Highland Messenger (Scottish Strife Series Book 4)

by Dana D'Angelo

  As Mairead settled into her seat, she became once again aware of the scrutiny she received from some of the patrons. Most of them had returned to their drinks, but there were still a few men who continued to leer at her. Their lascivious interest made her feel uncomfortable. Suddenly she lost her appetite, and regretted her insistence at visiting the tavern. But unless she wanted to appear like a ninny, it was now too late to retract her wishes. Also there was the fact that their food had just arrived at their table.

  Taking the wooden spoon, Mairead dipped it into the stew. As expected, the moment the liquid touched her tongue, her stomach churned in protest. How could she even think that she could consume the awful meal?

  “I’ll wait for ye both outside.” She got up from her stool and ran out the door. If she tarried any longer, she risked becoming sick all over the floor.

  Mairead leaned on the wall once she made it to the front of the establishment. Though she realized that she would be hungry afterward, she couldn’t bring herself to stay in the noisy building and ingest the terrible stew.

  After a moment, she took in a relieving breath, and became aware of her surroundings. She was facing the village green, which was the heart of the community. All at once her thoughts of hunger faded as she took in the sight. This was the second village that she had visited, and both settlements were the same yet different.

  The sound of excited voices drew her attention to a small cluster of bairns to the left of her. They gawked at her as if they had never laid eyes upon a noblewoman.

  “Milady!” a small voice called out.

  Mairead searched the group, trying to determine who had addressed her. A laddie about eight years old stepped forward. “They want tae ken if ye are a fae princess,” he said, jerking his thumb at his companions.

  “A fae princess?” The lad’s question startled Mairead, causing laughter to bubble to the surface. “Rest assured, I’m as mortal as ye,” she said, smiling. “What’s your —?”

  The boy’s gaze shot past her as a mix of resentment and dread suddenly crossed his young face. Mairead pivoted to see a man exiting the tavern. When he noticed the bairn, he gave an unpleasant twist to his mouth. “Run along and tell your Ma tae prepare food for me,” he said, his voice slurred.

  “Ma willnae feed ye anymore. She says ye are a drunkard,” the lad said, spitting on the ground to emphasize his statement.

  “She’ll feed me if I say sae,” the man growled. “Why are ye still here? Maybe ye want a blow across your head tae teach ye tae move faster.” He stumbled over and started to swing his arm.

  “Dinnae hurt him,” Mairead said sharply.

  Startled, the man turned abruptly at the sound of her voice. Seizing his opportunity, the lad took off after his friends who had already dispersed. But the man barely noticed the boy’s disappearance. Instead, he squinted at her and furrowed his brows. “Who are ye?”

  As he questioned her, two men stepped out of the tavern. “How did ye manage tae snare the lassie?” one of them asked.

  These were the same men who ogled her in the tavern. Mairead took a cautious step back, belatedly realizing that she should have minded her own business. The strange light in their eyes caused a shiver of alarm to run through her. She looked past the men, hoping to catch a glimpse of either Thom or Makolm. When would they be finished their meal?

  “Ye had better leave me alone,” she said, taking another step back. A cold wave of dread hit her as she felt a solid wall at her back.

  “And what if we dinnae?” the second man asked, his voice soft. He didn’t appear as inebriated, but that made him even more frightening.

  Mairead started to move cautiously along the wall “My escorts will be here shortly,” she said, trying to keep the trembling from her voice, “And when they arrive, I willnae stop them if they decide tae slaughter ye.”

  The men edged toward her as if they were wolves closing in on their prey. The soft spoken man leaned forward, and she caught the scent of stale alcohol on his breath.

  “Your escorts willnae care.” He lifted his hand, and ran the back of his knuckles along her cheek. “Come along with us, and we’ll give ye a wee bit of sport.”

  “I willnae be going anywhere with ye,” she said, slapping at his hand.

  But he caught her wrist, tightening his grip even as she tried to yank out of his hold.

  “Dinnae worry. It’ll be over quickly,” another man said, his words blending into each other.

  “Let me go at once,” she hissed, using her nails to pry the fingers from her wrists. But even as she struggled, she realized that her attempts at freeing herself were futile, and a small, involuntary sob escaped from her.

  “Let her go,” Thom said, pulling out his new dagger to confront the three attackers. Makolm was standing at his side, a hard expression on his face as he also drew his claymore.

  At the sound of the new arrivals, the attackers turned around to glare at them. It was at that moment that Mairead detected the slackened grip. Taking advantage of the opening, she broke free of her prison and ran to her companions.

  “Stay behind me,” Thom pushed her aside, using his powerful body to protect her.

  “Look out, Thom!” yelled Makolm.

  But the scholar’s warning came a split second too late. Two of the troublemakers had circled Thom. One attacker put his head down, and barreled into Thom, while the other pulled a knife from his boot and rushed at him. At the same time, a third man charged at Makolm.

  At hearing the sound of fighting, men from the tavern rushed out, forming a circle around the battling men. They shouted excited words of encouragement, and called for more violence.

  “Stop this!” Mairead shouted, pushing herself to the front of the crowd. But the combating men were like rabid dogs that were intent on fighting to the death. She brought her fist to her mouth, horrified at witnessing the blood that spilled on the dirt. It felt like ages when Thom and Makolm finally surfaced from the chaos. They appeared tired but otherwise unscathed. Two men were dead, and the other was curled into a fetal position, moaning in pain.

  “We should go,” Thom said.

  Chapter 10

  “Do ye think we’ve put enough distance behind us, Thom?” Mairead asked.

  “I think sae,” Makolm said, answering for the messenger.

  “I’m glad tae hear it,” she said with relief. She was only too eager to get as far away as possible from the village.

  Fortunately the tranquility of the forest was effective in dulling the horrors she witnessed. As time passed, the horse hooves continued to walk through the forest floor. The fresh scent of crushed leaves filled her senses while the sweet twittering of birds sounded overhead. Off to the side a red squirrel scurried through the natural ground litter, rustling the dead leaves as it passed through. She noted that the area that they entered was different from the other wooded tracts that she had traveled through. This particular woodland was dense with hazel trees, but there were a smattering of ash and birch trees as well. All around her — from the tree trunks, fallen logs and rocks — she saw thick layers of moss and lichen. The vivid greenery contrasted heavily with the gold and orange leaves that were on the earth and tree branches above.

  “The temperate weather allows the haircap moss tae grow on the dead wood,” Makolm informed her, noticing her sights straying to the fallen log.

  She viewed the moss with some interest. Several leaves had dropped on the vegetation, leaving a pretty circular pattern.

  “How do ye ken sae much?” She picked off a small twig that had tangled into her horse’s mane.

  “I’m documenting the flora of Scotland.” Makolm dug into his bag, and brought out a leather-bound book. He lifted it in the air for her to see. “Nay one has bothered tae record the plant species in these regions — at least until now,” he grinned. He started to put his book back into his satchel when his mount walked through and unsteady patch of land, jolting the lute to bump his jaw.

  “Obviousl
y I was mistaken about the friendliness of the villagers,” Makolm said with a grimace as he stroked the tender spot on his chin. Someone in the village had punched him in the jaw, and the sore patch was a deep red with the promise of turning into a darker shade. For a scholar, he had held himself remarkably well against the attackers.

  “I’m sure most of the people are fine,” Mairead said, frowning at being reminded of the incident at the village. “’Twas only that we encountered a few bad folks.” Unable to help it, she let out a shiver as she recalled the crazed, drunken assailants. If Thom and Makolm hadn’t come to her rescue, she was afraid to even think about what could have happened to her.

  For about the hundredth time that day, her gaze slid over to her escort. As always, her scrutiny lingered on him. But something was different about him. While Thom had his eyes closed, he bent forward, his lean body swaying slightly from side to side.

  “Do ye think he’s all right?” she said, sending Makolm a worried glance.

  “He was fine when we left the village.”

  She frowned, unsatisfied with Makolm’s answer. “Thom fought valiantly against those attackers. Perhaps he got hurt in the process.” Even as she voiced her concerns aloud, streaks of dread and guilt shot through her body. The scuffle was all because of her. No doubt if she hadn’t come on this trip, she wouldn’t have endangered any lives.

  Mairead urged her horse to sidle next to Thom’s steed. “Thom, are ye hurt?” she asked. She hoped and prayed that he would just offer her his usual impassive look, and put her worries to rest.

  “I’m fine,” he said, his words thick and unconvincing. He appeared exhausted, and his face had taken on a yellowish tinge. His extreme fatigue seemed odd, since they had only ridden for a few hours.

  “We should st —” she broke off when she happened to glance down at his hand. It was pressed against his arm and bathed in red. But even before the shock of seeing blood registered inside her brain, his solid frame rocked to the right and toppled off his stallion.

  “Thom!” Mairead stopped her horse and scrambled off her saddle. She ran to him and fell to her knees. Touching his forehead, she found it cool and clammy. “What happened?”

  His eyes were still shut, but he shook his head as if he possessed little energy to speak.

  “Perhaps he was hurt in the struggle,” Makolm said at her side.

  “I’m fine,” Thom said, finding his voice again, and he attempted to get up.

  “Dinnae move,” she said, placing a palm on his chest to stop him from sitting up. Mairead bit down hard on her lip. She was responsible his injury, she reminded herself. She should have stayed in the tavern and eaten the turnip stew. Instead, she had wandered out into an unfamiliar environment and invited trouble.

  “With this affliction, ‘tis likely that we’ll have tae set up camp here for a few days until he recovers his strength,” Makolm said.

  She peered down at Thom’s pale face. “I dinnae think he’ll care much for the delay.”

  “It cannae be helped. He’s lost a lot of blood. If he continues, he’ll collapse again.”

  Mairead scanned the area and took note of the small waterway close by. If they had to stay in this spot for a while longer, then at least they would have a water source to draw from.

  “We should move him tae the clearing over there,” she said, indicating to the area.

  Placing one heavy arm over Makolm’s shoulder, and wrapping her own arms around Thom’s waist, they dragged the sizable Highlander to the space.

  Thom let out a low moan as they set him down on the ground. The life force was draining from him, and he appeared weaker than she had ever seen him. It was impossible to know whether he was conscious of his whereabouts, since he appeared oblivious to all except his pain.

  Her gaze dropped to his hand where it pressed against the injured site. “He’s still bleeding, Makolm.”

  “We’ll need tae determine the extent of the damage.” The scholar pried Thom’s hand away from his arm. Then grabbing the dagger from the messenger’s belt, Makolm slashed the shirt, exposing the flesh underneath.

  Mairead gasped at the sight. Somehow the attacker had sliced him across his upper arm. Instinctively she knew that if there was too much blood loss, Thom would become more and more fatigued. He might even die. That last notion froze her own blood in her veins.

  Makolm bent over the gash, examining it. “It disnae look like the cut is too deep, but if he mentioned it earlier, we could have stopped the bleeding before it reached this point.” He clicked his tongue. “What we can do is tie off the injury, and minimize the loss of blood.”

  “I can cut a strip of fabric from my kirtle,” she offered.

  He nodded. Taking her dagger, she sliced off a long piece of material from the hem of her skirt, and handed it over to the scholar. Makolm took the fabric, and tied it tightly around Thom’s upper arm.

  “I have tae get a few items.” Makolm said, satisfied when the blood flow had slowed. “Stay here with him. I’ll be back shortly.”

  “But —” she stopped when she saw that Makolm was already gone.

  “Why didnae ye tell us that ye were hurt?” she demanded, staring down at the prone man. Thom had grown quiet, and she wasn’t certain whether he heard her.

  As the minutes passed, and Makolm still hadn’t returned, her trepidation grew. Where was he? Mairead glanced behind her only to observe the scholar digging into Thom’s saddlebag. Obviously he searched for something, but he was taking far too long. All the while the messenger continued to lose blood. She shoved her fingers into her hair in frustration and helplessness. In instances like this, the town healer would have already applied some sort of poultice to the wound to stop the bleeding completely.

  Mairead twisted her lips in indecision. She never had a cause to remember the sort of plants that were used to stop bleeding. Sighing, she shook her head when she continued to draw a blank. She would trust that Makolm would acquire some sort of medication to administer. In the meantime, she would make herself useful, and try to do something about the blood loss. She looked down at her ruined dress. If she kept cutting at it, she would eventually have nothing to wear. Spying a patch of vegetation growing near some bushes, she went over and tore several broad leaves from their stalks.

  “This will have tae do for now,” she murmured to herself. Settling down next to Thom, she started to place a leaf over the wound.

  “What are ye doing, lass?” Makolm’s sharp voice sliced through the air. He threw down a flask and a small satchel to the ground, and quickly yanked the leaf from her hands.

  Mairead stared up at the scholar, shocked. “I was only trying tae soak up the blood. And since the foliage had broad leaves and was soft I thought…”

  “Never use plants without knowing what they are.” He waved the vegetation in the air. “Ye dinnae ken what harm it can do tae a person. There are also things that grow on the leaves, things that may cause sickness.”

  “Aiya, I wasnae aware of this,” she said, the shock of it hitting her with full force. If Makolm hadn’t stopped her, she would have added to Thom’s suffering.

  When Makolm was satisfied that his warning had penetrated into her mind, he let out a long exhalation. Bending down, he reached for the flask on the ground.

  “Take a sip,” he said, extending the bottle to her.

  “What is it?”

  “Fire water,” he said calmly. “Ye are going tae need it.”

  She took the flask and tentatively put it to her mouth. As the whisky blazed down her throat, she sputtered and tears sprang to her eyes.

  Taking the bottle from her hand, Makolm took a long swig. He let out a satisfied sigh and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Then moving over to Thom, he lifted the other man’s head, placing the tip of the container to his mouth. “Drink up,” he commanded.

  The fire water brought color to Thom’s cheeks and he opened his eyes.

  Makolm drew the bottle back, and gave a sat
isfied nod. “I’ll have tae use some of this on the laceration. Brace yourself, laddie.”

  Mairead laced her fingers together tightly, watching as the amber liquid poured over the angry gash. As the fluid contacted his skin, Thom let out a yelp of pain.

  “It hurts him,” she protested.

  “Well, he willnae die today, if that is what ye are worried about,” Makolm said carefully. “I’ve witnessed too many men perish from infection. Alas if we dinnae disinfect the cut, he could lose his limb.”

  Mairead swallowed. She knew that the wound had to be cleaned, and while the river was nearby, they couldn’t use the dirty water. She glanced away when Makolm started to pour another stream of whisky over the cut.

  When he was done, Makolm reached for the satchel on the ground. Untying the strings, he pinched a bit of the powder and sprinkled it over the tear. When he looked up, he caught the question in her eyes. “’Tis yarrow powder,” he explained. “I found some in Thom’s sack. It’ll stop further bleeding, numb the pain and help ward off disease. I’ll leave this for ye while I go ready the camp,” he said, handing her the satchel. Standing up, he stretched his arms in the air.

  Mairead took the pouch and gripped it in her hand, a frown marring her face. “I’m nay physician.”

  “Ye dinnae need tae be a physician,” he shrugged. “Just sprinkle the powder on the wound whenever ye remember tae do it. In a few days, a strong scab will form. Eventually he’ll be recovered.”

  An hour later Mairead had a cheery fire started. She threw another piece of wood into the flames. With the fire blazing brightly, the light cast a warm, illuminating glow around their campsite.

  The scholar came over to her. “I’m going tae search for more flora. I ken that some flowers only come out at night,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.”

  She nodded. While she was tired, she wanted to tend to Thom. It was the right thing to do. Not only did it comfort her to care for his needs, but it also absolved the guilt she felt for causing him to become hurt. But then as the minutes passed, the events of the day caught up with her, and she found it difficult to stay awake.