Marti Talbott's Highlander Series 1 (Anna, Rachel & Charlet)

by Marti Talbott

  Maybe Rachel was all right and just didn’t make it back before daylight. If that were the case, she might go to the Cameron hold, and that was a path his men could search without raising suspicion. He turned his horse and headed home.

  Inside the MacGreagor Keep, Anna used a wet cloth to wash the smudges off Kevin’s cheeks. “She can not come back until tonight.” When Anna finished, she took his hand and led him to the bed. “Rest husband, you are no good to us if you can not think clearly.” She waited until he stretched out on the bed and then curled up beside him. He was asleep almost immediately, but Anna’s eyes remained wide open.

  Later in the morning, Connor trained with the men in the courtyard. At noon, Kevin was awake, decided to lower the bridge and send several of the horses out so the Fergusons would think they didn’t have enough feed inside to keep them alive. Lowering the drawbridge was a noisy affair and could be heard a good distance away. Kevin had the men begin to lower the bridge to alert Rachel, then he had it stopped. He waited and prayed he was giving her enough time. Then the bridge was put all the way down.

  He stood just inside the wall on one side of the bridge and Connor stood on the other so one of them could grab her and pull her out of the way. The archers were ready and as soon as the horses were out, they knelt down just inside the courtyard ready to kill any Fergusons who tried to come in. None did. Kevin left the bridge down several minutes more, but there was no sign of Rachel and he ordered the bridge raised.

  In the afternoon Connor climbed up a ladder and looked over the wall. He scoured the woods for trouble and when he saw none, he raised his body up and lay down on his stomach. It was the first time he realized the wall wasn’t three feet wide in all places. Some parts were as little as two and others a full four feet wide. Down the length of the wall, other MacGreagor men were doing the same thing.

  He reached down on the inside of the wall and felt another man put a stick in his hand. At the other end, twine had been looped through the handle of a pitcher and tied to the stick. He raised the stick over his head, moved it to his other hand, lowered it and dipped the pitcher in the moat. When it was full, he lifted it back to the inside of the wall where the pitcher was emptied into a bucket.

  It was all for show. If they really were running short of water, Kevin would use the hidden door to haul it in, buckets at a time during the night. But in the daylight, Kevin didn’t want the Fergusons to know he knew about the traitor or that they knew about the doors. Besides, Connor wanted to watch for Rachel. Each time he dipped the pitcher in the water, Connor watched the woods for a signal from Rachel. There was nothing.

  The thirteen-year old Ferguson boy was tired. His laird woke him early in the morning and made him mount a horse. Then the laird sat a half-dead woman in the boy’s lap and told him to take her north where no one would find her. The boy hadn’t even had his morning meal.

  She was heavy and it was a struggle to hold her upright. But he was afraid of what his laird would do if he did not obey so he kept going. By noon, he figured she was dead. She hadn’t made a single sound. By late afternoon, he was exhausted, so he found a large rock, guided his horse to the top, got down and pulled the woman to the ground. Then he sat down and watched her for a while. She did not move.

  Her skin was still warm when he lifted her skirt hoping to get a good look, but his attention was drawn to the dagger strapped to her leg instead. He took the dagger, lowered her skirt and glanced around. He wanted another look, but he sure didn’t want to get caught by one of the other clans. At length, he stood up and with his foot, shoved her off the top of the rock and watched her body roll until it hit the bottom.

  Then he sat down again to think. What he really wanted to do was go home. There would be a war and he didn’t want to miss it. Still, if he went back too soon, his laird might think he didn’t take the woman far enough away.

  Rachel was laying flat on her back with her head turned to one side. She hurt nearly everywhere and dared not move. Someone was watching her; she could feel it. The sun was almost down, her head hurt and her eyes wouldn’t focus. She could see green and gray splotches, but nothing was clear. Then everything went black again.

  In the evening, Connor slept for a few hours and when night finally came, he went outside the wall to wait.

  Rachel did not come back.

  The next morning, Kevin and Anna were in Justin and Catherin’s cottage preparing to eat their morning meal. Kevin and Justin learned a long time ago that when Anna and her mother were together, the best thing to do was keep quiet and with Rachel missing, they didn‘t know what to say anyway. Catherin had not finished cutting an apple in half before she put her knife down on the table. “If she is dead, it is our fault, Anna. We could have stopped her and we did not. Why did we let her out?”

  “We promised ourselves she would never feel trapped again. And she is not dead,” Anna answered.

  “You do not know that. We came here because we thought she would be safe. Now look what we have done.”

  Anna stopped slicing the cheese and stared at her mother. “Where else would we have gone?”

  “We could have lived with Harold; he said we could.”

  Justin never heard this part before and he wondered if Kevin knew.

  Anna went on, “Harold was an old man and he died only four years later. Where would we have gone then?”

  Catherin got up and walked to the window. “Somewhere…anywhere but here.”

  “Mother, we can not keep Rachel alive no matter where we live. Only God can do that.”

  “God is not listening.”

  Anna’s voice started to rise. “How can you say that? We have been saved from a fate worse than death. We have lived in peace for thirteen years and you accuse God of not listening?” Anna stood up and walked to her mother. Her words were getting louder and louder. “Was it not God who put it in Kevin’s heart to accept a wife he had never seen and did not want? Did God not send you a man who has loved and cherished you the way only a good man could? Do you accuse God of not sending Justin?”

  Kevin had never seen his wife stand up to her mother. In fact, he had never seen Anna get really angry. When he glanced that direction, Justin looked horrified.

  Anna waited, but her mother did not answer and that made her even more furious. “Answer me!”

  Catherin turned her glare on her daughter. “How dare you talk to me that way. I am your mother!”

  “Are you? How can you be my mother when I am the one who comforts you, and holds you and tries to make your life easy? I did something horrible all those years ago and I have been trying to make up for it ever since. Look at me!”

  Catherin walked away and started to sit down, but Anna grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back up. “You are going to hear this whether you want to or not. I am tired of paying for my sin against you; I am tired of wondering each day if you will insist we leave and I am tired of being your mother. “

  Catherin tried to twist out of her daughter’s grasp but Anna was not finished. “Are you listening to me? I was the child, not you! Where was my comfort?”

  Her mother started to cry, “I want Rachel back.”

  “So do I, but your tears will not hurt my heart this time. I won‘t let it. We have behaved like children far too long. If you go out before Kevin says it is safe, I swear I will not let you back in.”

  Anna stormed out the door and headed up the path so fast Kevin had to take long strides to catch up with her. She was oblivious to all the people standing outside their cottages with their eyes wide.

  “Do not touch me, Kevin.” Her tone was only just a little softer.

  “And risk a broken arm? I would not dream of it.”

  “That is not funny.”

  “You are right.” He put his hands behind his back and wondered how far she would go before she slowed down.

  “I am so upset, I could rip someone’s head off.”

  He wrinkled his brow and decided he should try to stay
out of her reach.

  She walked all the way to the gardens and started back before she abruptly stopped and covered her face with her hands. “Dear God, what have I done?”

  Kevin hurried to get in front of her, but he didn’t take her in his arms. He tenderly put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and he had no idea what to say. A woman handed him a cloth for her tears and he realized they had an audience, so he smiled to reassure the people. “She will be fine.” Reluctantly, the MacGreagors went back to their own homes.

  Anna took the cloth and tried to wipe her tears away, but they kept coming. “I should go back, she needs me.”

  “Justin is with her. Let her have time to think about your words.”

  “But I have never abandoned her before.”

  “You have not abandoned her now. She knows that. She does not always consider your feelings and I know it hurts you deeply. I have seen it in your eyes.”

  “Am I the one who made her so weak?”

  “Nay my love, the toerag did that. She was just a child herself with no control over anything, even her children.”

  “She does not know how to be a mother.”

  He paused to take a deep breath. “She knows how to be a mother to Rachel.”

  Anna considered his words. Finally, she wiped the last of her tears and stood up straighter. “Indeed she does. I should have done this years ago.”

  He wrapped his arms around her finally and kissed the top of her head. “You could have stayed with Harold?”

  “Yes, but I could not stand to be without you another minute. I had already decided to leave her there and come home without them if she did not agree.”

  He pulled away to look into her beautiful blue eyes. “You have never said this before. What other secrets do you keep from me?”

  Anna lightly kissed his lips and turned to walk back down the hill. “I am ashamed to say it, but I fear my list of secrets is much, much longer than Rachel’s list of stolen property.”

  “Will it take the rest of my life to discover them all?”

  “Do you promise to live long enough to hear them all?”

  “If I live longer than your list, do you promise to make some up?”

  They turned the corner and started up the steps of the Keep.

  Connor was still sitting by the bush with his back against the inside of the wall and didn’t realize he had fallen asleep. In his dream, his arms were stretched out but he couldn’t reach her. Rachel was in a mist, started to slip and then she fell away. Suddenly awake, Connor sat straight up. When he finally realized it was a dream, he pushed it out of his mind and wiped the cold sweat off his brow.

  That morning, Rachel found herself at the bottom of an enormous rock and had no idea how she got there. She could hear water running in a stream and it didn’t sound far away. She was almost certain she was alone, but to be sure, she slowly lifted her aching head and looked around. Just as she thought, she was alone. Her vision still wasn’t great, but she could see a little better.

  She slowly moved her arms and then one leg at a time. It didn’t appear anything was broken and she thought her soreness was probably from laying on the hard ground for so long. How long, she couldn’t tell. It took all her strength, but she turned on her side and then on her stomach. She managed to slowly crawl until she was near enough to drink some water, then she moved away and rested.

  She was in a place with no trees. She could see green grass and enormous rocks with larger ones behind them. Perhaps she would show her mother this beautiful place someday, she thought. Then she remembered to check her daggers. Both were gone, even the one strapped to her leg. She didn’t want to think about who had removed it.

  Her head was pounding and when she touched it, the large bump on the top nearly filled her whole palm. Obviously, she had been left for dead and she knew why. She had just arrived outside the Ferguson hold and it was easy to see the Fergusons were preparing for a war. She was ready to go back when everything went black.

  Rachel needed to get home to warn them. But how?

  She thought about her family and how worried they must be. Then she thought about Connor and allowed her mind to remember how it felt to be in his arms. She didn‘t push the memory away this time and instead, let it linger. If only he were holding her now. She was so lost and alone, and she needed to feel his strong arms around her. She closed her eyes and slept.

  It was early afternoon when Catherin climbed the stairs of the keep and walked down the balcony. Her head was high and her tears were gone. The door to the last bedchamber was open and when she went in, Anna was sitting with her back to the door looking out the window. The countryside was beautiful this time of year, the trees were lush and the birds sailed through the air.

  Catherin bent down, slipped her arms around her daughter’s neck from behind and kissed her cheek. “Justin says I can not hear his heart again until I tell you how sorry I am.”

  Anna lovingly put her hands on her mother‘s arms. “And you would do anything to hear his heart.”

  Catherin let go, got a chair and joined Anna. “Justin thinks so. I only do it now so he will hold me. Let‘s not tell him, shall we?”

  Anna smiled. “I was afraid you would never speak to me again.”

  “I thought of that, but I decided it would be too dull. Kevin tells you everything first and I have enjoyed hearing it second.”

  It was enough and both women felt relieved. At peace once more, they went back to waiting for Rachel.

  It was the most magnificent stallion Rachel had ever seen. His eyes were as black as his coat and he was walking straight for her with his ears perked up. She wondered if the horse meant to trample her and then wondered if she could move fast enough to get out of his way. But the horse slowed, stopped and put his head down so she could look into his eyes. She saw her own reflection.

  She remembered Anna telling of a horse like this who knew how to do tricks and seemed to love her greatly. This couldn’t be the same horse, could it? Anna had named her horse Threcher, she remembered.

  “Threcher?” Rachel asked. The horse nodded.

  Threcher nudged her with his nose. She didn’t move, so he nudged her again. Finally, Rachel reached out and patted his nose, but she didn’t get up; she wasn‘t sure she could. What the horse did next surprised her. He moved away and began to turn around and around, which made her giggle. Threcher came back and nudged her again. She patted his nose a second time and what the horse did then amazed her.

  Threcher inched around until their bodies were parallel, knelt down on all four legs and rolled slightly toward her until his mane was within her reach. Rachel grabbed a handful and slowly pulled herself to her knees. She painfully put one foot on the ground and lifted her other leg over. Then she shoved with her foot until she was solidly on the horse's back and held on with both hands as the horse got to his feet.

  Rachel leaned forward, wrapped her arms around the horse’s neck as far as they would go and hugged him. “Thank you.”

  Threcher nodded. As soon as she took hold of his mane again, the horse began to walk. She had no idea where the stallion was taking her, but anywhere would help. Hopefully, he would take her to someone who could warn the MacGreagors.

  It was less than an hour before Rachel said stop and the horse obeyed. Her head was throbbing, she felt half-witted and she couldn’t take the constant movement of the horse another moment. She slid down, curled up into a ball in the soft grass, and went to sleep.

  CHAPTER VI

  When Connor walked into the great hall, Kevin was pacing and Justin was sitting at the table with his head in his hands. Catherin and Anna were standing on the balcony watching. They were not crying or yelling, but they were clearly worried. When Kevin and Anna’s sons asked to go outside, Anna let them.

  As soon as they were gone, Kevin stopped pacing. “Connor, tonight you will go out again. You must see if they are prepared to attack, and then look for
Rachel and bring her back. Do you know the way she might have taken?”

  “I do, I have followed her.”

  “Good. Are you sure you know all her hiding places?”

  Connor nodded. He was relieved; he could find her, he was sure of it and now he would be allowed to try.

  He did not find her. Connor was nearly out of his mind and had not come back until it was nearly too late to go inside the wall. Everything at the Ferguson hold looked normal just as Rachel reported three nights earlier. He didn’t see any Fergusons in the woods and he didn’t think they would attack any time soon. Inside the great hall, he gave Kevin his report.

  Kevin asked him if he wanted to go to sleep on his own or wanted to be knocked out. Either way, he was going to rest. Connor chose the first option, went to his cottage and collapsed into bed.

  At sunrise, the horse nudged Rachel awake. She splashed creek water on her face, drank and wondered if they had been going in circles and it was the same creek as before. She noticed she wasn’t nearly as sore, except for her head, but even that didn’t hurt as much. Her mind was once again clear and her eyes saw things much better. She found a rock to stand on and when the horse got close enough, she grabbed his mane and swung onto his back. As if he knew she was injured, Threcher kept his pace at a slow walk.

  Again, she thought about Connor. She imagined herself in the door of his cottage, smiling when he came back from the hunt safe and sound. She considered how it would be when they sat near the hearth on a cold day with their arms around each other. Yes, they would talk. She would tell him all the latest gossip and he would tell her things he had seen in the woods, or conversations with members of the other clans.