by Barbara Bard
“Aye…Sir Jessup would hae undoubtedly done the worst had she not intervened.”
“I do not think so.”
“What dae ye mean?”
Lord Torstein shrugged. “Sir Jessup is a…complicated man. A formidable opponent, yes. He does the king’s bidding. But there is something about him, a conflict brewing inside of him.” He nodded toward the army. “That is why I think he has not struck yet. I believe he is conflicted.”
“Dae ye think that there is a possibility we will nae fight?”
Lord Torstein sighed. “Only time will tell…”
***
Inside the cottage downstairs, Isla was sheathing her blade and drawing a deep breath. Next to her, Finlay was donning the last of his armor.
“Are ye ready, me love?” Finlay inquired.
A nod from Isla. “Aye. I am ready.” She turned around and faced him, hooking her arms around his neck. “Be safe out there,” she said. “Make it yer priority tae come back tae me.”
Finlay nodded. “Always, me love.”
“I hope that this ends today. I hope this is the last time that we will ever hae tae fight.”
“The feeling is mutual, m’lady.”
They kissed, holding on for as long as possible. They then broke their embrace and joined the others on the frontline, waiting as Sir Jessup’s army stood at attention in the same spot they had for quite some time.
***
Sir Jessup, still surveying the village, knew that the time had come to make his play. One of the knights in the rear approached, saying nothing but standing at attention behind him. “Is all well, Sir?” the knight inquired.
Sir Jessup nodded. “Do you have a family, my friend?”
The knight returned the nod. “Yes, sir. I do. They await my return back in England.”
“You must love them very much…”
The knight furrowed his brow, confused at Sir Jessup’s personal inquiry. “Of course, sir. They are my family.”
“Family is everything. Everything in the world. Would you agree?”
Another nod. “Of course, sir…Why do you ask?”
A pause from Sir Jessup. “What would you do,” he finally said, “if they were taken away from you?”
The knight felt his heart skip a beat. “I cannot even begin to fathom such a reality.”
“But if they did, if they perished, God forbid, what do you think that would do to you? To your mind? Your soul?”
The knight thought about the hypothetical and felt his stomach turning in knots. “I do not know how I could live through it, Sir. I feel…I am pretty sure it would make me hollow. It would make me question everything about life itself.”
Sir Jessup smirked. The knight’s answer was more than suitable to him and echoing much of what Sir Jessup already knew and felt. “The death of a man’s family can change him,” he said. “For the worse. It can turn him into a shell of the person he once was.”
The knight took a moment to reply. “Are you saying,” he said, “that this is what happened to you, sir?”
Sir Jessup nodded. “Indeed, it has, my good man.”
A pause. “I am not quite sure how to respond to that, Sir.”
Sir Jessup turned and faced the knight. “There is no expected response, my friend. I merely stand here, looking at the Highlanders and wondering if today is the day that I will die.”
The knight breathed. “I have been wondering that myself, sir. But…may I ask…what are you driving at?”
“If this were up to you, if you were leading the charge right now, what would you do?”
The knight thought about the notion for a long moment. “I would do the king’s bidding, sir,” he replied, giving what he felt was the appropriate answer. “That is my duty.”
Sir Jessup shook his head. “I do not ask what you think you should do, I would ask what you would want to do.” He nodded toward the village. “Would you kill these people? Would you put them down?”
The knight felt stuck, unsure how to answer. “I…” he stammered, “I do not know, sir.”
Sir Jessup hung his head. He had never wished that Sir Renly would be by his side now, more than ever. He yearned to know what his friend would say, the advice that he would give him.
“Tell the men it is time to ride,” he said. “Order them to mount their horses. Myself, you, and two others of your choosing will ride out past the ranks and speak in person to the Highlanders.”
The knight was nervous—but he did not question his leader’s orders. “Yes, sir,” he said as he went about ordering the knights to mount their steeds.
***
On the rooftop of Finlay and Isla’s cottage, Gavina and Lord Torstein perked up as Christian and Finlay once more ascended the ladder leading up.
“Sir Jessup and his men are mounting their horses,” Lord Torstein said. “They are preparing to ride.”
Finlay drew a deep breath—the time of reckoning now close at hand. “Be patient,” he said. “See what they do. I do not want any orders given until we are sure that the attack is being carried out.”
All around the village, the members of the clan found themselves on edge as they saw four men on horseback break from the ranks and ride ahead of the formation. They rode for close to one-hundred yards and came to a settle outside of the village.
“What is the meaning of this?” Gavina inquired.
No one said anything for a long moment as all eyes kept a close watch on the four horsemen. Several minutes passed before Lord Torstein spoke up and said: “He wishes to speak…”
Finlay looked at his friend Lord Torstein. “How dae ye ken?”
Lord Torstein nodded at the four horsemen. “Trust me,” he said. “He is beckoning us. I had a feeling that this was a possibility.”
Finlay took a moment to ponder his options as he watched the four men on horse wait patiently from two-hundred yards away. After a few moments, he turned to Christian, Gavina, and Lord Torstein and said: “Ride with me. Let us speak with Sir Jessup.”
Sir Jessup, waiting in his position with his men two-hundred yards away from the village, sat up fully erect on his horse when he saw what was undoubtedly Lord Torstein, Christian, and the Highlander woman, Gavina, approaching him on horseback.
Sir Jessup breathed. “And away we gae…” He turned to his knights and ordered them to stand fast.
Finlay, Gavina, Christian, and Lord Torstein rode out carefully toward Sir Jessup. They arrived and kept a distance of about eighty feet from him, riding in a tight formation with free hands clutching onto the grips of their swords.
A tension so thick it could be sliced in half with a broadsword settled over the scene. No one said anything for several moments as each side waited for the other to speak.
Back in the village, Isla watched her husband ride out with the others and could not help herself from holding her breath. The time they all spoke of had arrived—it was just a question of how it would all play out.
Finlay moved slightly ahead of the others, as did Sir Jessup. Both men were then twenty feet shy of the other, both of them looking at the other with concerned expressions on their faces. Finally, sir Jessup spoke: “Lord Baird,” he said.
Finlay nodded. “Sir Jessup,” he said.
Sir Jessup smiled. “Well…we finally meet at last…”
Chapter 38
“I have waited for this moment for quite some time,” Sir Jessup said.
Finlay nodded. “I hae, as well.”
Sir Jessup snickered. “I thought you would be taller.”
Finlay showcased a smirk. “The feeling is mutual.”
Silence passed, nothing but the breeze giving any kind of noise to the proceedings. Finally, Finlay grew weary of the tension and said: “So…what happens next, Sir Jessup?”
Sir Jessup shrugged. “I suppose that depends on you.”
“How dae ye figure?”
“Because you and your clan are the reason I am here. You are the reason that t
his campaign has dragged on to interminable lengths.”
“Because yer people waged war on mine. We merely defend what was rightfully ours. Ye hae no claim tae this land, tae our people.”
Sir Jessup held up a single finger. “That is where you are wrong. This is English land, English country.”
Finlay gritted his teeth. “It is Highlander land. Make naw mistake of that.”
“We have given you and your fellow countrymen ample opportunity to make an alliance with us. However, you seem to prefer conflict and violence.”
“Again—brought about by yer people.”
Sir Jessup shook his head. “We can go in circles all day, Highlander. But I am here for a reason.”
“Aye—tae kill each and every one of us.”
“It does not have to be that way.”
“Then what dae ye propose, me friend? Tell me, what is an alternate solution tae this beside bloodshed?”
Sir Jessup took a moment to answer. “This all began,” he said, “upon the death of Lord Henry. He was of nobility. It is said that you and your clan are responsible for his demise.”
“Then ye hae heard an alternate version of history. Lord Henry was a tyrant who sought out nothing more than the appeasement of his own selfish desires.”
“Then perhaps you wish to explain this to the king in person.”
“That is your offer?”
Sir Jessup tilted his head. “My offer is this,” he said, “you and your wife will be taken into custody. You will then be taken back to my castle and imprisoned while we await word from the king. A trial will commence to decide your wrongdoings. From that, we can only speculate the fate that awaits you.”
Finlay laughed. “Ye really expect me tae put down me arms and submit nae only myself but my wife tae your bidding?”
Sir Jessup shrugged. “A fair trade, I would say. It is either that, or I send my men into your village to take down your people and burn the buildings to ashes.”
Finlay shook his head. “I would nae be given a fair trial. Neither would me wife. We would experience nothing shy of torture and death at the hands of yer people. Yer king would nae allow us tae live once he has us in his possession.”
“Do not jump to such hasty conclusions, Highlander. And do not be a fool. What I am offering you is a reasonable end to this conflict, one that shall spare your people. You are a leader. You must decide what is the best interest of your people. I do not wish to fight, and you do not wish to fight. Think carefully, my friend. This is a defining moment for you all…”
The breeze once again settled as Finlay thought through his choices. Turning himself over would, perhaps, bring an end to the conflict and prevent unnecessary casualties. It was an enticing offer, that was for certain.
But Finlay also knew that if he did turn himself and Isla over that the probability of their demise was almost certain. He would most likely have to witness the slow death of his wife, and his own, and find his children fatherless as a result.
He shook his head. He knew he couldn’t give himself or Isla over—it just simply wasn’t an option.
“You seem uncertain,” Sir Jessup said.
“Naw,” Finlay said. “I hae made my choice.”
“And what might that choice be?”
Finlay jutted his chin. “Tae stand me ground. I cannae turn myself over tae ye, Sir Jessup. It would only result in my demise…”
Sir Jessup hung his head. “Please, Finlay Baird,” he pleaded. “I ask that you reconsider.”
Finlay shook his head. “I hae made me decision, Sir Jessup.”
“Then it would seem that war is now upon us, my friend…”
Finlay sighed. “It seems that way, yes.”
“And there is nothing that I can do to convince you otherwise?”
Finlay thought through the offer once more—but still, he shook his head.
“Well,” Sir Jessup said. “Then I suppose the decision has been made.”
“Aye,” Finlay replied. “It would appear that it has.”
Sir Jessup began to turn around. “Best of luck to you…”
Finlay nodded and turned his horse around. “And tae ye, as well…”
Both men then rode back to their ranks. Finlay ordered a hasty retreat back to the village as Sir Jessup addressed his men.
“The Highlanders,” he said, “have decided that a fight is the only way they can reach salvation…The time has come gentleman. The time to fight is here.”
The knights all sat up and began to stretch and prepare themselves.
“Archers,” Sir Jessup said. “Prepare to attack…”
As soon as Finlay had returned to the village, he quickly rode up to Isla and dismounted his horse. “The fighting will commence,” he said.
“What did Sir Jessup want?” Isla asked.
“He asked fer me surrender. And yers.”
Isla shook her head. “He would only kill us.”
A nod. “Aye. I said the same.”
Isla drew a deep breath. “So…we fight?”
“Aye…we fight.”
Finlay rejoined Gavina and Christian and Lord Torstein on the roof. “Sir Jessup will lead the charge at any moment,” he said. “Gavina, ye will give the archers the command tae fire. Wait until they are outside of the barricade.”
Gavina nodded. “Aye. Understood.”
Finlay turned to Lord Torstein. “Lord Torstein,” he said, “I want ye on the ground with the rest of the villagers. Work with them. Make sure ye help coordinate their efforts as the fighting commences.”
Lord Torstein nodded and began to descend the ladder to ground level. “Consider it done.”
“Christian,” Finlay said.
Christian awaited his orders.
“Work alongside Gavina,” Finlay said. “Stay with her at all times.”
Christian nodded. “Yes, sir…”
Finlay breathed. “Alright,” he said. “Now all we can do is wait…”
Sir Jessup, seated on his horse at the head of his army, focused his gaze square on at the village. “Gentleman!” he called out. “Prepare to engage!”
The knights all withdrew their swords, over twenty of them moving ahead of Sir Jessup and waiting for his order to attack.
“Archers!” Sir Jessup then said. “You will fire on my command!”
The archers in the rear prepared their bows and arrows, each of them taking a deep breath and already focusing on several points and people in the village for them to land their arrows.
A stillness settled as the tension in the air reached a boiling point. The Highlanders, entrenched in their fighting positions, waited for the proverbial moment to arrive. The Sassenach, just as nervous as the Highlanders, also held their breath in anticipation as Sir Jessup slowly withdrew his sword and raised it to the sky.
One second passed…two…and then three. A bird chirping in the distance ceased its call and fled as it began to pick up on the foreboding scent of danger that began lingering in the air.
Sir Jessup then drew a breath, opened his mouth, pointed his sword, and said: “Attack!”
The knights in the front charged, all of them hustling toward the village as the archers in the rear prepared to fire.
The Highlanders, their rhythm of their breathing increasing as the Sassenach drew near, also waited for Gavina to give the attack to light their arrows and fire them toward the barricade as they had rehearsed before.
The knights came within a hundred yards of the village…then fifty…then twenty. Finally, when they were on the cusp of entering the village and fully within range, Gavina finally gave the order that allowed the bloody battle to commence.
“Fire noo!”
Chapter 39
Sir Jessup’s first wave of knights approached the barricade tracing the village. They slowed their pace as they came up to the fence, Sir Jessup watching from the rear of the flank as he ordered his archers to prepare to fire.
Gavina, on top of Finlay and Isla’s roo
f, turned her head to the left and shouted out: “Archers! Fire!”
The archers in the village, positioned around various point, lit the tips of their arrows and fired them toward the barricade—soaked in flammable oil. The arrows hit, lighting up the barricade with a vicious blaze that ignited immediately and forced several of the knights to pull away from the flames.