Highlander's Rebellious Love

by Donna Fletcher

  “The fool wants to join your warriors,” Noble said with a laugh. “He is a McCuil and always will be.”

  “Ross is a fine man, is he not?” Patience asked.

  “Aye, he is for sure,” Noble said with a firm nod confirming it.

  Patience shrugged and reached for the pitcher. “Then it is his decision, not yours.”

  Hunter smiled as Noble stared at Patience with his mouths open, though not a word spilled from it.

  Patience turned to Una. “Thank you for tending to my garments and repairing my shirt. I only wish I could sew as fine a stitch as you.”

  “But you do sew a fine stitch, Edward and many of your warriors will attest to it.”

  “I do better on wounds than I do on cloth,” Patience said.

  “That is because you are a warrior and have no time for womanly things,” Ross said.

  Patience smiled. “You will tell that to my father when we return home.”

  “We leave today then?” Edward asked anxiously.

  Patience felt her husband tense beside her and she realized she was about to answer without considering him. The decision was hers to make, though she had agreed to wait until after their meal to do so.

  “Let us enjoy the meal and then we will discuss the day’s plan,” she said and felt Hunter’s hand rest on her thigh and give it a squeeze, as if letting her know her response pleased him. And that he acknowledged it, pleased her. Marriage took more effort than she expected, but then perhaps it was not marriage but love that had her making the effort to not only acknowledge her husband but please him, for he had certainly pleased her many times.

  Damn. There she was thinking about making love with him. Would she ever stop thinking about it or wanting him?

  She turned her concentration on her meal and laughed along with the others as Noble regaled them with tales of the four McCuil brothers. She was glad, though, that when the meal was finished the two brothers excused themselves, leaving the rest of them to talk.

  Patience placed her hand on top of her husband’s where it rested on the table. “I feel fit to travel and with Greer McLaud so determined to see Hunter and me not survive the journey home, I think it is wise if we return home as soon as possible.”

  “I could not agree more,” Edward said, looking pleased. “Should I see to readying everything for departure?”

  “Aye, we will leave shortly.”

  Edward nodded and hurried off, gathering the men with him as he went.

  Patience looked to Ewan. “Any word on the ghost warriors?”

  “Until we leave here I cannot say for sure, though there has been no sign of them for a while,” Ewan said. “As soon as we leave here, I will see what I can discover.”

  “Any thought on why they would simply vanish like that, especially after we had been informed that the Dark Dragon wanted no blood spilled on his land? Having his warriors follow us and offer their protection is evidence that he does not trust Greer to keep the peace, so why leave us vulnerable to him?”

  Ewan shook his head. “It puzzles me.”

  “There would be only one reason,” Una said as if it was obvious. “To have summoned all his warriors, something of extreme importance must have interfered with his plans.”

  “Perhaps the King called on him for help,” Hunter said.

  Ewan shook his head again. “He keeps a contingent of warriors ready at all times if the King should require help.”

  “Then what could possibly have him summoning his men?” Hunter said.

  “Oh my God,” Una cried and turned to Patience beside her, grabbing hold of her arm. “Your sister escaped and he sends his men to find her.”

  A shiver so strong ran through Patience that she was certain it touched her soul. Could it be possible? Could Heather have escaped the Dark Dragon?

  “Nonsense,” Ewan said, dismissing her claim. “How could one lone lass escape his highly-skilled warriors?”

  “By watching them,” Patience said, growing more confident at the possibility. “I had always wondered how Heather knew so much about our clansmen and even more so how she understood them. I asked her one day and she said it was simple; she watched and listened.”

  “So you are saying that she watched the ghost warriors and learned—”

  “How to avoid them,” Patience finished for her husband. “And if she did, then she would be making her way home. We could very well come upon her along the way.” She hurried to stand, wanting now more than ever to get home.

  Hunter tugged on her arm for her to sit, and she did so reluctantly.

  “How do we know this for sure?” Hunter asked, not wanting his wife to be disappointed if it was proven false.

  Patience looked to Ewan. “Would you be able to find out?”

  Ewan shook his head. “He would never admit it, for if it was learned, it would leave your sister vulnerable to those who want revenge against him.”

  Patience grew upset with herself for not having given that thought. “Then it is more important than ever that we leave and hopefully find her along the way.”

  “And what if this is just a derision to distract you?” Hunter said. “Is it not better that we try to find out for sure if your sister has escaped?”

  “But how?” Patience asked, not wanting to lose faith in the idea that Heather was free of the evil man.

  “That should not be difficult,” Una said once again as if they should understand. “You demanded to see your sister or you would remain on his land until he did. If he no longer has your sister, then I imagine he will find a way to make you leave so that he can continue his search without worrying that you will linger and discover the truth.”

  Patience turned a scowl on Ewan. “You will not let them know what we think or plan, my sister’s life could depend on it.”

  “I want no harm to come to Heather,” Ewan said.

  “And if this proves to be true, I certainly do not want Greer to learn about it,” Hunter said. “There is no telling what he would do if he came across her.”

  “He would return her to the Dark Dragon, so that he would feel indebted to Greer,” Ewan said.

  “You do not know my brother,” Hunter said. “He might return her to the Dark Dragon, her body that is, and then he will lay blame on her own clan, infuriating the Dark Dragon which would have him retaliating with a vengeance.”

  “I need to find out for sure if Heather is still with the Dark Dragon or if she has escaped,” Patience said her worry for her sister mounting. She stood and she was pleased that her husband stood along with her. “Time to leave.”

  ~~~

  Hunter rode alongside his mum, Ewan having gone off to see if he could find out anything about the ghost warriors while Patience was busy riding among her warriors.

  “She is a wise warrior, talking with each of her men, listening to their opinions and complaints, knowing them well. They will stay true to her,” Una said. “Your father never realized that. To him, his warriors had a duty and they had better adhered to that duty or suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, Greer is even worse. He has little regard for his warriors and cares naught if they die. He thinks there will always be another to take one’s place, another one to die for him.”

  “Da realized too late how little regard Greer had for anyone’s life but his own,” Hunter said.

  Una glanced at her son, a tear in her eye. “You tried to warn him.”

  “And got a beating for it.”

  “Your father was blind when it came to Greer and no one could tell him otherwise. You cannot continue to blame yourself for what happened.”

  “I try, in time perhaps...” Hunter said no more. He had to keep the truth from his mum. He did not want her to know that until he revenged his father’s death he would have no peace. To do that, Greer had to die and he did not want his mum to know that he planned to take his brother’s life.

  “Your wife keeps glancing your way, I think she misses you.”

  He had notice
d her frequent glances and from the spark in her bright green eyes, he had an idea of what was on her mind, but then it was on his as well. “I miss her as well, though we are only a few feet apart.”

  “When you are in love, a few feet can seem like a chasm. Go to her,” Una urged and gave her son’s shoulder a loving push.

  “Stay close to the warriors, Mum,” he said.

  “Worry not about me, the McCuil lads keep a good eye on me and I have Beast to protect me and Ewan when he returns. Now go,” she ordered with another gentle push.

  As he moved away from his mum, he saw that his wife moved away from her warriors. They had the same thought in mind and soon they were riding alongside each other.

  “Your mum does well?” Patience asked having grown fund of Una.

  “Aye, and you should know that she is as observant as you are, for she could see how much you missed me, though you were not that far from me.”

  His playful grin tickled at her heart and brought a smile to her face. “And did she see how much you missed me?”

  “She did,” Hunter said proudly. “She knows her son well.”

  Patience lowered her voice. “I think I know you better.”

  “I think she would agree on that,” Hunter whispered.

  Her smile faded. “I wish we were home and had time to spend alone as we did at the cottage. I would love uninterrupted days with you where we could...” She sighed and shook her head. “My desire for you is simply outrageous.”

  He laughed. “And glad I am for that.”

  “Talk to me of something else or I fear I will drag you into the woods and have my way with you.”

  “Do not tempt me, wife,” he warned. “I would love to do the same to you, but it would be unwise of us both.”

  “I know,” she sighed with resignation, “but the temptation remains.”

  Hunter did what she had asked, knowing it was the wisest thing to do. “How long until we leave the Dark Dragon’s land?”

  “A day and a half ride and we will reach the Dark Dragon’s border. Once we cross it, I fear what your brother may do, and there has not been sufficient time for my message to have reached my father, which means extra men are yet on the way.”

  “I do not care for the odds,” Hunter said. “Do you know what clan borders the Dark Dragon’s land?”

  “Clan MacTavish, though I doubt the clan is aware of its infamous neighbor.”

  “Do you call the MacTavish clan friend?”

  “There have been sparks between us over the years, but my da has always managed to make certain they never ignited,” she said.

  “Would they aid us if need be?”

  “I suppose that would depend on if Greer has struck a bargain with them or not,” she said, the thought setting a worry in her. “The Clan MacThore sits next to the MacTavishes and also borders Macinnes land. They have always been an ally of our clan and my da has been there for them whenever needed. Clan MacThore we can count on.”

  “Then perhaps you should send a message to them and ask them to meet us at their border,” Hunter suggested.

  She smiled. “We do think alike. I had Edward send a man out shortly after we departed the abbey.”

  They continued discussing different scenarios they might face along the way and various ways to avoid them or confront them while they traveled with caution to their surroundings. A quick rest mid-day saw Ewan returning to them.

  Patience was eager to hear his news, though one look at his face told her she was not going to like what she heard.

  “I saw not a trace of the ghost warriors,” Ewan informed her and Hunter when they joined Ewan and Una.

  Una broke the silence that followed. “That is good news, for it means they continue to hunt for Heather.”

  Patience threw her arms around the woman and hugged her. She wanted to believe that Heather was free of the Dark Dragon and that she was safe and on her way home. She had to believe it, for to believe anything else would mean that Heather was worse off than when she was with the Dark Dragon, and that thought tore at Patience’s heart.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  “I am not going to argue this with you, Patience,” Hunter said, adding more broken branches to the campfire. The camp was finally settling down for the night, warriors getting ready to change posts. “You have given yourself little time to rest and heal. Tonight you will rest. Your warriors will see to guarding the camp. You do not need to take a turn.”

  Patience was ready to protest when a yawn hit her hard.

  “And there you have proof of my words,” Hunter said, walking over to her to wrap his arms gently around her. “You do not need me to tell you what you already know, but I have no trouble reminding you of it. You will be of no help to anyone, especially your sister if you let your strength wane. And your warriors do not expect you to share in the duties tonight just as you would not expect it if one of them had suffered an injury. So do what you must and rest.”

  She thought to ask him if he would rest with her, but that would be much too tempting and to be truthful she was much too tired and her body much too sore.

  With a look of surrender in her green eyes, she said, “I am tired.”

  “And no doubt your body is feeling the effects of your ordeal. Lie down,” he said, though there was a hint of command to his tone. With an arm around her waist, he helped her down on the blanket he had arranged near the campfire, then he joined her, stretching out beside her. He covered them with another blanket.

  Patience cuddled close to her husband, wanting the comfort of his arms around her and the warmth of his body against hers. Content, her eyes closed and in minutes she was asleep.

  ~~~

  Patience did not know what woke her, perhaps it had been the hiss and spit of the campfire, or the stillness in the air. Whatever it was had disturbed her sleep and brought her fully awake. She realized then that her husband was not beside her and wondered if that was what had woken her. She was used to having him close and when he was not there, she felt the loss.

  She sat up and looked around. The camp was quiet, everyone asleep, except for the guards posted at various spots. She could not tell how long she had slept, though if she went by how rested she felt, then it had to have been several hours.

  Hunter was probably at his post, and she decided to go find him and see if she could relieve him so that he could rest. She kept her footfalls light so as not to disturb those sleeping and went to find her husband.

  She knew where Edward would post the guards and found Hunter at the third post she checked. She stopped a few feet from him, admiring his silhouette. Even the shadows could not hide his handsome features or distinct muscled body. It was easy to see why women favored him, but he belonged to her now and that brought a smile to her face.

  “Are you going to just stand there or come over here and give me a kiss?”

  “That would distract you,” she said, walking over to him.

  “I will leave one eye open.” He reached out and snatched her arm to tug her against him. “You should still be sleeping.” He gave her a quick kiss.

  While she would have liked a more lingering kiss, she was pleased that he took his duty seriously and kept his focus on what was most important... guarding the camp.

  “I woke and felt well-rested and came to relieve you so that you could get more sleep.”

  “I am pleased that you got a good night’s sleep, and I got enough myself. Sunrise is only about an hour away.”

  “Then we can watch it together,” she said and slipped out of his arms, though took his hand and walked to rest against a nearby boulder.

  Hunter came to rest beside her. “You winced now and then in your sleep. Are you sure you feel well?”

  “An ache and pain now and then, nothing more,” she assured him.

  “Some aches never fade, and some grow with time.”

  She slipped her hand in his. “Never healing. I think my sister Heather suffers from such a wound, though
she bears no scar to show it.” She squeezed his hand. “I think you bear a wound that shows no scar also, though I believe it continues to fester. It might do well to clean it out and let it heal.”

  Patience waited, hoping her husband would confide in her about Greer and his father. She had told herself to be patient, a near impossible thing for her, that he would tell her when he was ready. Though she had remained silent, curiosity continued to plague her. Now she hoped he would talk with her about it.

  After a long silence, he finally said, “How can a son possibly kill his father?”

  Patience knew he sought no answer from her, so she remained silent and listened.

  “I tried endlessly to tell my father what type of man Greer was becoming, but he refused to listen. He claimed I was jealous of Greer because he was the firstborn son and would one day lead the clan and inherit the land. And of course Greer continued to feed my father’s misgivings about me. I was appalled at my father’s denial of the obvious. How could he not see the power-hungry man Greer was becoming?” Hunter shook his head and grew quiet a moment. “It was when my mum spoke her own thoughts on the matter to my father that things grew worse.

  “My father felt that my mum favored me and that I had convinced her that Greer was not to be trusted. I do not know if my father ever realized how much it took for my mum to speak out against her own son. I believe she did so because she realized her husband’s life was in danger.

  “Greer saw what was happening and was careful in all he did and only ingratiated himself even more with our father. Until it seemed that he trusted no one as much as he did Greer.” Hunter stopped, lost in memories.

  “What of Rab at this time?”

  “Rab always looked up to Greer and never found any fault with him. His foolish devotion to our brother is what made my father believe that my concern for his life and the future of the clan was nothing more than petty jealousy. He discovered too late how very wrong he was.”

  “What happened?”

  “A day of hunting was planned so that the storehouse could be stacked for the coming winter. I did not know that Greer and my father went on ahead of the others and when I found out I went after them.” He took in a deep breath. “I got there too late. Greer was nowhere to be seen and my father lay in a pool of blood dying. When I got to him, blood was running from his mouth and oozing from his chest and I could not stop it.”