Our Shared Horizon (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 10)

by Diana Knightley

  “Quentin, Fraoch and I were talking, and I was wondering if you could tell Fraoch a little bit about being in Afghanistan.”

  He said, “Sure, what about? Like the landscape? Nothing but rocks everywhere.”

  Fraoch and I sat and I clasped his hand on my knee. “No, like how you dealt with fear.”

  “Ah.” Quentin smiled good-naturedly, “Like having your wife yelling at you to get on the vehicle, and you can’t because it’s loud and seems like a demon machine?” He took a deep breath. “Fraoch, I have been there. I thought I wanted to fight for my country and freedom, so I signed up and got sent to Afghanistan. A foreign land, so much insane shit. Everyday I saw some new kind of horror, until it was hard to trust anything or anybody. I don’t go to church anymore, not after mama died, I just couldn’t bring myself to go anymore, but it was hard to ignore the feeling I got, like God had forsaken me. I was scared every day.”

  Beaty said, “Ye hae terrible nightmares, Quenny.”

  “I do, I have terrible nightmares, sometimes—”

  “Ye moan and yell and thrash around.”

  “Yep, there was some shit I saw that... I don’t...” He shook his head. “It sucks having our wives see us like that, right? Sucks. I wish I could get my old brain back. But apparently this is me now, nightmares and all. I’m lucky to have Beaty to talk to. So what I’m saying is that I understand fear, Fraoch, we all feel it when we see something we don’t understand. The truth is though, Hayley has seen these weapons before, she understands how they work. She’s not going to lead you wrong.”

  “Aye.” Fraoch’s face was drawn down.

  Quentin watched him for a moment, then added, “That being said, I do not recommend you listen to Hayley on everything war related. We’re friends now aren’t we?”

  “Aye, I consider ye a fellow Campbell brethren, we hae been fostered intae the clan taegether.”

  “Exactly, we’re outsiders, both of us, in this family.”

  Fraoch nodded.

  Quentin continued, “Magnus trusts me, I’m the head of his security. I’m also a colonel in his armed forces, though I never quite get to do that. It’s a bullshit title, given to me to make me seem like a better person in the eyes of Beaty’s father.”

  She smiled up at him. “Ye are verra much a better person, Quenny.”

  “Thank you, Beaty. So Fraoch, the way I dealt with fear in Afghanistan was to shut up and follow orders. I assumed that someone in charge would keep me alive and somehow I lived through it. I know these weapons. I taught the Campbell men to use them and I’m going to teach you how to use them and if you listen to me on it, we’re going to get through this. Just follow my orders.”

  Fraoch nodded.

  James joked, “Do I have to listen to you too?”

  “Heck yeah, Fraoch only has to listen to me about the weapons. You need to listen to me about the weapons and the Campbell men. And you need to listen to both me and Fraoch about the landscape, the food, and every aspect of living in the eighteenth century. Where you’re standing, right there, I can see six ways that you could die.”

  Fraoch finally, after all this seriousness, chuckled.

  James groaned and stepped closer to the house. “Okay fine. I get it, I’m the foot soldier—”

  Fraoch said, “Dost ye hear the noise? Everyone inside.”

  Forty-two - Hayley

  Beaty and I scrambled up and hid in the hut. James and Quentin and Fraoch stood just inside the doorway, holding guns. It took a moment before I heard it too, horse hooves up the path beside the croft. Fraoch said, “Tis one horse.” He listened. “Comin’ from the east.”

  A man’s voice, a moment later, “Hallo!”

  Quentin and James looked at each other. Fraoch remained quiet.

  “I ken ye are inside.”

  Fraoch called out, “Who are ye, what business dost ye hae?”

  “This croft is m’place tae rest when I hae been long drovin’. Tis ye that must answer the question — are ye with the army that is surroundin’ the walls of Balloch?” His horse’s hooves thudded in the dirt outside.

  Fraoch asked, “Are ye friend or foe?”

  “Now see, we hae arrived at an impasse. Ye must trust me enough tae tell me who ye are tae ken if I am a friend or nae. I canna see ye, I canna ken if we are. I am nae a Campbell, but I hae been livin’ alongside the earl for some years and—”

  Fraoch said, “He is a friend, but remain here until I ken his purpose.”

  Quentin said, “I know him too, met him last time I was here.”

  Fraoch stepped from the shadows to the yard. “Rab Ruadh!”

  Rab Ruadh said, “Fraoch MacLeod!” As he climbed from his horse. “Ye arna under siege?”

  “Nae.”

  “And who are ye hidin’ inside m’shelter?”

  “Tis nae yer shelter, last I heard twas Auld Lady Jennet’s croft, and tis m’wife and a few members of m’family inside.”

  “Och, tis good ye escaped. The army is verra large and well-armed. There are men along the path just tae the east, ye ken they will find ye by morn.”

  Quentin stepped from the hut then.

  Rab Ruadh said, “Black Mac!”

  “Aye, I thought I recognized your voice, how is the rievin’ business going?”

  “Och, I am nae a riever anymore, I am an honorable escort of the Earl’s cattle. Though there are nae coos bein’ driven through the Earl’s lands these days. I wanted tae ask the Earl why, but he and his son are both in Edinburgh and I canna get tae Sean tae find the cause because the army be blockin’ my way.” He laughed. “I hae come tae believe that the army might be keepin’ the coos from bein’ driven.”

  Quentin laughed. “How many men are there?”

  “By the looks of it, over a thousand, I believe more are on their way.”

  “Och,” said Fraoch.

  Quentin said, “That’s a lot of men to fight.”

  Rab Ruadh asked, “How many men hae ye here?”

  Quentin said, “Three, includin’ myself.”

  Rab Ruadh shook his head. “There are more men than that searchin’ for trouble along these paths.”

  Fraoch said, “And what dost ye ken of them?”

  His smile went wide. “I could tell ye all I ken if I wasna in need of food and drink.”

  Quentin ducked into the house. “James, sit on the ATVs and watch our back door, men are about. Pick your teeth with a sword or some shit. Beaty and Hayley, stay here. Hand me that bag.” He pointed at a duffel in the corner. When I passed it to him he dug through it for a bag of beef jerky and bottle of whisky.

  He returned to the yard and we hid inside the house while he shared food with the man outside. Sometimes it was hard to hear. And hard to understand. At one point Rab Ruadh and Fraoch were speaking in Gaelic and then Quentin was speaking with them too.

  Beaty and I were sitting in the darkened room with our heads against the wall, listening, but their voices were too low. So I got down on my stomach on the hard packed-dirt floor and crawled to the door to hear.

  Fraoch said, “So who are they?”

  “The army was raised through Lord Delapointe’s son, Philip, from Talsworth castle.”

  Fraoch asked, “What is his connection tae the Campbells?”

  Quentin said, “He’s Magnus’s stepbrother.” He asked Rab Ruadh, “So what’s his problem? I thought he had a truce with the Earl?”

  Rab Ruadh said, “There is someone else there, someone acting through him, usin’ his castle and his fortune tae raise the army.”

  Quentin said, “Uh oh. Any idea who it is?”

  Rab Ruadh ripped a piece of jerky off and chewed slowly. “I daena ken truly, but I believe he wants Young Magnus.”

  Quentin said, “Figures, a fucking relative, that man has the worst relatives.” He looked at Fraoch. “So we have to kill all these people before they get through the walls to Magnus’s clan, because if I know Magnus he’ll turn himself over to save his family’s
life. We can’t fail.”

  Rab Ruadh asked, “Remind me, how many men dost ye hae?”

  “I told you, three, including me. You offering to help? Got men willing to fight?”

  “Nae, m’men are skirtin’ the area with their cattle, lest they be pressed intae feedin’ the army. The surroundin’ farms are a’ready burnin’ their fields.”

  Fraoch said, “Just afore the harvest, twill be starvation in the winter. It happened tae m’clan when I was a bairn.”

  Rab Ruadh said, “Aye, the Earl needs tae return tae put a stop tae the siege.”

  Quentin said, “I don’t think he can negotiate out of this, he’s more likely to turn Magnus in. Sean on the other hand... Can you get close enough to get a message to Sean?”

  Rab Ruadh said, “I can. I hae men tae do it.” He added, “Though they daena like tae risk their lives without a recompense of some kind.”

  Quentin said, “Aye, what man would?” And returned to the house where I was already digging through the bag. I pulled out a bag of jerky, and a box of protein bars, wrapping them in a smaller bag, and adding a few pieces of Quentin’s gold. Quentin rolled his hand, more more. I added some more until Quentin nodded.

  He said, “Go ahead and start packing up. We need to leave this hovel as soon as we’re finished talking.”

  He returned to Fraoch and Rab Ruadh and said, “For your men.”

  I heard Rab Ruadh fumble through the bag. “What dost ye want me tae say tae Sean?”

  “Tell him that Black Mac is coming tomorrow at dawn. Tell him to shelter the women and children and to be on the walls ready to fight. Tell him I will sound like a roaring bird. He will understand what I mean.”

  Rab Ruadh laughed. “I like ye Black Mac, and I will pass the word. I will tell Sean Campbell that ye are leadin’ an army of three men tae the walls, and that ye will be singing like a raven.”

  Quentin chuckled. “That’s not exactly what I said. Mention the roaring, he’ll know what you mean.”

  Rab Ruadh said, “Ye ken there is a tale of a battle there, when birds attacked the walls of Balloch and almost vanquished the Campbells. Dost ye ken the truth of it? Twould be good if ye could call the birds tae yer side.”

  “I will see what I can do.”

  Rab Ruadh climbed back on his horse. “Where will ye go, if I need tae relay a message from Sean?”

  There was a pause then Quentin said, “We’ll be at Auld Jimmy’s farm.”

  Rab Ruadh turned his horse from the yard then paused. “I hear men a’comin’, ye needs be gone from here.”

  Forty-three - Hayley

  Quentin and Fraoch rushed in grabbing bags and slinging them over their shoulders.

  I asked, “What are the odds he’ll do what he said he would do?”

  Fraoch said, “He is a man of honor — tis likely that he will deliver the message tae Sean. I believe he would like tae help the Campbells if for nae other reason than the Earl pays him a great deal.”

  Quentin said, “I wish I could have given him some of these guns to deliver to the Campbells, so they would be better armed tomorrow.”

  Fraoch said, “He daena hae that much honor.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  Quentin said, “We’re headed to Beaty’s father’s farm, it’s close to the castle and—”

  Beaty shook her head, wide-eyed. “I daena want tae, Quenny.”

  He stopped in mid-motion. “Beaty, we don’t have any other options. We can’t be outside, there are too many men about.”

  Fraoch said, “There will be rain this night, as well.”

  Quentin said, “Yes, exactly, it’s going to rain. Also I can leave you there during the battle, you’ll be safe there.”

  She shook her head. “Nae Quenny, ye canna leave me there, he...” She looked like she was about to cry.

  He dropped his bags and wrapped her in his arms. “It’s okay, really, I’ll protect you. And you’ll get to see Murthy. It’ll be okay.”

  She sniffled. “I could tell Murthy about Mookie? It will really be a’right?”

  Quentin nodded. “I’m not keen on spending time with your father, but don’t be scared. He can’t hurt you, but we do have to go, now.” He hefted our bags to his shoulders, carried them to the ATVs, loaded them onto the trailers, and strapped them down.

  James sat astride one of the ATVs, Quentin climbed on the other, Beaty sat behind him. “Fraoch, I want you to ride with James. Just like before. Hold on. Don’t even think about it, just do it, consider that a direct order.”

  Fraoch nodded.

  I hugged him. “Mags keeps his eyes closed. You can keep your eyes closed, okay? I’ll be riding this one, behind Beaty.”

  A grin crossed Fraoch’s face. “Og Maggy closes his eyes? Och, I will keep mine open.”

  “Twould be easier with pants, wouldna it Madame Hayley?”

  “That it would, Madame Beaty.” Beaty clung to Quentin’s back. I pulled my skirt up and squeezed behind her on the seat. There wasn’t a lot of room.

  Quentin drove our ATV down the path, with Beaty directing. He occasionally pulled to the side to watch and listen, giving us the all-clear to keep moving, until we made it to Beaty’s father’s farm.

  As we neared the village the landscape became bleak. I had never seen the roads so desolate. As we drove from the woods, the fields surrounding the village were on fire. Crops in flames, smoldering coals on the side of the road. Tufts of smoke rose to the sky. I looked back over my shoulder at Fraoch. He was grimacing as if his whole body was clenched tight, as if fight or flight was coursing through his body. He looked like he was about to let go of James and jump off the ATV.

  God, I hoped he didn’t jump off.

  The fires were darkening the sky, raising my fear.

  Jimmy Campbell’s farm was desolate and the gardens around it deserted. A low building with a thatched roof squatted at one end of a walled-in yard. I knew Beaty had been poor but it was shocking how poor.

  We pulled the vehicles up behind the building and I felt her tense. Her father, Auld Jimmy, stumbled around the corner. “Whatch-ye doin’ here?” He slurred.

  “Hello Mr Campbell, I don’t know if you remember me, I’m Colonel Quentin, I married your daughter, Beaty, we need a place to stop for the night.” Quentin and Beaty climbed from the ATV.

  Beaty kept her head lowered, she said, “Father.”

  “I remember ye,” he stared at Beaty with bleary eyes. “Whatcha do tae yer hair?”

  Beaty tucked a loose hair into her cap. “Naethin’ I...”

  She stepped behind Quentin. It was no wonder, it didn’t seem safe at all for her.

  Quentin said, “I will be gone by morning, we just need shelter. I need you to keep—”

  “I daena hae food.”

  “We have food, enough for you as well.”

  Quentin walked forward toward the door, causing Auld Jimmy to stumble backwards. “Och,” he said and blearily glowered.

  Fraoch met my eyes, his hand went to my back, protectively.

  Auld Jimmy said, “Who are ye?”

  “I am Fraoch MacLeod.”

  “Ye are nae a Campbell. Are ye one of the men?”

  “Nae, I am a friend of Magnus.”

  The old man waved his hands. “Young Magnus has been naethin’ but trouble.”

  Quentin looked furious.

  James unfolded blankets and draped them over the ATVs to hide them. Then he bought us the duffel bag with our food. Quentin fished out some beef jerky and offered it to Auld Jimmy who scowled but ate it hungrily.

  Quentin asked, “How come you don’t have food? You didn’t burn your fields, what were you growing?”

  “Nothin’. I daena grow anythin’.”

  “Why not? Your sons would help you.”

  Auld Jimmy spit on the ground. “What do you want here?”

  Fraoch led me a couple of feet away to lean on the wall and he and James stood quietly a few feet behind Quentin. James
had his arms crossed, looking down at the space in front of him, blank, but tense, ready to have Quentin’s back if need be.

  Quentin said, “I gave you a large dowry for your daughter, Beaty—”

  “Twas nae so large.”

  Quentin’s brow went up incredulously. “Oh really? Wasn’t that big? It was plenty big!” He took a deep breath. “There is a siege on the castle, I need you to—”

  Auld Jimmy shrugged. “I daena care what happens to them.”

  Quentin said, “You know what? I don’t give a fuck what you care or don’t care about.” He dug in one of our duffle bags.

  I said, “Quentin, need me to get something for you?”

  “No, I got this.” He continued railing, while searching through the bag, “I married Beaty, so I’m here for shelter — and tomorrow when I’m fighting I’ll need a place for—”

  Auld Jimmy lost focus, and said to Beaty, “Told you he dinna want ye.”

  “He does too, father.”

  The man yanked her cap off her head. “Ye look like a witch.”

  Quentin spun on him. “Old man, you better watch your ass, don’t touch her again or I will end you.”

  “What do you care? She is naethin’ but trouble. Nae sense tae her.”

  “This is how it’s going to be — we are going to shelter here in this house. You will keep quiet and you won’t speak to—”

  Beaty slipped through the door to the hovel. She called out, “Where is Murthy?!” She returned outside. “Father! Where is Murthy?! Where are the piglets?”

  “I killed the pig.”

  Beaty’s shriek was blood curdling. “Nae! nae!” She broke down sobbing. “Nae!”

  I rushed to her and held her. She was slumped on the ground crying into her hands.

  Quentin said, “Old man, I swear to god you will pay for that.”

  Auld Jimmy spit on Quentin’s feet.

  James shoved him so hard he stumbled back and fell on the ground.

  Quentin said, “You stay down. Don’t stand up unless you ask me first.”

  The old man sat up with furious jerking movements but remained in the dirt.

  Quentin came to Beaty and put a hand on her shoulder. “I am so sorry about Murthy.”