Highland Games

by Laura Hunsaker

  “Yeah, yeah, I pronounce everything wrong, I get it. Tell me more of what happened. Why didn’t our parents just send me to live with you?” Piper wondered. An owl hooted in the distance, causing Caelen and Colm to look around.

  “I’ve never understood that.” Ian sounded as perplexed as Piper felt.

  “I wish they were around to ask. Did you send Colm to bring me back here?”

  Colm answered her, “Grissall, the witch, sent you away when you were very young, ‘tis she who brought you back.”

  “No, Colm,” Piper cupped his jaw, the stubble rough against her palm, “you brought me back.” He lowered his head to hers, their breath mingled, when a noise from behind the hut stopped their kiss.

  Several men stepped from the trees near the hut, and instead of snarling and growling, like her man was wont to do, Colm silently positioned himself in front of her, angling his body so that he could pass her his dagger with no one seeing.

  “A trap,” Caelen said to Ian. “I should ne’er have trusted you.”

  The man who led the group stepped toward Ian and struck him across the face. Piper gasped, but Colm’s large hands held her in place. Ian recovered from the blow, and stood his ground.

  “It ends now, Donald Grant. The clan is yours no longer.” Ian punctuated his claim by gripping the hilt of his claymore. The slow hiss of steel against leather seemed loud in the still night, but Ian wasn’t the only man who drew his sword.

  “You think to take it from me?” Donald sounded mildly amused.

  Caelen and Colm had their swords out as well, both held two-handed claymores, yet Donald still hadn’t drawn his own.

  He did, however look at Piper. “Lass, come with me.”

  Wide-eyed, she shook her head and said, “No.”

  “I’ll forget you were ever in the company of these men.” Did he think he was doing her a favor? “Come with me, and we’ll rule.”

  “You’re crazy. Rule what? You’re not a king.”

  “Ah, but I am, lassie, I am chief, and no one questions the rule of a chief.” This last was directed at Ian, who stood ready. “Come, now. You try my patience.”

  Piper told him no once more, which seemed to anger Donald. It was the first real emotion she’d seen from him. “You’ll come with me. Whether it’s willingly or not, is up to you. Your last chance, lass. Come, now.”

  “You have my answer.” Piper was really proud her voice didn’t wobble.

  “Then you’ll watch these men die before you. Do you really want to be the cause of their deaths?” Piper paled. Pressing his advantage, Donald continued, “It will be on your head.”

  With his words still ringing in the night, Donald pulled his sword from the sheath on his back and waited.

  “What’s he waiting for?” Piper whispered.

  “Shh, love.”

  “But what’s he waiting for?”

  Caelen’s voice carried, commanding and sure, “Would you be looking for your men, Grant?”

  Donald’s eyes were shifting around, darting between each man. All three were younger than he, all three trained warriors…and all three men with their swords out.

  She felt Colm’s body vibrate as he sounded out an owl call. Noiselessly, all of the MacRobert men stepped from the shadows, many with hostages. Piper suddenly understood that these men were far more trained than she’d realized. With the simple hoot of an owl, Caelen and Colm had known Donald was here, and that his men were taken care of. Shaking her head, Piper relaxed thinking that he’d scurry back under whatever rock he came from now.

  She was wrong.

  When he realized he’d been outsmarted, Donald flung a knife at Ian before he charged at Colm and Caelen. Piper was shoved roughly away from the fight and, as much as she wanted to check on her new-found brother, she couldn’t see a way to him that wouldn’t take her too close to the swords clashing in the moonlight. But she needn’t have worried, when she finally caught a glimpse of him, her brother was still standing, pulling the knife out of his shoulder. The meaty part of it, she thought, but it was hard for her to tell in the dark.

  Ian took up position behind Donald, his back to the hut, his sword held straight up on his left side, one arm across his body. He looked ready to rush in at any moment, yet he waited.

  Focusing back on the three fighting, Piper realized that Caelen had Donald down on one knee at sword point, the tip digging into the soft flesh of his neck. Donald was panting, yet neither Colm nor Caelen looked winded.

  “Swear your fealty to the new laird of clan Grant, Ian Alexander Grant.”

  Donald’s response was to spit on Caelen’s boot.

  Never taking his eyes from the fallen Grant laird, Colm’s voice rang clear and strong throughout the clearing. “Grant men. Your chief has fallen. Will you swear fealty to Ian, son of Ian, your laird before Donald?”

  In the silence, only one man spoke. “Aye.”

  It was slowly echoed by half a dozen “ayes,” but Piper thought it was too easy.

  She was right. While down on one knee, Donald had slipped a dagger from his boot. He sprang forward, shoving it up and under Caelen’s ribcage. Both Ian and Colm were on Donald in an instant. Ian’s swords pierced him through the heart in the same moment Colm’s blade lopped his head off in one blow.

  Piper watched Donald’s head roll across the grass, coming to rest near her feet. The mouth was opening and closing before her in gruesome last words. She promptly leaned over and threw up.

  Colm’s large, warm hands were on her, rubbing her back, soothing her. When she turned around, tears in her eyes, he passed her a flask. She gulped it greedily, not caring if she coughed and sputtered from the burn.

  “Caelen?” she rasped out.

  “He’s all right. The sgian dubh merely grazed him.” True to his word, Caelen was pressing his plaid against his ribs, but was otherwise walking and seemed fine.

  “And my brother? Will I see him again?”

  “Aye, he’s well enough. I’ve a feeling he’ll want to see you.” Her eyes sought out Ian, and he was covered in blood.

  Following her line of sight, Colm hushed her, and let her know that it wasn’t her brother’s blood.

  “Why did they all agree so quickly to Ian? Was it just to save their own skins?”

  “Mayhap. But I’ve heard tell Donald was a cruel laird, and I’ve a feeling they were happy to embrace anyone else. With Ian being the son of a favored chief, it suits the clan to have him back.”

  Piper could understand that, but her brain was too tired to thing any farther of clan politics. She couldn’t get the image of the dismembered head rolling across the grass out of her mind. Sensing this, Colm retrieved his horse, then mounted first, helping her up to sit in front of him sidesaddle once more. She leaned her head back against his solid shoulder, and let him lead.

  “I’m still not completely sure why my parents sent me to the future, or how that is even possible, but I’m too overwhelmed with everything to even try to think about it.”

  She felt Colm’s voice as much as heard it, “Aye, you’ve been through much. Once you’re feeling better, I’d like to speak with Grissall about this. I ken she does aught for free, nor out of the goodness of her black heart. I want to ken what she received from this bargain.”

  Piper nodded in agreement, and they lapsed into silence for a while before something occurred to her. “You wouldn’t have let me go back, would you?”

  “Nay, love. I wouldna.”

  Chapter Nine

  Colm woke to the sunlight streaming in through the window. Piper was silently staring out the window, but something in the way she stood made Colm think she was weeping. He slid out of bed as quietly as he could, and slipping his arms around her, held her as tightly as he could.

  Piper stiffened at first, then relaxed into his body. Colm could wait.

  Piper took a deep, shuddering breath. “I think I should go back to my life. To my time.”

  Colm turned her in his arms until
he could see her face. “You can’t mean that.”

  Piper shrugged. “Thanks to you, I know where I’m from, and I love that add- I] have that answer now, but I don’t fit in here.” When Colm would have argued, Piper cut him off. “You know I don’t fit in here.”

  “You’ll learn. Stay with me.”

  The tears fell once more, unchecked. Piper whispered, “I can’t.”

  “You can.” Colm was firm.

  Piper stepped out of his arms, and said brokenly, “Why?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Why would you want me?”

  “You canna leave. We are connected, you and I. My heart is chained to yours, and I canna break free. I doona care to break free. If you leave me, I canna follow-the hag won’t help me again. Doona leave me, Piper.” Colm gripped both her hands so tightly it hurt, but that small pain was nothing compared to what was in his eyes. “Please. Please doona do this. Without you I’m nothing. Doona doom me to that existence, Piper.”

  Her eyes had widened, her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “What?”

  “I love you.” Colm couldn’t take the words back, but once out, he realized he didn’t want to take them back.

  “You love me?”

  He nodded.

  “Really?”

  He nodded once more.

  Piper threw herself at him, pressing kisses to lips, cheeks, chin, any place she could reach.

  “I love you too. Oh Colm I really do. I thought you just wanted me for the whole claim to Grant lands thing, but you really do love me.” Piper pulled away from him. “Now that it’s settled, you have to take me to see Grissall. Today.”

  “Nay, Piper. She is evil, and I doona care to have you near her.”

  “How can she be evil? She brought us together.”

  “Aye, but it wasna for us, Piper. She’s no selfless martyr. She’s a witch, through and through.”

  “Either way, I still want to see her. I need to know Colm. Why did she cast me into the future?”

  He hadn’t wanted to let Piper anywhere near the witch, but Piper was adamant. She had to know. With a heavy sigh, Colm agreed to take her out to the hag’s cave.

  The air felt heavy, the fresh breeze had gone leaving a dank and oppressive chill in the atmosphere. Piper leaned back against Colm, at the same time second-guessing her decision to see this so-called witch.

  Once Colm had dismounted and helped Piper off Sonny, he wrapped the reins around a sturdy branch. Grissall’s voice echoed out from the gaping maw of the cave.

  “Come in.”

  Glancing at each other, Piper and Colm entered the dark cavern.

  “I see ye’ve brought the lassie wi’ ye.” Piper watched as a small, hunch-backed woman shuffled into view. There was nothing but a dark wall behind her, yet Piper knew not everything was as it seemed.

  “She wants to ken about her parents.”

  “Och, that’s no’ why ye’ve come, now is it?”

  Piper had the unsettling feeling that those milky, faded blue eyes saw far more about her than she’d like known.

  “I want to know why you sent me to the future. Why didn’t you just send me to another family, or to my brother?”

  “That’s no’ so simple to answer.”

  “Try.” Colm’s voice was flat and he crossed his arms across his chest.

  Placing a hand on his arm, Piper tried to calm him. “Please, Grissall, tell me why you did it.”

  “I needed ye two to meet. That ne’r would have happened if you had been sent to foster with another family. He had to bring ye here. Ye had to rely on him, to trust him, or ye wouldna come with him. Ye wouldna stayed with him. Only when the time was right, could ye two souls meet.”

  “Why would you do that for us? I ken your ways, witch, and ye are no saint.”

  Grissall’s cackle raised the hair on the back of Piper’s neck. She barely suppressed a shudder.

  “Aye, I may have enjoyed sending the wee bairn to another time, another Grant family.” She cackled once more, and this time Piper wasn’t able to stop the shiver that ran down her back.

  “What is it you get in return, old woman?”

  “Now that is the question, is it no’?” Grissall mused.

  “You’re not getting our firstborn” Piper was firm.

  “Och, lassie, what use have I for a wee bairn? Nay, ye’ll promise me protection, and I’ll live with your clan.”

  “So you can cause trouble amongst the Grants? Grissall, I’ll no’ have you stirring up trouble with this new clan.” Piper was grateful Colm thought of her brother’s people. Her people.

  “I merely ask for a warm hut, it can be far from the village, but winters are harder and me bones are achin’ more and more each year. This cave be too damp and cold for the likes o’ me. All I want be a warm home where I can grow old. Surely ‘tis no’ too much to ask after bringing ye together?”

  Colm muttered, “Sly old bat.” Piper placed her hand against his arm, to soothe him.

  “I’ll have to speak with the MacRobert afore I can give you an answer.”

  “Surely ye need no’ ask his lairdship about this? This deal remains between us. The laird and I have our own agreement. I want your word, no’ his, that I’ll have a home.”

  Colm was silent for a long moment, before nodding slowly. “We can give you a home, Grissall, but it is conditional. If you harm anyone in my clan, you leave. Swear it.”

  Grissall grinned a wide, toothless grin that had Piper mentally shuddering. She no longer felt as if it were a good idea to keep Grissall around at all, but the witch had brought Colm to her, and now Piper had a place where she finally felt she belonged. All of that was worth a little discomfort, and a small hut at the edge of the village. The far edge of the village.

  After they left the dank cave, Colm helped Piper mount his horse. She was getting better at riding, but she still liked having him sit behind her. She always felt so secure in his arms, especially today as a shiver ran down her spine.

  “Why do I feel as if we were duped?”

  Colm was grim. “Aye, she’s no’ as innocent as she wants us to believe. We’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Piper leaned back against her soon-to-be husband and let him lead. “Right now I want to stop stressing and worrying over her. Let’s go home.”

  “Aye, m’lady. Home ‘tis.”

  * * * *

  Grissall’s cackle echoed in her cave. Her powers were growing stronger, even now. She looked into the future, into a castle that stood both now and then. And she laughed. There was a mirror there, a mirror that was not supposed to exist. A mirror that held more power than Grissall had ever commanded. However, she now held the secret of harnessing the magic.

  The End