Highland Engagement

by Dana D'Angelo

  She glanced over at Blane and saw that he was tending to the animals. The task of retrieving water would be quick, and she doubted that he would even notice that she was gone.

  When she was sure that Maggie wasn’t going to move from her spot, she made her way to the waterside. Fortunately, her nursemaid was recovering, but she wasn’t able to stem the guilt of dragging the older woman with her to Scotland.

  But even as Anabell regretted having Maggie accompany her, she knew that her stubborn companion wouldn’t have allowed her to travel on her own. Neither of them had anticipated how rough the journey would be. And while the trip was uncomfortable for Anabell, Maggie had a worse time. Unfortunately, the result of crossing the cold sea was very obvious now.

  After a few minutes, Anabell reached the riverbank, and she momentarily forgot about her predicament. The sound of water from the fast-flowing stream drowned out her distressing thoughts. Meanwhile, the sky over the tree canopy turned pink just as the sun was about to set.

  Anabell gathered her skirts and tucked them between her knees before she bent to fill the pot. The water itself was icy and pure. And at the bottom of the stream, she saw pretty colored pebbles. A shadowy movement crossed her line of vision, and she later realized that it was a fish similar to the one Blane had caught for dinner. Fascinated, she watched it streak past her, and before she could blink, it vanished. The trout was impossibly quick, and she wondered how Blane managed to catch the one they had for supper.

  As the fish disappeared, Anabell’s attention turned to other matters, and the weight of it caused her to release a sigh. She longed to stay at the river bank and soak up the tranquil scene before her, but she knew she needed to get back to the camp. She stood up and started to head toward the camp when she heard a loud hiss. As she jerked her head towards the threatening sound, her heart dropped to her feet when she found herself facing a wildcat.

  Maggie had once told her that wildcats existed in the Highlands. They mostly stayed clear of humans. But the creatures were ferocious predators, and if they felt threatened or irritated, they had no qualms about killing anyone or anything in its way. This particular wildcat was feeling threatened and irritated. It was crouched to the ground, appearing as if it was about to spring at her. She swallowed. Not far from where it stood, she caught sight of a dead fawn. The partially eaten carcass itself was three times the size of the cat.

  “I dinnae mean tae disturb ye,” she said.

  In answer, it narrowed its eyes and hissed again. But if that wasn’t enough, it opened its large jaws and pulled back its lips to show sharp razor-like teeth. Its blunt tail was low to the ground. At any second, it would attack her, and she would be as dead as the fawn.

  “Go back and eat your dinner,” she said, trying to sound soothing. But her throat was constricted while her mouth felt dry. Any words she spoke came out like a whisper.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a branch stuck in a tangle of underbrush. An idea suddenly formed in her head. She just had to get close enough to retrieve the stick. Then, at least, she could use it as a weapon. She moved cautiously to the side, conscious that its eyes tracked her movements.

  Anabell bent slowly to pick up the stick. Their gazes were in alignment. And as it stared at her, time stood still.

  When a few more seconds passed, she exhaled and straightened her back. She held the branch in one hand and in the other, she gripped the pot handle. The items were heavy, and her hands began to tremble as she tried desperately to figure out her next move. She thought about calling for help. After all, she wasn’t that far from the camp. But then again, she feared that if she yelled, the sound might jolt it into attacking her. The last thing she needed was to have it lunge at her. The damage it caused the deer was proof enough of its viciousness. But even as fear gripped her, she understood that she couldn’t stand in her spot, staring indefinitely at the wildcat.

  “Help,” she said as loud as she dared.

  Unfortunately for her, all her fears were well founded. At the sound of her raised voice, it let out a fierce yowl and advanced toward her.

  Panic seized her, and she screamed. She threw the pot of water and stick at it.

  She then ran for her life.

  Anabell heard the wild animal racing behind her. She crashed through the brush, and the branches whipped across her skin. Her only thought was to escape. She turned her head to determine its location when her foot caught on a tree root. The impact threw her head first into the damp earth. Her heart beat loudly as she scrambled to a seated position. The wildcat was coming closer. She let out a terrified scream and raised her arms to block the attack. This was it. She was going to die.

  “Stay back,” Blane’s commanding voice called out. He planted himself in front of her.

  At seeing Blane, the wildcat stopped. It bared its teeth and released a frightening hiss.

  “Get away,” Blane growled, undeterred by the feral warning.

  Without taking his eyes off the wildcat, he picked up a rock near his foot. With the weapon in hand, he stomped his feet. At the same time, he released a loud, animalistic cry before he flung the stone at the beast. The rock hit its mark, and the wildcat screeched in pain. It then bounced off the animal’s back before it landed on the ground with a thud.

  The creature pulled back its lips in a threatening manner. But instead of advancing, it began to back away.

  Blane picked up another rock. Releasing another war cry, he attacked it again. But this time, the wildcat had enough. Unleashing a fierce hiss, it then turned and fled into the forest.

  “Are ye all right?” Blane grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up from the ground.

  “Aye,” she said in a shaky voice. “That wildcat almost killed me.”

  Anabell started to move away from him, but he seemed to understand what she needed, and he pulled her into his arms. The protection he offered was hard to resist, and she put her head on his chest. She could hear the solid thud of his heart, and she tightened her grip on him. Her encounter with the wild beast was the closest she had ever been to death, and she didn’t like it at all.

  “What’s happening here?” Maggie asked. The older woman had heard the commotion and had hurried over. She stood behind them now and swayed slightly before she released a rattling cough.

  Anabell drew away from his embrace. “Blane saved me from a wildcat,” she explained. She looked cautiously at where the creature had been, and let out a shuddering, relieved breath. “Let me refill this pot, and then we can return tae the camp,” she said and went to retrieve the pan that she had thrown.

  When the three of them returned to the camp a few minutes later, she set the pot over the firepit and added some torn pieces of sorrel that she had gathered at the campsite. Maggie drank two more cups of the herbal remedy and then turned in. She was asleep in a matter of minutes. The illness had taken its toll on her. Anabell hoped that her friend would be well enough to travel the following day.

  Soon enough, darkness fell, and Anabell decided to turn in as well. Too many things happened, and she was glad that the day was finally over. But as she lay on the ground, she found it impossible to sleep.

  The day’s heat still lingered in the air, although that wasn’t the only thing that bothered her. Incessant chatter raced through her mind, and she didn’t know how to stop it. Her thoughts swirled around her worries about her grandmother and Maggie, and then touched on her own brush with death. She shivered when she realized that the Angel of Death trailed too closely behind her and those she cared about.

  Anabell flipped to her side and faced the firepit. The sound of wood crackling in the pit brought her relief as she remembered she was present and safe. She assumed that Blane had decided to keep the fire going, although the night was warm, and it was probably not needed. Still, she was grateful that it kept the shadows at bay.

  After a long while, she gave up trying to fall asleep. She opened her eyes again to stare at the flames, but then she noticed Bl
ane’s shadowy figure hunched by the fire. What was he doing there? She thought he had gone to bed hours ago.

  Anabell got up and made her way over to him. “I cannae sleep. Do ye mind if I join ye?”

  “Take a seat,” he said, gesturing to the rock next to him.

  She sat down and listened to the night sounds that enveloped them. With him at her side, the darkness seemed less scary.

  “I just realized that I forgot tae thank ye for saving my life,” she said, breaking the silence between them.

  “’Tis fine,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. For the first time, she saw the flask of whisky in his hand.

  “Nay, ‘tis nae fine. Ye must forgive me for my ill manners.” She paused before confessing, “I had never been sae close tae death, and it frightened me.”

  “Death is inevitable,” he said, putting the flask to his lips.

  His deadpan tone caused her to remember that he was a warrior. Likely he had seen much killing and destruction in his lifetime. The flames reflected off his handsome face, but it was still too difficult to decipher his expression.

  Not too far from them, an owl perched on a tree. Its forlorn hoot echoed in the still night.

  “Ye must be used tae seeing death,” she said.

  “Nay, I’m nae used tae it,” he gave a bitter laugh. “I dinnae like it, but death happens and nae always in war either. Dwelling on your pain is useless in most cases. Ye must push aside your emotions and rely on reason. After that, ye act.”

  Anabell nodded. “That’s why I’ve come tae Scotland. My grandmother is ill,” she said, swallowing a lump that formed in her throat. “I fear that she willnae have much longer tae live.”

  Her mind turned back to years earlier when she was awakened from her slumber. At the time, she didn’t realize that her world was about to change, that she would be ripped from her home and all the things she loved. Of course, her mother and Maggie were with her, but the loss was still devastating. She never saw her father or her homeland again since then. And until she set foot on Scottish soil recently, she wasn’t aware of how deeply she felt that loss.

  “At least your grandmother lived her life,” he said. “My family never had that luxury.”

  A mix of bitterness and sadness entered his voice, and when she looked at him, she saw his face had lost its hardness. If it were possible, she saw vulnerability there. Ever since she met him, he was stoic and unapproachable. But that man was gone now, and she wanted to reach out to him and offer him comfort.

  But his gaze was fixed on the dancing flames, although he didn’t really appear to see them. Instead, he seemed to be remembering some painful events from long ago.

  “What happened tae your family?” she asked, her voice hushed.

  “Some English bastards murdered them,” he said, wincing at the memory. “They torched our home, and with them in it.”

  Blane recounted how the English had ambushed his family. He revealed that he had witnessed the slaughter and was unable to save them. As he told each brutal detail, his matter-of-fact tone caused a chill to run through her spine. The forest became even quieter as if it too listened to the horrific story.

  Perhaps it was the alcohol that allowed him to speak so freely. Nevertheless, he continued to recount his tale, and she sensed that he had forgotten that she was sitting at his side. By the time he finished, she realized that his situation was worse than hers.

  “I’m sorry this happened tae ye and your family,” she said quietly.

  “Nay sorrier than I,” he said. He tipped the flask to his mouth once more to finish the contents. But finding it empty, he tossed it to the ground.

  This magnificent man allowed her a rare glimpse into his past. During the day, she knew him as an unfeeling, uncouth, and calculating warrior who just happened to be her escort. As he revealed his history, the harrowing pain in his voice was unmistakable. Her heart ached for the young man that he once was. But when his narrative finished, his voice turned emotionless. And without any warning, he got up and stumbled to his bed.

  Chapter 8

  “Are ye well this morning?” Blane asked the nursemaid the next day.

  “I’m fine,” Maggie answered.

  After she awakened and drank more of the sorrel tea, the nursemaid appeared in better spirits. Although she was still a little weak, her fever was gone. Her coughing had also diminished, and there was no need to delay their travel. This was a relief to Blane since he wanted to start moving again.

  “What about ye, Blane? Are ye well?” Anabell asked, giving him a meaningful look.

  “Aye, of course, I’m well. Why wouldnae I be?”

  “I was just wondering, that’s all,” she said. “Ye dinnae seem yourself last night.”

  Blane decided to dismiss her concern, except her words later came to haunt him when he caught her studying him again. He raised a questioning brow at her, but she colored and quickly averted her pretty face.

  He shrugged at her strange behavior and set his sights ahead of him. But with no physical battles to occupy him, his mind began to wander, touching on areas that he long buried. He frowned when he had a vague image of Anabell sitting with him while he drank out his supply of whisky. Other than that, he couldn’t recall what they spoke about. Was it possible he divulged things that he shouldn’t have?

  As the day progressed, he noticed that Anabell’s attitude toward him had changed completely. Her expression, he saw, varied from puzzlement to sympathy. And when she spoke to him, she was civil, even pleasant. What happened to the stubborn, difficult woman he met at the start of the journey?

  “All right,” he said. “Tell me what I said last night.”

  For a moment, she looked surprised at his abrupt request. “Ye told me about how your family was murdered.”

  Blane groaned inwardly over his lapse in judgment. He knew without a doubt that it was the whisky that made him talk. As Anabell referenced details of their conversation, bits and pieces of their exchange returned to him. He did talk about his past, and he revealed too much. What possessed him to confide in her? He rarely allowed himself to think about his family much less discuss them.

  In the end, he still didn’t want to explore his past, and she seemed to respect that. She continued to be agreeable and filled the time with amusing childhood stories from her home in France. She was in the middle of talking about the castle animals when she was interrupted by a handful of colorful butterflies flitting from one flower to another.

  In a separate instance, Anabell spotted a red deer roaming in the grassy area. She halted her horse and watched the animal with keen interest. It suddenly stood still, tilted its antlered head, and released a loud, throaty cry that echoed across the moor.

  “Och, ‘tis majestic,” she breathed. “I remember the abundance of wildlife around Dunburn Castle. When we moved tae France, we didnae see as many animals like these.”

  “’Tis a fortunate thing that we never encountered wildcats there,” Maggie added.

  “That’s true,” Anabell said, shuddering a little.

  But she soon forgot about her misadventures, and her attention was drawn to a hawk that circled overhead.

  Her childlike wonder and enthusiasm were infectious, and he almost smiled at seeing it. In all, her energy reminded him of his younger sister. Like Brenda, Anabell was awed by the beauty that was abundant in the moorlands, and she appreciated all types of animals. With so many years fighting wars for others, Blane had forgotten about these simple pleasures. Somehow, though, Anabell had brought the wonder back into his life. In some ways, he was going to miss the lass when they parted at Middun. However, he would never admit this to her.

  Before long, the town came into view. The settlement appeared picturesque since it sat at the foot of a mountain. The greenery hugged the small community, and the curls of smoke rising from the dwellings invited travelers to stop.

  However, Blane knew the image was all an illusion, and this became more apparent when they ente
red the town. It had been years since he last visited the place, and aside from seeing more thatched houses built on the outskirts, he doubted that much had changed.

  Middun was fortunate to be located along a major route. Hence, the town enjoyed a steady flow of strangers stopping for supplies. And because of the influx of visitors, the majority of the townspeople cared only about lining their pockets. Much of the structures within the community away from the marketplace were run-down. They passed by an old parish church on their way to the main street. And along the side of the road were tall weeds, broken down carts, and other rubbish that was cast aside.

  Blane turned his head at the sound of hissing and growling. A stray cat was confronting two large dogs in an alley. He urged his party to travel a little faster as he didn’t want the women to witness the bloody exchange.

  As his group traveled along the dirt road, a squawking chicken flew over a tottering fence. Almost immediately, an elderly woman climbed over the barrier to retrieve it.

  “Greetings,” Anabell called out to the woman. But the townswoman left without acknowledging the lass.

  “My, people are verra friendly here,” Maggie said, her tone sarcastic.

  “Perhaps she dinnae hear me,” Anabell said.

  “Perhaps,” he said, although he doubted it.

  When they entered the heart of the market area a few minutes later, they found only two shops that looked neglected. The other buildings showed obvious wealth. Almost immediately, his gaze zeroed in on the tavern. The large building was unmistakable. And judging by the significant number of patrons entering and leaving the establishment, this was the place to be.

  “How will we find our clan members?” Anabell asked as she took in the buildings. A doubtful look appeared on her face. “Are ye certain that we’ll find them here?”

  “I’m going tae search for them in the tavern,” he said.

  He stopped just outside the building and dismounted.

  “Ye can wait here while I find your clansmen,” he said. “I shouldnae be long.”