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

by Marti Talbott

  But most of all, she wanted him to love her and never let her go. The realization surprised her, but it was a horrible world outside their clan without him.

  When Connor woke up, it was late in the day and he hurried to the keep to see if they had heard from Rachel. They had not.

  Kevin and Justin were again trying to figure out what the Fergusons were up to. “Do you think they will try to burn us out?” Justin asked.

  “I doubt it. They would have to come out of the trees to shoot high enough to get their arrows over the moat and the wall. Our lads could quickly cut them down.”

  Connor couldn’t concentrate on that now. All he could think about was where to look for Rachel next. Maybe she had gone farther south or farther north to avoid the Ferguson warriors. He left the keep, got a ladder and leaned it against the wall near the hidden door. Then he climbed up to see if she might be trying to notify them somehow. A length of her plaid tied to a tree would let them know she was safe. He saw nothing.

  In the far distance, Rachel could see a line of trees and felt relieved. They hadn’t been going in a circle after all. She urged Threcher to go faster by tightening her knees and wondered if the horse actually knew the way home. “Two nights, maybe three,” she whispered. “They must be beside themselves with worry.”

  She couldn’t seem to help herself. She kept thinking about Connor and wondered if he was scouring the forest looking for her. She bet he was. He knew how to get out now and she didn’t think even Kevin could stop him.

  She remembered the first time she actually noticed Connor. He was in the meadow training with two other men who repeatedly came at him at the same time. They used no weapons and were practicing how to throw each other to the ground. Connor was a strong man, with a big chest and muscular arms who won far more often than he lost.

  When they finished, Connor leaned down and plucked a wild flower out of the ground. He walked straight for her, set the flower on top of her head and kept right on walking. She turned to watch him leave, but he never looked back and seemed to be laughing. Perturbed, she brushed the flower off and went the other direction.

  She wished she had that flower now.

  By late afternoon, she spotted another stream and said, “Stop.” Just as he had several times before, the horse obeyed. She slid down, walked to the stream, cupped her hands and drank. She was hungry, tired and needed to walk the stiffness out. Rachel loved riding, but didn’t often go and certainly had never ridden all day. When the horse finished drinking and came to her, she rubbed his nose, patted the side of his neck, grabbed his mane and swung back on.

  Connor found himself again sitting at the long table in the great hall with Kevin and Justin. He couldn’t seem to stay away in case something...anything indicated Rachel was still alive. He knew the other men had to be as worried as he was, but they didn’t show it. Catherin and Anna were not there.

  Connor folded his arms on the table and laid his head down. Was she dead? No, he was convinced he would feel it if she were. In their youth, Rachel was a skinny little thing and seemed to become a woman over night. He had little use for most of the young women who flirted and constantly asked him to do this or that for them. He remembered to be pleasant, but found their requests useless and sometimes disgusting.

  Then came a day when he noticed the extraordinarily becoming woman standing on the crest of the meadow watching him. How had she grown up without his notice?

  Rachel never asked him for favors. In fact, she rarely even looked at him except when he was training with the other men. She was only interested in his skill. It inspired him to daily sharpen his abilities hoping to impress her. It was true; she looked at him but never really saw him until the day he set the flower on her head. He could still see the perplexed look on her face.

  He thought about the feel of her in his arms constantly and was certain he would never get it out of his mind. What he also thought about constantly were her words -- If they didn‘t let her go, she would find a way out and never come back. He was beginning to see what Kevin tried to explain. Maybe Kevin was right; the only way to keep Rachel was to let go. But how in the hell could he ever do that?

  Other men in the clan seemed to have complete control over their wives. They were never vicious, but if the men said no, they meant no and the women complied. Only Kevin and Justin were different. He couldn’t remember a time when Kevin said no to his wife. Come to think of it, he couldn’t remember a time Anna asked for anything. Connor’s mother died when he was small and his father had been Kevin’s third in command before he died. Because of it, Connor spent a lot of time with Kevin and his wife. But he never really watched them closely. He decided he would be more observant in the future.

  He knew one thing. Kevin always looked relieved when Anna entered a room. A shudder ran down Connor’s spine. Was Kevin worried there would come a day when Anna would leave again? Worse yet, would Catherin and Anna take Rachel with them?

  Finally, Threcher entered the forest. It was going to be dark soon and it was much slower going as Threcher threaded his way through the trees. Rachel was exhausted and wondered how long it actually took to starve to death, but she was determined to keep going if it killed her.

  As soon as it got dark, Connor removed the doors and stepped through the secret place in the wall. He was supposed to swim the moat, let the Camerons know all was well, and take the long way around to keep from being discovered. What he wanted to do was look for Rachel again, but Kevin said ‘no’ and no, it would be. Kevin wanted to know if the Fergusons were ready to attack and that was all.

  There were always signs when one clan was preparing to attack another. Horses were gathered and waiting, the sounds of men sharpening their swords could be heard and women often cried out loud.

  It was pitch black and he was about to slip into the moat when he suddenly felt someone near. He drew his sword and swung to his left with murder in his eyes.

  “Tell Kevin they will attack at dawn,” the woman said in English.

  “Rachel?”

  “Nay, I am Catherin’s sister.”

  He began to breathe again, but he did not let down his guard for fear the woman was not alone. “Are they watching us?”

  “Nay, they want you to think they are not interested.”

  “Do you need sanctuary?”

  “They plan to starve you out.”

  He felt the woman leave and then heard her arms softly splash the water as she swam away. With his heart racing, Connor slipped into the wall and pulled the outside door back in place. Then he exited the tunnel, shoved the inside door closed and burst into the cottage. “They will attack at dawn,” he told Justin.

  Rachel rode hour after hour, half asleep, and half awake. At first she was careful to dodge low branches, but soon she simply laid her head down against the horse’s neck. Only her fear of arriving too late kept her from sliding off. She was too exhausted and hungry to even think about Connor.

  Her back was aching, the inside of her thighs had to be bruised and her bottom was taking a beating, but she kept going. At last, Rachel had to sit up again. She couldn’t stand the pain in her lower back another moment.

  Suddenly, a hand went over her mouth and someone was pulling her off the horse. She tried to fight, flailing her arms out, hitting him with her fists and kicking as hard as she could. Someone was whispering her name, but her eyes were wild with fear and it took several moments to actually see the face of the man who had her. As soon as she finally realized it was Connor, she was so happy to see him, she threw her arms around his neck.

  Connor held her tight and whispered in her ear. “You must be quiet.” He waited for her nod and then slowly took his hand off her mouth. She was once more in his arms and he couldn’t resist. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. She didn’t pull away, so he kissed her longer. Finally, he remembered they were at war and stopped. He took her hand and led her behind a tree. The early morning wasn’t very light yet but when he glanced ba
ck, he could see Threcher walk into the meadow to graze.

  He took her back in his arms and put his mouth next to her ear so he could whisper, “They will attack at dawn.”

  She was happy to have her arms around his neck and reached up on tiptoe, “My mother?”

  “We took all the lasses and children out in the night. They should be half way to the Cameron hold by now. Most of the lads are out too.”

  “Were there warriors in the woods?”

  “Nay.” He tightened his arms and quickly kissed her lips again. It was then he realized she was holding him but her touch was too weak. “Where are you hurt?”

  She hesitated. She didn’t want to admit she really couldn’t protect herself, but she finally took his hand and put it on the sore spot on her head.

  He grimaced when he felt the lump. He drew her close again and let her put her head on his chest. All he wanted to do was hold and comfort her, but he was worried about keeping her safe. If their plan didn’t work, the battle might spill into the meadow. He heard something in the woods and with one swift movement; he turned, drew his sword and shoved Rachel behind him. It was Kevin. Connor put his sword back in his sheath and smiled. He reached back, took Rachel’s arm and pulled her out.

  Kevin couldn’t have been more relieved. He looked at her for a long moment and touched her hair just to make sure he could believe his eyes. At last, he pointed at the horse and when Rachel nodded, he nodded as if to say he thought so. It couldn’t be the same horse that brought Anna back to him thirteen years ago, it didn‘t look old enough. But maybe. Kevin would have to think about that later.

  It was getting lighter by the minute and Kevin motioned for them to get behind the trees. The bridge began to screech as though it was coming down and then stopped. Rachel took a quick peek around her tree and noticed everything seemed normal. Smoke drifted into the air from cottage hearths as though women prepared the morning meal. She could hear a baby cry but she knew it wasn’t a real baby. One of the men had mastered the art of imitating sounds. A woman moaned and another man coughed several times. Then the bridge started to go down again and she held her breath.

  From inside the village walls, the leader of a MacGreagor hunting party appeared on the bridge. He halted his horse just outside the wall, slowly looked in every direction, and pretended to be convinced there was no danger. Then he raised his arm and motioned the other men to follow. As soon as they were across the bridge, they turned toward the loch.

  Just as Kevin hoped, finding the bridge down was too much of a temptation and once the hunters were gone, Ferguson warriors rode swiftly out of the forest and onto the bridge. The hooves of a hundred horses pounded on the wooden planks, followed by at least two hundred foot warriors. At first, there were shouts and bellows coming from inside. Then it got quiet.

  MacGreagor warriors quickly gathered outside the lowered bridge with their bows already loaded. The archers in the front knelt down on one knee, the ones behind remained standing, and then the hunting party came back and arranged themselves behind the archers. When the Fergusons saw it, they could think of nothing else to do but raise the bridge.

  Kevin was pleased. He watched the window of the second story bedchamber he shared with Anna, and just as he suspected, Laird Ferguson appeared. Kevin walked into the meadow, stopped, spread his legs apart and folded his arms. Another hundred footmen, including Connor, walked out right behind him. Then more men walked their horses through the trees into the meadow. On the hillside above the trees, another two hundred Cameron horsemen showed themselves.

  Rachel thought she could actually see Laird Ferguson shudder in the window. She walked into the meadow and stood by Connor.

  “What are you doing, Lass?”

  “They left me for dead, Connor. I want him to know I am alive.” She glanced up and when he nodded, she boldly walked between the men and stopped in front Kevin. She could hear the men behind her pass the word that the Fergusons hit her over the head and left her to die. She folded her arms and glared at the man in the window for several minutes.

  Then she turned and went back to Connor.

  Kevin watched her go and smiled when she put her arms around the young man. “I believe my wife just lost the wager.”

  Justin smiled too, “I am glad of it. He is a good lad and he will treat her well.”

  “Aye. Did we get all the food out?”

  “We did not have that much left. It has been four days since a hunt and with the extra families, we‘ve nearly eaten everything in the garden. What we had, we sent with the lasses. We dumped all the water and hid the wine. They may eat a horse or two before they come out. Our archers are watching the hidden doors and we will light torches in the night to help the archers see.”

  “We could go back in through the doors and force them out.”

  Justin smiled. “Aye, but it will be an easier battle out here where they can not hide in our homes.”

  “Perhaps we will have a feast and let them watch.”

  “Perhaps we will.”

  A rider came to tell them the rest of the Fergusons had run away. Kevin nodded. “When this is over, we will warn them not to set foot on MacGreagor land again. If they do, we will attack and kill the few lads they will have left.”

  A Ferguson appeared atop the western wall with a loaded bow. A MacGreagor archer shot him dead and the man fell backwards. It was so quiet, when he cried out and landed with a thud everyone could hear.

  Kevin said, “We left the ladders up. They will use them when the time comes just as we planned.”

  Justin agreed. “Ferguson made a mistake when he drove us inside the wall.”

  “Aye, but his lads are not well trained and he did not want any of our men outside able to kill his one at a time. It is an error he will die regretting.” Kevin could see no more movement on top of the wall and Ferguson disappeared from the window. “It may be a long wait before they come out.”

  “Aye, it may.”

  She was in his arms again and when she looked up at him in the early dawn, Connor could see how tired she was. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked like she would fall asleep on her feet. So he bent down and lifted her into his arms. She laid her head against his chest and went sound asleep. He took a relieved breath. She was back and she was finally his.

  It wasn’t long until Thomas walked into the meadow to stand beside Kevin. “We found your traitor, he is dead.”

  “Who?”

  “Angus. He knew you would make Connor your third and he thought he deserved it.”

  “I never would have guessed. Does every laird have his traitor? My father did.”

  “Aye, it would seem so. I wonder who mine is.”

  Kevin playfully slapped his old friend on the back. “I will find him for you.”

  “I am happy to hear that.”

  “We are thinking of having a feast. Would your lads care to join us?”

  “Some will join you, but my unmarried lads want to go home. They have never seen so many pleasing lasses as the ones you sent to us.”

  “Then I insist they stay!”

  Thomas laughed. “You can not keep them all to yourself, Kevin.”

  “Aye, but I can die trying.”

  When she woke up, she was lying on one plaid and was covered with another at the edge of the meadow. She rolled from her side to her back and was soon reminded of her sore head. Before long, Connor was at her side offering his hand to help her sit up. In his other hand, he held a bowl of the best smelling stew she had ever seen. She couldn’t get to it fast enough and didn’t care what she looked like eating it. Three mouthfuls later, she looked around.

  Most of the men were still in the meadow with her. Some were sitting, some were lying down and others were standing -- waiting for some sign the Fergusons were coming out. Justin came over and wanted to see her injury. When he touched it, it hurt but not as much as before.

  “Did you see who did this, Lass?”

  “Na
y.”

  Justin patted her arm. “When you are ready, Connor will take you to your mother. She and your sister have been on their knees praying for so long they are in more pain than you are.”

  Rachel smiled and then nodded.

  Justin kissed her on the forehead and walked back to Kevin. As soon as she finished eating, she felt much better. She dreaded getting on a horse again and when she looked around, Threcher was nowhere in sight. She wrinkled her brow and wondered if she dreamed the whole thing.

  It took longer to get to the Cameron hold than it normally would have. Rachel was so sore from riding the day before, she was having a hard time sitting. “Can we walk for a while?”

  “We can do anything you like.”

  “Anything?”

  Connor wasn’t quite sure what he might be agreeing to so he didn’t answer. He got off his horse, walked around to hers and lifted her down. He didn‘t let go of her waist and waited to see what she would do about it. It was possible she didn’t remember a lot about what happened the night before. He wanted to hold her and kiss her again, but he wasn’t sure how she would feel about it.

  She looked up into his eyes, “I dreamed you kissed me.”

  “It was not a dream.”

  She slipped her hands around his neck. “Do you plan to kiss me again anytime soon?”

  “Very soon.” The moment she touched him, he felt like his heart would beat out of his chest. “Is now soon enough?”

  Rachel wanted him to kiss her very much, but she wanted to tell him something first. With her fingertips, she brushed a lock of hair off his forehead and took a deep breath. “I was so alone and all I could think about was you. I wanted you to put another flower on my head and I wanted you to hold me and never let me go. I was frightened I would never see you again.”

  He gently kissed her lips. “I thought of nothing but you too. I am so happy you are alive. You scared the hell out of us.”