by Paula Mabbel
“If you refuse, then we kill you right here on the spot. You don’t have to worry about pretty little Sophia, though. I’ll take care of her,” the leader said with a sickening smile.
“You won’t lay a finger on her head,” Jamie roared with anger.
The clan leader laughed cruelly. “You’re getting awfully worked up about some whore that you hardly know.”
Jamie could feel the anger raging inside of his stomach. He wasn’t even bothered about the punches anymore. He didn’t care that he was being held back, whilst his clan beat him black and blue. All he cared about was making sure that Sophia was going to be okay and that the clan leader didn’t get away with what he was planning.
“Fine,” Jamie said finally. “I’ll do it, but you must give me your word that Sophia will come to no harm, now or ever.”
The leader looked as though he was thinking it through. “So, you will trade her clan’s secrets for her protection?” the leader asked to make sure that he had it clear.
“Aye,” Jamie said with a pained look as another fist hit him, but this time it missed his stomach completely and went straight into the bridge of his nose.
“Then you have a deal,” the leader said, as he turned and walked away from the beating.
*******
Sophia could already see the purple hills, and her excitement was growing. She hadn’t told her father about the meeting she’d had with Jamie, but she had told him where she was going and he’d had no problems with that. The purple hills were a little over a mile away from their clan’s settlement and one of Sophia’s favorite places to visit.
In spring they came to life with hundreds of thousands of wild flowers that filled the air with a light floral fragrance. In summer they turned a deep purple color as lilacs grew from every space available. The hills weren’t purple anymore, though; the long hand of autumn had reached out and cleared the open space of its flowers, leaving only green grass and dirt behind.
Sophia walked up to the top of the hill and she looked out over the horizon. She had no real idea whether Jamie would even show up, but she had this feeling deep in her stomach that her time had not been wasted. She scanned the open country in front of her for any signs of movement. She stopped short when she saw someone stumbling close to the hills.
She raced down the hill with very little thought for herself and came to an abrupt stop at the bottom. The man who was stumbling was still some distance away, but Sophia could tell from the tired way that his feet dragged across the ground that he was hurt. She didn’t wait for him to reach her, but instead made her way over to him.
“Are you okay?” she called out when she was close enough. “Are you hurt?”
“Aye,” Jamie said as loudly as he could muster.
“What happened?” Sophia asked in surprise as she realized that the man beneath all of the swelling and bruising was Jamie.
“It’s a long story,” Jamie said as he let his legs go from under him, so that he could sit on the ground.
Sophia watched with a worried expression as he fell to the earth with a thud. “What has happened?” she asked him again. “Who has done this to you?”
“It was my clan, lass.” Jamie spat out what looked like a dangerous amount of blood.
“They’ve hurt you,” Sophia said with confused eyes.
“Aye, lass, they have.”
“You have to let me help you.” Sophia tried to pull him back to his feet. It took her a moment, but she managed to shift his weight onto her shoulders so that she was holding him up.
“I’m not sure that any help can be offered,” Jamie shook his head.
“Well, a good night’s rest surely can be,” Sophia said, and then she started to slowly walk back in the direction of her clan.
“Your father won’t like this,” Jamie said as he realized where Sophia was taking him.
“My father is a good man who is willing to help any person in trouble,” Sophia said with a look of shock on her face. “What leads you to believe that he won’t help you?”
“I have been led to believe that your father is a sensible man,” Jamie explained. “No sensible man allows someone to walk into his clan without knowing where the stranger came from.”
“Then you must tell him about your clan,” Sophia said as though it was really that simple. “You must explain to him that they did this to you, and that you are no longer safe with them. He will be sure to offer you a place with us.” Sophia sounded utterly convinced of her plan.
“Well, we will see, won’t we, lass?” Jamie said, as he tried to pick up his pace. He couldn’t though. Every bone in his body felt as though it was splintered, if not broken in half. His clan had spent most of the day before ensuring that his injuries were real enough to be a concern and then they had thrown him out into the country with nothing but a direction in which to head.
“Aye,” Sophia said. “I know you’re in a lot of pain, but could I ask you something?” Sophia said after they had been walking for a while.
“Aye,” Jamie nodded his head quickly and then winced with pain.
“You shouldn’t keep moving your head,” Sophia scolded him. “I just want to make sure that this hasn’t happened because of me,” she added quietly.
Jamie didn’t say anything for a moment. He hadn’t considered the idea that she might work out it had been because of her. “I’m sure that it wasn’t.” Jamie said as he hobbled along.
“But you are not certain?” Sophia asked him with worry in her eyes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been certain about anything, lass.” Jamie said, and he tried to smile.
“Can I ask you one more thing?”
“Aye,” Jamie said again, but he didn’t try to nod this time.
“Why did you pull me out of the crowd at the gathering? Was it because you knew who I was?” she asked him curiously.
“I had no idea who you were,” Jamie said truthfully. “I only knew that you were the most beautiful girl that I had seen, and I wasn’t about to let you disappear into the night without introducing myself first,” he added softly.
Sophia didn’t say anything. She could feel her cheeks heat up as they started to fill with color. She hadn’t been expecting Jamie to answer like that, but she was glad that he had. In the two days since she had met him, she hadn’t been able to get him off of her mind. She was glad that she wasn’t the only who felt an attraction.
“You’ve gone quiet,” Jamie said with a little concern playing though his tone.
“Aye, I was thinking,” Sophia said, as she stopped walking just before a group of tents. “Well, Jamie, welcome to our settlement.” She started to walk with Jamie by her side into the light, so that the other clan members could see that she had brought a visitor.
*******
Jamie stumbled through the open tent and landed roughly on the bed. He could hear Sophia’s quiet footsteps following him, but he didn’t have the energy to turn his head and look. Every inch of his body ached with the beating he had received the day before. His lungs felt as though they were on fire from the effort to keep them full with air. He closed his eyes for a second to try and block out the overwhelming aching, but it didn’t work.
“And who, daughter, is this?” Jamie heard a gruff voice ask from somewhere close to the tent door.
“Father,” Sophia said, and Jamie could hear a slight panic in her voice, “this is Jamie; I met him at the clans’ gathering,” she explained. “He has been hurt badly and he needs our help.”
“What clan had he left from?” Sophia’s father asked.
“I’m unsure, father, I know only that he’s hurt and we must help him.” Sophia’s voice sounded gentle and caring.
“You have a big heart, lass,” Sophia’s father said. “Leave me to speak with our guest and I shall call you back later if all is well.”
“Father, I should stay with him,” Sophia argued.
“You may come back later, Sophia,” her father said sternly.
“Okay,” Sophia said, and then Jamie heard quiet footsteps walking away from the tent. He waited for the sound to disappear before he used up the last of his energy to turn and face the clan leader who was also Sophia’s father.
“You have been hurt badly,” Sophia’s father said as his eyes examined the damage that could be seen without any difficulty.
“Aye,” Jamie said.
“Your clan did this?” Sophia’s father asked with what looked like intrigue in his eyes.
“Aye,” Jamie repeated.
“Did you break one of their laws? What provoked such a beating?” Sophia’s father asked.
“I was seen talking to your daughter and my clan thought I was betraying them,” Jamie said and he listened to the sound of his own voice, to ensure that he couldn’t hear a waiver of a lie.
“My daughter is the reason they beat you?” Sophia’s father asked with surprise.
“No, their lack of trust was what brought them to beat me and kick me out of their clan,” Jamie said bitterly.
“They’ve removed you from the clan?” Sophia’s father pushed him for more information.
“Aye, they told me to never return, even if I survived,” Jamie said sadly.
“This seems like a great shame. Can you fight?” Sophia’s father asked him as he eyed up his broad shoulders and tight muscles.
“Aye, I can fight well when I’m not being held back,” Jamie said.
“Does your old clan pose any threat to mine?” Sophia’s father asked thoughtfully.
“I don’t think so. They don’t even know where your settlement is,” Jamie said, and he could hear the truth shining through his tone.
“Well, I guess I should see to it that our medicine man comes to tend to you.” Sophia’s father said, but his tone sounded distracted, as though it had already moved on to its next order of business. “If you are telling the truth, which I don’t doubt, then you are welcome to stay with our clan after you have healed. My daughter seems quite fond of you and I approve of the matching,” he said and then he walked out of the tent without waiting to see what Jamie had to say.
Jamie didn’t move. He couldn’t have done even if he had wanted to. He just stayed lying on the bed until another man with a heavy red beard walked into the room carrying what looked like a leather knapsack filled with small glass bottles of goo.
“You’ve got yourself into one hell of a fight there,” the old man said, as he opened a bottle of something that smelt foul, and started to rub it over Jamie’s bruises.
“Aye,” Jamie said as he tried not to wince.
“You know the leader doesn’t trust you,” the man said, as he put the stopper back into the bottle and put it away.
“I should think that he is wise enough to know better than to trust a stranger,” Jamie said. “I certainly wouldn’t trust someone who just stumbled into my camp,” he added.
The old man chuckled to himself. “Well, as long as you understand why he might be frosty,” he said, and then he made his way back out of the tent.
Jamie waited to see whether there was anybody else waiting to come in, but the tent was left undisturbed. He thought about calling out and asking whether Sophia would be visiting him again that night, but he thought better of it. He needed them to think that he wasn’t any danger, and that his clan had left him weak.
He closed his eyes and for the first time realized just how heavy his lids had become. He had been struggling to keep them open. He could already feel a swirling blackness starting to creep over the bright colors of his inner eyelids. He felt his mouth fall open as a loud yawn arose from him, before his head started to tip to the right side of his body and onto the pillow.
He was tired and hurt. He needed to sleep and recover, but all he wanted to do was talk to Sophia. She had been so kind in helping him back to her settlement and she hadn’t doubted his story once. He had been able to tell from the moment that he laid eyes on her that she was beautiful, but he could never have known how deep that beauty ran, until now.
*******
Sophia walked into the dark tent and listened quietly for a moment. She could hear the gentle breaths being taken by Jamie and she wondered for a moment whether she should leave him to sleep, but she couldn’t. There was a buzzing feeling in her stomach that was too anxious to speak to him to simply walk out and wait until morning.
“Hey,” she said quietly as she rested her hand on his shoulder to wake him up. “You awake?” she asked a little louder when there was no movement.
“I think I was,” Jamie said with a tired smile on his face.
“I’m sorry I was just hoping we could talk,” Sophia said as she squinted in the dark.
“Aye, what’s on your mind, lass?” Jamie asked, as he slowly pushed himself up so that he was sitting rather than lying down.
“My father has said that you may join our clan,” Sophia said with a content happiness in her tone. “Do you think that you will?”
“Aye, I’d like to,” Jamie said quickly. “I was going to make sure that you didn’t mind, of course,” he said a little stiffly, as he tried to stretch out the dull aching in his back.
“I think it is wonderful news,” Sophia said with excitement glimmering in her eyes. “I told you my father is a good man.”
“Aye, you did, lass,” Jamie said in agreeance. “He reckons that you have a liking for me, you know,” he added, and then he fixed his eyes on her face so that he could read her reaction. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, as he took in her reddening cheeks and bashful look.
“I’m sure he does,” Sophia said finally. “It will be because I offered to help you.” She forced her face to look casual.
“Oh,” Jamie said, letting the disappointment play through his tone. “I was rather hoping that he might be right,” he added quietly.
“Really?” Sophia asked in surprise.
“Really,” Jamie laughed. “Did I not already tell you that you’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen?” he asked with a playful smile on his lips.
“You did,” Sophia said, and she tried to stop her cheeks growing redder than they already were.
“Then you should know that I myself carry a torch.”
“Aye, I suppose so.” Sophia said. “Would it make you happy to know that you’ve been on my mind since the night that we met?” she asked him.
“Aye, lass, it would,” Jamie said with a small nod of his head.
“Then you know,” Sophia said with a playful smile.
“I think you should come and sit beside me,” Jamie suggested, and then patted a space on the bed for Sophia to sit herself down on.
“I think it might be frowned upon to climb into bed with a stranger,” Sophia said with a little shake of her head.
“But I’m not stranger to you, Sophia,” Jamie said, his eyes burning intensely into hers.
“I suppose,” Sophia said with a little nod, and then she sat herself down on the bed.
The hours seemed to rush by them, as though they were in a hurry to see the morning. Sophia and Jamie spent much of the night talking, and Sophie could feel herself growing more and more attached to him with every word that passed over his lips.
He was perfect to her. He was handsome, funny and strong. She could tell that he could fight, too, and that meant that he would be able to offer her protection should she need it. He was everything that she had ever hoped to find in a man, and he was nothing like the other men who lived in their clan. Sophia’s clan was full of brutish men who believed that women should be left at home to look after the children. They didn’t seem to understand that laughter and love held just as much weight when it came to romance.
“Sophia, I want to try something,” Jamie said quietly and thoughtfully.
“And what’s that?” Sophia asked him with a bright smile, as she looked at his face in the early morning light.
“This.” Jamie leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.
Sophia could feel the heat from his hand on the back of her neck, as his lips pressed firmly against hers. She could taste peppermint on his breath, and a coppery taste that reminded her of blood, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she kissed him harder as a hunger in her stomach started to growl and take control of her movements.
Jamie pulled his lips away from hers and their eyes met in the mild light for a moment. Sophia could see the same hunger in his eyes that she felt in her own. She could see the way his body was alert to her touch and rising with a rapid intensity as he struggled for air. He moved forward again and this time left a trail of kisses, dancing down her neck.
Sophia’s whole body had seemed to wake up. Jamie’s every touch was sending sparks of intense tingles down her spine and between her legs. She could feel herself growing impatient of his kisses, as her mind took her to all the places that her anticipation was hoping might exist somewhere in her future.
She could hear a low grumble escape from her lips, as his teeth grazed against her skin. His every touch was too much. His every look seemed to be weighed down with a thousand promises of what was still to come. She could feel his hand, as it traced soft lines up her legs and under her dress. Her body was stiff as his fingers stopped just before her panties and seemed to hover there for a moment.
She closed her eyes, as she begged silently for him to lift his hands up further. And then he did. His fingers danced against her wetness as she tried to keep the long, deep moans from escaping her throat and spilling over her tongue. She pulled his body closer so that his skin was rubbing against hers, and then she lowered her hands to the sheets, which were covering Jamie’s bottom half.
She let her hands skirt up his leg for a moment as she listened to the way his breathing changed with her every touch. She lifted her hand up further and felt the rock hard body of the thing she had been most eager to find. She let her hand rub against it so that Jamie’s breathing matched her own, and then she let her eyes meet his.
“I love you,” she said as she held his eyes. She could feel her body pushing itself up, as she climbed on top of Jamie.