by Jennae Vale
“How dare ye mistreat a guest in me house? Ye’ll pay fer this lass.” He glared at her, hatred in his eyes. “To the dungeon. She’ll stay there until we can try her for the crime of assaulting Lady Greer.”
This day had gone from bad to worse. There seemed no way out of this horrible ordeal. The two men dragged her down a passageway to a stone stairway that led down and then down again. It was dark, cold and damp down here. The only light came from torches set here and there on the wall. They encountered another man as they entered another narrower passage. The men handed her off to him, with orders to lock her up and left. It was good that she had nothing in her belly, because the stench of this underground prison had her stomach roiling. He took her to the very end of the passage. To the darkest corner. She could hardly see her hand in front of her face. He opened a door and shoved her through, slamming it in her face.
“Please. Don’t leave me here. You’ve got to help me. Please,” she begged.
The only answer was the sound of his receding footsteps. Why hadn’t she simply done what she’d been asked to do. As much as Lady Greer deserved what she got, she should have ignored her venomous taunts and then she would have been able to leave perhaps after everyone had gone to sleep this night.
“Oh, Dougall. Where are ye? Please come back for me.” Once again she wondered why he’d left her. Was he here somewhere not wishing to see her? Had his father convinced him he’d be better off marrying Lady Matheson? There was no explanation she could find for him to leave her at the mercy of his horrible father.
Despair overcame her as she realized there was no way out of this. She was stuck here until Paddraig MacRae saw fit to release her and she doubted that would happen. No one here cared about her enough to listen to what he had to say and to let her leave. She promised herself if given the chance to go, she’d never return. For now, this hole was where she would stay.
She couldn’t see a thing, but she could hear the scurrying of rodents in the dark. Afraid to sit down she instead leaned on the damp stone wall of her prison. Desperation turned to resignation as she realized she was stuck here for the foreseeable future. She had a moment of hope, when she believed Dougall would come for her, but as the hours slowly crawled by, doubt began creeping into her mind. Doubt about Dougall. He’d left her here, alone. Why hadn’t he come to tell her he was going? Was it because he couldn’t bear to face her and tell her he was going to marry that shrew, Greer Matheson. That was the only thing that made any sense. He would never have left her if he truly loved her and planned to spend the rest of his life with her. The longer she stayed in this cold, dank prison, the darker her thoughts became.
Chapter 9
Someone was coming. Helene weakly got to her feet, clawing her way up the wall, feeling faint at the effort it took to do so. She leaned heavily against the damp wall, listening and having no idea how long she’d been sequestered in this dark, awful place. No light made its way to her straining eyes. The sun could have risen and set for all she knew.
The footsteps got closer and she wondered who it could be. Perhaps it was Dougall finally come to save her. As she listened, it became clear that whoever it was had very soft footsteps. It sounded as if it might be a woman. Her ears became more attuned to the sounds around her and she could hear the distinct swishing of skirts. She waited as they approached the door.
A key in the lock turned and the door swung open. She was momentarily blinded by a torch being held by the woman standing silhouetted in the doorway.
“Helene, we must get ye out of here.” the woman said.
“Who are ye?” Helene squinted her eyes to see.
“’Tis I. Brenna. I’m sorry I couldnae come sooner. Me Da has had me playing the lady of the castle with his guests.” Brenna took Helene’s elbow and helped her to stand up away from the wall.
“How long have I been here?”
“Two days and two nights. But come. We must hurry.” She tugged on Helene’s arm in an apparent effort to get her moving.
“Is Dougall back?” Helene could hear the desperation in her own voice.
“Nae. He’ll nae return for at least a sennight. I’ve brought ye some food, drink and a blanket to keep ye warm on yer journey. Ye’ll have to leave on foot. Yer horse has been locked away and I was nae able to get to her.”
Helene followed Brenna down the narrow passageway, the torch dipping and flickering as they hurried. At the end of the passage, Brenna turned to the left instead of the way Helene remembered coming.
“Where are we going?” Helene was feeling disoriented and light headed.
“We’re going out through the door that leads to the loch. I’ve someone waiting there to take ye across the water where ye’ll be left to find yer way back to Breaghacraig.”
When they reached the door and Brenna opened it, Helene breathed in the fresh air off the water.
“Go now. Dinnae look back. Me Da is so angry with ye that he wouldnae listen to me. If only ye hadnae hit Greer. I ken how ye felt. I’d like to hit her meself, but there’s nae a thing I can do to change what’s happened. I’m sorry to say, Dougall is nae longer yers. He’ll marry Greer. Ye must ferget him. Do ye ken?”
Helene couldn’t answer. A sob escaped her lips and she did her best to stop the tears that were about to burst forth. She didn’t understand. She never would. Dougall was to be her husband. She loved him and had from the moment she first saw him. Helene had confided in Ashley on one of the many occasions where she brushed Ashley’s hair and they discussed their future dreams. She’d told Ashley how drawn she was to him, but that she was too shy to let him know. Ashley had given her some tips on ways to be more flirtatious and she put them to use right away, having gained the courage she needed from her confidant and friend. Much to Helene’s surprise, Dougall had his eye on her too. He told her that he’d often noticed her from afar and had been waiting for the right moment to approach her. He thought her beautiful and was sure she must already be taken. He was pleased to find he had been wrong and it wasn’t long before he told her how much he loved her.
Helene shook those thoughts from her head. This was all some horrible nightmare. Perhaps she’d wake from it soon and all would be well.
Brenna gave her a quick hug and then shoved her in the direction of the boat, closing the door and shutting Helene out of Dougall’s life forever. She walked to the boat on wobbly legs. She hadn’t eaten since she’d been imprisoned and she felt weak and nauseated. The man waiting for her in the boat held out a hand to help her onto the small vessel. She sat, her dress wicking water from the bottom of the boat. “Thank ye, sir.”
The man grunted an acknowledgement before sitting across from her and rowing out into the loch. Under normal circumstances, Helene would have avoided both the boat and the water. She’d never learned to swim and was terrified of drowning, but it wasn’t any different than the terror she’d felt over the past few days. Now she was not only hungry and thirsty, but cold and wet. She had no tears left to cry, so she curled herself up as best she could to stay warm.
Time passed slowly. There was a full moon, which showed itself intermittently through the clouds. The man rowing the boat was silent, seeming to focus only on the task at hand. Helene didn’t feel like talking anyway. She just wanted to get to the other side of the loch where she hoped to rest for a moment and gather her strength. She had a difficult task ahead of her and she wasn’t sure she’d make it.
The boat approached the beach and the man jumped out, pulling it up on shore where he again held out a hand for her to take. He helped her onto the beach and then turned to leave.
“Wait.” Helene called to him before he could get back into the boat. He turned and gazed at her. “Thank ye.”
He lifted a hand in acknowledgement and then jumped back into the boat and headed back toward Castle Treun.
Helene turned and walked away from the shoreline and into the trees where she slumped to the ground with her back to a giant boulder. She hoped no one
would be looking for her any time soon but if they were, she thought that here she might at least be hidden from anyone searching the shoreline. She had nothing with her to make a fire. Shivering, she attempted to wring as much of the water as she could from her dress and shift. If she was going to survive long enough to get back home, she was going to have to find the strength to overcome the obstacles she would come upon. First and foremost was trying to figure out which direction to head in.
When the sun rose the next morning, Helene noted its position in the sky. She knew Breaghacraig was to the north and west, so she began her trek away from the rising sun. Thankfully the air was warming and as she walked her dress began to dry. She ate some of the food from the sack Brenna had given her and she drank from the waterskin she’d slung across her body. Replenishing it would mean finding a stream on her route. She had absolutely no idea where she was going, but she kept walking, stopping only long enough to eat, drink or relieve herself. Helene had never ventured too far from home, so finding a way back was foreign to her and seemed an impossible task.
Throughout the day, she’d felt the sensation of being watched. It had to be her imagination, because she hadn’t seen signs of another person anywhere at all as she walked. The crack of a twig had her spinning in circles, searching for what or who, she didn’t know. “Is someone there?” she asked. She thought about the men who had attacked her and Brenna on their travels with Dougall. They were dead, but there were others like them out here in these woods. She was sure of it. Fear kept her frozen where she stood. She stood this way for an unknown amount of time and then taking a deep breath began walking again. She couldn’t let thoughts like that prevent her from saving herself. She must continue on.
The setting sun was only partially visible through the trees, but she felt certain she was heading towards it. The darker it got, the more frightened she became. Every sound caused her to jump, her eyes searching the darkness for its source. She just might die out here before ever reaching home. The thought of it tore at her, causing her to double over, falling to her knees, but there was no time for feeling sorry for herself. She gathered what little strength she felt and got to her feet again.
Deep in the darkness of the forest, Helene carefully placed one foot in front of the other, afraid she’d trip over something or walk into a tree. She could barely see her hand in front of her face, let alone see where she was going. Exasperated at her situation, Helene dropped to the ground, where she would stay until the sun rose and lit her path forward. She didn’t believe she’d sleep much, if at all. Fear caused adrenaline to pump through her body. Another night alone in the dark woods left her with nothing but time to think about Dougall. Where was he? Did he know she was gone? Did he care? Mayhap he was like his father after all. Was he with Greer? The last thought had her violently shaking her head to rid herself of the images of her man kissing and holding that awful lass. Thinking about it was giving her a headache and a pain in her throat where she held back the sobs that wanted to come forth. She was done crying… for tonight. Would she ever get over this? So many questions and to this point, no answers.
Helene sank to the ground, her back to a large fir tree. Exhaustion was causing her to see things and hear things that weren’t there. At least she hoped they weren’t. Maybe she could close her eyes, just for a short while.
“Helene!” Dougall’s voice rang through the trees. “Helene!”
“I’m here, Dougall!” She couldn’t believe her eyes as he came into view. “Ye’ve come fer me.”
“Of course I have, love. I wouldnae leave ye here all alone.”
“Oh, Dougall, I’ve been so afraid.” Helene held on to him for dear life. “Please dinnae leave me again.”
“I willnae. Come, let’s go. We must return to Castle Treun.”
“What? Why?” Helene’s head was spinning. He couldn’t possibly think she wanted to go back there.
“Ye must go back to pay for what ye’ve done to Greer. She’s to be me wife, ye ken. Ye shouldnae have assaulted her.”
“But Dougall, I thought ye loved me.”
“I did. I love Greer now.” His face was unreadable.
Helene backed away from him and into a tree. “Please. Let me go. I’ll find me way back home without ye. Ye can tell them that ye couldnae find me.”
“Nae, Helene. I cannae do that. Ye must pay for what ye did.” Dougall reached for her and she sank back further into the bark of the tree. Something small scurried across her feet, causing Helene to jump. She opened her eyes to sunshine and watched as a small vole ran into the cover of a nearby bush. She’d been dreaming, but she was shaken by it all the same. Her heart was racing at an uncomfortable pace in her chest as she fought to slow her breathing and get her body back under control. She struggled to sit up, muscles sore and aching from the cold and damp of the dungeon and her night in the woods. The dream seemed too real, mayhap ’twas. Sadly she pushed herself to her feet, checking to be sure the sun was at her back and began plodding unsteadily further away from Castle Treun and Dougall MacRae.
Chapter 10
The last of Helene’s food had been eaten yesterday. Or was it the day before. She couldn’t remember. She was hungry and weak and completely unaware of the fact that she had left the darkness of the woods and was now nearing a stone bridge. The sound of rushing water was first to catch her attention and when she weakly raised her head, sunshine warmed her face, causing her to close her eyes and bask in its light and warmth. Moments passed and as she glanced around at her surroundings, she noted the bridge spanning a stream. She needed more water, but the thought of scrambling down the rocky banks to the water’s edge was more than she felt capable of at this moment.
Hope hadn’t completely deserted her. This was obviously a well-traveled path. Perhaps if she waited long enough someone would come by and she could ask them for help, or at the very least for directions to Breaghacraig. She walked to the center of the bridge and leaned on the stacked stones to gaze into the flowing waters. It was all too much. She’d been through so much since leaving her home and now she had no idea where she was or if she was even near the castle. Tears, which had been missing while she was so focused on finding her way, began to flow and the sobs she’d held in check loudly forced their way past her lips and out into the open. She cried and cried, until she was forced to grasp the bridge so she wouldn’t find herself on her knees.
“Someone help me!” she called out. “Please! Someone help me.” There was no answer. What am I doing? No one can hear me. I’m only talking to meself. I’m alone and I’ve nowhere to turn. Helene contemplated what to do next. She could cross the bridge and keep walking or she could stay where she was and wait. She decided that instead she would take some time to rest, then she’d choose her next step. Despite her state, she noticed the beauty of the stream and trees. The birds singing gave her solace and brought a small smile to her face. Helene noted a strange feeling at her feet and looking down was surprised to see fleeting fingers of fog, wrapping themselves around her. Instead of frightening her, they instead calmed her and she watched as the fog grew thicker and began to engulf her.
“Helene.” Was she hearing things or was someone calling to her?
“Helene.” There it was again.
“Who’s there?”
“’Tis I, Helene. Edna Campbell. I’m here to help ye.”
“Where are ye? I cannae see ye, Edna.”
“I’m on the other side of the bridge in the year 2016.”
“Oh. Yer that Edna. I’ve heard of ye from Ashley.”
“Well, much like Ashley, yer about to travel through time. I dinnae wish ye to be frightened, Helene, which is why I’m telling ye this.”
“I dinnae wish to travel through time. I wish to go home.”
“’Tis for yer own good, lass. Ye’ll see. Don’t be afraid. All will be well.”
“Edna…” There was no answer. She was gone and all Helene knew was that she was engulfed in this swirling fog. Mag
ical lights of all colors popped and sparked around her and she had the sensation of travelling at a high rate of speed, although she was sure she hadn’t moved an inch. It all suddenly stopped and the fog moved away, leaving her in a place she didn’t recognize. The bridge was gone. The stream was gone. They were replaced by strange sights and sounds, such that Helene had never seen. She remembered what Edna said and she stayed calm.
“Hi there. How you doing’?” a woman asked her as she was about to pass by.
Helene noted this woman sounded much like Ashley and Jenna. “I be fine. Where am I?”
“Yer in San Francisco. Is everything okay?” The woman furrowed her brow as she stared at Helene.
“Aye. All’s well.” The woman began walking away. “Wait. What year is it?”
“It’s 2016.” The woman stopped and waited for Helene to speak.
“Oh, my.” Helene had really traveled through time. She’d told Ashley many a time that she’d like her turn in time, but she didn’t really mean it. Had Edna heard her? Is that why she’d sent her here? It didn’t matter. She was here and now that she was, Helene had no idea what she should do.
The woman she’d been speaking with gave her a quizzical glance before turning and walking away. Helene didn’t move. Instead she drank in her first impressions of the future.
Zeke Barrett was just finishing his lunch when he heard a woman’s voice speaking to him through his fireplace. Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten those old cold cuts he’d found in the fridge. He couldn’t even remember when he’d bought them. Was it possible to hallucinate from eating bad meat? It must be, because he could still hear her.
“Zeke. I ken ye can hear me. Come to the fireplace so I dinnae have to yell.”
