Medieval Ever After

by Kathryn Le Veque

  Maddie spent most of the day embroidering fabric to dress the tables for the wedding feast. The busy work kept her from thinking about her problems with Alex and his clan. Who would have thought a betrothal would cause this much trouble? And this much work? Alice hemmed Maddie’s dress in the solar while Brenna stitched Jennie’s. Jennie was off playing with friends so she would not be put to work. Thankful for the quiet time, Maddie tried to sort out her thoughts.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by shouting in the courtyard. She ran to the door to seek the cause of the yelling, praying it had nothing to do with Alex. Several lads were hollering in the middle of the inner bailey. Something about a bairn. She rushed outside for a better look, and Brenna did the same. Both of them gasped at the next word they heard: “Jennie.”

  Maddie charged into the middle of the group. “Where is Jennie, Tommy?”

  “Out there, my mama told me to come get the laird. Something’s happened. They are hurt!”

  Brenna shouted orders to several of the guards, instructing them to go after Alex.

  Madeline’s head reeled with the possibilities. She grabbed Tommy by the shoulders. “What happened?”

  “Jennie,” he cried. “Jennie and wee Emma. They disappeared into a hole!” He pointed out the gates.

  Madeline’s heart lurched. Her stomach was in her throat, but she scrambled after the lads, rushing through the gates.

  “What happened?” Brenna shouted out after them. “Where are they?”

  “In a hole! A sinkhole just opened up in the ground where they were playing and they both fell into it.”

  Madeline found Emma’s mother sobbing in the middle of the meadow. Several clan members were ushering everyone away from the site.

  “Stay back, stay back or you will collapse it on top of them!”

  “They both fell in the hole,” someone else said, “but only Emma is crying. We cannot see them, and Jennie doesn’t answer.”

  Maddie’s heart stopped beating. How could they just stand around while the lasses’ lives were clearly in jeopardy? Jennie could have hit her head. Emma may have broken her leg. Both of them could be bleeding profusely. When she glanced back at Brenna, she saw the raw fear in her friend’s eyes.

  “Go in after them!” Brenna shouted as Robbie arrived and assessed the situation.

  “We can’t do that, my lady,” said one of the men Madeline recognized from the armory. “The hole is too small for any of us and I will not send another child down there. It is in danger of collapsing as it is.”

  “We need to wait for the laird!” someone shouted. “He will know what to do.”

  “We sent the guards to fetch him, but we cannot wait for him. It could be too late by then,” yelled another.

  Emma’s mother, Moira, collapsed to the ground sobbing. “Oh, my bairn, my wee bairn. Someone help her!”

  Robbie walked up to get a better look at the scene of the accident, then made his way over to Brenna. “It is small, Brenna, too small for any of us. I heard faint crying, but I think it is Emma. She sounds far away, so it must be deep. I called out to Jennie, but there was no response.”

  He turned to one of his men and sent him back to the keep to retrieve ropes.

  “I will go down,” Maddie said. “I am sure I will fit.”

  “You may fit. You are slimmer in the hip than many, but it is no’ safe. We must find a solution that does not jeopardize any more lives.”

  Maddie’s hands fisted at her sides. “Robbie, either one of the girls could be bleeding to death. We cannot risk the wait. I can handle it. Lower me down. You can help me.”

  “Nay, Maddie, Alex would have my hide. We will wait for the rope.” Robbie’s stern look forced Madeline to turn away in frustration. Clearly, he would not listen to reason—there was no choice but for her to act on her own.

  In the confusion, Robbie would have to turn away at some point—and in so doing, he would give her the time she needed. She could not stand idly by. She would make her way down the hole as soon as she had the chance. Perhaps she could help the girls climb up. Determined her plan was sound, she waited impatiently. The instant Robbie turned toward his guard, she darted forward, ignoring the yelling. Judging the fit, she lowered herself into the opening and let go.

  As she plummeted into a world of darkness, her body curled into a ball, she roughly rebounded off the dirt and stones on the side of the hole. She finally landed an eternity later, and a loud snap reverberated through the chamber as she braced her landing with her left arm. Sharp pain ripped through her, so she drew her left hand in close to her chest.

  She lay unmoving for a few minutes to get her bearings. When she finally pushed herself upright, her chest heaved from exertion and pain. Drawing on her inner strength to overpower the pain, as she had done so often with Kenneth’s beatings, she maneuvered around the bottom to feel for soft bodies. There was nothing but dirt. Soot and grime covered her face, but she brushed it away with her right hand to improve her vision. Her breathing slowed enough to allow her to listen for sounds. Finally, wee Emma’s hiccupping sobs broke through her concentration. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized the hole was much wider at the bottom than it was at the top, and they were so far down there was barely any light.

  Once she finally found Emma, she held her right arm out to the lass. “It is all right, Emma, come here,” she said softly. Emma waddled toward her and fell in her lap, wrapping her arms tightly around Maddie. Hugging and soothing her as best she could, she continued to search the shadows for Jennie.

  Emma appeared to be only shaken from her fall. There was no warm liquid indicating fresh blood, and Emma did not react with pain to any of Maddie’s touches.

  Scooting along with Emma on her lap proved difficult, but Maddie persisted—she knew the wee one needed the comfort of her touch. As she moved to the right, she noticed a small mound. Sliding over to the mound, she reached out carefully to see if it was Jennie. Her hand met with the lassie’s soft hair. Maddie brushed the hair back from her face and leaned forward. She sighed with relief as Jennie’s breath warmed her face.

  “Jennie? It is Maddie, I am here with you. Can you answer me, Jennie?”

  Maddie nudged her arm, but received no response. Tears welled in her eyes. The lassie’s body pulsed with life, but she would not awaken. Running her hand around Jennie’s head she discovered a large bump on her temple. She must have been knocked out after the fall.

  Maddie gave Emma a little squeeze, thankful both lasses were alive, but head injuries could be very serious. Jennie was not out of danger. She glanced up toward the opening. There was no way she could get them out without a rope. It was too steep to climb, and there was nothing she could use for traction. Her arm was broken and probably useless. There really was nothing she could do but wait for help. Had Robbie’s men returned with the rope yet? She hoped they would hurry.

  Bits and pieces of conversations drifted down to her, but she couldn’t discern one voice from another. She yelled, but it was impossible to tell if they could hear her. Emma continued to cry on and off, latching onto Maddie.

  Maddie picked the lass up with her right arm, shifting her so that her head was cradled against her shoulder. She tried to soothe her with soft words and a back rub. After a few minutes, she quieted.

  When all was quiet from above, she covered Emma’s ears as best she could and shouted, “Hurry with the rope!”

  She knew there was nothing she could do now but wait.

  ***

  As soon as he saw the Grant guards riding toward him, a strange foreboding hit Alex square in the gut. He rode out to greet them.

  “Laird, there has been an accident,” the guard shouted.

  Alex’s insides lurched. “Who?” he shouted. “Who?”

  “Jennie and wee Emma. They fell into a sink hole and their injuries are unknown.”

  Alex did not hear the rest of the explanation, for he spurred his horse on, riding frantically for his keep.

/>   He had never driven his horse so hard and so fast. Fortunately, Midnight could handle what Alex demanded of him. As he approached the keep, he made his way to the small crowd of people gathered on the grounds and dismounted. Brodie was directly behind him. Everyone shouted at once.

  “Good thing you are here, Laird.”

  “We need you, Laird!”

  “Help our lasses, Chief. Get them out.”

  “Your lass sure is a brave one, Chief.”

  “Never seen anything like it, Laird. Your lass just ran up and jumped right in!”

  Maddie? Alex’s heart slammed into panic mode. He never went into panic mode. What was happening to him? He always remained calm, regardless of the circumstances.

  His gaze found his brother in the crowd. “Robbie?”

  “The wee ones were playing and a hole opened up in the meadow. It seems to be deep. We can hear Emma, but Jennie has not answered. The opening is very narrow. I turned my back and your betrothed jumped into the hole. She had told me she planned to go down there, but I wouldn’t allow it. Obviously, she did no’ listen to me. A few minutes ago, we thought we heard Maddie yell, but we could not understand her clearly. There are too many conflicting sounds.”

  Alex rushed over to the hole to make his own assessment. Falling in at his side, Robbie added, “I sent a man back to the keep for rope. I think it best if we throw it down and pull them out. If Maddie is all right, she can hold each bairn as we pull them up.”

  Alex turned to the crowd and bellowed. “Quiet!” His clan members hushed instantly. He shouted into the hole, “Maddie!”

  He listened. He motioned for everyone to be quiet again. He listened again. Nothing. He yelled again. Nothing.

  “MADDIE!” he roared.

  “Alex?”

  Alex twisted his massive body as far into the hole as it would go, but he did not get far.

  “Maddie, are you all right?”

  “Emma and I are all right. But Jennie won’t wake up. She needs tending, Alex.”

  Alex turned around and motioned to his sister. “I think she said Emma is all right, but Jennie needs tending.”

  Gasping, Brenna turned and sent Fiona back to the keep to prepare Jennie’s chamber with the necessary supplies. “Alex, what about Maddie? Is she all right?”

  Just then a man rushed up with the ropes.

  “I think so. Now let’s bring them up.”

  ***

  The rope was finally dangling above them. Emma, still awake, silently sucked her thumb as she clung to Maddie. Standing without much difficulty, Maddie grabbed for the rope above her head, but she could not reach it with Emma.

  “More, Alex,” she shouted. “I cannot reach it.”

  He let more of it down.

  “More!” she shouted. Finally, it reached her. “All right, I have it now.”

  “Tie it around your waist, Maddie.”

  Maddie tugged it a little more and set Emma down. “Just for a moment, sweeting. We are going to get you to your mama.” She clumsily tied it around her waist and picked Emma back up with her right arm, holding her tight. There was no other way. Her left arm was dangling at an odd angle.

  She tugged on the rope and yelled to Alex. “Ready, Alex!”

  As soon as Maddie’s feet left the ground, her entire body swayed. The movement made Emma wail and Maddie was forced to grab the rope with her left hand to help steady them. Stabbing pain gripped her, but she refused to let go. Just a little pain, she chanted in her mind. She could bear it until Emma was safe. They continued to move up slowly, the pain in her arm relentless.

  An image of her mother singing helped her focus, but it was blurry. She switched to Alex, recalling the warm comfort of being in his arms. She pictured his face and thought of everything she loved about him. Hearing her name again, she snapped to attention—they were almost at the top.

  “Stop, Alex, stop!” she yelled. “We will not be able to fit through together.”

  “Hand her up and I will grab her,” he shouted.

  She found a wedge for her foot and pushed with all her strength. Alex reached in and plucked the bairn from her. He handed her out as the crowd cheered. Moira rushed over and grabbed the lassie, sobbing as she rocked Emma back and forth.

  When Alex turned to Maddie, his eyes landed on her arm.

  “Maddie, your arm,” he whispered.

  “I know, Alex. I think ‘tis broken.”

  “It must pain you. How will you hold Jennie? She is much heavier.”

  “I know, but I can do it. We have no choice.”

  He turned to Robbie. “Pull her out!”

  “Nay,” she yelled. She wedged her foot solidly into the side of the hole.

  Alex held his hand up to motion for the men to stop.

  “Maddie, I cannot allow you to do this. We will dig the hole wider.”

  “And the dirt could bury Jennie. We have no choice. You clearly cannot fit in here. If you do not agree, I will let go of the rope and jump down again, but then I would risk breaking my other arm. I have to get Jennie out. She needs to see Brenna!”

  They glared at each other until Alex turned and motioned for the men to lower her down.

  “What is it, Alex?” Maddie recognized Robbie’s voice.

  “Maddie’s arm is broken.”

  “How can she carry Jennie out then?” Brenna asked. “Jennie is much heavier than Emma.”

  “You are about to witness just how strong my Maddie is. She can do it.” The words sent more strength through Maddie. He believed in her, and it made her believe more keenly in herself.

  When Maddie reached the bottom again, she adjusted her arm to relieve the numbness. She attempted to awaken Jennie, but the lass did not budge. The bump on her forehead was no larger, so that was good—or so she thought. She retied the rope around her waist as tight as possible. Her left hand did not want to cooperate, but she did the best she could. Losing control and falling while she carried Jennie was not an option. She gathered Jennie up in her right arm, fighting the lass’s dead weight. It took her a few moments to regain her balance with the extra weight. If Jennie had been any bigger, she would not have been able to manage it.

  Finally settled, she shouted up to Alex.

  “We are ready, but please go very slow to start. I have to balance her. She is very heavy for me.”

  Alex shouted for the men to pull. She swayed and almost lost her grip on the wee one, but she managed to hold tight. As they ascended, the tie around her waist began to slip.

  Halfway up, Maddie yelled, “Hurry, Alex, the rope has loosened!”

  Alex hollered at his men to go faster. Brodie’s face appeared next to Alex’s at the top of the hole.

  “Brodie, be ready to grab Jennie when they get close,” Alex barked. “I will grab Maddie. Her arm will not hold out for long.”

  The tie gave way and the full force of their combined weight fell on Maddie’s left arm. She groaned in response to the vicious surge of the pain, but managed to wrap the rope around her upper arm and shoulder for extra support, though her whole body screamed at the added stress. Clutching Jennie tighter, she realized she was losing control. “Alex!” she shrieked.

  ***

  Alex could see the strain in Maddie’s face. Bracing her feet on the walls of the narrow hole, she was just barely managing to keep herself and Jennie from falling.

  “Hold on, a few feet more and we will have you both. Hang on, Maddie!”

  Moments later, Brodie reached into the opening, grabbed Jennie, and yanked her out. He fell backwards on the ground with Jennie on top of him, yet the lass still didn’t awaken. The moment Brodie was out of the way, Alex reached in the hole and attempted to grab Maddie’s shoulders. Her left hand was no longer able to hold her weight, so he had no choice but to grab her upper right arm, which was still tightly gripping the rope. Maddie twisted away from him as the rope, still partially wrapped around her damaged left arm, held it at an odd angle. Maddie flailed and sobbed at the same t
ime, fighting for her life.

  “Alex, Alex!” she sobbed.

  “Maddie, look at me! Hold still, I have you.”

  Madeline’s gaze locked with Alex’s. There was fear in her eyes and something else. Pain. He glanced at her broken arm and realized the men were still pulling the rope, grotesquely twisting it.

  “Alex, help me!” she sobbed in a whisper.

  “Stop the rope!” Alex roared. All sanity and calmness left him, and he knew they would not return until his betrothed was safe. He heaved with all his strength and tugged her up through the small opening. Maddie fell across Alex weeping, clinging to him with her right arm.

  “Alex, do not let go, please hold me,” she whispered into his neck.

  Alex carefully cut the rope from her left arm and straightened it as best he could. He held her as gingerly as he could while she continued to weep into his chest.

  The crowd fell into a dead silence as they gaped at the odd shape of her arm.

  “Look at her arm,” someone whispered.

  “Her arm is broken!”

  “How could she hold on to the bairns with her arm like that?”

  “She never screamed or anything.”

  Slowly, as word passed, everyone started to applaud and cheer Alex’s betrothed. He stood cautiously, and—unwilling to cause her any more pain—he cradled her into Brodie’s arms and jumped on to Midnight. As soon as Maddie was safely in his lap, he headed back to the keep. Robbie rode some distance ahead of him with Jennie on his lap, Brenna directly behind them with Brodie.

  Maddie clung to Alex with her right arm. He kissed her forehead but said nothing.

  For Alex, this event had brought clarity to his life. He chastised himself for the doubts he had entertained for the past several days. Maddie belonged in his arms. How could he have doubted it for an instant? The woman had just jeopardized everything for his sister and another wee bairn. She had never questioned whether it was the right thing to do—she had simply done it. The needs of others always came first for Maddie. Long ago, he had thought her timid—a frightened rabbit. Well, timid, frightened rabbits didn’t put themselves in danger jumping down deep sinkholes in the ground.