by Alisa Adams
“This is how you’ve always lived, isn’t it? How you’ve always been used to living?”
“Aye lass, it’s all I’ve ever known.”
“Have you ever imagined yourself living somewhere different?”
“Sometimes, but I dinnae ken if the palace life is suited for me. I dinnae think I could ever hae someone else cooking for me. But if things hae worked out differently I would be living in a castle now, with many people around me. Once upon a time my family was influential in the Highlands, with great prestige. I could have been a laird.”
“What happened? How could a family fall so far?”
“It was a slow fall,” Bryan said wryly. “From what I can tell there were a few ambitious, greedy men in my ancestry who tried tae take more than they could hold, and their greed was their undoing. They racked up debts and could only pay by giving up the land and treasure and anything else they could put a price on. Eventually there was naething left tae sell, and naebody wanted anything tae dae with us, so we became wanderers. Da used tae tell me stories about the men who came before me, about the warriors and heroes of history, and he said that we hae tae live up tae their example and hopefully one day people would know the Pressley name again.
“He used tae talk of the family being proud and having influence. I used tae think of bringing honor back tae our name, just like he wanted, but I dinnae ken if it’s even possible now.”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because ye need wealth and people tae swear fealty tae ye, and I hae neither.”
“There is still time Bryan, and as we’ve seen anything can happen in life. I’m quite sure that neither of us could have imagined we’d be in this position when we first met, yet here we are. Life is filled with unpredictable things, and I’m sure that you can find a way to make your father proud.”
“I hope so lass, but sometimes without him…it is difficult tae know what the right thing tae dae is.”
In that moment, Catherine saw him not as a mighty Highland warrior, but as something akin to a frightened child, afraid of how he was going to make his way in the world, and this vulnerability made her even more attracted to him, although she couldn’t quite explain why. But it was clear there were so many facets to him, and she was sure some hidden depths she was yet to discover. It meant a lot to her that family meant a great deal to him, even though he had no living relatives, and she wished her uncle was so noble.
She squeezed his hand and was about to say something when they heard a loud rustling in the bushes, and it was so loud in fact that she knew it wasn’t going to be a small animal. Fear caught in her throat for an instant as she thought her uncle’s guards had managed to find them, but then two yellow eyes glistened in the low light and silver fur came into view as a powerful wolf stood before them. The predator’s teeth were bared and there was a hungry look in her eyes. Catherine pushed herself against Bryan and even the horse sensed the danger and became agitated. Bryan was the only calm one among them.
“Stay here lass, and if ye need tae, get on the horse and keep running north.”
He rose, and the metal of his sword gleamed in the slivers of moonlight that poured through the gaps in the trees. His body bristled with masculine energy and the aura of a warrior. His muscles bulged and he strode towards the wolf without showing any fear at all. He gripped the sword with two hands, and the wolf seemed to sense that he wasn’t going to have an easy kill. The predator growled and reared back on its legs. Catherine hugged the log and watched with bated breath, anxiety rushing through her body as she feared for Bryan’s life. This wild animal seemed dangerous, and as it snapped its jaws she could see that it was going to show no mercy.
Bryan and the wolf circled each other and then the wolf made the first move, thrusting forward, reaching out with its limbs to try and claw at Bryan, but Bryan was equal to the attack and managed to dodge the sharp claws, but the wolf was perhaps even more agile and managed to evade the swiping strike of Bryan’s blade. Bryan turned to see the wolf coming at him again, snapping at his heels. Bryan jumped back, his feet moving deftly, his sword striking down at the animal’s hide, but because Bryan was so off-balance he couldn’t get enough strength behind his strike to make a difference, and the accuracy was off, so his blade only hit empty air.
Catherine yelped and clenched her jaw. She glanced towards the horse and wondered if she could actually make it to the faithful animal in the event that Bryan was maimed by the wolf, although she hated to think of such a scenario. They had been through so much already it didn’t seem fair that they should have trouble with a wolf as well.
But, soon enough, Bryan managed to regain his footing and struck true. He brought his sword up in an arc and there was a yelp as the blade hit the wolf in the middle of its chest, cutting a huge gash through its body. A spray of blood flew through the air and the wolf slumped at Bryan’s feet. Its limbs twitched, and then it was dead.
Catherine let out a long exhalation and found herself swimming with arousal at the sight of Bryan standing there, sword in hand, looking every inch the mighty warrior again. In an instant he had turned from a boy to a man, and desire swam in her mind.
17
Bryan checked that the animal was dead, and then he wiped his blade on the grass, making sure that all the blood had been cleaned away.
“That was amazing,” Catherine said, walking up to him. She seemed fascinated by the dead body of the animal and looked into its lifeless eyes, but always kept her distance.
“Killing a single animal with a sword like this is nae tae difficult. If ye can dance with it ye can prove superior in the end. If I did nae hae a sword it would have been entirely different,” he said, and sheathed his sword once again. He took a deep breath.
“We should get some rest. We’ll need tae make an early start in the morning.”
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“I think we’ll try and see some friends first,” he said. Catherine arranged her shawl on the floor, but she was shivering and the night was only going to get colder as it grew later. Bryan was hesitant to make a fire as he didn’t want to draw any undue attention to themselves, but if it was a choice between the risk of being discovered and becoming ill he knew which he would rather do, so he set about finding some dry leaves and sticks and arranged them in a small pile. Catherine watched with interest and, although her eyes were heavy with sleep, she perked up and asked him questions about what he was doing.
He explained to her how he could make fire and it seemed to be the most amazing thing she had ever heard of. It was in moments like these when he realized how different their lives had been up until this point, and yet even despite that they still shared a bond, and some of the things they had in common ran much deeper than mere knowledge. She was one of the few people he had told about the extent of his despair regarding his family, and it seemed as though he could tell her anything. They had both lost their parents and now they were both alone. He did wonder if she realized the extent of the danger she had put herself in, and he vowed to do anything he could to keep her safe.
Before too long she was clapping and laughing with delight as fire sparked and burst into life. When it had enough strength to sustain itself they huddled around the small fire and held out their palms, warming themselves, and looking at their glowing faces.
“How did you do that?” she asked.
“It’s quite simple, when you know how. There are plenty of things to learn.”
“It seems I am going to have to learn them all. I feel like a child again,” she said, and then yawned. She claimed she wasn’t tired, but soon enough her eyes had grown heavy and she laid on the ground, hands under her head, breathing heavily. Bryan decided to stay up a little while longer. He dragged the wolf’s body away so that the area wouldn’t be filled with the stench from the animal when they awoke, and then returned and blew out the fire when he was ready to sleep. Before he closed his own eyes he looked across at Catherine and wondered
how fate had managed to put such a beautiful woman in his path. He had almost been killed, and it would have been easy for Catherine to have simply gone on with her life and not paid him any attention at all. But she hadn’t. She had saved him now, twice, and he was filled with an urge to be close with her.
He reached out, wanting to caress her skin, but then she twitched and rolled around and he brought his hand back. His father had taught him much about survival in the wild world, but very little about how to woo women, and it was one area where Bryan wasn’t entirely confident. Women did seem to be drawn to him by nature, but he had never entertained uncertain feelings like this before, and he had certainly never met a woman like Catherine. She was every inch a lady, filled with grace and virtue, unlike the humble farmer’s daughters or the brazen tavern wenches he had encountered in his travels so far. He did allow himself a smirk as he wondered what his father would think about him being alone with a noble English lady. It certainly wasn’t the fate Bryan had seen for himself when he was just a lonely wanderer.
Morning came and Bryan awoke early. The morning air was crisp and the world was bathed in golden sun, although it had a green hue as it poured through the trees. Bryan nudged Catherine awake, although she did not appreciate it at first and seemed to be lost in the throes of a dream, but she soon regained her senses and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Because they had left so abruptly, they didn’t have any food and Catherine complained of hunger. Bryan had to admit that his stomach was rumbling too, so they searched the surrounding area for any food to eat. Catherine found what she thought was a juicy berry, and her hunger was such that she didn’t hesitate in picking a handful from the branch.
“STOP!” Bryan yelled when he saw her, and he strode over and snatched the berries from her hand. She looked confused, and a little incensed. “These are poisonous,” he explained, and let them fall to the ground. Catherine looked down at the berries and frowned, then retreated towards the horse.
“Perhaps it is better if you continue searching for food,” she said. Bryan hated to see her so despondent and tugged her back. He talked her through the different plants and the signs she should look for when she was trying to decide if anything was safe to eat or not.
“I just feel so hopeless at all this. I should have known I would be unprepared for this life. There are so many things I was not even aware of, that I wouldn’t have known how to prepare.”
“It’s naething tae be ashamed of lass. It all comes with experience. Naebody knows anything when they start out. I felt the same when I was hiding out in ye home. It was fortunate I was told tae work in the stables as I know how tae tend tae horses. If I had tae dae anything else I would nae hae any idea!”
This seemed to make Catherine feel better and he was glad that he could influence her mood so positively. They fed on some berries, and this nourishment also helped them to feel a little better, and then he picked out a moonflower for her. Her face lit up with delight.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, and twisted the stem so that it made a knot, and then she placed it in her hair, adorning her own beauty with the beauty of nature.
They didn’t spend too long doing this though, even though Bryan could quite happily have spent time with her in nature enjoying all it had to offer, but they knew that the guards were still searching for them. They gathered their things, and before they left Bryan rubbed away the ash left by the fire.
“Why are you doing that?” she asked.
“Tae make it harder for them tae know we were here,” Bryan explained.
The advantage he had over the guards was that he knew the land, so he didn’t have to be married to the roads that led from settlement to settlement and town to town. They sat upon the horse and rode through the forest, the branches whipping at them as they went by. Bryan took the majority of the blows, but occasionally Catherine yelped as well, and he made sure to steady the horse’s speed so their skin wouldn’t be shut.
They couldn’t move as swiftly through the forest as they could if they were on the road of course, but Bryan thought it was a worthy trade as it made their route more unpredictable. And the more distance they could put between themselves and their hunters the better. He wasn’t sure how long they would be chased for, but given what he knew of Nathaniel so far, he didn’t think the Englishman would want to suffer the ignominy of having a prisoner escape from his clutches, especially not with Catherine in tow. He didn’t know when he and Catherine would ever get to settle anywhere. He’d have to keep moving north and hope that eventually the English just gave up.
Eventually, though, they emerged from the forest and were glad to be in the open air again. There was still no sign of any pursuit, but Bryan’s instincts told him that they were out there. A small farm appeared on the crest of a hill, a familiar and welcome sight. Bryan slowed the horse and made his way to the farm, taking care to enter through the back fields rather than the entrance. He brought the horse to a stop, but he hadn’t made any effort to be stealthy so he got the attention of the residents, and soon enough a door opened and Hamish was standing there, wielding a pitchfork. Hamish’s expression turned from one of anger to one of happiness. He threw down the pitchfork and helped Bryan and Catherine off the horse, wrapping his arms around him tightly.
Martha and Janie were there as well, standing in the doorway. Bryan’s eyes met Janie’s and he felt a pang of guilt over what had happened to her.
Hamish welcomed them in excitedly and Martha prepared some food and drink for them. Bryan and Catherine both breathed a sigh of relief as they sat in actual chairs and enjoyed the hospitality of friends, although Hamish was much friendlier with Bryan than he was with Catherine, which was understandable since he associated Catherine with the English. However, once Bryan explained the situation, Hamish rubbed his ruddy face and blew out his cheeks.
“Quite an adventure ye hae gotten yeself mixed up in,” he said. “I mean nae offence lass, but ye uncle is a nasty piece of work and I would nae want tae get on the wrong side of him.”
“I know Hamish, and I’d like to apologize to you and your family for everything he put you through,” Catherine’s eyes darted towards Janie at this moment, and the farmer’s daughter dipped her head. “But I assure you I have warned my father and I believe nothing like that will ever happen again. I was shocked when I learned the truth, and that is why I have fled. You are not the only victims of his cruelty and greed. He was ready to marry me off to a man who cared nothing for me. I believe he actually picked out a man I would despise just to try and teach me a lesson.”
“Men like that make this world a bad place,” Hamish said, shaking his head. They spoke a little bit more, and Bryan wanted to speak to Hamish about the future. Janie rose and said she had a few things to attend to, and Bryan hoped there were no hard feelings. He was tempted to go and speak with Janie, but he wondered if it would do more harm than good. As it happened, he didn’t have to, because Catherine rose and went to speak with Janie.
Meanwhile, Bryan turned to Hamish and asked him if there were any supplies he could have to take with him on the journey.
“Of course lad, anything ye need. I owe ye everything for what ye hae done for me and my family. I only regret that ye cannae stay like we hae planned.”
“I’m sae grateful tae ye for ye hospitality, and perhaps if things were different I would hae stayed.”
Hamish looked at him with perceptive eyes. “I’m nae sure of that myself lad. I think ye were made for more than the simple life of a farmer.”
Bryan took his words with kindness.
“I hope that the English dinnae cause ye any more trouble. I worry that they’ll come back here,” Bryan said.
“Dinnae worry about us lad, I can take care of myself. Ye lead them on a merry chase and give us something tae laugh about. And let me give ye a piece of advice,” he said, leaning forward and lowering his voice, “take care of that lass and she’ll take care of ye, if ye get my meaning, she would nae hae come all
this way with ye if she did nae want tae experience everything the Highlands can offer.”
Bryan smirked, and was grateful for the advice, but he and Catherine were running for their lives and he didn’t have enough time to think about entering a relationship yet. Once they were safe, only then could he properly think of the future and all the opportunities it offered.
18
Catherine felt a little strange being in this house. It was so much smaller than the one in which she lived, and yet after spending one night in the wilderness she was aware of how much a place like this would mean to the small family, and how hard they would have to work to maintain it. It filled her with even more enmity for her Uncle as now she knew what he was trying to take away from them, and for him to come into this home and violate their peace was unforgivable.
It gave her a better understanding of what life meant in the Highlands. When she had been here previously she had been so wrapped up in her own problems she hadn’t really thought about the people who lived in this place, and indeed probably wouldn’t have given them a second thought if they hadn’t returned here. But when she saw Janie again she remembered what her uncle had done, and she carried the guilt with her.
It was clear that Janie was uncomfortable being around her, but Catherine didn’t want there to be any ill feelings lingering, so when Janie left, Catherine followed her upstairs to her room. Janie turned around, and smiled.
“Is there anything I can help ye with?” Janie asked.
“Actually I just wanted to say…I’m sorry for everything that happened. I…I can’t imagine what it would have been like for you to go through that. My uncle is…I’ve always known he wasn’t the nicest man but to think that he could do something like that…it made me see him in a new light.”