Highlander Lord of Fire

by Donna Fletcher

  She was quick about it, the furious wind and biting cold forcing her to hurry. She was finished adjusting her garments when Thaw began to bark and wouldn’t stop. He remained in front of her like a shield and continued his nonstop barking.

  Snow jumped when she felt a hand at her arm.

  “It’s me. What’s wrong?” Tarass asked, leaning close to her face so he didn’t have to shout above the wind.

  She turned her face, her cold cheek brushing his. “Something or someone must be out there. He only barks like this when he thinks I’m in danger.”

  Thaw gave a loud bark followed by a vicious growl, then he lunged forward into the snow.

  “Stay here, and keep your hand on that tree,” Tarass ordered. “I’m going after him.”

  She didn’t argue, didn’t respond, didn’t want to waste time with either. She wanted Tarass to make sure Thaw was safe. She planted herself against the tree, straining to hear Thaw’s barks and when they faded her worry grew.

  After a moment, she thought she heard someone approach or did it sound like something was being dragged? She couldn’t tell and without word from Tarass or a bark from Thaw, it couldn’t be them.

  She stayed where she was, not knowing what to do. Tarass told her to stay by the tree, but what if something had happened to him? And what if she walked away from the tree, wandered aimlessly, not knowing in what direction to go, since she had turned several times after Tarass had deposited her there. She had no idea of the direction of the cottage.

  She strained to listen again when suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder squeezing it tight and saying not a word and began to drag her away from the tree. Her instincts flared and she fought to free herself. The unknown person was strong and fear rose up in her. If he got a good grip on her, she might not be able to break free of him.

  Snow kicked, swung, and did whatever she could to yank herself free, but it was a sharp swing of her head that caught him under the chin that did it and once his arm fell away, she hurried off in the snow as best as she could. She didn’t know what direction she went in, couldn’t see anything but shadows that she quickly avoided.

  Were they trees or were there more men like the one who had grabbed her?

  The wind made it impossible to determine how much snow had fallen, swirling it around and depositing it deeper in some places than others. She kept her hands out in front of her as she stumbled her way in the snowstorm. She thought to scream out for Tarass, but if there were other men, they would hear her as well.

  She continued to stumble around and then like a light in the darkness, she heard Tarass scream her name. She turned, not knowing what direction it came from and took a step as she went to answer him.

  Her foot found no solid ground and just before she fell, she screamed out to him, “Tarass!”

  Chapter 4

  Snow tumbled over and over and over, her hands reaching out frantically trying to grasp something to stop her rapid descent. Something jabbed at her side, struck her leg, scratched her face, but she fought through it all as she tried desperately to grab something, anything that would stop her. Finally, she rammed into a tree, more a sapling since it bent with her weight, and she quickly grabbed hold of it and brought herself to an abrupt stop, smacking hard against the snow-covered hill. She didn’t know what awaited her at the bottom, though she recalled Sorrell not allowing her to walk too far on her own in the area, having warned her of a steep glen that wasn’t far from the cottage, a rushing stream at the bottom. She berated herself for not recalling that sooner.

  It took a few minutes for her to gather her wits and not let fear overwhelm her. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and her breathing came rapidly. She had to calm herself and think what to do. Her breath caught when she recalled that Tarass had called out to her just before she had fallen and she had been able to yell out to him.

  She tried calling out to him again, but she barely had a breath to whisper his name. She had to calm herself. She had to let Tarass know where she was.

  Her head shot up, thinking she had heard something, but wasn’t sure. She needed to get her breath back. She needed to be able to let Tarass know she needed help.

  Tarass’s heart rammed against his chest when he got no answer. Even the wind couldn’t hide the fright he had heard in the way Snow had screamed his name. Blind and alone in a snowstorm. He should have never left her. He should have led her back to the cottage and made sure she was safe before he took off. But the pup had sensed something and so had he and he hadn’t wanted to lose the trail. He kept alert to the sounds around him, knowing that something lurked in the storm. He’d seen signs of it and so had Thaw.

  He called out to her again and was once again met with silence. How would he ever find her in this raging snowstorm? He didn’t even know which direction to go in.

  “Tarass!”

  Thaw didn’t wait, he took off at the sound of Snow’s frightened scream, barking as he went, and Tarass followed.

  The pup hopped and bolted through the snow, not letting anything stop him, his anxiousness apparent in his speed. Tarass kept pace, feeling the same apprehension as Snow called out both their names continually to let them know where she was.

  Thaw stopped suddenly and so did Tarass, and he realized why. They were at the top of the glen that ran near the cottage all the way to his land.

  Snow had fallen down it.

  “Snow!” he shouted.

  “I’m here, down here,” she called out with effort.

  From the sound of her voice, she hadn’t fallen to the bottom and into the icy water that waited there. That meant she had somehow managed to stop her fall.

  “I can’t hold on much longer,” she yelled.

  Cupping his hands around his mouth so that his voice would carry with more volume, Tarass called out to her. “I’m coming to get you.”

  Thaw had turned silent while Tarass and Snow talked, now he was barking and inching closer to the edge as if getting ready to jump.

  “Stay, Thaw,” Tarass ordered firmly.

  He paid Tarass no heed. He was worried about Snow and if he didn’t do something the pup would dive over the side after her.

  Tarass bent down and ordered sharply, “Quiet! I’m going to get Snow and bring her back to you.”

  The pup sat and gave him a growl as if warning him to keep his word.

  Tarass was accustomed to challenges in the cold and the snow. His mother’s people had taught him well and he didn’t hesitate to go over the side of the glen, axe in hand, to make his descent to Snow.

  “Snow!” he shouted as he dug his axe into the snow-covered glen wall to skillfully make his way down.

  “Tarass,” she called out eager for him to reach her, to be there with her, something she never thought she would ever feel for the insufferable man.

  “Call out often so I can make out where you are,” he yelled over the howling wind.

  Her side hurt and her breathing was a challenge, the swirling snow and wind quickly robbing her of breath when she spoke. But she fought back against the storm, remembering why her mum had named her Snow. She had told her the delicate snow was also a force that could conquer the strongest of men.

  “Tarass!” she called out again and did so again and again until it echoed in her head like a litany. She was about to call out his name again when she realized he’d been silent and fear soared in her and had her yelling out, “Tarass, are you there? Tarass?”

  “I’m here,” he called out, sounding closer to her.

  “Don’t leave me,” she said, for only herself to hear and feeling foolish for sounding so cowardly. But with the terrifying fall and her precarious hold on the sapling, and not able to see anything, she silently admitted that she needed Tarass. Without him, she wouldn’t survive.

  “Never would I leave you,” came the strong voice and a solid arm coiled tightly around her waist. “Put your arms around my neck.”

  His warm breath fanned her neck and a tingle of reli
ef washed through her. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t think to argue, didn’t think it might be unwise to do as he said. She did something unexpected… she trusted him.

  She let go of the sapling and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He pressed his cheek to hers, his lips near her ear. “Keep hold of me. Even if we should slip, keep hold of me.”

  “Aye,” she said with a nod and held on, praying all would go well for them.

  It was a slow ascent with only one slight slip. It made her realize the immense strength he possessed, holding her firm with one arm while using his axe in his other hand to dig into the snow-covered earth after his feet found firm footing. And so it went slow and steady until they reached the top, a barking Thaw greeting her as Tarass hoisted her up and over the edge to collapse in the snow.

  Thaw didn’t waste any time showering her face with sloppy licks.

  Tarass followed soon after, though didn’t collapse in the snow. He was on his feet and he reached down, his hands slipping under Snow’s arms, and lifted her to her feet.

  “We need to get to the safety of the cottage,” he said, pulling her hood up over her head.

  She needed to alert him to possible danger, her words rushing out of her mouth. “Someone grabbed me.” He stood so close that she felt him tense.

  “The cottage,” he said and went to take a step.

  “Thaw,” she said and bent to scoop up the pup. Pain struck her in the side and she let out a gasp as she lifted Thaw.

  “What’s wrong?” Tarass asked, the swirling wind having carried the distressed sound up to his ears.

  “My side,” was all she managed to say.

  Tarass grabbed Thaw out of her arms, the pup snapping and growling at him, and dropped him to the ground, then got her moving.

  Thaw followed them, and snapped and growled all the way.

  Once inside the cottage, Tarass placed Snow in front of the hearth. He was completely taken by surprise when she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. His natural response was to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight.

  “I cannot thank you enough for climbing down the ravine and rescuing me,” she said, choking on the tears that threatened her.

  “You are a brave soul for hanging on as you did.”

  “I didn’t feel brave. I was terrified,” she admitted, the horror of it all rushing over her.

  “Whether you were or not, you didn’t let it stop you from doing what you needed to do to survive. You are braver than you think,” he said, and realized the truth of his words. She was a courageous, though stubborn woman.

  She let go of him suddenly as if she had just realized she was hugging him and stepped away.

  He slipped off her cloak and Thaw hurried to her side, jumping up against her leg.

  She stopped the grimace that rushed up before it could slip out. It wasn’t only her side that pained her but her leg as well.

  “You did wonderful, Thaw,” she praised the pup, patting his head and rubbing behind his ear. “You helped Tarass save me.”

  He gave a bark and parked himself next to her leg, letting her know she wasn’t going anywhere without him.

  “You need to let me have a look at your side,” Tarass said, having removed his fur wrappings to be left in his warm, soft wool shirt that fell to the middle of his thigh.

  “That would not be proper,” she said without turning, it being pointless to look at him since she couldn’t see him. His hand suddenly on her arm had her instinctively turning.

  He winced silently when he saw the red scratches on her face, some swollen, and a bruise forming near the corner of one eye.

  “You tensed when Thaw jumped up against your leg, which makes me think you have an injury there as well. You need tending and since I’m the only one here, the task falls to me. And don’t bother to tell me you can see to it, since you can’t even see if you do have an injury.”

  “I will not allow you access to what is for a husband’s eyes alone,” she said with a stubborn lift of her chin.

  “With your affliction, the likelihood of you marrying is slim, so there is no need for you to be concerned about that.”

  Snow felt the sting of his words, a sting she had felt often lately with both her sister’s marriages. His words only worsened the pain of that sting. She would never know the touch of a husband’s lips on hers or the intimacy shared between husband and wife or the joy of giving birth to the bairns of such a union. That had been denied her and all because of her father’s mind illness that had him causing the fire in the keep that had robbed her of her sight and had eventually caused her mum’s death. A moment in time that had taken everything from her.

  He may have spoken the truth but he needn’t have caused her the hurt, and she couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her response. “Your compliments truly overwhelm me.”

  “I do my best to please you.”

  Laughter accompanied her sarcasm this time. “You do know how to please a woman.”

  “Believe me, ást, I definitely know how to please a woman… many times over.”

  A pleasing sensation wiggled its way through her slowly almost as if his words caressed her, and she wondered what he had called her since the word was unfamiliar to her.

  “You’re not looking at my wounds,” she said, sounding as though she delivered an edict.

  She wasn’t sure if it was him or Thaw that growled low.

  “Let me at least tend the scratches on your face and look at the wound on your leg,” he offered more reasonably. “Some are quite red and swollen and a bruise forms by your one eye.” He touched the spot lightly and she grimaced. “I did not mean to cause you pain, and while you can be foolish more often than not this is one time I believe you’d be wise enough to listen to reason.” He stepped away from her. “Think on it while I add logs to the fire.”

  “You found logs?” she asked.

  “There is a stock pile of them on the side of the house, plenty to keep us warm. I brought in quite a few before I heard Thaw bark,” he said, bending to see to the chore.

  Snow felt a bit contrite. He had saved her life more than once today, had provided shelter and warmth for them, and he wanted to tend her wounds. He had kept her safe since finding her and continued to do so. She had no reason to complain.

  Still, she could only let him do so much. She might never marry, but that didn’t leave her cause to act improperly.

  “You may tend my face and leg,” she said.

  “A wise choice,” Tarass said.

  “Are you saying I am a wise woman?” she asked.

  Her smile told him she was teasing and it brought a smile to his face. “In this situation you are.”

  “A true compliment, I’ll gladly accept,” she said and thought the Lord of Fire wasn’t as insufferable as she had thought.

  That thought came back to haunt her when she felt him lift the hem of her shift and tunic too high and roll up her wool hose to expose the wound on her leg, and she warned him. “You’ll not take advantage of me and go any further.”

  “Rest easy, Snow, I have no desire to poke a bli—” He clamped his mouth shut, realizing how his words would sound.

  She, however, finished his words for him. “A blind woman. You have no desire to poke a blind woman. Isn’t that what you meant to say?” She shoved his hand away from her leg. “And I have no desire to be poked by an insufferable arse.”

  Tarass learned not to feel. It did little good to feel. It only brought pain and sorrow. So he often spoke in the same manner, not giving thought or caring about others’ feelings. This time, however, his own words had disturbed him. Not that he would apologize. He never apologized. That was another thing he learned not to do.

  “The wound on your leg needs cleaning,” he said, thinking she would respond to sound reasoning.

  “Give me the cloth and I will see to it myself,” Snow ordered.

  “No!” he said sharply. “I will see to it and you will rest afterwa
rds and I will hear no more about it.”

  “You cannot dictate to me,” Snow argued.

  “I just did,” Tarass said firmly, his hand going to rest at her ankle. “And do not fight me on this, Snow. You will not win.”

  Thaw growled from where he sat beside her.

  “You’d be wise to teach the pup to let someone tend you when necessary,” Tarass said.

  His words had echoed Willow’s when someone the pup didn’t know had attempted to help Snow when she had stumbled and Thaw had snarled and snapped at him. She didn’t want to admit Tarass was right and she wouldn’t, though she would let Thaw know Tarass could tend her.

  “It’s all right, Thaw, Tarass helps me,” she said, reaching out to touch the pup.

  Thaw quickly stood to receive the pat and rub and know that all was well.

  “I’ll see to your face first and then your leg and you should seriously consider letting me look at your side,” he said as he stood.

  “I feel no blood there, so it’s probably nothing more than a bruise.”

  “Can I at least have a look at your side to make sure no blood has seeped through your garments?”

  That he asked instead of demanded had her nodding consent, since it would be wise to make sure her injury wasn’t worse than she thought. She went to move off the chair when she felt Tarass’s hand at her arm helping her and she was grateful since she felt a jab to her side.

  He caught the wince in her eyes that she tried to hide, making him anxious to have a look. He turned her so that her wounded side faced the hearth, the flames casting sufficient light on her. He noticed right away a tear in her garment below her right breast, to her side, and he pressed his fingers lightly against it. She winced and pulled away, but not before he thought he felt something there.

  Then he looked at his fingers. There was blood on them.

  “I need to see to your side. There’s blood there,” he said.

  “I will not expose myself to you,” she said, the thought unnerving that she should even be partially naked in front of him.