by Barbara Bard
“Perhaps you are right, but I shall be leaving first thing in the morning.”
“And where is it ye are wanting tae go?” Drew asked. The question took Sarah by surprise, for she hadn't even figured that out herself yet.
“Ye see, lass, it strikes me as odd that ye would be running away through these woods when there is a huge English army over yonder. Why would ye be running?”
He looked at her through narrowed eyes, his piercing gaze seemingly directed straight into her soul. Sarah shifted at the thought of having to tell him her story. She turned away from him and clenched her jaw, wondering how she was going to get through the night being so close to a Highlander.
“Come on, lass, it will be a long night and we have tae pass the time somehow. Would ye really have us sit in silence? This is nae where either of us would choose tae be, but it is where we hae ended up. Let us make the best of the situation. At least we may be able to learn something from each other.”
Sarah didn't think there was anything she could learn from this man, but he was right when he said that it was going to be a long night otherwise. Although Sarah was tired she was restless and did not feel safe going to sleep before Drew.
“I was supposed to marry someone I did not want to marry, so I ran away,” she said, not wanting to tell him the whole truth. If Drew found out that she had been betrothed to the leader of the English army, her use as a prisoner would rise dramatically, and he would do all he could to keep her close to him so that he could ransom her off to Lord Flynn.
“Ye must have despised the thought of being with him if ye would run off in tae these woods without any idea of where ye are going,” he said.
The silver light of the moon hung over the world, and in the shadows Drew’s facial expressions became harder to discern. Yet Sarah found that she could tell a lot from the man's voice. He had a very expressive tone, and his words had the energy of a song.
“It seemed like the only way out I had,” she said simply. “He was a cruel man, and I could not abide the thought of spending my life with him.” That was all she wanted to say on the matter. She looked back towards the battle. “I suppose they have stopped fighting for the night.”
“Aye, that they have. My heart is with them, but my body should have been there tae.”
“Why do you court war so eagerly?” she asked, trying to understand the mind of a man who met war readily, without hesitation.
“It is nae a matter of courting war. War is just a part of life. It is like breathing or eating. We all grow up knowing that one day there will be war again, whether it be with the English or with other clans.”
“But how can you live like that? Doesn't it make everything seem pointless, knowing that one day it could all be done away with in a terrible battle?”
Drew shifted his position. She wondered how he was doing for comfort. He was bearing the pain well, much better than she would have been able to if the roles had been reversed.
“It reminds us that life is worth living. It reminds us tae appreciate the calm times. It is like enjoying the summer even though ye are aware that winter is soon going tae follow. That is the best way I can put it. Some men like testing themselves, like my brother. I only want to see justice done. I would nae fight unless I had a cause. I am nae like my brother in that regard.”
“You speak of him fondly. Are the two of you close?”
“Aye, sometimes tae close. We often argue, but when it matters most we come down on the right side of things. Riding into battle by his side was the proudest I have ever been.”
“I wish I could feel something like that. I was an only child. There was a girl I thought of as my sister. She is probably dead now too,” Sarah murmured. She did not dare ask Drew about Rosemary for she was afraid of the answer. It was unlikely that he would know anyway.
Rosemary had probably wandered away in the woods and been killed by now, or was being held somewhere far away. Perhaps, when all this was done, she could even get Drew's help in looking for her. But she didn't trust him enough for that yet.
“It is a sad thing tae see people we love die. All we can dae is remember them and honor them, and try tae make them proud.”
Was that a tear that glistened in the moonlight? Sarah would never have thought this man capable of showing such emotion, but there it was, plain as day.
She lay on the ground, thinking about Drew and all he had revealed to her. He was a most uncommon man, but he was a Highlander. She should have been afraid. She should have felt anger rise within her breast, yet she felt entirely comfortable talking with him. It was the most comfortable she had felt in what seemed like a long time.
Before too long she felt her eyelids growing heavy. She tried to fight it, telling herself that she shouldn't fall asleep and make herself vulnerable in front of Drew, but she was unable to fend away the exhaustion that seized her body and dragged her to a state of unconsciousness.
Chapter 11
Drew continued talking for a while before he realized that Sarah had fallen asleep. He chuckled at himself as her soft murmurs rose through the air. The night air was cool, but not inhospitable. He peeled off his cloak and draped it over her body to act as a blanket.
He looked at her again and he saw how beautiful she looked even when she slept. She looked so much at peace and he could swear she was dreaming of a beautiful world. A world without war and bloodshed. A world filled with just love and peace. He wished he could give her that world; he didn’t know what it was about this lass that made him want to change his world for her.
She was a most uncommon woman.
When he'd first learned that she was English he'd felt betrayed, not by her, but by his own feelings. He should have known that she was English. Now that he had gotten to know her a little better he found himself warming up to her. There was something about her that spoke to him, something that gave them an instant rapport even though they had never met each other before this day.
But she was an English girl, and having feelings for her meant betraying his people. After everything he said to his brother about marrying an English girl, it would be shameful to have an English girl riding on his arms after the war was over. Drew had never been this conflicted in his entire life. His heart was torn between his feeling for this strange lass and his people.
He wondered if this was the way Blair felt about Rosemary. The feeling of being carefree with another person, and being able to share his deepest secrets and fears.
He had been a fool for always antagonizing his brother. He now believed his brother when he told him he could not understand how he felt.
It seemed to be a strange set of circumstances that would throw them together, and Drew wondered if it was a machination of fate. Sarah was, by all accounts, lovely and beautiful. There was something in her eyes that told him she carried a story, a burden that she wanted to share.
Yet she was English too. Drew had sworn that he could never bring himself to love an English girl, but when he looked at Sarah he felt an overwhelming sensation within his warrior heart.
The silver light of the moon caressed Sarah as she slept. She looked so peaceful and serene, even though she had endured much. His ire burned at the thought of Highlanders acting like savages, killing her parents in front of her. That wasn't war. It must have been another clan, for Drew knew his father would never have seen that as an honorable action.
And then to be fleeing from a cruel husband. The thought of another man touching her without respect filled Drew with hatred, and he found himself vowing that he would see no harm come to her.
Then, Drew smiled, for he remembered what his brother had told him about love sneaking up on him. Blair had fallen in love with Rosemary and up until that moment Drew had never understood how it happened, or how Blair had let it happen. It was indeed true that men did not have a choice when it came to their hearts.
He sighed, and shook his head. The pain was a dull ache, ever present, but he was steeling himself aga
inst it. He rested his head against the rock and stared out at the darkness while he waited for sleep to claim him. It soon did, and the two of them slept until sunrise.
Drew awoke feeling refreshed, although his body ached as he had been unable to turn much in the night. He touched his leg and winced. It was still painful, although he tested it and found that he could put some weight on it without it buckling from under him.
Another day brought another day of war, and Drew hoped to be back on the front lines as soon as possible. He hated the thought of the battle being won or lost without him, or worse, of Blair being wounded. He didn't even entertain the possibility of Blair being killed.
Drew was only awake moments before Sarah rose. She blinked, as though forgetting where she was for a moment. She looked confused when she threw off the cloak.
“I did nae want ye getting cold in the night,” Drew said.
“Oh, thank you,” Sarah replied, handing him back the cloak. Sarah turned her eyes away from him again. Drew noticed that she had a habit of doing that, but this time as she did so he caught her eyes roving about his body, which was packed tightly with muscle. He smirked. It was good to know that she didn't hate him as much as she said.
“How are you feeling today? How is the leg?” Sarah asked.
“It seems tae be getting better. I may even be able tae walk by the end of the day,” Drew said.
“I would not rush anything.”
“I'm going tae test it today. It will do no good for me not tae use it. Things hae tae be tested, else they shall never get stronger.”
“Let me get you some breakfast first, then you may do all the testing you like,” Sarah replied. She walked off happily, singing a tune. Drew leaned back and listened to her melodious voice, enjoying the warm morning sun, even though he felt a little guilty for being so far away from the battle, but there was nothing he could do about that at the moment.
A part of him wished he didn’t have to return to the battle. He wished he could just stay here with this lass and live this moment forever but he would never forsake his brother. He had to see this war through.
Soon enough, Sarah returned with a handful of fruit. The two of them shared it happily, although Drew would have liked some meat.
“It is a shame that I cannae walk tae well, else I would hae gone hunting and fetched us a fine rabbit,” Drew said. Sarah smiled.
“I thought ye were leaving at first light?” Drew continued, testing her with his question. He hoped she wouldn't leave. Sarah bristled at the question and nibbled on some fruit before she answered.
“I want to make sure that you are going to be well enough to get back to the battle. I would feel guilty if I left you stranded out here all alone. Besides, I need to gather supplies for my journey and work up the energy,” she said. Drew got the impression that she was making up excuses.
“Aye, those are fine reasons, lassie. I think it's because ye are nae wanting tae leave my side.”
Sarah looked at him, shocked.
“That is not it at all!” she exclaimed, but Drew thought she protested too vehemently. He remembered the way he felt when she was so close to him, her breath touching his bare skin, and he wanted to feel that again. He knew it was going to be hard to control his desires.
“If ye say so, lass, if ye say so,” he said. Sarah narrowed her eyes at him, but she did not argue the point any further.
“You know, you could very well end up being my prisoner if I wanted to take you back to the English. I think you'd be a lot nicer to me then.”
“Oh I think I'm being nice tae ye plenty,” Drew said, still smirking.
Sarah rose and stretched out her limbs. She had a slender body, and Drew enjoyed the view. It took a few moments before Sarah realized that he was looking at her in an amorous manner, and she instantly withdrew, folding her arms across her chest, looking down at the ground again.
“Help me up, lass, I'd like tae stretch out like ye did,” he said.
Sarah looked at him suspiciously before she moved.
“Trust me, lass, I'm nae going tae try anything,” he said, lifting his arms in the air.
Sarah moved over slowly, tentatively, still not willing to give him all her trust. She wrapped her arms around him though and for a few sweet moments he drowned in her light scent. He groaned as he used Sarah to pull himself up, then steadied himself against the rock.
As he got to his feet Sarah's arms fell around his neck. He towered above her, and their lips were inches apart. He could feel the soft rush of her breath against his lips. Their bodies were pressed together, and her hands felt pleasing against his taut flesh. She gasped as she realized what was happening, for Drew's arms fell around her thin waist, and this time there was no pulling away, although once again her eyes fell to the floor.
“Why dae ye always dae that, lass?” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he put his finger underneath her chin and tilted it up so that she had no choice but to look in his eyes. Drew searched her eyes for meaning, and found the entire universe within them. They were as blue as the river and he found himself wanting to leap in and drown himself.
“Ye are the prettiest lass I've ever seen,” he breathed. One hand fell to the small of her back, pushing her hips into him, while the other played with her long, lustrous hair. He could feel her heart beating rapidly. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her and that made him harder.
A small moan escaped Sarah's lips as she pressed her body against his. It was wrong, so wrong. The two of them were enemies. She hated the Highlanders. He hated the English. But these wrongs had made a very powerful right. Her whole body was on fire, her pulse was beating rapidly and her breath was uneven.
Drew had never known anything like it. It was as though his mind, body, heart, and soul were all ablaze. The way her body melted into his, her breath upon his neck. He traced the curve of her back. He tilted her head once more and was about to plant his lips on hers when she pulled back suddenly.
“I... this is all so sudden,” she said haltingly. “This shouldn’t be happening. You are a Highlander and I am an English girl. Our people hate each other. It will do both of us no good if we start having feelings for each other. When your wound heals and you are able to care for yourself, I will be continue my Journey,” Sarah said without once looking at him.
“Aye lass, it is all so sudden. And our people hate each other but this feels right” he said. He tried to take her into his arms again but she moved a little further away from him, leaving a huge distance between them.
“This is...this is wrong. This is madness!” Sarah muttered.
“Is it madness tae listen tae one's heart?” Drew replied.
“Our people are at war,” Sarah said. As if to emphasize her point she thrust her arm to the direction of the battle. But Drew had a battle of his own going on in his heart, and at the moment he was listening only to one side.
“Our people may be, but are we? Are ye at war with me, Sarah?”
She looked at him desperately, and then eventually admitted that she was not. Drew didn't know what would happen in the future, but in that moment, standing there with her, all he knew is that he wanted to be with her. He wanted to feel her body close to his and enjoy the feeling of ultimate bliss careening through their bodies.
Drew limped over to her. His leg still ached, but he was more than willing to endure the pain for her.
“I will nae harm ye, Sarah. I promise ye that,” he said, reaching out a hand. It hovered in the air, and there were a few tense moments before Sarah took it. Their hands entwined and Drew brought Sarah in close to him once again. His long thick locks fell around her head as he wrapped her up in his arms.
Yet when Drew looked at her he remembered how she had reacted before, and all she had said about the Highlanders. He wanted to prove to her that he was respectful, so he tried to resist. Sarah was trembling in his arms, so nervous, so fearful, yet she was not making an effort to break free from his embr
ace. The longer Drew looked at her the more he was sure that he would not be able to resist, and despite himself he felt his lips yearning to meet hers.
The passion between them grew, and their feelings were sealed.
“I am sorry, lass. I forget myself. I dinnae know what got intae me. I suppose it must be a sign of the war. When a man's blood starts rushing, he is liable tae dae things he would not ordinarily dae.”
Suddenly Sarah felt Drew's entire weight pressing on her shoulders, and she had to summon all her strength to not collapse to the ground. It lasted only a moment, before Drew fell to the ground, his injured leg causing him great pain again.