by Alisa Adams
“I’m Ciaran, this is Aimee, and our wee son Bruce,” the man said. Then he gestured to the fire for them to sit down. Catherine introduced herself and the man noticed her accent.
“Ye’re a long way from home,” he said.
“Yes, well, some of us have to seek a place to call home,” Catherine replied. Ciaran seemed to take this as a suitable answer. Aimee offered them some salted meat and bread, which they took eagerly.
“That really was a beautiful song, where did you learn to sing like that?” Catherine asked.
Aimee bowed her head in thanks. “My dad was a bard for a laird, but when he got intae a war he was killed, and my da hae nowhere tae gae. We traveled through the land, performing at inns along the way, and as I grew older I learned that people wanted tae listen tae me as well. Sometimes I even earned more coin than my da.”
“You should be performing in a grand hall,” Catherine said. She could well imagine that Aimee would draw a big crowd and would be showered in gold and silver, such was her talent.
“Perhaps in another life. I hae everything I need here, except for sometimes a roof over my head,” she chuckled softly, but Catherine could hear the sadness behind her words. Behind them was a large wagon that housed all their belongings and in one instant Catherine could see the story of their life; moving around from town to town, performing in taverns, and stocking up on money and food before moving onto the next place. She looked down at the child and wondered if it was the best thing for him, but it seemed they had little choice.
“At least the roads are safer now that the bandits hae been dealt with, although there are still a few around the way, which is why I hae tae keep this handy,” Ciaran gestured to his spear.
The fire flickered in the middle of them and provided a great deal of heat and warmth. Aimee and Ciaran seemed like good, honest folk. Their faces were hardened by years of living on the road, but Catherine imagined that Aimee would have been quite beautiful after a bath and a fresh pair of clothes, and perhaps a smattering of powder on her face. They spoke quietly so as not to disturb Bruce, and as they talked Ciaran began to open up.
He noticed Bryan’s sword, and Bryan was more than willing to show off his mighty weapon. As Ciaran held it in his hands he let out a low whistle.
“This could fetch ye quite a sum,” he said.
Bryan took it back. “I would never part with it, nae for anything. It is the only thing I hae left of my family.”
“And which family would that be?”
“I am a Pressley,” he said. Catherine noticed how he always puffed out his chest a little bit whenever he mentioned his family name, and a smile flickered on her face, for she found it quite adorable.
“Pressley,” Aimee murmured. “I think I know a song about ye kin. It was one of the first my da taught me, although I’m nae sure ye want tae hear it.”
“Sing it,” Bryan said tersely. When Aimee sang it was as though her features changed. She became as beautiful as an angel and glowed as vividly as the fire. She saw Ciaran change too. His eyes were fixed on his wife and they swam with desire and love, and a warm smile widened on his face. Catherine realized that Bryan looked at her the same way.
Aimee began the song hesitantly, and when she got to the chorus Catherine could see why. The rising, lilting rhythm was beautiful, but the lyrics were not complementary to Bryan’s family. It was clear that the song had been written as a cautionary tale to any laird who dared fall into the trap of arrogance and hubris. It told of the fall of a great house, and before Aimee reached the end Bryan decided he had enough.
Aimee stopped singing abruptly, and immediately apologized. “It is just a song…” she said, but evidently it was more than that to Bryan. It was a reminder of how far his family had fallen and how his ancestors had betrayed his birthright. It was a reminder of how difficult the struggle would be to return his family to its rightful position, if that was even possible. He rose and walked away. Catherine thanked Aimee for the song and apologized to them as she went to walk with Bryan.
“She’s right Bryan. It’s just a song. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Ye’re wrong. It means everything. How many times dae ye think that song has been sung throughout the land? How many people dae ye think only know my family name through its failure? I’m a fool for ever believing that I could bring the past back.”
“You don’t have to bring the past back, all you have to do is make a new future, and we can do that together. I’m right here with you Bryan,” she said, and clasped his hand.
“Ye dinnae hae tae be. Ye could return tae ye family and ye life.”
“What part of you thinks I want that? Sometimes I’m sure that you don’t listen to me. I’m here with you because I want to be with you. It’s that simple, and I don’t care if we have to travel from town to town always running for our lives, and I don’t care if eventually we have to live in a cave somewhere. All I want is to be with you. Is that so hard to believe?”
“Ye, it is,” Bryan said. Catherine got a sense of his profound sadness and pressed her head to his, holding him close as the cool air of the night swirled around them.
“Believe it Bryan. I love ye, and every day I love ye more.”
Bryan smiled at this and for a moment she had managed to bring him away from the past. His eyes lit up and he kissed her happily.
“Let’s go and sit around the fire with our new friends. Perhaps Aimee can sing a happier song,” Catherine suggested, and Bryan was more than happy to oblige.
With their bellies filled and in good company, Catherine and Bryan began to relax a little more easily than they had been able to on their adventure so far. Aimee did sing a happier song, and she and Ciaran performed a duet. He wasn’t as good a singer as she was, but he complemented her well and Catherine could tell that it was a rehearsed performance. Aimee then insisted, for a bit of fun, that Catherine and Bryan should sing as well. At first they shook their heads, but Aimee and Ciaran managed to cajole them. It took a little discussing for them to pick a song they both knew, but eventually they sang together. Catherine could carry a tune, but Bryan’s voice was all over the place and it made Aimee and Ciaran laugh. Bryan soon became aware of the joke and he played up to it, crooning and cawing like a bird before he too stopped singing. Catherine’s eyes twinkled when she looked at him, however. For much of their time together he had been brooding or occupied with other things, but in this instance she saw him as just how he was, completely and utterly at peace with himself and the world around him. It was a little sign of what life could be like, if they managed to escape their fate.
Aimee and Ciaran shared blankets with them and when it was time to sleep Catherine closed her eyes and thought about what life would be like if they didn’t have to worry about her uncle’s vendetta.
Catherine was awoken by harsh whispers just as the sun was rising. She blinked a few times and turned around. Bryan was snoring softly beside her, and when she looked up she saw Aimee and Ciaran gesticulating at each other. They seemed to be speaking heatedly.
“We can’t,” Aimee said, and she was about to say something else when she noticed that Catherine had awoken. Instantly a smile appeared on her face, although Ciaran could not shift his expression so easily. He stalked away and Catherine stretched and was glad to be handed a bowl of warm stew to help her feel alive after a night on the hard ground.
“Is everything well?” she asked.
“Yes, just a minor disagreement, which comes with the territory with marriage. Are you and Bryan…?”
“No, not yet at least.”
“So you want to be?”
Catherine considered the question. “Yes, I think I do. He’s the sweetest, kindest man I have ever known and I know that he would take good care of me.”
“You do look well together, although I would not have taken you for travelers. Him, perhaps, for he has the rough look of a man who has spent many nights sleeping under the stars, but you…there is something d
ifferent about you.”
“How could you tell?” Catherine asked, feeling her chest tighten. Aimee chuckled and walked up to her, taking her hand.
“It is in these. Your skin is soft, not calloused like mine, and your nails are not brittle,” Aimee said. Catherine looked down at the differences between their hands and felt suddenly self-conscious, as though it was clear she did not belong in this land. She took her hand away and bit her lower lip.
“Bryan…he saved me from a bad situation. I am getting used to living this life.”
Aimee nodded, and then Bruce awoke and made a loud noise. The child was about five and seemed to be an inquisitive sort, as he wasn’t deterred at all by the fact that two strangers were in his camp. Aimee explained that Bruce was used to meeting all sorts of people given their line of work, and he was never afraid of strangers. He had twinkling eyes and a cute smile, and Catherine could well imagine that he managed to tease a great amount of coin from their patrons.
Catherine engaged him in conversation and found him to be bright and intelligent. Not long after this, Bryan awoke. Ciaran seemed to have calmed down, although he was a little on edge, but he put this down to a bad night’s sleep. Catherine wondered what they had been arguing about, but she understood that it was a part of marital life. There were times when her father and mother went hammer and tongs at each other, but they always made it clear they loved each other, so she didn’t think much of it.
Catherine enjoyed speaking with Bruce, but eventually Ciaran whistled to the boy.
“We need tae get some supplies,” he said. Bruce pouted and said that he wanted to stay with Catherine, which Catherine didn’t mind at all, but his parents were insistent so Bruce had no choice but to obey.
“Would ye like any help?” Bryan offered.
“We’ll manage,” Ciaran said gruffly and perhaps a little too quickly for Catherine’s liking. After eating breakfast, Bryan told her that he was going to scout the area.
“Bruce has really taken a liking tae ye,” Aimee said.
“I’m sure he takes a liking to everyone. He must be a good child to have around when you’re collecting coin.”
“Oh, that he is, but I can tell when he really likes someone. Ye’re good with the wee ones. Have ye ever thought of having any of ye own?”
“Perhaps one day, when we’re…when we’re more settled,” Catherine said. She didn’t want to reveal too much of their story to Aimee.
“I can understand that. Bruce came along and we did nae think we were ready, but we made it work and I would nae change anything now.”
“You seem happy.”
“Oh I am. I know we dinnae hae the best life, and sometimes I dae wish we hae a home rather than a carriage, but at least we hae each other.”
“That’s how I feel about Bryan,” Catherine said. “It hasn’t been easy so far, but I know that it will get easier and that we can be happy together.”
“That’s sweet of ye. Dae ye know where ye will be gaeing next?”
“Wherever the wind takes us I imagine,” Catherine replied cryptically.
Bryan returned shortly after and looked satisfied that they weren’t in danger, but he was adamant that they should go.
“We hae a long journey ahead, and we should make good use of the daylight.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay? It’s just that even though there are fewer bandits in the world, I still feel a little afraid of staying here by myself, and it’s always nice to have company. I rarely get to make new friends,” she said. Catherine glanced towards Bryan, but could see in his eyes that he was desperate to get away.
“It’s a lovely offer Aimee, but we really must be moving on now. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and thank you so much for the hospitality. I hope that one day we get a chance to see you perform in a tavern,” Catherine said, rising from the ground and dusting off her dress. She walked towards Bryan, but Aimee rose too.
“Wait!” she said, and Catherine couldn’t miss the desperate tone in her voice.
Bryan and Catherine looked at her, a little puzzled.
“Please, why don’t you stay and tell me more about your family Bryan? Now that I think about it I think there might be another song about them. Or I could sing about anything you like. At least stay until Ciaran and Bruce have returned. I’m sure they’ll feel bad if they come back and they never got a chance to say goodbye, especially Bruce. He is really so fond of you Catherine, I can tell by the way he looked at you.”
Something about this didn’t seem quite right. Aimee’s eyes flashed with desperation and fear. Why would she not want them to go, why would she want them to wait until Ciaran returned? The man hadn’t seemed to have too much affinity for them, indeed he was in quite a gruff mood that morning, and there was the fight Catherine had awoken to. She had almost forgotten about it.
“Aimee, what’s going on? Why don’t you want us to leave?” she asked.
“I told ye, I dinnae want tae be alone in the woods,” Aimee said.
“I dinnae believe that,” Bryan said. It appeared as though he was thinking along the same lines as Catherine. “A family like ye would hae tae be used tae living off the land, and with just the two of ye, ye would hae tae stay by yeself a lot. Why dinnae ye want us tae leave?”
“Does it have anything to do with the argument you had with Ciaran this morning?”
Aimee’s eyes darted away and Catherine knew that she had discovered some of the truth, but the question still remained as to why Aimee wanted them to stay long enough for Ciaran to return. The thought occurred to Catherine that Aimee might be in danger from Ciaran, but she instantly dismissed that as she had seen how Ciaran had looked at her the previous night. But if Aimee wasn’t in danger then…her mouth opened in shock and she glanced at Bryan.
“They’re going to come for us,” she said. “How did you find out about us?” Catherine turned towards Aimee. Aimee stepped back and held up her hands.
“I’m sorry, I did nae want this tae happen. We saw the posters yesterday and did nae think anything of it, but then ye appeared and as soon as we saw ye we knew who ye were. It was tae late last night tae dae anything about it, and then we got tae know ye and like ye, but this morning Ciaran was adamant that he was gaeing tae turn ye in. I told him that he should nae, that Highlanders should stick taegether, but the reward could change our lives. We’re barely scraping by as it is. I’m sorry Catherine, truly I am, but I could nae stop him.”
“And yet ye’d still try tae stop us from leaving,” Bryan growled.
“I have tae dae what’s right for my family. One day ye’ll understand,” Aimee said, looking directly at Catherine.
“I’m not sure I will,” Catherine replied sharply. “Come on Bryan, we’d better leave. I doubt Ciaran will want to dally.”
They scowled at Aimee as they made their way to Whisper and trotted away, gaining speed as soon as they were out of sight.
“Can we not trust anyone out here?” Catherine asked.
“We cannae trust naebody,” Bryan said.
That particular episode brought things into perspective for Catherine. She had assumed that somewhere there would be good people, people willing to help her. All her life she had been able to count on that. Even without her parents and Betsy she still had a network of servants who were all willing to do anything they could to help her, but now she realized how hollow that support had been, because it had been bought with coin. Her admiration for Bryan grew a great deal as she realized how difficult it must have been to make his way in the world alone, without the support of anyone except for his father.
“How did you do it Bryan?” she asked when they stopped for a quick rest. “How did you manage to make it through the world alone?”
Bryan shrugged. “I just tried tae help people when I could, and in return they offered me food and lodging. Nae everyone was kind though.”
“Like Aimee and Ciaran. I can’t believe they would do something like tha
t. I don’t think I would ever do anything like that, even if I had a family to take care of. It’s the lowest of the low and I wish we could do something more to punish them. Instead the guards are going to have a better sense of where we are. Is this ever going to end Bryan? Are we ever going to be free?” she said fretfully. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her lightly on the head, holding her tightly. Catherine’s emotions were in turmoil inside her. There were moments when she felt strong enough to take on the entire world and other times when she felt as though she was going to crumble.
She missed Betsy, she missed her father, she missed the comforts of home and she missed her own bed. She collapsed into tears and all Bryan could do was hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, even though she knew he didn’t believe it himself. It seemed as though they were fighting against impossible odds and any time she thought about the future she wasn’t sure where it would lead her, not when it seemed that everything was against them.
They couldn’t even indulge their passion and desire for each other. Whenever they got close, whenever Catherine felt that thrumming ache in the pit of her stomach, they always had to move, to keep moving so that the English wouldn’t come upon them again. They had already enjoyed too many near misses, and they knew that their luck wouldn’t hold out forever.
It made for a miserable existence, and their only respite was that they were facing this together rather than alone.
About a week passed. They had been riding through the woods, surviving off berries, fruits, and animals that Bryan had hunted and cooked. They managed to find a stream in which they bathed, and Catherine felt better for being refreshed. However, her clothes were becoming tattered and she longed to wear something new. She still had a few jewels, but neither of them felt confident about going to another town yet, so in the woods they stayed, although it became harder since the nights were growing harsher and there was only so much body heat they could share.
