by Sky Winters
A scattered collection of tents littered the area surrounding the campfire, one tent standing importantly and looming higher than the rest. She realized that James was heading in that direction, a glass of ale in hand, and she fought the urge to follow him. If he wanted her there, he would have made sure she followed him. She smiled politely when someone offered her a glass, and she took it, sniffing curiously. The smell was strong and she threw her head away from it in surprise. Still, you were only in the past so often. She figured that you might as well live a little. Sadie brought the glass to her lips and swallowed, raising her eyes as the bite of the alcohol warmed her insides, almost helping her to forget that everyone there considered her a Lowlander.
“Got a nice bite to it, eh, lass?” an old man laughed, giving her a toothless grin. She nodded, giving him a shaky smile.
“Leave the poor lass alone, Ivar,” a woman about Sadie's age said, shooing him away. He gave her one happier, drunken smile before nodding and hobbling away. She promptly plopped down beside Sadie and smiled.
“You don't have to drink that rot if you don't want to,” she said. “Nobody will think any differently of you. In fact, the heathens will probably just be glad to have more to themselves.”
Sadie smiled at the woman and offered her the cup she was holding. She took it with a delighted laugh and drank it down with a few hearty gulps.
“My name's Gail,” she said, wiping her mouth. “I'd wager you don't really know what to do in a Highlander camp, but don't worry. I'm sure James is explaining everything to the council as we speak and they'll get you settled in. And if it's too late to take action, you're welcome to come back to my tent. I'll give you a change of clothes if you need it, we look to be about the same size.”
Sadie nodded gratefully. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome. You stick out like a sore thumb in that green dress of yours,” Gail laughed. “And trust me, you don't really want extra attention. The Highlanders aren't generally very welcoming of strangers. We like to keep to ourselves and protect our own. But as I said, if James sorts it out with the council, things should be fine.”
“He said he'd make sure...” Sadie said, feeling suddenly betrayed.
James had led her to believe that she would be accepted into the clan, as easy as that. And if she wasn't, he would intervene on her behalf. But something about him had seemed different when they had reached the borderlines of his camp, and she hadn't been able to reach the man she'd met in the dungeon again since. Had he simply charmed her to get himself back home with a prize, thinking he might be able to use her against Lord Lachlan?
Sadie sighed, dejected, when suddenly James was standing before her like the answer to a question she didn't know she had asked, a faint smile on his face.
“The council said it was all right for you to stay here and that it would be important to get you used to our customs,” James reported. He had taken on a self-important tone that she wasn't sure she liked.
“Oh good!” Gail exclaimed. “Do they have a place for her to sleep?”
James nodded. “There's a room open in the council's tent for her.”
Gail's mouth opened and closed. “But why?” she asked, a little apprehensively. Her reaction made Sadie nervous.
“They'd just like to ask her a few questions and keep her safe from anyone who might think it's a danger to keep her here, considering she was Lachlan's fiancée. They know she's not one of the same breed of Lowlander, they trust me, but they want to talk to her for themselves and keep her separated until the official announcement tomorrow morn. It's best not to surprise everyone; it will be better to put her up safe.”
Sadie listened to James speaking in his intoxicating Scottish lilt. He seemed like he was important in the clan, possibly the leader. If not, something close. The men were all flocking around him, hoping for his attention, but he ignored them and turned to Sadie.
“Let's get you settled in,” he said, and offered her his hand.
***
Sadie stood before the council, a group of stern elders with deep frowns etched into their thick faces. They looked as if they'd lived long, hard lives but were all the wiser for it. Many of them had long silver hair and beards, while others had their locks cropped close to their heads. They sat in tantalizing silence as they studied her before finally, one man stepped forward and cleared his throat to speak.
She looked around for James, who was standing dutifully by the entrance, his hands crossed in front of his kilt and his broad chin tilted up like a soldier at attention. She felt very alone and waited nervously for the councilman's words.
“Sadie,” the man said. “What do you remember about Lord Lachlan?”
“He's a tyrant,” Sadie said, her eyebrows creasing in anger. “And a rat.”
“What he means is,” another man interjected, “how many memories do you have of him?”
Sadie frowned. “Just the one. I'm afraid I don't know how I um...got here, exactly.”
“Yes, James mentioned this. He also said you sought our help in unraveling the mystery,” the first man said.
“If it's possible, sir.”
“Aye,” he said, glancing to the other council members, who nodded their approval. “As long as you follow the rules and learn how to pull your weight in the camp. Everyone does their share of work, you understand.”
“Of course,” she said. “I understand.”
“You'll stay in the council's tent for tonight,” the stern man said. “We will summon you when it is time to learn our ways. Until then, we implore you to stay put, as your presence puts our camp in danger.”
“I'm sorry, I—”
“James will show you to your accommodations,” he interrupted, not acknowledging her apology. “James?”
James moved forward, ducking through a flap in the tent and pausing for her to catch up to him.
“I thought you said I'd be welcome here,” she hissed as he led her into the little makeshift room.
“You are,” he said. “Just give it some time.”
He gave her a sweet smile and a wink. With that, he disappeared from her sight, leaving nothing behind him but the swaying fabric of her entranceway.
Chapter 3
Sadie awoke early, dazed and disoriented when she discovered that she still wasn't back in her own time. She half expected to be transported back every time she closed her eyes. Unfortunately, the longer she spent in this strange place, the more real it began to feel to her.
There was a tray of food near her bedside, and she pulled it toward her. A plate of berries and a slab of cooked fish. She ate hungrily, downing a cup of fresh spring water. A parcel of clothing was sitting on the foot of her cot and she sighed, undressing and putting it on. She wondered where she would be able to shower, but soon the thought left her head as she heard a commotion.
Deep voices were shouting – she couldn't tell if they were angry or excited. Maybe a mixture of both. She had been strictly ordered not to leave her room until they told her she could, which felt stifling. Still, she was more afraid of breaking the rules than she was tempted to find out what the commotion was about, and waited restlessly in the tent for a sign that she could leave.
She was captive until finally, a stooped-over man poked his head in. “It is time to introduce you to the clan,” he said.
She looked down at her dress and back at the man, her face burning red. “Do I have this on right?” she asked, gritting her teeth.
He examined her for a moment and uttered a light sigh. “Excuse me, lass, I'll be back with someone to help you.”
Sadie sat down on her cot and put her head in her hands. This whole thing was incredibly embarrassing. Suddenly, Gail was in the room and began chuckling heartily.
“Look at you, lass,” she laughed, poking at the buckle that Sadie had clasped around her waist. “It was a nice try, but actually that goes here,” she said, pointing to Sadie's chest.
“Oh!” Sadie exclaimed in surprise and tr
ied not to squirm as Gail began tugging at her dress, fastening the buckle between her breasts.
“There!” Gail said, beaming at her proudly. “Come on now, the clan's ready to meet you. They'll only trust whatever the council says, so it was best for you to stay here last night. Don't worry though. They will be treating you like family in no time.”
“Sure they will,” Sadie said doubtfully. But when she looked at Gail, she was smiling, so Sadie tried to banish the nervous butterflies in her stomach and follow behind with a stoic face.
Gail led her out of the tent, where she was intercepted by the elder who had asked whether or not she was ready. He led her to the center of the camp, where the entire clan was gathered. James was standing sternly beside the council, who were in the center of the group. He looked particularly handsome now in the daylight, grinning at his comrades. Still, something seemed to be making him uneasy, and he avoided her gaze.
“Today we must welcome to our clan Lord Lachlan's former fiancée Sadie. It seems that fate has brought her to us and we must honor this with the highest respects possible. We must all do our best to teach her our ways, as her journey has been a wee bit unconventional.”
Sadie had been led to stand in front of the council, and she was nudged to step forward. She gave a meek bow, unsure of what else to do.
“Introduce yourself, lass,” one of the council members said. His voice was neither kind nor unkind and she sighed.
“My name is Sadie. I'd tell you where I'm from but I don't really know. This is all very unfamiliar to me so I appreciate your guidance.”
She bowed and backed up, standing beside James. She had the strong urge to lean into him, but it seemed wildly improper. And besides, he had backed away from her, his face grim. Something was going on with him, and she was beginning to feel very put off by whatever it was. She wished he would just talk to her about it. The rules somehow prohibited him from paying any attention to her? Was that what he was implying? What kind of rules were those?
“Sadie may roam about the camp and do as she likes, just as anyone else. But if anybody causes her any trouble, you will answer to the council. Be as considerate of her requests as possible and guide her however you can. That's all for now.”
The meeting was adjourned and the council members marched one by one in a single-file line to the big tent and disappeared behind its flap. James lingered outside for a moment before turning away from her, his muscular back rippling as he sauntered away, toward a group of men who were summoning him. She wanted to follow him and ask him what in the world she was supposed to do now, but there was no reaching him. And she refused to embarrass herself in front of James or his clan. She would just have to do what she had always done best – prove how independent she could really be.
Chapter 4
Sadie wiped her fiery red curls away from her sweating forehead as she ran, attempting to keep up with the stocky, fiercely beautiful Highlander women who were prowling the hills. Their job had been to look for berries and wildlife, and hunt if they were able. While she had never killed a thing in her life, she was determined to do her part. But the women were much faster than she anticipated, springing many feet ahead of her before she could stagger up the hill behind them.
She would have been completely miserable if it weren't for Gail, who had taken her under her wing and hung back from the rest, cheerfully explaining what they were looking for and giving her valuable advice about how to survive using the Highland wildlife. She shared a flask of water with Sadie and did her best to keep the mood light, using it as an educational experience rather than a way to show her up, as it seemed the other women were doing.
They had treated her bitterly since the moment she was allowed to roam on her own and given her own tent to stay in outside the council's watch. They fully expected her to become a highly functioning member of the community, and she had scarcely had any time to see James, not that he had given her the time of day since the moment they had arrived. He had been busy carrying out his duties, and she had seen his face covered in war paint as he sped through the camp after hearing rumors of strangers in the midst. She had never seen anybody so captivating as his vibrant, serious eyes shone passionately and his body moved in a sexy, almost panther-like way as he made his way toward the threat.
She blushed as memories of their passionate night in the woods came back to her.
“You all right, lass?” Gail asked, concerned.
“Yes,” Sadie replied, turning her attention back to gathering mushrooms in a basket.
“Don't let these women worry you,” Gail said, snatching a berry from Sadie's basket and sticking it into her mouth. “They're just jealous.”
“Why would they be jealous of me?” Sadie asked miserably. It was good to talk about this and get her mind off of James, but it left her feeling as if there was something wrong with her. It was never much fun to feel like you didn't fit in.
“Well,” Gail said. “I'm sure they have their reasons.”
She was mysteriously quiet for a moment before they moved forward in their search. The other women began brushing past them pointedly, their baskets full to the brim with edibles. Sadie watched them saunter back to the camp, their strong, thick legs and fiery hair descending down the hill, snickering as they left. They were probably laughing about her basket being only part full, Sadie thought miserably. Gail gave a cheerful squeal and soon her thoughts were back on the only friend she had made in the camp.
“Look it that, Sadie! I found me a baby bird,” Gail said, approaching it gingerly. “Do you see where it might have come from?”
Sadie peered at the trees, finally spotting the nest. There were two other birds much the same as the tiny bird on the ground.
“Up there,” Sadie said.
Without hesitation, Gail scooped the small bird up in her apron, careful not to touch it, and held it gingerly against her breast as she climbed up into the tree using only her long legs and strong arms. She placed the baby bird gently in the nest, bringing alarmed cries from all three of the babies, before dropping down to the ground with a satisfied grin.
“That'll do,” she said proudly. And with that, they collected their baskets and headed back to the camp.
***
Sadie hadn't been able to keep her mind off of James, and that night she finally had a moment alone with him. It had happened purely by chance – he had left the comfort of his group of friends and nearly ran into her as she emerged from her tent.
“Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise, before she realized it was James. “I'm sorry.”
He looked down at her, a faint grin on his lips. “Careful there, lass,” he said with a wink.
“Where were you heading?” she asked as he backed up. She was reluctant to let him get out of her sight now that she finally had him there.
“Just looking to get some water,” he said.
“I have some inside,” she said. “Come on in.”
He stood hesitantly in front of the tent, bringing his broad hand up to his forehead and running it through his hair.
“Come on, I won't bite,” she said.
“That a fact?” he asked with a grin, and she laughed, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. He was referring to their tryst in the woods. But he'd made it clear that it wouldn't happen again. She could see why he had become so formal, it seemed like he was under constant supervision, working hard under the Elders to carry out some important position in the clan.
He stood just inside the tent, to make it obvious to anyone who might be watching that he didn't intend to fully enter. She poured him a glass of water and brought it to him, biting her bottom lip and looking into his eyes. He held her gaze, his eyes soulful but pained. Was he holding himself back? What was keeping him from being the man she had met in the dungeon?
“Thank you, lass,” he said finally, taking the glass and drinking deeply. “How are you liking your accommodations?”
“They're...” She didn't quite know w
hat to say about the tent the Highlanders had set up for her. It was flattering to be thought of and given her own space, but she wasn't used to sleeping on a cot, or being so cold, for that matter. The women who had been in charge of her placement had decided that she should be put as far away from the campfire as possible. “It's cozy.”
“Well, you take care then,” he said with a nod. He began to leave, and then thought better of it and turned back to face her. She watched him hopefully, secretly wondering if maybe he was going to say or do something romantic, but instead he cleared his throat and straightened his back, taking on the self-important look he got when he was on official council business.
“The council wants to summon you to their tent tomorrow for an announcement.” His face was flushed, and she tried to read his expression. It had gone cold though, and she frowned.