Christmas Present

by Lauren Wood

  There was nothing I could say. The remainder of the journey we rode in silence. I held our son close to my chest and watched him as he slept.

  Soundsforth was quiet. We approached the castle not knowing what we may discover. Kit ran ahead in search of his mother and father. I saw him halt dead in his tracks. Peering around I could see his mother laying across the floor, her body trembled. She was sobbing.

  “Mother!” Kit lunged forward and scooped her up into his arms. “Mother are you alright?” She continued to cry into his chest.

  “My boy. It’s your father, they have taken him. He has been murdered and his body has been stolen.” She let out a scream.

  “What happened?” I cried out to her.

  “A shifter that I have never seen before forced his way into the castle. The guards shouted out to warn us but you know your father. He always wishes the best for all beings. Your father tried to speak to him to find out his name. The creature would not listen. As he approached us we knew it was not one of us, it was not a Bataran. Then it pounced on top of him until his body fell limp.” She ducked her face into Kit’s arm, shuddering as she relived the moment.

  “Mira.” Kit stood and looked directly into my eyes. “Stay here with Mother.” He pushed past me and headed straight for the doors. I knew exactly what he was about to do. I feared for my Brother and Darden.

  The entire kingdom was outraged at the sudden loss of King Laurence Bataran. The entire town was stirring as the news spread to the men, women, and children. Something had to be done and they looked to their new King Kit Bataran for guidance. His decision for action had already been made.

  Kit had decided that his only option was to avenge his father and mine by hunting down the shifter, my brother. All of the men in Soundsforth gathered their horses and set out to find this beast. Kit knew exactly where he would find King Montgomery. They galloped through the thick forest toward the clearing where I had found Kit the night before.

  Through the dark clouds, the moon fought to show its blue face. I watched out the window beside Elmire, our hands clasped together. It took everything I had to remain strong for this woman who had just lost her husband. Every so often she would rise out of her chair and pace the lengths of the room. The baby seemed to keep her mind calm. Every time he would make a sound she would immediately tend to his need.

  “He looks so much like his father.” She would repeat over and over again. “He will be a great king someday. Has he a name yet?”

  Through all of the madness that engulfed this day I hadn’t thought to give my son a name. The choice was clear. “His name is Erroll.” I replied. “He is named after my father who was the greatest king I have ever known.” I smiled down at that helplessly small child but couldn’t help but worry for my husband and my brother as the day grew darker.

  Thoughts continued to spin through my mind. Why would Brother want to kill Father? I always knew that Brother wanted so badly to be king but I never expected him to take such extreme actions to achieve it. Flashes of the angry beast attacking my father played in my head. My fears shifted back to my husband leading the townsmen toward such danger.

  When they had reached the clearing the men saw King Laurence’s body propped up against a tree stump. Motionless. One man, unable to contain his outrage, tore through the clearing with a baton above his head charging into the night. Out of nowhere, the creature pounced through the darkness killing the man in one motion. This caused many of the men to step back closer to the tree-line.

  Kit’s mind raced as he attempted to conjure up a plan. So far he had only been seeing red and marched forward. Now that he was here, in front of the beast, he needed a plan. He decided to use his voice.

  “King Montgomery Nord.” There was silence and the beast took a step toward Kit. “I am Kit Bataran of Soundsforth. You are trespassing on our land. Please, return to your kingdom. We mean you no harm.” Kit took a step toward the creature. “Haven’t you already gotten what you wanted? You are a king are you not?” The two stepped even closer together. “Why must you take our king away from us? He could have taught you so much, he was a great king.”

  The beast hissed and spat in Kit’s direction. “You do not know what a great king is!” he laughed a sickening laugh.

  “I may not know what it takes to be as great as King Laurence Bataran or King Erroll Nord, this is true. What I do know is that killing kings is not the best starting strategy.” At that the beast launched himself at Kit with his jagged teeth glaring in the darkness. Kit expected this reaction and managed to shift himself just in time and knocked Brother against a tree. He held him there with extreme force. “We could have been brothers, King Montgomery. But now it seems as though you will never even meet your nephew.” with a quick swipe, the beast fell to the forest floor. His breathing labored and eventually seized.

  The townsmen gathered themselves and headed back to the town to share the news that the beast had been eliminated. They made sure to bring back the body of their fallen king for a proper royal burial. Before they reached the town, they heard a rustling in the bushes. Out came Mr. Toil Germaine, trembling and begging for forgiveness.

  “I’m so sorry but what is a starving man to do?” He pleaded.

  “Mr. Germaine?” Kit began. He walked over to the bush and placed his hand over Toil’s shoulder “What a pleasure to see you again.” He taunted.

  Toil’s body shook in fear that he would be executed for high treason. “P-Please sir. I mean, King Kit. I will do anything you desire of me, just please do not kill me.”

  Kit thought to himself what pleasure it would bring to him and the people of Soundsforth to eliminate the man who plotted with King Montgomery to kill two great men. He decided that it would bring him much more pleasure to see Mr. Toil Germaine carry out his days slaving away as a servant to all of the townspeople. So that is what he did.

  When King Kit Bataran returned to the castle, I felt a wave of relief wash over my entire being. I didn’t care to know what had happened in the forest. All that mattered in this exact moment was that my husband, the king, was home safe. He reached over and placed his strong hand against my cheek, pulling me in for a kiss. When he let go he said, “I promise to love you.”

  The baby cooed in the corner awaking in his father’s presence. Kit smiled over to me before gently picking him up. “Say hello to Erroll.” I told him.

  “My son. Prince Erroll Bataran.” He pulled me closer with baby Erroll in his arms and I breathed them in. These were the two men in my life that I would do anything to protect. For them my heart raised its guard, to protect the radiating love inside of me.

  THE END

  POSSESSED BY HIGHLANDER

  Chapter 1

  Caitlin stands ready to spar with her best friend Kelvin. They’ve known each other all their lives, but they have never gone beyond the friendship that they have formed. They came close several times, but there was something holding them back. They talked about it at length and they came to the conclusion that they would be ruining what they already had for something that was most likely fleeting.

  “I hope that you are ready for this little one. I’m through playing with kid gloves. We’ve been doing this dance for a long time and I’ve been holding back in hopes of not hurting you. I’ve seen some remarkable progress and you have a real knack of predicting somebody’s moves. You also have this uncanny ability of using a man’s obvious weight advantage against him.” Kelvin could never get over his infatuation of Caitlin. He wanted, so much more, but he knew the writing on the wall. They were friends and that was all that they were going to be. He accepted that and was glad to still have her in his life.

  “I’m ready for whatever you have to dish out. I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again that I’m not very happy with the way that my people are treating me. I want to be in the thick of things, battling beside them, until there is blood soaking into the ground. I want to stand victorious with my sword raised in the air with the res
t of the warriors.” “I’ve known for quite some time that he has been holding back, but I was afraid of what would happen if I allowed him to unleash the full force of his skills. I wanted to be one of those that are able to stand and tell their stories of battling to the finish. I look at Kelvin and I see that he’s grown into quite the specimen of man.”

  “You claim that you are better than most men and I am inclined to believe you little one.” He had always called her that from the moment that they met when they were children. He could never get out of the habit, having no idea that Caitlin liked the idea that he found her to be pure, as the driven snow. His moniker of little one was meant as a compliment. He had no idea how close to the truth he was. Nobody really knew what lie underneath the bosom of a woman the looked like you could break her into a million pieces. “I’m through giving you lessons. It’s time that we put this to the test.” Kelvin had on his family colors of a red and black tartan. He also had the crest of the wolf head in gold around his waist.

  As for Caitlin, she wore a frumpy frock that she had altered to make it easier to fight. Her parents had been lost at sea and she had one brother that was never the same after he came back from battle. He muttered underneath his breath constantly, swinging widely in the night with nightmares that made her realize that he had seen things that nobody should.

  It took awhile for her to actually pick up a sword and be able to carry it with the grace of a warrior. She practiced every day, putting her body through its limits and beyond. She liked having power in the palm of her hand, but she knew that they would never accept her, as an equal on the battlefield. It didn’t matter. What mattered the most was what she thought about herself. Those that knew her felt that she was a woman of independence. What they didn’t realize was that she had no desire to care for a man. She wanted something else, but what that could be was still a mystery. She did crave everlasting love, but that was, as mythical as the unicorn.

  “I’ve been training for this day for, as long as I can remember. I’ve been waiting for the moment that I can finally show myself and not be ridiculed for carrying a sword. There are very few women that know how to fight.” “I may not want a man to cower to, but I would like somebody that I can stand with against overwhelming odds. I don’t want a man to think that they need to take care of me, when I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I looked at Kelvin and I see regret for not taking the bull by the horns and doing something about this attraction.”

  “Don’t say that I didn’t warn you. What I’ve taught you already is enough to keep yourself from being killed. Unfortunately, in battle there are too many variables that you have to account for.” They were away from the prying eyes of others. In the field, they were able to let themselves go and enjoy the thrilling moment where one of them would be supreme over the other. “I know that you have the tools, but let’s see if you can truly utilize them when you need them the most.” He had to admit that he enjoyed sparring with Caitlin. He swung the sword and was quite amazed that she was able to lift such a heavy object on her own.

  The clang of the metal felt like they were really fighting to the death. He moved to thrust forward, but she swung her sword around to deny him his target. They were enjoying the early morning hour, taking solace in the fact that everybody else was most likely sleeping. They had never been discovered and they hoped that they never would be. The sound of healthy competition was in the air. Those wildlife that were around came to witness the spectacle in front of their eyes. They did not interfere. It was not lost on either Kelvin or Caitlin but they had garnered an audience once again.

  “Is that the best that you’ve got? You’re supposed to be this big strong intimidating man. Show me what you would do if somebody was about to try to kill you.” She was breathing heavy, taxing her lungs with the exertion of what she was putting herself through. “I really don’t know how much more I can take of this. We’ve already surpassed the 10 minute mark that we usually do. I know that he’s testing me, but I think that he’s waiting for a chink in my armor.” Every time she moved, that slit up the side of the grayish white dress would show off her porcelain and creamy skin.

  Kelvin was looking at her, but not as an enemy, but as a potential love conquest. He would have enjoyed making her succumb to his baser instincts, but this was, as far as he was going to get with physical contact. It did distract him from the object of his desire, as she wielded that sword with a speed that did not seem possible by a female form. She may have been breathing heavy and her face was flushed, but she did not give up.

  “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to give up, but I think that it will be a cold day in hell when that happens. Little one, you show potential and I believe that you would surprise many. The way that you have been drawn to the sword is a testament to your late father Shamus. I had the fortune of standing with him on the battlefield and his blood lust for vengeance was very much evident in his eyes. I see that same fire in yours.” What he didn’t want to say was that he could translate that into the bedroom. He could make her yearn for his touch, but he was not going to take the risk of alienating her.

  Licking his lips and staring at her naked thigh was his final downfall. He had stopped all momentum, unable to take his eyes off the prize. Her sword swung his around and before he had a chance to counterattack, his sword was flying and landing near a tree several feet away. She stepped forward and swept him off his feet by moving her leg to the back of his and collapsing his knee. He was down at her mercy with that sword and the steel of the blade digging into his skin. There was a trickle of blood that landed on the blade. Caitlin took it away and used her fingers to smear it across her face.

  “I don’t think that it’s fair that you look like that. I will say that others will have the same problem. They won’t know how to take you and the element of surprise is going to be your best weapon of all.” He touched the wound, but it was merely a nick and nothing to really worry about.

  “I see your point. They will never suspect that I have skills with a sword. They will laugh heartily at my expense and that will be the last thing that they ever do. They will pass on to another life, cursing themselves for allowing their misconceptions to get the best of them.” I had heard through the Grapevine that there was something going to happen a few miles to the west. It was only ravings of the drunk, but I’d learned that there is always a semblance of truth in any story.” Caitlin felt bad that she had bested Calvin and did not want to be the cause of bruising his delicate male ego. She also felt exhilarated and that adrenaline pumping through her veins was enough to make her want to do it again.

  “You do know that I’m going to want a rematch, as soon as possible. I’m not suggesting that we do it right now, as we need to get back to the village, before they know we are missing. We’ve been gone a little longer than our usual time. I blame myself for that. I wanted to push you past your own endurance and I think that I accomplished that.” He was a little hurt that he had allowed her to step inside his private space. He had always prided himself on knowing his surroundings. The one thing that he was good at was knowing how the other man was going to think. That was the main problem. Caitlin was not a man and she had those feminine curves and sexual openness that made it impossible not to want more than just a passing glance.

  Chapter 2

  Caitlin had everything prepared and to avoid detection, she had wrapped her flaxen locks underneath a plain scarf of her own making. She did not want to be questioned by the sentry that most likely would be in the area. If this was really going to happen, then whoever was coming from the west was going to walk into a trap. It was primarily an ambush and she did not think that it was fair or just. A fair fight was one on one and to do otherwise would be dishonorable.

  “I stand here and look over the countryside. I know that I am in the presence of what god built. I am insignificant. Anything that happens here today is a small ripple. It means absolutely nothing in the long run, but to me it means more than
I can ever say to anybody. Kelvin may have a basic idea of how important this is to me, but I don’t think that he truly grasps the concept of a woman fighting alongside a man. It was not like I was stepping into new territory. Women from other clans had taken a step in the right direction.” Caitlin wore her family’s colors with a green and black tartan that covered the important parts. She wore that kilt with the pride of a highland warrior. She did not have anything underneath and one wrong move would make her subterfuge well known to those in the area.

  Caitlin was hiding and she could see that some of her brethren were scattered about. They had no idea that she was there and she wanted to make sure that they never found out. Caitlin wasn’t even sure of what she was going to do, until the man in a yellow and black tartan rode by on his horse. Once he moved in between the trees her brothers would easily be able to jump him. From everything that she had heard, this had something to do with jealousy. Apparently, Ian Mackenzie was supposed to join in wedded bliss with a rival chief’s daughter. He was on his way there now.

  Ian felt there was a shift in the air. He instinctively knew that the hairs on the back of his neck predicted danger. He saw nothing to warrant that feeling, but he had learned never to dispel what his body was trying to tell him. It was one of the rare gifts that he had gotten from his father. That particular gift had to be honed. There were times that he didn’t understand what was going on. He needed his father to help him with a guiding hand.

  “I’m afraid that is, as far as you go, Ian.” He stopped, pulling on the reins of the horse and looking around to see that he was no longer alone. He swallowed hard, and narrowed his eyes on the enemy and feeling that it was time to let loose the beast from within. “This is nothing personal, but the union of you and the chief’s daughter cannot happen. I’ve been tasked to make sure that you never make it to your final destination. This may seem unfair, but we know of your prowess with a sword. To go one on one against you would be playing right into your hand.”