Highland Trails of Love

by Barbara Bard

  “Aye,” Glenn said, nodding dutifully at his lord, “That was all.”

  Finlay shook his head. “And ye think this justifies the two of ye going toe-to-toe in such a way? Ye think that I condone my warriors, the people I trust with the well-being and protection of this clan tae argue like this?”

  No one said a word as several heads were hung in shame.

  Finlay huffed. “Dae ye ken how long it took tae find this place? Tae find peace?” He shook his head, pacing. “Ye are all tae young tae ken what that struggle was like.”

  He nodded to Gavina. “Only she has that firsthand knowledge. And each and every one of ye should ken that the last thing ye should ever dae is tae be spiteful to one of yer own people. The fight is nae here,” he gestured to the mountains and the lands ripe with the Sassenach on the other side. “It is out there. I dinnae want tae see ye arguing in such a way again. Is that understood?”

  “Aye, me lord,” was said by all in rapid succession.

  “Good,” Finlay said. “Because I want ye all tae learn the art of the bow and arrow. If we are in battle, if we find ourselves in a situation where our primary archer Tessa falls—who will take up her position? As of noo, it is none of ye.”

  Gavina, sighing, raised her hand. “Ye ken I can do it, Finlay. I shall take the lead if Tessa falls.” She then looked down at her dagger, shaking her head and feeling like the training and bickering was a waste of her time.

  Finlay, knowing Gavina well—and knowing more than well when she was exercising arrogance—told the members of the Bairdsmen to engage in practice swordplay while he requested Gavina to join him off to the side.

  “Gavina,” he said in a hushed town as the Bairdsmen spared not far from them. “I must speak with ye.”

  “What aboot?”

  He sighed. “Your arrogance...”

  Gavina squinted, offended. “I dinnae understand.”

  “I am sure ye dae nae. That is the problem.”

  “What dae ye mean by arrogance?”

  He stepped in closer. “Ye are the most skillful warrior in this clan. But it worries me so when I hear such words of over confidence come out of yer mouth. Yer people are bickering needlessly, and ye, their leader, did not step in and stop them.”

  “I was speaking tae me skills as an archer. Ye ken I am capable.”

  “There is nae question of that. But what troubles me is that your mindset might get the better of ye should a real battle ever befall us. Arrogance has nae room on the field of battle. It will only lead to dire consequences.” He gestured to the Bairdsmen. “Ye are their leader. But I cannae fathom ye being in charge if ye are as cavalier as ye hae been demonstrating yerself tae be.”

  “We live in a time of peace, Finlay,” Gavina said. “Our alliance with Lord Torstein—”

  “Is fragile at best. We live day tae day. Ye ken that.”

  Gavina placed a hand on Finlay’s shoulder. “Finlay,” she said, “I ken that ye are worried about the clan’s safety. It is only natural. But rest assured I will perform me duties diligently when the time arises.”

  Finlay hung his head and shook it. “Gavina,” he said. “I worry about ye. Truly.”

  He then turned and walked back to the Bairdsmen where he went about instructing them on the best methods to utilize the bow and arrow. Gavina watched him as he went about leading the warriors, chagrined at the fact that a man she had come to call a brother was so disappointed in her methods. But she knew in her heart that no other warrior could best her. She was confident—but perhaps more than she should have been.

  Chapter 2

  Lord Torstein looked outside the window of his chambers down at the courtyard where over fifty knights set about training. He sighed. He had lost count of how many days had passed since he formed his secret alliance with the Bairds.

  He knew that it had been a number of years since the king assigned Sir Jessup, his most lethal and revered of knights, to join alongside him in the Highlands to dispatch of the Baird clan after the brutal warfare that had occurred at the hands of the now deceased Lord Henry.

  As the days passed and no progress was made in discovering their whereabouts—a very much intentional move by Lord Torstein—he knew that the time was drawing near that Sir Jessup would become wise to his ruse and discover the secret pact he had struggled for years now to maintain. But Lord Torstein had a plan in place now, a method to try and maintain that peace—and it came in the form of the man currently standing outside the door to his chambers.

  A knock sounded at his door. “Come in,” Lord Torstein said, not bothering to turn around.

  The door opened, and a raven-haired man in his mid-20s entered. His armor was shined to a slick polish, resting on top of a blue tunic. His facial features were sharp and handsome, and he sported an optimistic look that Lord Torstein had seen in himself so many years ago.

  “You called on me, my lord?” the man said.

  Lord Torstein turned and smiled. “Christian,” he said. “Please. Come in.”

  Christian closed the door and stood at attention. “How can I be of assistance, Lord Torstein?”

  “Ever dutiful you are, Christian. I fear that you perform your duties to a degree that is much more than I deserved.”

  Christian shook his head. “I serve you, my lord. You and the crown.”

  Lord Torstein motioned to a wooden chair near. “Please. Sit.”

  Christian sat; his eyes wide with anticipation. Lord Torstein couldn’t help but smile at the young man’s tenacity.

  Lord Torstein then gestured to a flagon of wine on the table. “Would you care for a drink?”

  Christian shook his head. “I do not partake, my lord. I feel it dulls the senses.”

  “Give it time, my good man. I said the same thing at your age.” He folded his hands in front of him. “In fact, there is much about you that I see in myself.”

  “What do you mean, my lord?”

  “You are very much as I was at your age—hopeful, optimistic, striving to do the right thing.”

  “I try my best, my lord.”

  “And you do it well…” Lord Torstein drew a breath. “Tell me—what is your opinion of this campaign that Sir Jessup and I have embarked on for several years now?”

  Christian shrugged and worried that this was a test. “I have only been here several months, my lord. I am merely following orders.”

  Lord Torstein waved his hand like he was brushing the issue aside. “That is not what I meant. I speak to your personal convictions. I inquire as to your honest opinion of this campaign to rid these lands of the Highlanders.”

  Christian shifted his weight, a tad bit nervous that his reply would elicit a dire response. “As I said, I follow the orders of the crown. Though…”

  Lord Torstein flexed his brow—Continue.

  “I worry,” Christian continued, “that…destroying the Highlanders as Sir Jessup has commanded we do, is a bit…savage.”

  A nod from Lord Torstein. “I believe the same,” he said. “I have never agreed with the king’s orders to wipe out the natives of this land.”

  “It just does not seem right to me. If the king wishes to rule the land, I have no quarrel. But I do not relish the idea of wiping out a civilization in order to accomplish that. I do not think that is a proper method to establish a lasting peace. Violence merely breeds more violence.”

  Lord Torstein took a beat. “I want to tell you something, and your response to what I will reveal will determine everything that follows. Do you understand?”

  Christian swallowed his fears. “I understand…”

  Lord Torstein faced the window once more and looked down into the courtyard. “You know of the clan we seek, yes?”

  A nod. “The Baird clan, my lord.”

  “And we have struggled for quite some time to find their location, yes?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Lord Torstein turned around. “What if I told you that we have not been able to locate them b
ecause I have made it my intention that their location remains a secret?”

  The color drained from Christian’s chiseled and handsome face. “I…I do not understand.”

  Lord Torstein lowered his voice. “Many years ago,” he said, “I formed a pact with the Baird clan to offer them protection from the crown so they could live in peace. I, like you, grew troubled at the king’s methods of dealing with the Highlanders, so I set about creating a secret truce to help the Highlanders establish a village that they could dwell in. Peacefully.

  “However, I fear that Sir Jessup grows suspicious of this, and I feel the time has come to send word to the Bairds in order to stay a step ahead of whatever Sir Jessup’s intentions may be.”

  Christian was silent for a long moment as he digested the information. “This information is tantamount to treason, my lord.”

  Lord Torstein nodded. “Indeed, it is. Which is why I am curious as to your response in the matter, to everything that I have told you.”

  “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous at what my answer will elicit.”

  “I have no doubt.” Lord Torstein approached Christian and got down on one knee.

  “But I would not have told you this if I didn’t think I trusted you. I know you, Christian. I’ve seen how you are around the others. You’re not like them. You’re kind. Caring. You possess an empathy that most of our fellow countrymen lack, and that is why I am telling you all of this.”

  Christian hung his head. He knew he wasn’t like the other knights. He was kind. He was caring. He had stopped so many men from needlessly killing other Highlanders that he had earned a reputation as being unreliable, a knight serving in the back of the lines who fetched more food and water than he did yield his sword, though he was a skillful swordsman.

  “I do not relish war, my lord,” he said, his gaze meeting Torstein’s. “I strive for peace. I only take up arms against those who wish to do me harm.”

  “And you do not believe,” Lord Torstein said, “that the Highlanders wish this upon you?”

  Christian shook his head. “Not as Sir Jessup would lead me to believe, my lord.”

  “Then what say you to the prospect of meeting with the Bairds to inform them that Sir Jessup intends to mount his offense within the coming days?”

  Christian took a pause. “It is quite a responsibility, my lord. I do not know if I am the man qualified for the task.”

  “But you are. You see things as I do. We seem to be the only men here who strive for peace, and the time has come to help preserve the peace I have established with the Bairds. As I said—time is running short.”

  “How so, my lord?” Christian asked as Lord Torstein moved back to the window.

  Lord Torstein sighed. “Sir Jessup, as I stated before, has grown weary with my lack of progress in finding the Baird clan. Again, this has been a deliberate move on my end. But by misdirection with this campaign has caused him to turn a curious eye in my direction. That coupled with pressures from the king have led Sir Jessup to set about an assault through the Highlands.”

  He closed his eyes in terror. “One in which he plans on burning and ravaging every Highlander village until he finds the Bairds and disposes of them for good.”

  Christian felt as if the air had been snatched out of his lungs. “A ghastly proposition that is, my lord.”

  “Which is why we must find and warn the Bairds before it happens. They need to know that the time has come for them to make a stand. The time has come for them to once again defend their peace.” He turned to Christian.

  “I need you to go to them. I will give you their location in the Highlands. It is two days ride from here. Your presence will not be missed because of how you have been shunned by Sir Jessup. Between that and your loyalty and strive for peace, I believe that this makes you the most suitable candidate for the job. Only if you agree to the task, of course.”

  It took a long moment for Christian to answer. The weight of the responsibility weighed heavy on his heart. He did want to do good. He did want to bring a lasting peace to this land, and the proposition that Lord Torstein had presented to him felt like the first step that led in that direction.

  He stood, nodding to Lord Torstein before replying: “I will do it. I will undertake this task.”

  Lord Torstein smiled and rested a palm on the young knight’s shoulder. “I knew you were the one to do this, Christian. You will be a great asset in the coming days.”

  He gestured to a table with a map. “I will show you the location of where the Bairds reside. You will leave tonight at nightfall.”

  He produced a piece of rolled up parchment and placed it in Christian’s hands.

  “This is the message you will give them. Be sure to tell them upon your arrival that you are a representative of Lord Torstein.” He produced a blue flower and placed it in Christian’s tunic. “This is my sign. This will tell them that you are not a threat when they see you.”

  Christian drew an anticipatory breath. “I will not let you down, my lord.”

  Lord Torstein smiled. “I know, my dear boy…I know.”

  Chapter 3

  Two days after Christian had left for the Bairds’ village, Gavina was with her sister Isla inside of Isla and Finlay’s cottage. A stew was in the process of being made as Finlay played with his two children Eamon and Rose near the post where their horses were tethered to.

  Gavina found herself lost in thought as she stared out at Finlay, remembering and seeing faint glimpses of what it once felt like to be Eamon and Rose’s age. It had seemed so long ago yet not so long all at the same time.

  “Gavina,” Isla said, tucking a loose strand of her silver-tinged hair behind her ear. “Ye need tae stir the stew.”

  Gavina shook herself out of her haze and focused her attention on the pot over the fire in front of her.

  “Sorry,” she replied as she began stirring.

  “Are ye alright?”

  “I am fine. I am just tired, sister.”

  “Ye hae been riding and training for several days now.”

  Gavina huffed. “Finlay does not seem tae think it is fer the best.”

  “What dae ye mean?”

  Gavina shrugged. “He thinks I am arrogant. Those were his exact words.”

  Isla said nothing.

  “Dae ye nae think it is true?” Gavina asked.

  Isla faced her sister. “I ken that ye are me sister,” she said. “And our family does have a penchant for being headstrong.”

  “So ye are saying that it is true?”

  “I am saying that ye are still young, that ye still hae much tae learn. But I was the same at yer age. Ye are nae that far off from the age I was when Finlay and I first met. I believe that I was much worse than ye were at that time.”

  Gavina stepped away from the pot and lingered toward the window, looking out at her family as Isla continued to speak.

  “Dinnae let it weigh on ye, sister,” Isla said. “Finlay merely wishes the best fer ye. As dae I.”

  “I am trying, sister. I am trying as best I can.”

  “Then listen. Learn. Hear what Finlay has tae say.”

  Gavina opened her mouth to retort—but then a member of the clan called out: “Approaching rider!” from just outside the cottage. Isla and Gavina quickly stepped outside and met up with Finlay, a rider approaching in the distance and dressed in garb that was clearly indicative of the fact that he was a Sassenach rider.

  “One of Lord Torstein’s men?” Isla inquired to Finlay.

  Finlay nodded. “He bears the flower on his armor. I can see it.”

  Though Finlay was validating that the man came in peace, the other members of the clan nonetheless gathered around and stood at attention—defensive and on guard. Gavina, squinting to get a better look at the rider, could not help but note his dashing features as he came into closer view. He was surely handsome—but she didn’t dare allow herself to admit it.

  “What is yer name?” Finlay asked as t
he rider approached slowly.

  “My name is Christian,” the rider said. “I bring word from Lord Torstein.” He dismounted his horse, a careful and timid expression on his face as he approached slowly and cautiously.

  “What word dae ye bring?” Isla asked.

  Christian reached into his satchel slowly and produced the rolled-up parchment that Lord Torstein had given to him.