Highlander’s Venomous Snake: A Scottish Medieval Historical Romance (Beasts Of The Highlands Book 7)

by Alisa Adams

  Keir brought Morvach over and the men turned to stare.

  Tristan gave Keir a crooked smile. “Your horse’s ear looks like it is going to fall off.”

  Keir grinned. “Have ye seen Cat’s horse Eckle? Dinnae talk about ears until ye see him. Or eyes, or noses. That horse has been through hell and back.”

  Wolf looked over at them. “That is what Swan said about my horse. ’Tis why she named him Hell.”

  “Speaking of horses,” Beiste said with chagrin in his voice.

  The men all turned to see Caden come riding over to them on the mammoth draft mule. They stared at him the whole way until he stopped alongside them all.

  Loughlin made an odd noise. It was a questioning grunt. “I would like to know what kind of horse that is.”

  Caden looked at them all staring at him. “This is a draft mule. She is extremely intelligent,” he said defensively. At that moment Iris obliged them all with a loud hee-haw followed by a sharp whinny.

  The men’s horses threw their heads in the air and snorted nervously as they backed away from the mule who had made the strange noise.

  Gordon, Wolf, and Tristan started laughing.

  Steil smacked his face with his hand. “’Tis another donkey!” he said with a short laugh. “Like Cat’s tiny white donkey with the huge ears she calls Bunny.”

  “Nay,” Caden rumbled angrily in his deep voice. “Iris is a mule, not a donkey.”

  The men stopped laughing and looked at him.

  Loughlin narrowed his eyes on Caden and furrowed his brows. “Did ye say her name is Iris, man?” He shook his head.

  “She is very large,” Beiste noted. “Larger than our horses.”

  The men all grunted as they stared at Iris. Indeed, Caden sat somewhat taller than they did.

  Caden ignored them and turned back to watch Catriona. “The Sinclairs are close enough for those pistols to be effective.” He spoke quietly, his voice tense.

  Beiste narrowed his eyes on his wife. Ina was trotting Myrtle up beside Godet, who was speaking to all the ladies, motioning with her hand. Kaithria was on Godet’s other side, but she backed Dummy up so that she was behind them.

  Ceena trotted Whins forward and halted beside Godet, taking Kaithria’s place. Flori backed up her Clydesdale mare, Heather, to halt in front of Cat on Eckle. She placed her hand on Cat’s arm.

  Lady Gillis kept Old Inch beside Flori, directly in front of Cat. She held her targe shield up and ready, blocking Cat. Swan maneuvered Peigi over beside Lady Gillis as Kaithria on Dummy, and then Neely on Teeth joined her on the other side of Flori. The black warhorses formed a semi-circle in front of Cat on Eckle with the giant Clydesdales in front of the black warhorses, blocking Cat from the view of the Sinclairs.

  “They must see those pistols,” growled Tristan tensely as he inched his horse, William Wallace, forward. “Do something Ceena,” he said under his breath.

  “They are protecting Catriona,” Caden whispered hoarsely, his throat tight with fear as he too started urging Iris forward.

  “Hold men!” Wolf growled. “Hold your positions.”

  “That is my wife in that front row,” Gordon rasped as the other men began to rumble with unease.

  They heard one of the Sinclairs call out for Catriona and instantly they became quiet.

  “’Tis Redhed talking,” Loughlin rumbled quietly as he cocked his head to listen. “They want Lady Catriona.”

  Caden growled and urged Iris forward but the men blocked him on their horses.

  “Wait!” Keir said in a low voice as he watched Kaithria move forward on Dummy.

  “I cannae see the Sinclairs, only our women. I do not like this!” Caden snarled back.

  Keir heard his wife’s calm voice call back. “We want no fight with ye, but ye will never have Lady Catriona,” she called back to them calmly. “Leave these lands now, Sinclairs.” Her husky voice carried powerfully across the field to the other men.

  They watched as Neely moved Teeth forward. Then Swan came forward on Peigi. She, Neely, and Kaithria began trotting their warhorses in place. The horses’ necks were arched dramatically, ready to charge. Their hooves were stomping repeatedly on the ground as they crept forward in a slow dramatic trot, causing a ringing, thundering percussion through the earth. This was the horses’ battle warmup, as well as their intimidation to the enemy as they readied for a charge.

  The men could hear Richerd Redhed shouting at the women to stop. His voice was tense, taught with fear.

  Steil gave a short grunt. “They are goading them to make a move,” he said quietly. “Watch my Neely on Teeth,” he said proudly.

  Sure enough, Teeth pinned his ears and snapped his teeth as his trotting became more dramatic as his hooves rang on the hard ground.

  Swan’s young mare Peigi suddenly surged rapidly forward, throwing her head in the air and pulling at the reins that Swan held. Swan struggled to control the excited young mare. She managed to trot her slowly sideways back into the line of the women’s’ horses.

  Kaithria nodded to Swan and then said something softly to Godet.

  The men heard a shout from several of the women as one by one the horses in the front row sat back and heaved themselves up into a rear as their front hooves pawed at the air.

  “Leave this land!” Godet roared.

  The men could hear the Sinclairs’ voices rising tensely as they shouted to each other and to Richerd Redhed.

  They watched as Godet made a small movement with her hand and the horses came back down.

  The black warhorses immediately started their trotting in place again.

  Flori moved Heather closer to Cat on Eckle. The men could see Flori speaking calmly to the agitated Catriona. Eckle was having a tantrum, threatening to rear as he snaked his head forward, snapping his teeth and hopping up and down on his front feet as he sat back, taking his weight on his haunches, ready to charge or rear.

  The men could hear the Sinclairs’ voices rising, and rising more, as tensions rose when the front row of horses lifted up into a rear once again.

  Then the men heard the Sinclairs screaming at each other to back up as Richerd yelled at them to press forward.

  “Our women and their horses are making them nervous,” Beiste said with a crooked grin as his eyes narrowed.

  “Loughlin, Caden,” Wolf called out quietly. “You are sitting higher. Can you see the men with the pistols?”

  “Aye, Wolf,” Loughlin grunted as he moved forward. “There are three.”

  Caden added tensely, “They have not pulled the pistols out. Yet. They seem to be unnerved by the horses.” Caden froze. “Wait. Two men have taken the pistols into their hands,” he snarled. “And now the third,” he added in a deadly growl.

  Just then there came a ruckus as Catriona pulled out of Flori’s grasp. Eckle immediately took the reins in his teeth and reared straight up. He pawed at the air as he walked forward on his hind legs.

  The other girls looked back and up at him, and scrambled to move out of the fierce horse’s way. Catriona was urging him on. She looked stern, concentrating on Richerd.

  Kaithria took Dummy up into a rear and made a grab for Cat’s reins but missed.

  Eckle dropped down and Cat kicked him forward. He lunged out in front of the line and only then did Cat pull on the reins. Eckle threw his head up in the air angrily, twisting his head one way so that he could see the line of men in front of him out of his good eye. The horse knew what was happening; he had been through more battles than any other horse. He danced around in agitation, constantly throwing his head and jerking at the reins and the bit in his mouth. Cat bellowed for Richerd to come forward.

  Caden heard her and snarled as he turned Iris towards the women, but Wolf quickly moved his horse over and grabbed his arm once again.

  Caden did not wait to hear him tell him to stop. He swung his fist right into Wolf’s face.

  “She is my wife, Wolf!” he snarled in the older warrior’s face. “I have wai
ted my entire life for a woman such as she. I have only just found her, only just married her this day. I will not lose her! Now stay out of my way, or I vow I will strike you to the ground!” he thundered in an angry snarl as his chest heaved in and out.

  The men went quiet.

  Wolf stroked his jaw where Caden had hit him. He narrowed his eyes on the younger warrior.

  “I think you are worthy of my sister after all,” he said in a quiet, calm voice. Then he looked at the others and turned back to Caden. “Do you want our help?”

  Caden looked at the men on their horses, waiting for his answer. “Aye,” he growled.

  Wolf jerked his head towards the women. “Take the lead, Caden Zahrah.”

  17

  The men heard Richerd sneer.

  Then they heard Catriona shout to them to put their pistols down.

  Caden’s heart froze in his chest as he kicked Iris forward. She brayed loudly as Caden urged her into a gallop up the slope of the beach with the others following. They crested the hill to see Ina and Ceena flinging their knives one after the other in rapid succession, knocking the pistols out of the three Sinclair men’s’ hands who had their pistols aimed at the women.

  The Sinclair men bent over, holding their injured hands as they moved out of the way of the oncoming horses and the women riding them. They stared in shock at the women riding the horses, for they were holding swords and Lochaber axes and other weapons with a look of concentrated fearlessness on their faces.

  But it was the woman leading the charge that they were afraid of the most. She was a small woman with short, curly blonde hair and an angry, determined look on her face. She rode a terrifying-looking black horse who held his head at an odd angle.

  The men started backing up rapidly, away from the other Sinclair men. Their pistols were left trampled on the ground.

  Catriona did not have to urge Eckle. He leaped into a gallop as soon as she pressed her heels into his sides.

  Cat heard the other women call to her, but she did not stop, nor did Eckle. He was deaf to their calls for him to slow down.

  “Dinnae you slow down Eckle! Run, you wonderful horse, run!” Cat called out to him as she leaned over his neck. Cat remembered that he only had one good ear, and no one was even sure if he could hear out of that one due to those long-ago battles where he had to stand with the cannons. Instead, she patted his neck and leaned forward on his neck on the side of his other ear that was not torn. She urged him on with her seat and legs as that ear turned back towards her voice. He had heard her!

  Cat had eyes only for Richerd. For once Eckle let her take the reins and direct him to her target. He galloped full out across the grass, his ears pinned as he passed the other Sinclair men and ran straight at Richerd. Cat did not slow him down. Just as they reached the terrified man, Eckle raised his head and neck and ran straight at Richerd with his chest. The impact knocked him into the air and then he slammed into the ground after having been hit with the force of fifteen hundred pounds of pure muscular horse at full speed.

  Cat hauled on the reins to stop Eckle. She pulled so hard he stood straight up. Cat twisted to look down at Richerd and Eckle surprised her by spinning with her in a pirouette. He spun around on his hind feet and then landed on all four hooves to stand over the man on the ground. He shook his head and pinned his ears as his teeth snapped. His front hooves pawed the ground where Richerd lay moaning in pain at the impact from the big warhorse.

  Richerd opened his eyes slowly and then they widened as he looked up in terror at the horse with the horrible scars and one clouded white eye staring at him.

  Cat let go of the reins and used both hands to grasp her claymore from its sheath and lower the huge sword down at Richerd, placing the tip of it on his chest.

  “Dinnae move,” she seethed in anger as she breathed heavily in and out. “’Tis very heavy and if I drop it, will go straight into your evil heart.” She smiled grimly at him. “Or perhaps I should give you a haircut as you did for me?”

  Richerd moaned in pain and laid his head back down on the ground as he stared up at her in defeat.

  Cat heard the heavy hoofbeats of several more horses coming. She looked up to see the men come riding up over the hill. She looked around at her friends and then she smiled.

  “’Tis the best of the best days...ever!” Cat shouted to the other women with joy.

  They raised their weapons in a salute to her and called back with a victorious cheer.

  Caden galloped Iris straight into the middle of the women on their horses and the Sinclair men all over the ground. The other men were right behind him. They slowed their horses to a halt and looked around.

  The women had taken every man down.

  They were all smiling as they sat on their horses and looked down at the Sinclair men on the ground all around them.

  “That was easy,” Ceena said with a twinkle in her eye.

  Swan grinned with satisfaction and hummed a little tune. “I think we have made our point.”

  “Aye, they shall be leaving now,” Kaithria said calmly as she too smiled.

  Neely looked over at Swan and Kaithria, “I am quite pleased with this new club,” she stated. “’Tis an improvement on my old golf club,” she said as she inspected it for damage. Teeth threw his head in the air and she patted him and crooned consolingly. “Teeth seems to be disappointed that he did not get to bite anyone and that it is over so quickly.”

  At that comment, the man at Teeth’s feet quickly scuttled away on his hands and knees.

  “Aye, very quickly,” Godet said with a smile. “We dinnae even need our husbands' help.”

  “Oh dear,” Flori whispered as she caught sight of her husband’s intent expression. Loughlin was riding towards her with that look on his face.

  “That was a most interesting experience. As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined,” Gillis said to herself. “Over like that!” She snapped her fingers and grinned as she looked at the men lying on the ground.

  “That was exhilarating!” Cat said with a huge smile as she took several breaths while trying to hold the sword in her hands very still where it rested on Richerd’s chest.

  She saw Caden riding Iris in her direction. He looked angry. She glanced around. Most of the men had happy, surprised looks on their faces.

  Wolf grabbed Caden’s shoulder as Caden rode past him. “Go easy, Caden Zahrah. Do not crush the strong woman that she is.” Wolf chuckled at Caden’s reaction to his words. Wolf gave a wise nod to Caden as he turned Hell towards Swan with a smile on his face.

  “Catriona!” Caden breathed out in frustration when he reached her. “What were you thinking?” he said in a hoarse voice. “The other women were protecting you! Why did you charge to the front? You could have been killed,” he said as all the fear and frustration of being held back from helping her came out in his voice.

  “’Twas my fight, Caden,” Cat said calmly. “And I love you too, my husband,” she added softly.

  Caden stopped, struck dumb. “Catriona,” he swallowed. “I love you too, so much. I thought I would lose you.” He started to say more but a pained look on her face stopped him.

  “Caden?” Cat said with a grimace. She lowered her voice so the others could not hear. “Can you help me?” She winced. “I cannae hold this sword any longer and if I let go I am sure I will kill him.” There was a desperate note to her voice as her eyes pleaded with him.

  “Kill him then, my wife,” he said easily. “I vow no one will miss him.”

  “Caden, my husband,” Cat tried to stay calm as she struggled to hold the huge sword. “I dinnae want to start off our marriage with his blood on my hands,” she whispered urgently.

  Caden glanced down at the terrified man under her sword. Then he looked up at her and winked. He took the sword gently from her hands. “Well done, my fierce heart,” he whispered.

  Caden jumped off of Iris and yanked Richerd to his feet. The man immediately bent over; wheezing, as he clu
tched his ribs. “That horse broke me ribs,” he said in a small voice.

  Cat looked at Caden and then back at Richerd. “I have just the medicine for what ails you.” When Richerd looked up at her in horror she grinned at him. “Not poison. But I am sure your ribs will have plenty of time to heal in the Edinburg gaol.”

  Caden and Cat looked up at the sound of shouting and yelling.

  Across the grass came Aunt Hexy, bouncing along on her small pony, King Bobby, who was trotting very fast in short, choppy strides. Behind her was Ivy the mule trotting along with Aunt Agnes on her back. They stopped and looked around them.

  “We missed it?” Aunt Hexy said with utter disappointment as she lowered an ancient, rusted, battle-ax that she held in her hands

  “You see, Hextilda? I told you to hurry up, and sure enough, we missed it all. You had to find these axes! We could have used those swords I found, ye wee elf!”

  Aunt Hexy looked up at Agnes. “Whot? Ye were the one that insisted on wearing armor on yer chest, ye big giant! Ridiculous!” she scoffed. “Ye have yer own armor with those big breasts of yours!”

  Agnes laughed. “Never you mind. Will you look at what our girls have done?”

  Hexy looked around and beamed. The grey hair knot on her head slowly slid over to rest atop one ear as she looked around. She pushed it back to the top of her head without a thought. She had eyes only for her girls.

  Each was next to their husband.

  Hexy called out to the men, “They didnae even need ye, did they?”

  “Not one bit, I’ll wager,” Aunt Agnes added. “We raised them to be independent.”

  “Nay, Aunt Hexy! We did not need the men,” Cat said loudly. “Not one bit, as you said, Aunt Agnes!” Cat called back with a smile and then looked up at her husband. “We had it all under control. And it was the most exhilarating experience ever!”

  Caden smiled back at Cat with his eyes full of love. Then he looked at the two old aunts.

  “Aye, Aunt Hextilda, they did not need us,” Caden called out. “They are indeed all fierce women, Aunt Agnes. I vow it was over before we reached them.”