Elspeth turned her back on the turbulent watercourse and was glad that she was still alive. But she soon discovered that they faced a new challenge. Raising her sights, she took in the steep, craggy slope.
“Come along,” Angus said, urging her forward.
In drier conditions, they might have quickly climbed to higher ground. But the soil was wet, and their path was riddled with rocks, thistle, and other vegetation. It was also tricky to goad the stubborn animal up the incline.
By the time they made it to the higher elevation, the rain had begun to pour. Elspeth clutched the arisaid closer to her head. Meanwhile, Angus set his hand to his brows, shielding his eyes from the steady flow of rain as he scanned their surroundings. A moment later, he pointed to a cluster of giant boulders. In between the weathered rocks was a natural opening.
“We’ll go into that cave and wait out the storm,” he said, pointing to the small entrance.
They ran to the protective cavern. It was dry inside while the rain continued to fall outside.
“Ye stay with the horse, and I’ll go hunt.” Angus dug into his sporran and pulled out several pieces of birch bark that he had collected from the night before. He handed her the damp pieces. “Prepare the fire while I’m gone.”
After Angus left, she had a chance to assess their new environment. From what she observed, they weren’t the shelter’s first visitors. Several branches and twigs were piled to the side, and a mound of ashes from a previous fire existed not far from the cave opening.
Elspeth gathered the materials she needed, and with a practiced hand, she started a small fire. She put her palms facing the blaze, allowing the warmth to seep into her body. The heat was certainly a welcome relief from the rain.
She spotted two rocks of equal height and located a flat stone near the firepit. Once she arranged the stones, she would have a decent cooking surface.
It wasn’t too long before Angus returned with a small hare that he had skinned and cleaned. He shook the rain from his head before he approached her and handed her the kill. Her companion still didn’t appear as if he was in the mood to converse, so she wisely kept quiet.
Elspeth took the hare from him and placed it on the hot surface to cook. While she tended to their dinner, she continued to feed the fire. Several minutes later, her stomach rumbled as the smell of roasted meat, and smoke filled the enclosure.
But she didn’t have too much time to contemplate her hunger. A cry just outside the cave echoed in the small space. Angus got up, instantly alert. Elspeth had the presence of mind to sweep the meat to the side of the flat stone before rushing after him.
“Ye should stay here,” he said in a low voice.
His commanding tone should have stopped her, but she dismissed it. In such a short time, she had come to rely on Angus for many things. If something happened to him, she would find herself in deep trouble.
She spotted a jagged rock and picked it up. All the while, different scenarios played in her head, and she wondered who might be outside. Her grip tightened around the sharp stone. If Angus needed her help, then she was ready.
Elspeth let out a gasp when they reached the edge of the incline. “Those are the lads from the vagabond camp.”
“They were following us,” Angus said, voicing her suspicions.
One youth dangled from the rocks, the look of panic in his eyes. In the meantime, his older companion gripped the reins of a horse while he made futile attempts to reach his friend.
Somehow the lad with the steed sensed their presence and glanced up. He wiped the rain from his eyes. “We need help,” he called.
“Are ye going tae help them?” she asked Angus.
“It serves them right if I left them,” he answered.
Her mouth dropped, open and the rock she carried slipped from her hand. “We cannae leave them on the ridge.”
Her distress immediately lifted when Angus walked past her and made his way down the steep incline.
“Ye climb tae the top,” he yelled to the older lad. He then turned his focus on the other boy. Reaching down, he grabbed the lad’s wrist and pulled him to safety.
Satisfied that his companion was secure, the older youth clambered up the slope with his mount. When he was nearly at the top, Elspeth took the reins from him. A short while later, Angus and the younger boy followed. When everyone made it safely to the summit, they raced toward the cave to avoid the downpour.
Elspeth caught her breath once they entered the rocky shelter. She was also relieved that the fire still burned. Hurrying to the firepit, she repositioned the partially cooked hare so it sat at the center of the hot slab.
The youth watched her, their earlier distress apparently was forgotten. And when they saw the meat cooking on the stone slab, their eyes lit up.
“What are we eating?” the younger lad asked.
Chapter 10
Elspeth sent a doubtful look at the food on the stone slab. “We’re eating cooked hare,” she said.
“There isnae enough,” Angus said, voicing her thoughts.
He was right. It wasn’t possible that the scrawny hare could feed the four of them. But the lads peered hopefully at the food. Their gaunt faces and ill-fitting kilts made them appear half-starved. A surge of sympathy filled her heart.
She pulled out her dagger and sliced the meat, dividing it into three equal portions. “Eat,” she said, gesturing to the stone.
Elspeth pushed back the curl that fell across her forehead and sat back to watch the unexpected visitors gobble up their portions. She expected the rugged Highlander to do the same, but he remained seated. Instead, he studied the lads with narrowed eyes. He turned his head slightly as if he sensed her scrutiny.
“Ye will eat as well,” he told her. “We cannae have ye dying of starvation.”
“I’ll be fine,” She turned to look into the flickering flames so she could avoid his stare.
“Nay,” he said gruffly. He walked over to the hot stone, stabbed his knife into his ration, and brought it over to her. “Take it.”
Something in his voice made her pause. She lifted her gaze to his, and a warm, pleasant sensation washed over her heart. He cared about her, she realized. She wasn’t certain why this made her happy.
Elspeth took the offering and sank her teeth in the tender fare, savoring the juicy texture. She was distracted by the delicious food, but with her hunger eased, her mind suddenly returned to the situation at hand.
“Why were ye following us?” she asked the youths.
The older boy was in the middle of stripping the last of the meat from a bone when her question made him pause.
“We nay longer want tae stay at the camp,” he said.
“Ye should return tae the camp all the same,” Angus said, speaking up.
“I agree,” she said, nodding, “your parents will miss ye.”
“Our parents are dead, and there’s nothing there for us any longer.”
“Aye, we want tae get as far from that place as possible,” his brother added.
“That’s enough, Alec,” the older boy said, his tone becoming tense.
“What?” Alec said, his voice sounding sulky. “Ye ken, I’m telling the truth, Jon.”
Elspeth suspected that the sibling would have revealed more, but Alec stopped. He picked up a stick and started to scratch the dirt with it. It was then that she took in their scruffy appearance. The youths were around the same age as Fiona. Jon was about thirteen, and his sibling was likely a couple of years younger.
After a while, the younger lad got bored with drawing on the earth and moved away from the fireplace. As he turned to search for a rock to sit on, she noticed how skinny he was. She also noted the purple marks at the base of his neck, marks that appeared as if someone had tried to choke him.
His older brother didn’t fare any better. At the moment, he sat with his legs sticking out in front of him. But when her sights fell to the dark-red welts on his skin, he self-consciously pulled the kilt over h
is bruised limbs.
“I think ye have run away,” she observed.
“As I told ye before, we can show ye where the thieves hide,” Jon said, changing the topic. “I ken that ye are searching for them.”
“We dinnae need your help,” Angus said, dismissing his claim.
“But we cannae return tae the camp,” Alec said, frustration starting to lace his voice. “We stole the horse, and if we go back, our uncle will beat us. The last time was bad enough. I dinnae think he will show us mercy.”
“Well, ye shouldnae return,” she said quickly. “Going back will surely bring trouble.”
Growing up, she knew her parents loved her and her sister. They would never have hurt either of them. She couldn’t imagine a life filled with beatings. But judging by the injuries the lads sustained, it was evident that they had no choice but to live with the abuse.
Angus’s jaw tightened as if he was about to disagree with her. Before he could say another word, she placed a palm on his forearm. Her touch caused his muscles to twitch, and she dropped her hand to the side. “I dinnae want them tae be harmed, Angus. Please, let them come with us.”
“If ye let us, we can take ye straight tae the thieves,” Jon reminded them.
“See, they can help us find the robbers,” she said.
Angus watched her for a long time as if he was considering her appeal. Little by little, the tension in his braw face eased away.
“Fine,” he said. “They can travel with us.”
“Guid,” she said.
Relieved grins broke over the two young faces.
After the meal finished, Angus knocked the flat stone aside and allowed the flames to dance freely in the firepit. Meanwhile, the storm raged outside. Every few minutes, one of them fed more twigs to the fire. Although no one spoke much, the cave felt intimate and secure.
Suddenly, the twitter of birds echoed through the cave. Her gaze swung to the entrance, and she noted that the clouds had cleared. The rain stopped as quickly as it started, and a thin streak of sunlight fell across the entrance floor.
“We need tae get moving,” Angus said, getting up. “I want tae reach town before sundown.”
“We shouldnae be too far,” Jon said.
The others followed Angus’s lead. He helped her on the horse. The shock of his large hands on her hips caused her heart to skip a beat, and she fought back the streak of heat that coursed through her body.
Next thing she knew, he had settled behind her. The seating arrangement wasn’t new, yet her heart started to pound. She tried valiantly to slow her heart rate, but the searing contact triggered memories of the night they almost kissed.
Her mouth went dry. She needed to think of something else. “How long will it take for us tae reach town?” she said, turning to Jon.
The boys had doubled up on their mount as well and rode alongside Elspeth and Angus.
“’Tis nae long,” Jon answered cheerfully.
“Nay, ‘tis nae long,” his brother parroted.
“Guid,” she said. “Perhaps we can catch the thieves today.” Then she could focus on her next problem. After that was resolved, she could bid farewell to Angus, and her life could then return to normal.
As they continued on their way, the lads happily recounted incidents that occurred at their camp. Elspeth laughed at the amusing stories. It was a welcome change to hear the light conversation, and it helped her relax.
Angus sat behind her, watchful and intense. He contributed little to the conversation. Yet despite this, she was well aware of his strong presence. Certainly, his nearness excited her, but it also comforted her. He already took significant measures to keep her safe. All her life, she played the role of protector, and it felt nice to have someone champion her for a change. Still, the practical side of her warned that she couldn’t get used to this feeling. Soon enough, Angus would be gone from her life.
They rode for a couple of hours until the sky overhead darkened once more. The few trees that they passed had lost many of their leaves and contrasted starkly with the desolate land.
The distant rumble in the sky began to move closer. Elspeth tilted her face to the sky and frowned when she felt a droplet of rain on her cheek. The area before them was flat, and there was no place to seek shelter. The only choice they had was to keep going.
A moment later, the rain started to pour. The enthusiastic chatter of the youths stopped as they hunched beneath the surplus fabric of their great kilts.
Gradually the rain slowed, and a light drizzle began to fall. From what she could tell, they followed a worn path; however, it was impossible to know how much longer they needed to travel.
Angus caught Alec’s eye. “When will we reach town?” he asked.
The direct question caught the bairn by surprise. He dug his teeth into his bottom lip and nudged his brother.
But Jon ignored his sibling and shrugged. “We’ll be there soon,” he said.
“That was what ye told us hours ago,” Angus said, frowning.
When the boy told them that they would reach the town soon, she, like Angus, didn’t suspect that it would be this far.
“Maybe if we cut through the meadow, we’ll get there faster,” Jon suggested, his voice brightening as if he had just discovered the best solution to their problem.
“Wait —” Angus started to say, but the lad had already urged the steed to cut across the empty field.
But they didn’t get far before the galloway faltered. The bairns yelped as they began to sink into the unstable ground.
“Stay calm,” Angus said.
But his advice came too late. The mount started to panic and threw both riders into the wet peat. Their cries reverberated across the flatland. Immediately, they began to flail and sink further into the muddy water.
Angus let out a low curse. He urged their mount forward, although their progress was slow.
Nothing was amiss from her perspective, but Elspeth now understood that much of the surface was covered in peat moss. Decades of plant matter grew and died on this land. And when the rain mixed with the decayed material, the ground became waterlogged and hazardous.
Their ride began to protest when the mud became thicker.
“I’ll have tae get tae them on foot,” he said as he slid off the horse.
When Angus landed on the ground, the soggy peat reached past his muscular calves.
“Stop thrashing,” he shouted to the lads. “The more ye struggle, the deeper the bog will suck ye in.”
His commanding voice caused the boys to cease their frantic movements. Alec whimpered, but he remained still.
All Elspeth could do was sit helplessly on the horse and witness the Highlander bravely crossing the dangerous wetland. He was a large man, and as he walked closer to the bairns, the heavy mud rose to the middle of his thighs. But the bairns had smaller frames, so the same boggy water reached almost to their hips.
“Stay calm,” he repeated. “Wiggle one leg free before trying tae loosen the other leg.”
Minutes later and with his prompting, the boys slowly maneuvered out of their muddy prison.
“Elspeth, take them back to the path,” Angus yelled across to her. “I’m going tae get this beast out of the bog.”
She threw a worried glance at Angus, but the formidable Highlander was heading further into danger.
“Come, laddies, get on,” she said.
The tired boys immediately climbed up behind her. Once everyone was settled, she focused on guiding the steed back to solid ground. She then turned to watch Angus. The tension in her back increased. She had no idea how he was going to rescue the horse. There wasn’t much she or her companions could do to help. At that moment, the mount thrashed violently. It managed to break itself free only to become stuck in another spot.
When Angus was a foot away from the steed, he lifted his hand. Elspeth held her breath when he appeared as if he was talking to it. Would his scheme work? What if the horse resisted and they drowned?
But her fears were unfounded. Somehow, he had the power to calm the animal. Angus reached over to pat the steed’s neck before he grabbed the reins. He then slowly proceeded to lead the galloway out of the muddy trap.
After the successful rescue, they traveled for another hour or so until they finally spotted the town. Elspeth was dirty and exhausted, but that awareness disappeared as she took in the settlement. It struck her that this town was eerily similar to the one near her home.
And in this community, it was clear where the central hub was located. The building was at the middle of the town, and a sign hung over the door, making no mistake about what they offered.
A stableboy saw their approach and went to greet them. “We have rooms available.”
Jon and Alec scrambled off their horse, clearly intending to get inside the inn.
“We’re nae getting a room,” Angus said, shaking his head. He dismounted, and after he helped her down from the beast, he turned to the lads. “Ye said ye ken where the thieves hide. Where are they?”
Alec froze at hearing the question, and he glanced nervously at Jon. The older boy looked around him as if to assess his surroundings. Finally, he jabbed his finger at a building that was three houses down from the inn.
“I believe they’re staying there,” he said, pointing.
“That must be it,” Alec agreed.
“Are ye certain about this?” Angus frowned as he studied the dwelling. It was indistinguishable from the others in the area.
“Aye, we should wait in the building...” Jon started to say.
But Angus appeared not to have heard him. He handed her the reins. “Hold this,” he said.
He walked to the door and banged his fist on the wooden panel. After a moment, Elspeth heard cursing and rustling on the other side of the door. The door flung open, and an older man appeared.
“Cannae ye see that the business is closed?” he demanded. His burly figure filled the door frame. “We’re eating supper now sae ye will have tae come back tomorrow —”
“I’m looking for some men,” Angus said, interrupting him. He straightened his spine, his muscular build equally impressive. “I’m told that they’re staying with ye.”
The Highlander's Quest Page 7