by Barbara Bard
Everyone bid her a confirming “aye” as they set about their duties.
“Gavina,” Christian said. “Would it be alright if I hunted in your stead?”
Gavina furled her brow. “Is that what ye wish, Christian?”
He shrugged. “I feel like I have not contributed to the group. I would like to.”
Gavina took a moment to answer before handing Christian her hunting gear. “So be it. But I want all of ye tae return within the hour.”
Gavina then set about kindling a fire with Lachlan as Ava, Tessa, and Christian traipsed a few hundred yards into the foliage not far from their horses.
“Silent footsteps,” Ava said with a whisper. “We dinnae want tae alert the animals tae our presence.”
They moved through the forest like a band of silent thieves, the breeze the only audible noise before Christian had the courage to lean into Ava and whisper: “Can I ask you something?”
Ava shrugged. “Speak yer mind.”
Christian struggled to find the words. “I…It has to do with Gavina.”
Ava smiled. “I figured as much. From the sounds that hae been coming from yer tent, I would hae assumed so.”
Christian closed his eyes—Of course they heard us. “I have taken a liking to her,” he said.
“Again—I figured as much. So, what be yer question?”
He shrugged. “She seems distant, is all. She only seems interested in engaging in, well, more carnal activities.”
“I am nae surprised. Gavina is nae one fer, how should I say it, long term commitments.”
“I do not understand.”
Ava sighed. “Gavina is a true warrior. She lives by that code. She only seeks tae fight. Entertaining love is nae something she will consider.”
Christian’s heart sank to his stomach. “My feelings do not betray me then.”
“Why fight it? Ye hae clearly established a relationship with her based on certain principles. Sounds like an advantage tae me.”
A twig broke a short distance away. Ava held up her hand to signal the group to stop. They waited, Ava tilting her head up to try and make out the source of the noise. After a moment, she signaled for them to keep moving, and Christian kept on with his inquiries.
“Has she ever been with someone before?” he asked.
Ava rolled her eyes. “Are ye still on this subject?”
“If it bothers you, we do not have to speak of it.”
“I hae just stated tae ye what Gavina’s intentions are.”
“I just—”
“Look,” Ava said, placing a hand on Christian and looking him square in the eye. “Gavina is nae one who plans on being with anyone.”
“But why?”
Ava sighed. “Gavina has experienced a significant amount of strife in her life. Maist of her family was murdered by yer Sassenach overlords. She was kidnapped by the ruthless Lord Henry as a child. Ye see, this changes someone. Forever. She has put a guard around her heart. I dinnae see this changing any time soon.”
Christian hung his head. “We have all suffered in some way or another. That does not mean that one has to close themselves off from love entirely.”
“I am nae saying that I agree with it. I am nae saying that it makes any sense. But it is her choice. She will keep making that choice. If ye are finding yerself developing feelings fer her, dae yerself a favor and stop entertaining such notions. Fer yer own sake…”
The words hit Christian like a heavy weight to his chest. He had not planned on finding himself falling for someone, especially considering the situation he was currently in. But he did. But now he was learning from those who knew Gavina best that it was not an option for her to fall in love—and he would simply have to live with that knowledge.
Another snap reverberated through the dense foliage. Tessa, spotting the source of the noise, pointed off to her right.
“There!” she whispered. “I see something!”
Tessa then withdrew her bow and arrow and perched down on one knee. Ava told Christian to wait as she proceeded forward to spot whatever wild beast was hiding among the foliage. After a few steps, she spotted it—a wild pig wandering aimlessly through the forest. Grunting and huffing as it sniffed the ground.
“We shall eat well today,” Tessa said.
Ava furled her brow—confused. “This is wrong,” she said.
“How?” Tessa asked.
“No pigs should be in these parts,” Christian said, shaking his head. “We are nowhere near farmlands.”
They waited, watching as the pig continued to move toward them with no indication that it was sensing their presence.
Ava looked around suspicious that someone was waiting in the wings. But she spotted nothing.
“Ava,” Tessa whispered. “Should I take the shot?”
Ava waited a beat. Then she nodded.
Tessa, biting her lower lip and squinting as she drew back the bow, lined up a shot aimed square at the pig’s heart. She drew the bow back further, the pig sniffing the ground and preparing to take a bite of a few blades of grass. Tessa pulled, and pulled, and pulled—and then she released the bow. The pig went down quickly, dead before it knew what had hit it.
“Well done,” Christian said, Tessa smiling at her success as they cast a glance at Ava. But Ava looked pale, something clearly disconcerting her as beads of sweat gathered on her brow.
“Ava,” Tess said. “Are ye alright?”
Ava turned around and looked down at her back, her breathing a little heavier as she sensed a burning sensation spread across her skin. As she ran a hand down her perspiring back, she felt a protruding arrow sticking out near her waist. The shot had been so quick that neither of them had heard it.
“Tessa…” Ava said weakly as she fell onto her back.
Christian and Tessa turned and looked behind them, wondering for a moment if Lachlan or even Gavina had accidently shot her, but they saw no one. Seconds later—another arrow flew right past Christian’s head, missing him by no more than an inch as the tip of arrow buried itself into the tree trunk beside him.
“Gavina!” Tessa hollered out as she began cradling Ava. “We are being attacked!”
Another arrow flew past and nicked Tessa’s cheek, a little ribbon of red flowing from the wound.
“Noo! Noo!” a gravelly male voice called out from behind them.
Christian squinted and saw four men, each of them dressed to blend into the surrounding foliage as they advanced with bows and swords in hands.
“Bastards!” Tessa seethed as she took up Ava’s bow and began to take aim.
Christian withdrew his sword, spotting Lachlan and Gavina approaching hot on the heels of the four approaching men.
“Christian!” Tessa called out. “Engage! I shall provide ye cover!”
Christian charged toward the four men who began spreading out in a semi-circle. He ran toward the man on the far right, who perched down on one knee and took aim at Christian’s chest.
“Tessa!” Christian yelled.
Tessa fired the arrow, the tip burying itself in the man’s neck and dropping him where he stood. Christian then jogged left, another one of the bandits with his sword held high approaching him from just a few feet out. The two hollered at one another, and they scythed their swords and connected with a vicious metallic pinging and began fighting.
Gavina, Lachlan at her side, pointed at Ava as she fired bow after bow at the other two bandits trying to close in on them. “Go left!” she ordered Lachlan.
They split up, Lachlan taking the man on the right and Gavina the man on the left. The two bandits turned as Lachlan and Gavina closed in, temporarily abandoning their attack on Tessa and the fallen Ava and engaging Gavina and Lachlan.
Christian continued to fight the man in the rear. The bandit was large, his size a clear advantage over Christian and making him appear like an infant when standing in front of him. His large, log-like arms continued to take blow after blow at Christian, knocking Chris
tian off of his feet several times and hard onto his back.
Gavina, ducking under swipe after vicious swipe, waited for her attacker to wear himself out. After four more failed blows, the man raised his sword high over his head and attempted to lob off Gavina’s head. Seeing her opening, the man’s chest fully exposed, she buried her sword in his stomach and watched as he keeled over. Dropping his sword, the bandit let out an air-deficient groan as Gavina then took out a dagger, spun around him, and buried it right into the center of his spine. The man fell like a sack filled with rocks, dead.
Lachlan, still engaging his attacker, was nicked on the left arm. He recoiled, his face turning red from the anger as the attacker smiled back at him. Feeling a surge of energy, Lachlan swiped left-and-right, up-and-down, wearing the bandit out and pushing him further back into the foliage. The attacker, feeling overwhelmed, was starting to lose his footing as he backed up. He then tripped over a log and fell onto his back, the wind knocked clean out of his lungs. Lachlan then raised his sword, held it in two hands, and plunged it directly into the man’s heart.
Only one attacker was left, Christian’s. And he was starting to get the better of the Sassenach knight. The man swiped over Christian’s head, nearly taking it off as Christian ducked and parried. They exchanged several more blows, their swords clinging and at one point sparking as Christian desperately tried to find an opening. Another blow came his way and knocked Christian onto his back. As the attacker attempted to raise his sword in a finishing blow—Christian kicked at the man’s left knee and dropped him to the ground. A vicious searing pain temporarily distracting him, the man lowered his guard—and Christian buried his sword into the man’s skull.
All of the bandits were now dead—and Ava was bleeding out profusely on the ground. The Bairdsmen rushed to her side, Tessa trying her best to stop the bleeding.
“She is hurt badly,” Tessa said. “We maist find her help.”
“Is it foolish tae move her?” Lachlan inquired.
Gavina didn’t answer as she looked at the arrow protruding from Ava’s back.
“Gavina,” Ava said weakly. “I dinnae want tae—”
Gavina held up a finger. “Ye will nae,” she said. “I will nae even indulge the conversation.” She turned to Lachlan. “Fetch the horses. We maist ride. We maist find her some help.”
“Gavina—”
“Noo!” Gavina ordered. “Quickly! There is naw time tae waste!”
Lachlan fetched the horses. Christian, Gavina, and Tessa then helped slowly lift Ava to her feet and mounted her on her horse.
“Where are we going?” Tessa said.
“We ride back tae the village,” Gavina said. “We gae as quickly as we can.”
“She has not much time, Gavina.”
Gavina grabbed Tessa by the arm. “Then offer up yer prayers—she is damn well going tae need them.”
The group then rode in a hustle, leaving behind a wake of dead bandits who laid on the grounds of the forest.
Chapter 20
Lord Torstein and Eirlys has successfully fled from the castle. They had made it about two miles before Sir Renly had discovered the bodies of the knights that Eirlys had slain. Eirlys was still reeling from the savage nature of the killings, somewhat in a daze, though she knew it had to be done.
They secured a pair of horses from the stables and fled from the castle, a few miles away from the grounds and moving as fast as their steeds could carry them.
“Do you see anyone following?” Lord Torstein called to Eirlys.
Eirlys cast a look over his shoulder and saw nothing but the expanse of the Highlands. “Naw,” she said. “I dinnae see anyone.”
They rode for another few miles, Lord Torstein turning left and telling Eirlys to follow after him.
“Where are we going?” Eirlys inquired.
“There is a village,” Lord Torstein said. “Not far from here. We can find refuge there.”
“Will Sir Jessup and his men follow us?”
“Undoubtedly. But we have time. And I am friends with the tavern owner. He will take us in, no question.”
They rode for another hour before arriving on the outskirts of the village. Lord Torstein, still somewhat weak from Sir Jessup’s interrogations, dismounted his horse and told Eirlys to do the same. “We must get rid of our horses,” he said. “Sir Jessup and his men will know them from a mile away. We must send them off.”
They slapped their horses on the rear and watched them disappear into the Highlands. They then made the descent down the slope of the mountain that spilled into the town and made their way toward the inn nestled in the center.
Heads turned as Eirlys and Lord Torstein wandered through the village. Anyone who took notice to them dismissed them just as quickly—there were more pressing matters for them at hand.
They wandered into the inn, the innkeeper, an older man with weathered skin, turned up his head without looking at the newcomers and said: “Sorry. We hae naw mair rooms.”
“Not even for an old friend?” Lord Torstein inquired.
The innkeeper turned his head up, recognizing the voice well. “Lord Torstein?” he said.
Lord Torstein nodded. The innkeeper stood up from his stool and took note of his and Eirlys’s tattered appearances. “Me Lord,” the innkeeper said. “What has happened tae ye?”
“It is a long tale, my friend.” He gestured to Eirlys. “This is Eirlys.”
The innkeeper nodded a greeting. “Eirlys.”
“We seek refuge,” Lord Torstein said. “We are being pursued by my fellow countrymen.”
The innkeeper sighed. “I ken this day would come, Lord Torstein. Yer alliance with the Highlanders was one that could nae remain a secret fer long.”
“And so, it is. Please, can you help us? We require food and shelter. I fear that my countrymen may stumble across this village soon. I hope that we can count on your discretion.”
“Of course, ye can,” the innkeeper said. “Come. Come with me. I will make sure tae put ye two in safe quarters.”
The innkeeper led them to the attic space at the top floor, a small door leading up to a confined space with two cots and no windows. It was cramped, a wee bit musky with the odor of mildew—but it would suit their needs just fine.
“I shall bring ye sustenance,” the innkeeper said. “I will check on ye intermittently tae make sure ye are properly taken care of.”
Lord Torstein rested a hand on the innkeeper’s shoulder. “Thank you, my friend. Your service is most invaluable.”
The innkeeper nodded and left, sealing the door that led up to the attic behind him as Lord Torstein laid down on his cot. “I am weary,” he said. “I require rest.”
Eirlys nodded. “A wise move. But how long can we stay here?”
Lord Torstein shrugged. “I do not know. But we must rest tonight. We shall formulate a plan in the morning.”
Eirlys breathed. “I am scared, Lord Torstein.”
He nodded. “As am I. But we must remain strong. We must keep our spirits high and our heads level if we are going to make it out of this alive.”
She nodded. “Aye. I understand.”
Lord Torstein reached out and rested his hand on top of Eirlys’s. “Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for all you have done for me. I fear I would have been dead long ago had it not been for your help.”
Eirlys smiled but didn’t reply verbally. She didn’t know what to say. She had been tending to her own life just a few days ago before Sir Jessup’s men stepped in and ripped her from it. Nothing made sense. Everything now was uncertain.
“Rest now,” Eirlys eventually said. “Ye maist regain yer strength.”
Lord Torstein nodded, laid his head back, and fell asleep almost instantly. He caught up on the sleep he had been deprived of for the past few days and slept better than he ever had before in his life.
Eirlys, still wide awake from the events of the past few hours, sat up and watched Lord Torstein as he slept. She was w
orried, more worried than she had ever been before in her life. She was uncertain as to what was going to happen, but she trusted that Lord Torstein would lead them both in the right direction.
Ava was growing paler by the minute. The Bairdsmen had ridden for a few short miles as she bobbed and weaved and struggled to hold onto consciousness. Tessa, holding onto the reigns of Ava’s horse, struggled to maintain control of her own horse, Ava’s, and Ava’s body.