by Barbara Bard
Lord Henry was filled with rage, wanting so desperately to lash out but knowing that there was not a thing in the world he could do to prevent the inevitable. He stood up, smiling sardonically as he stretched out his hands and watched as they were shackled by one of Sir Richard’s knights. The same was done to Stephen before they were escorted by two knights a piece out of the armory before being paraded around in front of the other men like the animals they were.
“This is not over,” Lord Henry said, announcing it out loud for all to hear. “I will not stand for this.”
Lord Torstein shook his head. “Stop,” he ordered Sir Richard’s men.
The knights stood by, their grips still firm on Lord Henry’s arms as Lord Torstein came within an inch of his face.
“You don’t seem to understand what is occurring, you insolent child. This moment, right here and now, is the last moments that you spend as a free man. You will suffer for your crimes. You will pay for every innocent life that was decimated.”
A laugh from Lord Henry. “You fool. You sit here and seek to offer justice for these savage Highlanders? I have done the world a service dispatching of them.”
Lord Torstein shook his head. “We are not here to kill and rape and pillage, no matter what the king or anyone else says. I will help take these lands on behalf of the kingdom, but I will make sure that men like you suffer for the unnecessary violence that you have brought with you…your time has come, Lord Henry. Your life will end just a short time from now.” He nodded to the knights. “Get him out of my sight.”
The knights hauled Lord Henry away as he cursed and screamed and promised that all would pay for what had just transpired. Minutes later, sitting in his cell, he went about plotting his revenge that he knew would have to be carried out quickly if he was going to survive.
Lord Henry refused to die. He refused to answer to the king. He swore to bring hell to all of those that attempted to do so, even if it required every last breath in his body to make it happen.
Chapter 31
Morning had arrived. Lord Henry was locked up alongside Stephen in their cells, plotting and colluding as Isla went about organizing the six female riders in their group for a ruse she prayed would pay off.
Each of them had been dressed up as prostitutes, or at least that was how Riley so crudely phrased it, as Isla lined all of the women up and made sure that they looked the part. “The idea is simple,” Isla told them.
“You will enter the camp with two of Lord Riley’s men. You will offer your…” she smirked, “services to them. That will allow ye the proper excuse to see all of the outpost. I need each and every one of ye tae get a good look at all ye see and find while ye are there.”
“What if one of those Sassenach knights attempts to lay with us?” one of the women asked.
“Then ye have—and ye will slit his throat once ye get him in behind closed doors. It will be less men for us tae fight.”
All of the women smiled and nodded at the plan with approval.
“One of us will hae tae return tae inform of the outposts’ layout,” another woman said.
Isla thought about it. “One of ye should pretend tae fall ill,” she said. “I am sure ye will be sent away.”
One of the women raised her hand. “I shall dae it, once we have taken a full tour of the grounds.”
“Excellent. Put on yer finest display of illness as possible.”
“Nae a problem. The thought of being around the Sassenach has already turned me stomach.”
Riley requested to speak to Isla in private and then stood off to the side with her where they began speaking in hushed tones.
“We should withdraw our people from this area, at least until the women return with news on what they hae discovered.”
“Any thoughts on tae where that might be?”
“Aye, me lady.” He pointed. “There is a mair heavily forested area off in that direction. It is fae enough away from the sentries circling the outpost that they will nae see us.”
“Good. Let us send the women on their way and we shall get moving.”
“Also, I believe it tae be wise that we only send one man with the women. It will appear less suspicious to the Sassenach.”
“Aye. Agreed.”
Isla went over the plan once more with the women going in disguised, and the two Highlander men escorting them. Ten minutes later, the collective group of six women and two men arrived outside the entrance to the outpost where one of Sir Richard’s men ordered them to halt as their cargo was inspected.
“What brings you people here?” the knight asked.
Aaron, one of Lord Riley’s men, put on a somewhat drunken display and acted as if he was the master for the six “women of the night” that he was escorting.
“Me good man!” he said. “I hae brought ye some of the finest women in all of the Highlands fer yer consideration! They are of the best stock! Women that can entertain, please, and enthrall even the maist seasoned of yer men!”
The knight snickered, looking at each woman lined up in front of him like cattle.
“Whores,” he said. “That is what you bring us this day, Highlander.”
“Call them what ye will, me good sir! But once ye hae experienced the pleasure of their company, ye won’t care what they are called!”
The knight pouted his lip, eager to please his more carnal urges as he shouted to another knight to inform Sir Richard of the group’s arrival.
“Whores, you say?” Sir Richard inquired to his man.
“Yes, sir. Two Highlander men brought them. They await your permission to enter…” the knight cleared his throat. “I…believe that the men are properly due for a, uh, reprieve my lord.”
Sir Richard agreed, had his knights relinquish the Highlanders of their weapons, and ordered them to be escorted inside the outpost. The women then set about traipsing through the outpost, putting on their best displays as they flirted with knights, set about exploring every inch of the grounds, and keeping everyone properly fooled as Aaron conversed with Sir Richard in his quarters.
“What is your name, Highlander?” Sir Richard inquired.
“Aaron, sir,” he said with a bow.
“And which clan do you reside with?”
Aaron shook his head. “I dinnae reside with any clan, sir.” He gestured outside. “I am alone in me endeavors.”
“So, I am to believe it is just you and these…women?”
Another nod. “Aye, my good sir. I find them tae be plenty reliable company on their own.” Aaron then laughed, doing his best to sound as lecherous and undesirable as possible.
Sir Richard shook his head. “Aaron, you said your name was?”
“Aye, sir.”
“You truly do fulfill the idea that is the savagery of the Highlander, Aaron. Now, tell me: how much is this going to cost me?”
“I am open tae negotiation, sir, though I dae prefer money over most other methods.”
Sir Richard turned to one of his nights. “My good man,” he said, “fetch Lord Torstein. See if he wishes to partake in the festivities.”
Aaron felt his heart skip a beat when he heard the name of yet another Sassenach Lord being casually mentioned. Me God, he thought. There is more than one Lord here…
“Lord Torstein,” Isla said when the woman who pretended to have fallen ill returned to the camp, escorted by Aaron and hidden with the other riders under the shade of a collection of trees.
“Aye, me lady,” the woman said. “Apparently he has Lord Henry in his custody.”
Riley, listening in with a pensive set of eyes, stepped in. “This is nae good. We were not prepared fae this.”
“It changes nothing, Lord Riley,” Isla said.
“It changes all, Lady Isla. We came here to dispatch of Lord Henry. It seems that another Lord has beaten us tae the task before we could. Two Lords means multiple men are there, mair than we initially thought.”
Finlay, tending to his horse, walked over. “Th
is does nae bode well.”
“Yet it changes nothing,” Isla said before turning to the woman. “Did ye see all that ye could of the outpost?”
“Aye,” Aaron said. “A good look was taken of the entire grounds. I could show ye in detail, if ye wish.”
“Tell us what ye found,” Riley said. “How many men. Where they are. Everything.”
“Well,” Aaron said, “Sir Richard’s men total forty. All of them are among the most elite knights in the king’s army.”
“And Lord Henry and his men? What has become of him?”
The woman smiled. “Lord Henry of Sanford was apparently taken into custody by a man they call Lord Torstein. It looks as if his misdeeds have finally caught up with him.”
Riley turned to Isla. “This is what I speak of—this Lord Torstein has already done for us what we planned on doing.”
Isla held up a hand and kept her attention on the woman. “How many men does Lord Torstein possess?”
“Thirty, me lady. And it appears that Lord Henry’s men are around thirty as well. However, they hae been locked up in a recently erected jail quarters positioned directly across from the barracks.”
“How was their condition?”
“Not well, me lady,” Aaron said. “Many of them look tae be on the brink of death.”
“Ye see,” Riley said, pacing. “The elements are nae with us on this endeavor. Lord Torstein, undoubtedly, has already given word to their king. Lord Henry’s demise is imminent, I would imagine.”
Isla drew a breath. “Where are the other women?”
“They drink and sup with the knights,” the woman said. “They await yer next command, me lady. Dinnae worry about them. They each sport a dagger underneath their clothing that will surely dissuade any knight that attempts tae take advantage of them.” She laughed. “Also, they hae done a fine job at lower the knights inhibitions with the drink. Maist of them are already passed out as we speak.”
“Finlay,” Isla said. “What dae ye think?”
Finlay ran his fingers through his hair as he thought through the options.
“I believe that Lord Riley is correct in stating that we are outmatched for this fight. The hope was tae come here and dispatch of Lord Henry, but it does appear that Lord Torstein has completed the task fer us.”
“Ye think that we should disperse?”
Finlay nodded his head. “Aye, me lady. We hae fought well and hard. Allow the Sassenach tae take care of Lord Henry for us. We hae done our part. It is time tae gae home.”
Eventually, Isla relented and made a plan for the woman to infiltrate the outpost once again in several hours to relinquish the women who were operating under the guise as prostitutes.
“What excuse should I use, me lady?” Aaron inquired.
“Tell Sir Richard,” Isla said, “that their services hae been requested by a wealthy Lord some distance fae here. Tell him that the price he is paying fer their company is quite a grand amount. He will no doubt try tae negotiate. Make it a price that he cannae accommodate.”
A nod from Aaron. “Aye, me lady. Sir Richard has taken a liking tae me. I will offer him false promises that I shall return with the women in a few days’ time. I will say what I can tae make sure the women are properly and safely taken out.”
“Good man. Until that time, perhaps we should have supper. We cannae ride back to your village on empty stomachs.”
Isla and a few others then prepared the last of their food rations. Night had fallen, and Isla ordered Aaron and the woman to return to the outpost within an hour’s time. They all ate and conversed while the time slipped away, no one talking of any serious matters as the fatigue from the day’s events finally caught up to them all.
“The time has come,” Aaron said. “We should return tae retrieve the women.”
“I shall take a ride,” Riley said, standing and placing down the mug he had been drinking from. “I ken of a route that we may be able tae take after we are finished that will bring us back tae my village at a faster pace.”
“Be careful,” Finlay said. “We dinnae ken if Lord Torstein or Sir Richard has men scouting the grounds.”
“Aye,” Riley said as he mounted his horse. “Be well until my return.” He looked at several of his men and pointed at five of them. “Ye will come with me. More watchful eyes will assist me in the dark of night.”
“The rest of ye,” Isla said to the seventeen riders under her command. “I suggest ye get a couple hours of rest. We shall move once Aaron and Riley return.”
“Aye, me lady,” several of the riders replied as they slipped away to the different sleeping spots throughout the temporary camp. Once all had dispersed, Isla and Finlay moved over to an area where a stack of saddles and other supplies offered them concealment as they set about to rest their eyes for just a few minutes.
“I dinnae ken I can sleep,” Isla said.
Finlay nodded. “Aye. Neither can I. I believe I am tae exhausted from all that has transpired.”
Isla pulled his massive arm around her shoulders. “Thank ye, me love.”
“Fer what, me lady?”
“Fer all that ye hae done. I dinnae think that things would hae turned out well had ye nae been with me.”
Finlay gently laid a kiss on the crown of her head. “The feeling is mutual, me lady. I believe ye saved me from a worse fate had I been on my own.”
“I just want all tae be well. I want this tae finally be over. I just dinnae relish that I was able to dispose of Lord Henry on me own.”
“Take comfort in possessing the knowledge that he is done fer.”
“I dae.” She looked into his eyes. “But I take mair comfort in possessing the knowledge that I love ye.”
They both smiled before pressing their lips together and becoming once again enthralled in nothing more than each other’s company. One kiss led to two, two led to three, and before they knew it, Finlay was laying Isla on her back and slowing peeling off the top layer of her garb.
Chapter 32
Isla’s bare chest was exposed; her skin goosed by the lick of the wind as Finlay kissed her from neck to naval and warmed her to the best of his abilities. They were somewhat enjoying the fact that the closest rider was just a stone’s throw away and made it a point not to mutter a sound as they stripped off every layer of their clothing.
Isla wrapped her legs around Finlay’s waist as he placed himself inside of her. Isla bit her lip from the pleasure and squeezed his waist with her thighs as he swiftly yet quietly gyrated his hips over and over again.
Isla, excited and nervous all at once, clawed at Finlay’s bulging and hardened chest with her nails. The lustful look in her eyes beckoned him to go faster as she felt his massive hands cupping her breasts, further adding to the sensations she was feeling.
At one point, Finlay’s thrusting made Isla gasp, and after a brief respite of quiet laughter, they pressed their lips together and used their kisses to stifle any other kind of noises they would potentially make.
Their tongues danced, the heartbeats thumping in sync as their bare flesh pressed together and felt as if they were becoming one. Finlay moved faster, and faster, and faster, Isla’s mouth agape as if she was just told the secrets of the universe.
Finlay felt like the sensations he experienced with Isla only improved with each subsequent time they engaged in this activity. He felt that rising in his loins reach an untenable peak as they finished together, and then lay on their sides with relaxed and pleased expressions.
“I enjoy yer company, Finlay Baird,” Isla said.
He kissed her forehead. “And I enjoy yers, Lady Isla.”
“What will become of us once we depart from here?”
Finlay smiled. “My hope is that we can live our days together, though I ken that ye are the lady of a clan, and that brings forth a wealth of responsibilities I cannae even begin to comprehend.”
She placed his face in her hands. “I want ye tae stay with me,” she said. “That
is nae longer a question.”
“Is this a proposal, me lady?”
Isla bit her lip and began feeling giddy sensations that she hadn’t experienced since she was a child. “I think—”
“Lady Isla!” one of the riders called out.
Finlay and Isla quickly dressed as the rider rushed up to them and pointed to the outpost. “There! Look!”
Isla and Finlay turned their heads and felt their hearts sink to their stomachs when they laid eyes on the outpost and saw that it was engulfed in flames.
