by Alisa Adams
Even when they found a place they liked they had to move on, because they knew that if they stayed in one place they would eventually be seen. One day, Bryan turned to her.
“There’s only one place I know we can be safe,” he said. “The far North, among the mountains. It’ll be a hard life, but I doubt the English will hae the stomach tae gae that far. We’ll hae tae find a cavern somewhere, but at least we will nae hae tae keep moving.”
“I don’t want to live in a cave Bryan.”
“Neither dae I. But I dinnae want to keep moving around the forest either.” He kicked out at the ground. “I thought I was making a change in my life. I thought I was escaping this way of living, but naething ever changes. Am I destined tae wander the world forever?”
“No Bryan, you’re not. I’m not. There has to be a way out of this. There has to be a way for us to escape. We’ve managed to elude my uncle for this long. That counts for something,” Catherine said.
“Maybe we should return. I could challenge him tae combat for my life, and ye could plead with ye da tae let ye gae.”
“If it were that simple we would have done that in the first place. Uncle Nathaniel would never accept a challenge like that from you because he’d know he couldn’t win. And my father wouldn’t want to see me leave. No, we have to continue surviving for as long as we can,” she said.
Bryan nodded. She nestled up close to him and kissed him tenderly. There were times when things were strained between them, but invariably one or the other would show a bit of affection to calm the tension.
“We have to remember that it’s us against the world, not against each other. What we’re fighting for Bryan…it’s more than our freedom. It’s our love. All this time we’re spending together, my feelings for you grow deeper. When we saw Ciaran and Aimee I knew then that no matter what happens I’m going to be happy as long as I’m with you. And maybe one day we can have a child of our own as well, when we’re safe.”
“Aye, when we’re safe lass,” he said.
“When we’re safe” became a common promise, but the more days that passed the more it seemed like a forlorn dream. They were haggard and weary. Bryan was used to this life, but Catherine wasn’t and it took her a great deal of adjustment. There were days when her temper and frustration got the better of her and she lashed out. Thankfully Bryan was patient and she always calmed down, but the hopelessness of it all played on her mind and she grew tired of seeing the stars at night, no matter how beautiful they were. She sometimes felt like a wild animal, always having to sleep on the ground, and the chill of the night became ever more biting. What she wouldn’t have given for a night in a tavern with a warm bowl of broth and even a sip of bitter ale. She would have loved to have bought more clothes. Her dress was so torn and stained that it was almost unrecognizable, and she realized that the only suitable thing she had brought with her were the boots, which at least kept her feet protected.
Indeed, as Aimee had predicted, her skin hardened and calluses appeared on her fingers. Her stomach got used to the taste of tough meat, but the berries and fruits never seemed to fill her belly.
And still, she and Bryan had not made love. Sometimes she thought they were doomed, for whenever they grew close there was always a sound, always something to distract them and make them think the English were near. But it was just the two of them and Whisper.
21
Bryan returned from the hunt with a fat pheasant and looked forward to satisfying his hunger with it. Hunting was the only respite he had from his cursed existence. When he was on the hunt he felt in control again, and it was good to forget about being the prey for some time.
Catherine was becoming more emotional every day and he could tell that this was taking its toll on her. She was adamant that she didn’t want to return to her family, but their options were becoming severely limited. It had been some time since they had seen any sight of the guards, but he was sure they were still out there, waiting for them to make a mistake, waiting for them to return to a town where they would announce themselves. It galled Bryan to think that there were so many Highlanders who were ready to sell him out to the English for the sake of a reward. He had hoped that people were nobler than that, but it seemed as though everyone had a price and men like Hamish were few and far between.
Every day he feared that it would be the day they were finally captured, but then night came and the sun rose again, and the journey continued.
Whisper had served them well, and was perhaps handling the predicament better than either Bryan or Catherine were. Bryan found that living this way was different to how he had lived before. At least then whenever he moved it was by choice, but now he felt as though his life was still being managed by Nathaniel, and he hated that feeling. He wished he had killed Nathaniel back when he first encountered him, rather than just scarring him. Perhaps things would have been much different, but then Catherine may not have been able to forgive him for killing a member of her family.
Bryan returned with the pheasant and roasted it over the fire while Catherine bathed in a nearby stream. She had taken to bathing at every opportunity, and although she attempted to wash her clothes there were always some stains that remained. Bryan was getting tired of how they were always too wary of their surroundings, and wanted to feel her close to him again so while the bird was being cooked he started to walk towards the stream, when he heard the snap of a branch.
He called out to Catherine as three men emerged from the forest; one of them scowled at the other. Bryan assumed that revealing their presence had not been part of the plan.
The men were all dressed in black and looked a motley crew, wielding swords and daggers with yellowed teeth and dark shadows under their eyes. They had straggly dark hair and rough beards. One of them wore a wide-brimmed hat, and they all drew their swords.
“Where’s the lass ye hae with ye?”
“I dinnae know what ye mean. Ye must hae me confused with someone else,” Bryan said.
The lead man smirked. “Dinnae play games with me. I know there’s a bounty upon ye head, and I’m here tae collect. It did nae say whether they wanted ye dead or alive, and who knows what state we’ll find the lass in,” he said. The others grinned lasciviously, and at that point Catherine appeared and she gasped when she saw the men. They all gave out low whistles.
“Aye, she’s worth the wrath of the English alright.”
Bryan scowled and glanced at her.
“Stay back, near Whisper. If anything gets bad ye run,” he said, then turned back to the men. “I thought all the bandits had been killed.”
“Aye, ye’d think that, but ye’d be wrong. And I dinnae like the term ‘bandits.’ We’re just honest men looking tae make an honest living with the skills given tae us. There is a price upon ye head.”
“Aye,” Bryan said, “a price set by the English. Are ye really ready tae give up ye heritage for them? Is a wee bit of coin all it takes for ye to sell out ye countrymen?”
“Ye mean naething tae us, and it is more than a wee bit of coin. Nae, are we gaeing tae dae this the hard way or the easy way?”
“It’ll be hard for ye,” Bryan said, and unsheathed his sword. It gleamed in the sunlight and he strode forward slowly, not wanting to expend any more energy than was needed. He took stock of the three men. The lead bandit held back, while the other two charged forward. When they came upon him he became aware that their slashes were haphazard and wild, but there were two of them, which always made it more difficult. Bryan parried their blows and turned his body, thrusting his weight into the torso of one of the bandits, sending him staggering back. While he recovered, Bryan went on the attack, assaulting the other bandit with heavy blows, crashing down on him before twisting around and making his blade lighter than air, slashing in an arc near the ground, cutting the bandit’s calf muscles.
The bandit fell to the ground clutching his legs and howled in pain. Bryan was ready to turn and face the other bandit, but this one had rec
overed more quickly than Bryan had anticipated and thrust at him, but because he wasn’t too skilled with the blade his thrust only cut Bryan on the arm. It hurt, and drew blood, but it didn’t damage any vital part of him. Bryan managed to parry the next blow and he roared with defiance as he shot back with a few well-aimed strikes, but through either skill or fortune the bandit managed to evade the blows.
He pushed Bryan away and his chest heaved. His sword trembled as he held it in a tight grip. Bryan inhaled deeply. He felt the throb of pain in his arm, but remembered all the lessons his father had taught him. He raised his sword and stepped forward, his entire body moving gracefully, the sword an extension of his arm. With a flick of his wrist his sword found its way through the bandit’s defenses and pierced him in the chest. The bandit looked down with shock, as though he could not believe it had actually happened, but then he keeled over and the sword fell limply from his hand.
The other bandit was still writhing in pain on the ground and showed no signs of getting up, which left the leader, who gave Bryan a sarcastic clap.
“Well, it seems as though I’ll hae tae put some work intae this reward after all.” He drew his long sword, a sharp blade that looked formidable in his hands, and Bryan knew this would be a different kind of test. “My name is Black Pete. Ye should know the name of the man who is gaeing tae kill ye,” he said, and then he ran in, charging.
Bryan braced himself and felt the tremors run up his arm as their steel blades clashed. Sparks flew as their swords cut against each other, and as they twisted in their warrior dance they grunted and clenched their jaws. Bryan knew that a man like Black Pete would do anything for coin, but Bryan was fighting for more than that, and this gave him the vigor he needed to throw off Black Pete and allow him a moment’s respite.
Bryan slashed his blade through the air and got ready for another onslaught, but this time Black Pete was more measured. He tested Bryan with a few aimed thrusts, and every time Bryan reacted quickly. Black Pete arched an eyebrow and grinned.
“It’s always a pleasure tae meet a man as skilled with the blade as I am,” he said.
The men met again, exchanging blows, their bodies twisting and blurring together, their swords bouncing off each other. Sweat trickled down Bryan’s temples but he ignored it. He embraced the void within himself, the void his father had shown him, and he became one with the battle. He felt the air move around his sword, and he became so attuned to the world around him that he could almost sense where Black Pete was going to move next. He ducked and dodged, and then brought his sword up behind him, defending himself from another mighty blow. Black Pete was more skilled that Bryan had initially given him credit for, but he was just another enemy that Bryan had to defeat, another one in the long line of adversaries that had always claimed they were better than him, but there were none better.
Bryan danced around and then brought his sword up in a huge arc. It caught the light and reflected it towards Black Pete. He looked away, blinded by the light, and then with a swift flick of his wrist Bryan cut off the man’s hand. The sword fell away, and as he brought his blade down he cut a huge gash down the middle of Black Pete’s body. Maimed and wounded, Black Pete staggered back and the color drained from his face as he collapsed to the ground.
“My name is Bryan Pressley,” he said, standing over Black Pete as the bandit took his last breath.
As soon as the battle was over Catherine ran up to him and flung her arms around his neck. She peppered him with kisses and he opened his arms to welcome her and the sword dropped to the ground. The other bandit was still struggling and writhing and he pulled himself away, clawing along the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind him, not that Bryan cared. His attention was solely on Catherine.
“That was amazing. You were amazing. I’ve never seen anyone fight like that,” she said breathlessly. She trembled in his arms, and her wide eyes were filled with fear. She held onto him tightly, as if to make sure that he was safe and wasn’t going to get into any more danger.
“My da taught me well.”
“Oh Bryan, when I saw the three of them I was so scared. I thought for sure that you would die and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you behind. I can’t bear the thought of living without you,” she pressed her head close to his chest and squeezed him tightly. “But what are we going to do? Now we have bandits following us as well? Is this never going to end?”
“I dinnae ken lass,” he said, although he felt as though he had been saying that all too frequently since they had escaped. It seemed a world away, that time when he had been imprisoned and she had been afraid to go away and be married to Lord Ralls. It seemed they were both facing their individual prisons, but now it was as though they were imprisoned together. There was danger all around and they couldn’t allow themselves to relax at any moment.
“I’m so tired of this,” she said, sighing heavily. Her head dropped and Bryan placed his hand under her chin, but when he raised her head he saw nothing but sadness inside her eyes.
“I know lass. I wish things were easier.”
“I don’t know how much more I can take of this. Living on the run, eating hand to mouth, bathing in streams even though I never feel clean because these damned clothes are so dirty and tattered and torn! And to think I bought these rings with me to help bargain for things, but we can’t even use them because we can’t go into any towns. They’re all just useless!” She pulled the rings off her fingers and threw them to the ground. Bryan watched on helplessly. There was nothing he could do or say to make things better, and he felt the same as she did. At least when he was in combat or hunting he could feel strength flow through his body, but Catherine didn’t have anything like that.
“What if more come? Are you going to be able to fight them all off? I know we wanted to try and wait for the hunt to be over, but it has been going on for so long now I don’t think it’s going to end. I’m worried that we’re looking at the rest of our lives, and I know that there’s only one way it’s going to end. We can’t depend on fortune forever and I just…I just feel so tired, exhausted, and I want to relax. I want to sleep in a bed again. I want to go to sleep with a roof over my head. I want to bathe in an actual tub, and I want some new clothes.”
“Catherine, ye seem like ye’re saying ye want tae gae tae a town.”
“Yes, I am. I know it’s risky Bryan, but I don’t know how much longer I can take going on like this. I can’t function in these clothes and with…with this all around me,” she tugged at her clothes and then gestured to the bodies on the ground around them. She already knew that they had to try and stay away from the towns, so there was no use reiterating it, but he thought it was too much of a risk to take.
“We cannae Catherine,” he said. Catherine gulped, and her entire body went rigid. She looked up at Bryan and when she spoke it was in a low, hollow tone.
“I understand Bryan. I know all of this, but I simply can’t go on. I am at the end of my tether and as far as I can see we’re at risk anyway! We’re being hunted by bandits, and who knows what else is looking for us! At least if we go into a town we’ll be able to relax a little and collect ourselves. I’m not saying we need to stay there for more than a night. I just need a little time to collect myself, that’s all, and who knows, it might even do us some good. Think about it, if we’ve managed to evade the English for this long people might start to be more willing to see our side of the story,” she said. Bryan wasn’t convinced by that argument, but he was moved by the way she implored him. It was clear that she was coming to her limits and couldn’t take much more, so he acquiesced and said they could find a small town nearby.
After this, Catherine tended to Bryan’s wounds and they were amused by the fact that it mirrored the first time they had met each other. The fond memories it brought back made them realize how much they had been through together and how much they had changed in such a little time. It made them more aware of the bond they shared and reminded them that they were i
n this together, and that nothing could tear them apart.
They found a rode and Whisper took them to a new town. Bryan and Catherine were on their guard, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. They listened out carefully in case there were any English people about, and Catherine once again had to silence herself so that she didn’t draw any undue attention. Thankfully, their time of living in the wild had given them a certain musk. Their clothes were dirty, their hair greasy, and this meant that people were more likely to give them a wide berth, which suited them just fine.
Their first stop was to the merchant stalls. They had collected the rings Catherine had thrown to the ground and used these to buy some new clothes. Bryan didn’t think his needed changing as much as Catherine’s did, but a new set of clothes wouldn’t go amiss. Catherine pointed to a comfortable looking dress that was thick and sturdier than the one she was wearing already. The merchant stared at them in such a way that made Bryan suspicious, although he wondered if he was just being paranoid and would start seeing threats everywhere. They also purchased a couple of cloaks, which they put on immediately, hoping that these would help hide them from those searching for them.
They paid the merchant with one of Catherine’s rings and it was evidently worth enough to give them change, so Bryan pocketed the coins. But, before he left he handed a collection of the coins to the merchant.
“This is for ye silence,” he said with a pointed glare. The merchant took the money and nodded with understanding. After this, they made their way to the nearest tavern. Bryan stopped outside as Catherine tugged at his elbow and pointed to the posters. The reward had gone up since the last time they had seen one. It was strange to see his face adorning a tavern like this, and darkly amusing. For so long he had wanted to make his name famous again, but instead of that his face was infamous.