Highland Trails of Love

by Barbara Bard

  The army moved away, back to their homes in the Highlands. Sarah was filled with excitement and trepidation for she was finally leaving all she knew behind in venturing to her new home. The battlefield faded from view. All the dead remained. She or Drew could so easily have been left there.

  By the grace of God they had been spared, and Sarah was glad that she could make amends for her life of tragedy. She wanted a good life with Drew, and hoped that the two of them could find happiness together. They went deeper into the Highlands. The army began to sing, their rolling Scottish brogue filling the valleys and the woods with their song.

  Sarah rode up to Drew. Rosemary was riding beside Blair. It felt good to have a support network around her again, to not feel alone as she had when she had been in Lord Flynn's estate. For the first time in a while Sarah was free of fear and anxiety. There was only room in her heart for love and happiness, and she let them run free within her soul. A smile played upon her face as she looked forward to her new life.

  Chapter 24

  The pain in Drew's leg was still agonizing, but the dressing had been changed and the blood loss had been stemmed. He felt light-headed, but he was just about able to guide his horse back home. It was a pleasing thought to be leaving the battlefield and returning home. He wanted to begin his life with Sarah in earnest, but first he just wanted to rest.

  However, he knew that rest would not come easily. There would be much revelry to celebrate the defeat of the English first, and only then would he be able to retreat to his room and sleep.

  There was much to talk about for the future as well, and this new English girl that Sarah insisted was brought back. She always had good intentions, and indeed her kindness was a virtue, but Drew wondered if it would not lead her, and possibly all of them, into trouble.

  Drew cast a glance towards Catherine. She certainly didn't look happy or grateful to be here. She often shot daggers at Drew as well, but then again he was the man who had killed her brother. Drew imagined anger must have been simmering inside her, ready to boil over. He could only imagine how he would feel if someone had struck down Blair.

  The Highlanders returned home. Fianna was there waiting for them, as were the others they had left behind. Fianna had declined to travel with them, saying that she had seen enough battles in her time. Deirdre and Old Will were there as well, looking somewhat disappointed that Blair and Drew had returned home.

  “My boys, I am so glad ye hae made it back alive,” Fianna said, hugging them both at the same time. She also had an embrace ready for Rosemary, and then Drew introduced Sarah.

  “She saved my life. I owe her everything,” Drew said.

  “Then I owe her everything tae,” Fianna said, clasping Sarah's hands. Sarah giggled nervously and looked around wide-eyed at the home and the castle that loomed over the moors.

  “I hope ye will feel at home,” Fianna said.

  “There is plenty of room for ye, and I'm sure Drew will show ye around properly later. But now it is time for a feast. We hae been slaving away preparing things for the return of the army. Get yerselves some ale and celebrate!”

  There was a cheer from the Highlanders as they alighted from their horses and scattered around, breaking off into small circles of clans, friends, and family, sharing ale. Drew staggered forward, his leg still giving him trouble. Blair and Rosemary went off together. Sarah quickly ran towards Drew, offering him support.

  The first person to greet him was Deirdre, who came up to him wearing a scowl.

  “Ye would bring back another one?” she asked, face apoplectic with rage at the thought of another English girl being present in the Highlands.

  “I dinnae hae time for this, Deirdre. Find someone else tae bother. And dinnae spend time with Declan anymore. The last thing he needs is the likes of ye playing with his mind.”

  Deirdre sniffed haughtily and spun on her heels, striding away.

  “What was that about?” Sarah asked.

  “There are some who dinnae like us choosing English lasses,” Drew explained. “But she is nae harm. Mostly she's jealous of Rosemary. She thinks she had a claim on Blair, but she is wrong.”

  “It sounds like living here could be complicated,” Sarah said.

  “Do ye have regrets?” Drew asked.

  “No, none,” she answered, smiling. “Let's get you inside and off that leg.”

  “In a moment,” Drew said, then called out for Declan, searching the army with his eyes for his young cousin. The pain in his leg was telling him to sit down, but he knew he could not do so just yet. It took a few times of him yelling Declan's name for his cousin to appear. Declan looked sullen. His face was without a beard yet, and his eyes were dark, looking as though he was exhausted.

  The boy had been born in war and was now turning into a man, but what kind of man would he turn out to be? Drew knew he had to make his stand carefully and nurture the boy, try to not let him be influenced by Deirdre's poisonous words.

  “What dae ye want, cousin?” Declan asked, sauntering up with a mug of ale in his hands. His shoulders were rounded and he had a grim look on his face. In his expression, Drew saw a reflection of the war. This young man had seen the brutal and bloody battle up close, had bathed himself in blood and was forced to see horrors that few young men should face. After enduring the battle Drew understood his father better, and why Aife had sought to protect his sons from the effects of war.

  “I have a task for ye, if ye are sticking around,” Drew said.

  “I would nae leave now,” Declan said.

  “Then I want ye on guard duty. There is an English lass we captured. Guard her, make sure she disnae try tae escape or try anything else.”

  “Can ye find nobody else tae dae that?”

  “I am asking ye. If ye want tae be a soldier then ye must learn tae take orders. This is important, Declan.”

  “I'll watch her closely. And I will nae make the same mistake as ye and Blair,” Declan said. “I'm going tae treat her like the enemy, because that's what she is.”

  With that he moved away to find Catherine. Drew and Sarah moved forward into the castle. Sarah's eyes went wide.

  “I'm sure this is different from the homes ye are used tae,” Drew said.

  “It is, but it's beautiful. It's like you, beautiful, but hard. You can tell a lot of effort went into building this,” she murmured.

  They went into the main chamber were Drew was finally able to sit down. He breathed a sigh of relief as he took the weight off of his leg. Blair and Rosemary followed in shortly, their arms wrapped around each other.

  “I am worried about Catherine. Are you sure that she is safe?” Sarah asked.

  “Aye, nae harm will come tae her. Declan is a good lad, he is just a wee bit misguided at the moment.”

  “We must root out this conspiracy, brother, if it is still in effect,” Blair said.

  “I should nae think ye hae anything tae worry about, Blair. Ye hae proved yer merit in battle. Nobody can claim otherwise.”

  “I was nae the only one tae prove myself. Ye did us all proud when ye slew Lord Flynn.”

  “Thank ye, brother,” Drew said, leaning his head back. Food and drink was brought to them and they all feasted. Drew hadn't realized how hungry he actually was until the food was on a plate in front of him, and he devoured the meat quickly. At least, he intended to, but then he was aware of Sarah's presence. Instead of gorging on the meat he tried to eat a little more slowly, wanting to give her a good impression.

  Sarah seemed to realize what he was doing, and it made her chuckle.

  “Who would hae thought that we would end up like this, with two English lasses,” Blair said, smiling widely, raising his mug in a toast.

  “Aye, and nae finer lasses are there in all the world,” Drew replied, his mug clashing against Blair's. They took hearty gulps.

  “I would just like to say that I'm glad Sarah found us. I have missed you so much, Sarah, and it is pleasing to me to have you back in my life,
especially since not all the Highland women have been so friendly to me.”

  “It is good to be back in your company too, and although in some ways I am in the home of the enemy I feel safer here than I did in Lord Flynn's estate. But, Rosemary, I do not think I shall be your handmaid anymore,” Sarah said, a smile on her face. Rosemary laughed, and the others soon broke out in laughter too.

  “But what does the future hold for us?” Rosemary asked.

  “That remains tae be seen,” Blair answered. “Dae ye think Flynn's father will seek vengeance?” he asked, looking towards Sarah. Drew looked at her as well, and saw how troubled she was.

  “From the stories I heard he is a prideful man. The only thing that matters to him is the prestige of his family. His children are his legacy. Without them he is nothing. He is a powerful man as well, with many allies. I fear that if he attacks the battle may not be as swift as this one.”

  “He can attack us, but we will show him that he should nae mess with us Highlanders,” Blair said.

  “I'm more worried about Catherine. I thought she would have reacted differently,” Sarah said.

  “She will in time.”

  “I believe any conflict could be avoided if she speaks to her father and tells him that she came here willingly, but I do not know what could make her feel like that.”

  “There will be a way. It is better not to think of that anyway. That is all in the future, and may not come to pass anyway. We should seek to be happy that the battle is over and we are all here, safe with each other. That is the most important thing,” Rosemary reminded everyone, and the sentiment she expressed was met with great acceptance.

  Chapter 25

  When everywhere was calm and families were reunited, Blair announced that there would be a banquet in the hall. The air filled with excitement. Men that should be tired from the war and the killings started roaring loudly. It has been weeks of bloodshed and killings; a party would be a nice change.

  Sarah smiled at the thought of a decent meal and plenty wine but at smile almost immediately turned to a frown. She leaned towards Drew and began to whisper in his ears.

  “I don’t have any dress or any piece of clothing here Drew,” she whispered in a voice laced with panic. “All my boxes filled with my cloth and trinket are in Lord Flynn’s castle and there is no getting that back now. I am afraid I would not be able to attend the banquet”

  Drew let out a throaty laughter. “That should not be a problem now lass. I would speak to one of the lasses around. She would take you to the best seamstress we have. You can pick any dress of your choosing and she will have it ready before the banquet. You will also go to the blacksmith and buy any jewelry that pleases you.” Sarah smiled in relief and started searching for Rosemary in the cloud.

  When Sarah found Rosemary, she excused herself and walked towards where Rosemary was. When she got there, she found Rosemary talking to one of the Highlander girl. It was so easy for Rosemary to make friends. She was confident and couldn’t be disheartened that easily. Sarah hoped that she would also be able to make fiends just as easily as Rosemary.

  She signaled to Rosemary that she wanted to speak to her with excitement plastered on her face. Rosemary excused herself and walked towards Sarah. “What has got you this excited and grinning from ear to ear,” Rosemary asked as she took Sarah hands in hers and started to walk.

  Sarah started telling Rosemary all what had transpired between Drew and her. “I told Drew that I didn’t have any dress to wear to the banquet tonight and he said I should go to the seamstress and pick any dress to wear to the banquet tonight. He said I should also go the blacksmith to buy trinket that I can wear also. He is so kind Rosemary and he treats me nicely.” Sarah blurted out in one breath and started gasping for breath.

  Before she could catch her breath, she continued talking. “I know the dress would not be as fancy and expensive like the one I wore for Lord Flynn’s dinner but I don’t care. I would pick Drew over all the fancy things of this world and I came to ask if you will come along with me?”

  Rosemary looked at Sarah with a smile on her face. She was happy that her friend had found love in the most unexpected place. “Of course I would go with you. I need to wash up all the dirt and memories of the war off my body. I also need to speak to Blair about something. When I am done, I would come to your chamber and we can begin our adventure. I would also like to show you around the Highland, so that you won’t get yourself lost.”

  “Thank you so much Rosemary, you are a good friend and I cannot imagine how sad I would be if you were not here to support me,” Sarah said as she skipped in excitement to her chamber.

  Sarah got out of the dress she had been wearing immediately she got to their chamber. The dress that had been intended for her wedding. Sarah stared at what was remaining of it and tears welled up in her eyes. It had holes in so many places and was shredded and torn at the edges. What was supposed to be her wedding dress was now a rag.

  Sarah let the tears roll down her cheeks and made no move to wipe it off. She was grateful for escaping a lifetime of cruelty in the hands of Lord Flynn. She was so happy she found Drew in the forest and found her freedom with him. And above everything else, she was so grateful to god for bringing Rosemary across her path again.

  Sarah chided herself for having sad thoughts and started to think about the future and what it held for her in her new home with the man she loved. She thought about the children they would have. She prayed she gave Drew a son that looked exactly like him.

  Sarah thought about the banquet and ran to the bathroom to fill her bath with water. It wouldn’t be nice if Rosemary got to her and she was not ready.

  Sarah got into the tub and started to scrub her skin. She thought of all those nights in the forest with just the river to wash herself. Sarah washed her hair and combed it. When she was done, she got into the dress she had borrowed from Rosemary and decided to sit on the bed while she waited for her.

  Sarah had almost drifted off to sleep when Rosemary came breezing in.

  “I hope you are ready for an adventure of a lifetime Sarah,” Rosemary said as she walked in and woke Sarah up from her slumber.

  Sarah jerked awake suddenly and rubbed her eyes as she yawns sleepily.

  Rosemary sat on the bed beside Sarah as she slowly regained her consciousness “I am so sorry for startling you like that, I didn’t know you were asleep, if I had I would not have been so loud.”

  Sarah sat upright and continued to yawn lazily. “I didn’t know I was going to fall asleep. I can’t remember the last time I slept on a bed. I must have so tired with the journey and all.”

  Rosemary got on her feet and pulled Sarah off the bed “I understand. I hope you are ready. It is time to go shopping for tonight’s banquet.

  They left the chamber and stormed off to the market. On their way there, Rosemary told Sarah about Drew and Blair’s father, Aife. She told her he blessed the union between her and Blair before he had died. “He was a great leader and a skilled warrior. He was also a kind man and he loved his son deeply. Drew is blessed with his temper and strength.”

  Sarah saw happiness on her friends face. She could see that Rosemary liked this place and her new family. She hoped that overtime, she would also feel this way about the Highlands and her new family.

  “I wish he was still alive to bless the union between Drew and me. I would have loved to meet him,” Sarah said with sadness in her voice.

  “Catherine has been on my mind since we returned from war”, Sarah said as they made another turn. “I spent time with her when I was in Lord Flynn’s castle. She is sweet and kind. She was nice to me and she also was good company. However, she always seemed conflicted to me. She told me how she felt that her father and brother were controlling her life. She said she was going to be married off to the highest bidder like she was a slab of meat. I thought freeing her from the shackles of her father would have been what she wanted. I never knew this was the way she would reac
t.”

  Rosemary stopped and took Sarah hand in hers. “She will come around, she is still in shock about her brother’s death and she misses home. We need to give her time to like it yet. Very soon she will see how free she can be in the Highlands.”

  “I hope so, I really do. If her father comes to the Highland to rescue her, there would be another war. I don’t think I can bear to see another war”. Sarah took a deep breath and they continued to turn at almost every corner.

  Rosemary stopped occasionally to greet a couple of friends she had made within her stay there. They eventually got to the seamstress shop and Sarah entered with a look of shock and surprise plastered all over her face. She had never seen this many materials in her entirely life. “It will be difficult to make a decision. I have never seen this many materials in my life and so many colors also,” Sarah said as she turned to look at Rosemary.