by Fiona Faris
"My lady, I see that yer mind is bent on coming with me. I cannae stop ye. We will set out in a few minutes. Dae get ready! Guards! Prepare two of the swiftest horses fer my lady and me. We set out soon!" Callum ordered, walking into the keep. Gretchen led Merriam into the house and assigned a maid to take care of her. She slipped into her sturdiest, warmest gown that could resist cruel, cold weather, packed some bottles of water and walnuts into a bag she had slung around her shoulders and slipped a small knife into the belt around her waist. Minutes later, both she and Callum were ready for the search and had mounted their horses.
As they rode through the forest, Callum wondered what he could meet in the woods. He was not aware of the size of the group that might await his coming, he was not aware of where they could be stashed, lurking among the trees or branches, and he was not aware of how best he could approach Dunkin. His heart raced but remembering how Ava, a little girl, was being held captive by a grown man enraged him. He would kill the churl for this.
"Bandit!" the words slipped out of his mouth as he whipped his horse aggressively and raced with Gretchen into the wilderness.
Chapter Sixteen
Mid-afternoon had slipped into a stormy evening by the time Gretchen and Callum would reach deeper into the forest with no traces of Ava. Winds blew in sharp gusts against the trees and flung sleet in their faces, the cold nipping at their cheeks and noses. The storm made it hard to see, turning the path ahead treacherous.
“My lady, we must seek shelter!” Callum shouted above the howling winds. “Twill nae dae Ava any good should we break our necks before we can find her!”
Gretchen made a sound as if she wanted to argue but nodded instead as she pulled her horse even with his. Callum breathed a sigh of relief at her acquiescence and offered her a reassuring smile.
“Come on,” he urged.
The horses neighed loudly, clearly unnerved by the storm but moved assiduously under their riders’ guidance up to the trail. Worry twisted Callum’s insides. If they could not find shelter soon, they risked hypothermia or their horses tripping on something and breaking a leg.
Luckily for them both, Callum noticed a small cave ahead and turned his horse's head toward it. Dismounting in front of the entrance, he bid Gretchen wait until he checked the cave to make sure they weren’t interrupting a hibernating bear. After assuring himself that it was safe, he signaled to Gretchen that she could enter, and they led the horses into the cave. They were lucky to find a torch someone had left to provide light in the dark cave and to warm the interior slightly.
Callum and Gretchen sat side by side on the floor, squinting their eyes against the torchlight and eating the walnuts Gretchen had brought. Callum couldn’t help thinking about the woman at his side and how she had felt when he lay with her on the first night of the gathering. He glanced at her, noticing how her skin gleamed against the torchlight and her hair was still beautifully made, falling in curls about her shoulders. He leaned closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"My lady! Dae ye remember the last time we were alone while everyone else was in dinner?" Callum said, his eyes searching hers. “That was the best day of my life. I felt like a real strong man. I felt the desires burning in me and my feelings fer ye were rekindled! I dae nae know what this search holds fer us, but I know that I love ye sae much, and I will choose yer company over anything else,” he finished and placed his hands on her shoulders.
Gretchen’s eyes dropped to his lean body; his muscles evident even covered in leather armor. Lifting her eyes back to his, she could see nothing but love and acceptance in their blue depths. At that instance, she was convinced that Callum, Laird Callum of Clan Glenbogle, had come to truly love her. The feeling was mutual, and she was ready to move ahead with her life, and whatever would happen next. She wasn't sure, either, what the search would bring. Having a strong desire for him to explore her body and soul with his touch and kisses, she drew nearer to him. Their gazes locked on each other for several moments, neither saying a word until she broke the silence.
"Yes, I remember, my laird," she managed to say, looking away and then back again.
"I believe we can get past this. I believe we can find Ava and bring her safely back tae the keep. I believe we can have the best future together with ye by my side, strengthening the keep and fortifying the village and the farms against our enemies. I know ye are a strong and graceful woman. And I promise ye that I will keep ye safe, should we get past this alive. There is only one maiden I have come tae love, and that is ye, my lady," Callum said slowly and softly, his eyes roaming over her body from head to toe.
Gretchen was silent as if all words had betrayed her. She drew nearer to him again.
Sensing her confusion and sadness, Callum slowly possessed her mouth with small, persistent kisses. The bristle on his jaw scraped gently against hers, his fingers traced the fragile structure of her jaw, tilting her chin, his thumb coaxing her lower lip apart from the upper. The instant there was an opening; he sealed his mouth over hers. Gretchen could taste him on her tongue, a subtle and alluring essence, and she closed her eyes in pleasure.
Callum’s tongue pushed into her mouth, exploring in caressing strokes and moving in deeper as she offered no resistance. He sucked at the corners of her lips, and a hiss escaped her. The kisses moved across her cheek to the intricate hollow of her ear, and she gasped shakily, her body responding to his tongue, tracing the fragile rim, just before his teeth caught her tiny lobe again. She shook in response, sensation gathering low in her belly.
Gretchen shivered as her eyes closed and her mouth parted, enjoying the delicious tingles crawling across her flesh. She strained against him, searching blindly for his hot teasing mouth, the sweet and gentle stroke of his tongue. Nothing existed except for him, his kiss soft but sensual. She curled her free arm around his neck and sat upon his thighs with her eyes partly closed, while he kept a hand on her waist and the other cupping the back of her head, pressing it closer to his, their pulses throbbing hard together beneath their clothes. His hands slipped under her skirt, and he walked his fingers up her soft thighs until he could feel her heat. He groaned against her mouth and withdrawing his hand, he made quick work of the buttons of her gown.
Moments later, with their clothing lying in heaps on the floor, her hands gripped the impossibly hard muscles of his upper arms, her fingertips digging into the bulge of his biceps. Passion smoldered and flamed in high drafts as he eased his manhood slowly inside her. She jerked a little, and then a high-pitched scream escaped her mouth. A flush suffused her limbs, breasts, and face, as she arched helplessly against him. The gentle strokes of Callum made her moan in pain and pleasure. A continued, agitated gasp escaped her as the thrusting continued.
It had been so long since she felt this way, and she had come to love the feeling. She had come to love his touch and his breathing against her mouth. She had come to love how his mouth had covered hers so possessively. She had come to love his skin, touching her skin and the smell of his sweat on her. She was covered in a rush of pleasure, as he continued the thrusting, sending screams echoing against the nooks and crannies of the cave as her pleasure crested.
Callum pounded harder as he felt his end rapidly approaching. He first thought of sliding out of her to spend himself on her belly, but he suddenly decided against it, and with a hoarse cry, came within her hot walls.
Callum's lean body fell on Gretchen's, and for what seemed like a long time, they both stayed glued to the spot. For Callum, the feeling was heaven and had given him much courage. He had almost forgotten his fears about when and how he would get Ava back, have both of them protected and have Gretchen close to him for the rest of their lives.
"My lady! I have been obliged tae think that ye are the only lady who has been graced with the irresistible charm. I seem nae tae have enough of this. My heart and soul want ye and choose ye all over again. I dae love ye sae much. These are trying times, and I believe we both would get past it,
get Ava back and live happily together again," Callum said, clasping Gretchen’s hands in his, his eyes intent on hers.
Gretchen flashed him an honest smile. She also loved what she felt. She loved how he had brought out her womanhood and how he had made her forget her pains. She was strong again and couldn't wait for the storm be over so that they could resume the search of her daughter. Then they could come back and live together again forever. Her eyes moved from his hands that had tightened around her fingers up to his face and smiled.
"My laird, thank ye for everything, too. I'm renewed with strength and courage, and I can nae wait fer the storm tae fade away, then we could continue our search and rescue Ava from the hands of the enemy," Gretchen said softly smiling as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He was caressing her skin with his fingers as silence filled the cave.
Sunshine poured from the riven sky, bathing the meadow with dappled light. Callum blinked and squinted through its brightness. It appeared that the storm had passed. He stepped outside and sat on a stone in front of the cave, watching the horses graze. They would soon be on their way to search for Ava. The meadow spread away before him in a carpet of long grass. Beyond the field, dark cliffs rose, forming a high barrier against the horizon. Behind him, the trees of the forest loomed blackly against the sky. Trailers of mist hung over everything, and he had thought everything was good until the stiff breeze picked up and clouds again covered the sun, bringing with them preternatural darkness.
Sensing the coming of the storm and forecasting it to be much more severe than the previous, he led the horses back into the cave and returned to where Gretchen lay, sleeping so innocently. Callum smiled down at her naked body and stretched out behind her, his arms wrapping around her body.
The storm became heavy and blew in sharp gusts against the cave. Snow and sleet came down in white sheets, turning everything outside white. Gretchen tapped Callum gently on his shoulder after she had woken up and slipped into her gown. Callum woke up to her gentle tapping, murmuring a few incomprehensible words. It took a few more taps to jerk him awake, and he sat up, looking around as if the cave was under siege.
“My laird, how long dae we stay here? The atmosphere isn't favorable tae us, and I fear greatly that we might nae make progress. Should we stay here?" Gretchen said softly, glancing down at Callum, who was now settled and relaxed.
"I think we should wait a bit, fer yer sake. I much doubt that ye could step into the storm without getting ill at the end of the day. And I believe nae one can move around this storm," Callum said softly, placing his fingers on Gretchen's shoulders.
"Wait here. Let me check the weather if it's suitable fer us tae ride or walk in it," he said and moved toward the entrance of the cave. As he got there, he saw the storm had significantly increased, and trees were bending aggressively against the howling winds. As he made to turn and walk back inside, his ears caught the screams of a little girl from somewhere in the forest. He stayed where he was and strained his ears to listen. It was hard to hear anything in the maelstrom without. Although the cry seemed distant, he would know that sound anywhere: it was Ava's cry.
"My lady! I need ye tae hear this," he said to Gretchen, and without waiting for her response, he pulled her with him toward the entrance of the cave. She stood with him at the cave entrance and heard the same sound. Convinced that it was Ava's, Callum jumped out and mounted his horse, his hand ready to draw his sword, Gretchen followed him on her horse too, enduring the storm.
It took only a few moments of riding before Callum saw Ser Dunkin's hand wrapped around Ava's neck, his other holding a sword. He had seen them and had kept her close, even in the middle of the storm. Callum's glared at him as he angrily slid his sword from its scabbard. There was no other way to go with this. He will surely murder Sir Dunkin and leave his corpse for vultures to eat.
Chapter Seventeen
Nothing could be compared to the surprising, yet a murderous stare Dunkin flashed at Callum as he held his sharp sword at Ava's neck. A trickle of tears dripped down from the little girls face as she struggled to get free from his grasp and run toward Callum and Gretchen who stood some distance away from her.
The last person he had expected to see was Callum and the old Laird's wife with deadly stares carved on their faces. He had been in the forest for about two days, hiding in the nearby caves in search of a perfect shelter and hunting animals. He couldn't bear to lose the opportunity to become the Laird again after successfully kidnapping a treasured someone, thanks to his followers who he had intentionally discarded to make the mission less stressful and more adventurous for him. But now that he had seen Callum show up in the forest, he was starting to regret discarding the group in the first place. Just an arrow fired from nowhere was enough to take the Laird down.
"Dae nae move any further, my laird, I wouldn't want ye be murdered in a place where yer corpse won't be found. All I require is but a little thing that ye could do easily. Give up the lairdship and announce me as the new Laird and ye will have yer wee lass in the blink of an eye. That's a promise I'm ready tae fulfill, but if ye choose tae combat with me and have yer blood stain the forest's soil, ye leave me with no choice. And I will like tae inform ye that before ye could make any move, yer wee lass's throat will be slit, and her blood will be in yer hands. And if ye make another move, ye die, too, and what dae ye stand tae gain?" Dunkin roared against the wailing of the storm, glancing sharply at Callum who had his hands on his sword.
"Ye Coward! It's against the ethics of warfare tae subject innocent ones tae unhealthy treatment. Out of all ye could take hostage, only an innocent little child ye could think of? How did ye get chosen as a clan warrior? If ye dae nae release the innocent girl tae me, today will be yer last day on Earth. I will dip the sword intae yer stomach and draw out yer intestines. I'd make yer body the food for the vultures, and there would be nae befitting burial for ye," Callum growled as he flashed Dunkin a murdering stare. The veins in his neck stood out, and his fury knew no bounds. As he was angry, but he needed to remain calm.
His enemy had been a veteran warrior with him in the same army. He had witnessed Dunkin's fighting style and knew he was no amateur in sword-wielding and warfare. He also knew that if that Dunkin would have no qualms about murdering an innocent girl. There was desperation in his face.
If he allowed Dunkin to kill Ava, it would mean he had failed in his promise to Gretchen and would live with the disappointment for the rest of his life. He glanced at Gretchen, who stood some distance away from him. He saw the sadness in her face, the tracks of her tears plain to see. He gave her an assuring nod and turned his head back toward Dunkin.
In the frozen second between battling his thoughts, Callum was also thinking of ways to bring his enemy down. He was trying hard to remember Dunkin's weak points, and he figured out he had only been defeated once by Fraser, and how Fraser and weakened Dunkin on the training ground some years back he didn't know. As a warrior, he knew he should charge and think better of the situation, but as an experienced warrior, he knew he had to calculate the odds of winning the battle. He had looked at his enemy's size, body weight, and armor. Considering all these and thinking of another way, he dropped his sword and raised his hands in surrender.
"I take ye by yer words, and I have dropped the sword. If ye will release my wee lass tae me, I say tae ye honestly that before the first light tomorrow, I will announce ye the Laird of Glenbogle clan. I will hand over everything ye will need tae ye and vacate the land," Callum said, his face was expressionless.
"My laird! What are you doing? This man is nae worth being a worker in the keep. The land would be soiled with innocent blood. Thievery and killing would be the order of the day, and he would be the fall of the Glenbogle clan. Dae consider again for the future of the land," Gretchen screamed as she saw Callum's hand raised, surrendering to Dunkin in exchange for the little girl.
"Shut up ye filth! Ye are supposed tae be my cousin's widow! Instead, ye choose tae fuck arou
nd with this man? If not for other busy things I will need tae dae, I'd have ye taken away from the keep, too, and fuck yer guts out every day. Mind Ye, the Glenbogle clan needs a leader like me, who can deliver tae the land good tidings, and I will stop at nothing tae get what is rightfully mine. Now ye!" he said and paused, pointing to Callum, "Ye think I'm a fool? Step away from the sword, till I'd be satisfied ye are nae playing some mindless game," he said and laughed.
Callum drew away from the sword farther to convince Dunkin. Dunkin, sensing his seriousness, laughed again and released the girl from her bindings, and then tied her hands again.
"Mama! Uncle Callum! I want tae l-leave this place! I want tae gae home," Ava's voice called out in a quavering stutter. Her words made the anger rise within him again, and his hands tightened into fists. Gretchen, on her path, was helpless and clueless, clouded in doubts, wondering how best Callum would turn the situation in their favor. As she wondered on, Dunkin's thunderous voice called out in the roaring wind.