alone in the woods to fend for herself. Would he?
A rustling sound in the greenery just behind the tree, snapped her out of her thoughts and back into the present. Her pulse quickened, as she tucked herself deeper into the plaid and the tree. Whether man or beast, she hoped that it would move past her quickly and leave her alone. Closing her eyes, and willing the danger to pass she took three deep breaths. Ella was unsure how much more her frayed nerves would be able to handle on this day.
Lucas broke through the brush, and the first thing he set eyes on was Ella, hidden in his plaid, tucked up against the tree right where he left her. He let out a breath of pure relief as his heart filled. She was a strong, brave woman and he survived mortal wounds and danger not once, but twice because of her strength and clever tenacity.
He was unsuccessful in locating the soldier, Smith, who fled during the fight. That was very bad for them. He had to get Ella back to Cadney Keep as soon as possible.
He kneeled down and gently tried to remove the plaid from Ella’s head, “NO! NO! I WON’T GO! GET OFF ME YOU BEAST!” she yelled, kicking out and screaming. He jumped back, more out of instinct than any fear of the lass.
“Shh, hush lass, it’s me,” he cooed. Placing his hands out toward her palms up, showing her he was no threat. She was wild, and he thought it best to approach her as he would an unruly mare. “I’ve come back tae ye sweet, it’s just Lucas.”
“Lucas?” she asked looking up at him as if coming out of a daze. He watched as her eyes focused and the realization that she was safe washed over her in waves, each wave bringing with it fresh sobs of relief. He took her into his arms.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come back for me,” she said. Not come back for her? Of course he would come back for her. He only wished they had all the time the world could give for him to show her how he would always return for her, but they had to move and fast. He held her tightly.
“’Tis too much for a wee lass to bear, I know,” he said, placing a finger under her chin and bringing her face up to look at his own. He kissed her, gently first on each eyelid, then down each tear stained cheek, before taking her lips with his own. He only allowed himself a brief moment to taste her. Convincing himself it was she who needed the reassurance, but his second brush with death left him shaken as well, and she was his anchor. He needed to know she was real and with him in this place.
Breaking the kiss, he hugged her close. “I hate to rush, lass, but we have tae move. I wasn’t able tae locate Smith. He could be, at this verra moment, on his way back tae Evans. It’s best we move on from here.”
He felt her nod into his chest. He moved her back toward their original camp. They didn’t have much to gather, but Lucas made sure to do his best to eliminate any sign they had been there. Should Evans’s men or anyone else stumble upon the two bodies by the pond, hopefully the tracks from the scuffle would confuse enough to keep their path well hidden.
Daylight was fading fast and Lucas wished for a horse to give them speed to get to Cadney. If they had a horse, they could cut their travel time to a mere half-day, no more. He would feel much better once he got Ella behind the safety of his clan’s walls.
Not long after the sun had set they came upon a small family farm. Ella had been quiet for their journey and not wanting to upset her any further, Lucas left her to her thoughts. Lucas settled her into the brush just beyond the small wooden fence that surrounded the farm’s barn, indicating there could be livestock. As if in answer to his prayers.
“Lucas, why are we stopping?” Ella asked, her face still tear stained but yet still lovely in the early moonlight.
“Lass, we need a horse,” he said, motioning to the barn and paddock in the distance. There was warm candle light coming from the main house, and Lucas thought the good people were most likely just sitting for their evening time meal.
“We can’t steal from these people,” she said. He saw the concern in her eyes and was touched that an English lass would care so deeply for the well-being of a Scottish family.
“It willnae be stealin’, just borrowin’ lass. Once we make it tae my clan, I will send back wheat an’ other rations tae help th’ folk through th’ winter, and once it is safe I will return th’ beast an’ then some. But for now, we need th’ speed only the horse can give us, ye understand?”
Ella nodded, “You are an honorable man Lucas MacGille.”
“Stay here lass an’ I’ll be back,” he said, kissing her firmly on the mouth as if sealing a promise before heading quietly toward the farm house.
Approaching the barn he was quiet, carefully entering the old wooden structure, careful not to squeak the rusted iron hinges. He could tell it had once been a fine building, but hard times and weathered age had worn the building down to nothing more than a ragged shed. Even Fergus’s beat up old barn looked like luxury compared to what Lucas had stumbled on. But he didn’t need the barn to be grand, he only needed a horse, and he was blessed with very good luck to find two well-fed, healthy looking horses inside. Only taking one, in order to keep the family with one working animal. He cooed and murmured to the strongest looking beast and urged him out of the barn. Thankfully he had a small bunch of carrots Sarah had put in their pack for the journey, and the horse liked carrots. Things were starting to look up. Of course, he wished he was able to send word ahead to his family that he was alive and coming home. It would have also been nice to let them know Ella was coming with him, but MacGille’s are known country-wide for their hospitality. He had no doubt his family would come to love Ella just as he had, whether she was English or not. His clan was another story, but at least they would be together and alive to face it.
Lucas smiled to himself in the darkness, as he led the animal back to where Ella was waiting. His limbs were tired and his bandages dirty, but his mind was clear and his mood was happy. For the first time since that morning when he heard Ella’s terrified scream, he thought they might have a chance to get home.
“How long until we are at Cadney keep?” she asked softly. Not wanting to speak too loudly. Not because she was afraid someone would hear them, but rather because she didn’t want to disturb the warmth and quiet of the night. She was wrapped tightly in the spare plaid and leaning into Lucas atop the horse. She had settled her body into his, fitting perfectly, as if it was meant to be placed there, and let the gentle up and down of the horse’s gallop lull her into a sense of safety.
Before they had gotten too far away from the farm where Lucas borrowed the horse, she made him stop by a stream so she could clean a rebandage his wounds. He winced as she dressed his wounds but there was no sign of infection, and she could tell the clean bandages felt good against his skin. She let herself feel the relief in knowing she wouldn’t have to worry about fever returning, Lucas was healing fast and as strong as an ox.
“Now that we have this cuddie, lass, I think we’ll be on my family lands by the noon-time tomorrow. I dinnae dare stop tae sleep. Lean intae me and rest if ye are tired,” he said. “It will be another hour or two once we hit MacGille lands before we are at the keep.”
“What will your family think of you arriving home after so long away on a stolen horse with an English lady in tow?” she asked, wishing she would have the time to freshen her appearance before meeting any of the MacGille clan. She didn’t want to embarrass Lucas, or start off on a bad foot.
“Dinnae fash yerself about me family lass. They will see ye as I do, a lovely English rose, wit’ a knack for healin’ and a warm demeanor. They will like ye,” he said.
She wondered what her sister would think of Lucas had she ever the op
portunity to meet him. Amelia would most likely find Lucas fascinating. She also wondered what Amelia would think when Ella told her she had killed a man in cold blood to save him and that he was her lover. She imagined the shock on her sister’s face when Ella told her she had participated in stealing a horse in order to ride off with him into the night.
Surely, Amelia would see Ella had no choice. If she hadn’t picked up that sword Peters would have killed Lucas. If they didn’t steal the horse to get away, chances were that Evans would send more soldiers to kill them both. She shuttered at the thought. Ella thought of the many nights she and Amelia had stayed up well past the candle light talking of foreign lands and adventures they would surely have one day. I’d wager you never thought they would be like this, sweet sister, never in one million years, she thought as she closed her eyes.
No matter what happened next, for this moment she was with Lucas and they were headed to safety. She would do her best to make his family like her. Hopefully they might come to love her, and then she wouldn’t have to leave Lucas for France. She would be herself, not the weak version of herself that she had surrendered to after killing Peters, but the true version of herself that only Lucas and Amelia had seen. She sighed deeply and leaned deeper into Lucas, allowing the gentle movements of the horse lull her into a fitful sleep.