Embraced by a Highlander

by Donna Fletcher

  He stood. “Have Neata look at your arm and see what she says. She is a good healer,” Slain ordered, leaving no room for her to disagree. “In the meantime, you will do as told. No chores for you until I say otherwise.”

  Hannah went to protest, but a sharp wince replaced her words and she looked down at her hand in her lap. It had cramped, her misshapen fingers resembling more a talon’s claw. She went to grab it with her good hand when Slain quickly seated himself beside her once again and took hold of her cramped hand.

  She winced again when his thumb dug deeply into her palm, pressing against the taut muscle that sent a stinging pain to shoot all the way up her arm.

  “I know it hurts, but it is the only way to ease away the pain,” he said, and continued fighting the muscle that refused to relax.

  The pain grew and she shut her eyes against it, trying desperately to fight it as she had done endless times. It seemed like forever before the pain began to subside and once it did she realized that she had rested her brow against Slain’s.

  When had she done that? And why had he allowed her to? She warned herself to ease away, but instead, she opened her eyes.

  It was almost as if his dark eyes touched her green ones and this time she saw it clearly… concern. It disturbed him that she suffered pain. If he cared, how could he be a savage? Somewhere inside him had to be a kind heart. Or at least that was what she wanted to believe.

  Slain watched confusion swirl in her lovely green eyes. She did not know what to think of him. He confused her and that was not good. He could not let her think that he cared or had a heart. She would only be disappointed.

  His hand suddenly grabbed at the back of her neck, holding it stiff as he brought his mouth close to hers, so close his words brushed her lips. “Do not be foolish enough to think I care. You will settle a need I have and that is all.” He released her and stood to stand in front of her. “If you cannot sit idle, find something to do that will not require use of your arm.”

  Hannah watched him walk away, not another word spoken between them.

  “I got a severe tongue lashing because of you,” Helice accused as she all but dropped the bowl in front of Hannah where she sat at the table in the Great Hall that evening. “I do not understand you Highland women. You are stubborn to a fault.”

  “I only thought to help you,” Hannah said in a way of an apology.

  “If you want to help… leave here and never return.” Helice turned and walked out of the room mumbling in her native language.

  Hannah ate little, her thoughts once again cumbersome. Why had she ever thought coming here would be a solution for her when there was no solution to her problem?

  Hope.

  She had held on to the hope that things would turn out well despite all she had been through. That hope, unfortunately, was beginning to fade.

  Her churning stomach prevented her from taking another bite and she retreated to her pallet by the hearth. She was tired of thinking, tired of worrying, tired of being strong. She wanted nothing more than the peacefulness of sleep until at least dawn.

  Regrettably, that was even denied her. She woke from her sleep and seeing that the logs in the fireplace had not dwindled that much, she realized she had not slept long. And with how awake she felt, sleep would not soon return to her.

  She lay on her pallet, staring up into the dark, not looking forward to the long, sleepless night ahead when a sound caught her attention. She lay still, listening.

  Was that the crinkling of parchment she heard? Footfalls as well? And the scent of pine and earth was strong.

  Slain.

  With the scent so heavy, he had to have been in the woods again. He seemed to spend much time in the woods, and she wondered why. The clansmen did the hunting, the meat shared amongst the clan.

  The footfalls sounded indecisive, stopping then starting again.

  It was not until the whispers started that Hannah realized that it was two footfalls she heard and though the voices were low, she could distinguish them as coming from two men.

  She turned her ear to the whispers, straining to hear even just a snatch of conversation.

  Whispering mumbles met her ear, then she caught something.

  “—anyone to know you are here.”

  That sounded like Slain. From the words she had caught, he did not want anyone to know the person he was speaking with was here. Did that include Helice? Did he not trust her and if so why?

  More footfalls approached.

  “Go—follow soon—east wing.”

  Slain spoke rapidly, the crinkling of parchment making it difficult to hear his words clearly, then footfalls rushed off as another approached.

  “Do you need anything?”

  Helice’s whisper was not as quiet as the men had been.

  “I will retire shortly, after I am done in the solar,” Slain said, keeping his voice low.

  “Are you certain you do not want her moved to a room?” Helice asked.

  “No, she stays here until I have my answer,” Slain said.

  So Helice knew what he intended. Was that why she had told her to leave? Could Helice actually have been concerned for her?

  Hannah listened as two pair of footfalls faded away. She lay there wondering what was going on. How had the unknown man gotten into the keep without Helice knowing it. Did Slain not want Helice to know about the visitor?

  MacKewan keep held far too many secrets and if she was going to remain here, she had to know what was going on. She could not live with secrets. Secrets could have disastrous results. She knew that from experience.

  She quietly got up off the pallet and silently made her way up the stairs to the east wing door and her eyes turned wide.

  It sat ajar.

  The man who had spoken with Slain must have left it open, since Slain had said he intended to follow. Hannah did not give herself time to decide if it would be wise to follow after the man, she quietly slipped past the door into the east wing.

  Chapter 8

  A long, dark narrow hallway with a faint, flickering light at the far end greeted her, though more warned her away, along with a musty odor that tickled her nose. She hurried to pinch her nostrils, feeling a sneeze about to erupt. Keeping hold of her nose until she was sure the sneeze had passed, she made her way slowly down the hall.

  She kept alert for footfalls from either end of the hallway, not sure if the man who had disappeared through here was gone and if he was, that meant there was an exit in this wing. And from what Slain had said, he would be coming here as soon as he finished in his solar.

  Finished what?

  She had little time to explore and little light to do it by. There were three doors from what she could make out. Halfway down on the left was one, another sat across from it to the right, and the other sat at the far end where the light flickered. Knowing her time was short, she hurried quietly and cautiously to try the door to the left and when she found it locked, she turned and went to the door on the right. That one was locked as well. Which meant the man must have gone through the door at the end of the hall. The same room Slain would go once he entered here.

  Her knee bumped against something, the sound sending a slight echo along the hall. She froze. If the man had not left the keep yet, he may have heard it. She was relieved when no noise came from the far end of the hall, but fear prickled her skin when she caught the sound of footfalls on the stairs.

  Her heart was already pounding against her chest and grew worse as she glanced around frantically searching for a place to hide, but she could see no alcoves or cubbies to duck into.

  She was beginning to question the wisdom of her decision to have come here in the first place. What had she thought she would find? Or had she hoped to hear more of an exchange between the two men? Either way she should have given her action more thought, but it was too late now.

  The footfalls grew closer and a creak sounded at the end of the hall, someone was opening the door.

  Ha
nnah felt along at what she had bumped into, grateful to find it was a wood chest. It was long and narrow. Hannah did not hesitate. She opened the chest and felt down around inside it. From the feel of it, blankets & garments were stored within. It really did not matter what the chest held. She had to disappear and fast. She climbed in and eased the lid down, trying as best she could to bury herself beneath the contents in case the chest was opened.

  Footfalls drew near, though she could not tell from which end they came.

  “Why have you not left?” Slain demanded.

  His voice sounded as if he stood in front of the chest.

  “…heard a noise.”

  Hannah caught only the three words, the man whispered so gently as if not trusting that he and Slain were alone.

  The silence grew so heavy that Hannah feared the two men would hear her breathing. She closed her eyes and willed herself to breathe gently and not move a muscle.

  Slain finally spoke. “Footfalls?”

  “A scratching noise,” the other man said. “Rats perhaps.”

  Hannah squeezed her eyes tight and wrinkled her nose at the thought of the scurrying creatures. She also wondered over the voice that was a bit clearer. She thought it sounded familiar, but the whispery tone made it hard to place.

  “Possibly,” Slain said, not sounding quite so sure. “You need to hurry. This message must reach him before daybreak.”

  The man must have given a silent response, since footfalls followed and Hannah heard a door shut. From what she had heard, the man was about to leave on a mission for Slain. But what of Slain? Would he be returning this way again? Did she wait or did she take the chance and run before he made his way back again?

  A sudden thought had her easing the top of the chest open. If Slain did come back this way to leave, he could lock the door behind him and then she would be stuck. That was a chance she was not willing to take.

  She eased herself up and out of the chest and lowered the top carefully, though she wanted to rush. Any moment Slain could open the door at the end of the hall, and then what?

  Once done, she hurried down the hall toward the door she had entered and as she reached it, she heard the door at the other end creak open. She almost sighed with relief when she saw that the door had remained ajar and slipped past it with ease. Though it reminded her that Slain had intended to return this way and no doubt would soon not be far behind her.

  Hannah flew down the stairs and hurried to her pallet in the Great Hall. She tried to calm her breathing, but it was difficult, fright still heavy upon her. She turned on her side, keeping her back to the stairs in case Slain approached. She did not want him to see her chest heaving.

  No sooner had she settled herself as if asleep, she heard him enter the Great Hall. His footfalls stopped for a moment, then she heard them again… headed her way.

  Fear raced through her, rushing to her heart, pounding it like a mighty drum in her chest, and her breathing increased until she thought she would not be able to catch her breath.

  He would discover that she had spied on him, then what?

  Swift thoughts and instinct to survive had served her well these last few months just as it did now.

  She jumped up off her pallet, screaming.

  Slain was rarely startled or rattled by anything. It came from surviving endless battles. Yet Hannah’s terrified scream had pierced his heart as sharply as an arrow, though it did not freeze him as such screams did to some men. He was by her side in an instant, grabbing hold of her arms.

  Hannah struggled to breathe and her eyes were as round as full moons as she stared at Slain. He had not been that far from her. Had he intended to see if she was there on her pallet?

  “Ni-nightma-nightmare,” Hannah stumbled to say.

  “You are safe. I am here with you. I will let nothing harm you,” he said and gently rubbed along her arms.

  Her heaving breaths began to slow.

  Slain slipped his arm around her and guided her to a bench at one of the nearby tables. He held her against his side as he eased them both down to sit. While he held her close, his free hand eased beneath the sleeve covering her left arm to caress and massage the muscle.

  That he remembered or even thought to see to her injured arm or offer her comfort touched her heart. Not to mention that the strength of him half wrapped around her made her feel safer than she had in some time.

  “Tell me of your nightmare. It will help to chase it away.”

  That was easy, for all she had to do was share the recurring nightmare she had since escaping the dungeon.

  “Voices, footfalls, they rush at me—” She stopped a moment, fear racing her heart and catching at her breath once again. She pushed past both eager to speak it aloud and be rid of it, if only it was that easy. “Hands grab me, pull at me,” —she shuddered— “they have come to take me away, to torture me, to see me dead.”

  “You believe your family wanted you dead?” he asked, his arm remaining firm around her.

  She bit at her tongue, having been so focused on her nightmare that she had said too much.

  “It felt that way… in the nightmare,” she said, hoping the brief explanation would suffice.

  “Your nightmare also makes it seem that you believe your family searches for you. Do you believe that?” he asked as if it troubled him.

  “They have no wont of me,” she said her words partially true.

  “Yet you still fear monsters. You still seek safety.”

  She thought for a moment on her response, concerned she would say too much. “I worry that one day someone in my family might come across me and think to return me home or perhaps finish what they had started.”

  “You said they had no wont of you, so why would they bother,” Slain reminded.

  She knew exactly why they would bother, but she could not share it with him.

  She sighed. “Memories of what I suffered brings endless fears… and nightmares.”

  “Then think hard on what you will surrender for the safety you seek from me when you may not need it,” he cautioned, his arm slipping off her. He stood. “Monsters come in different guises. Make certain you do not exchange one monster for another.”

  Hannah sat staring as he walked away. Was that not what she needed? A bigger monster than the one she had escaped to help keep her safe?

  “Hannah.”

  It was the first time she heard her name fall softly from his lips.

  He turned and looked at her. “I will give you one day to give me your answer since we both know what it will be.”

  Slain sat in his solar, his thoughts not where they should be. He did not know what to make of Hannah. He had known from first meeting her that she did not speak the whole truth of things to him and the more he spoke with her the more he realized he was right.

  She kept something from him.

  The question was why? What did she not want him to know?

  Whatever it was, it frightened her enough to seek refuge here and with him in particular. Again he questioned why. She had had courage enough to escape a horrific situation and courage enough to seek out the savage. She was braver than she believed and yet she still feared.

  He should probably speak with her more before forcing the situation, but in the end he doubted it would matter. He had need of her and she would serve that need well.

  That he found her appealing was another matter. He also found himself catching a glance of her whenever he could and if by chance he caught a smile on her lovely face, he would find himself growing aroused.

  A smile…a simple smile had aroused him.

  Not just any smile, though, Hannah’s smile. It had annoyed him. He had no time to allow a woman into his thoughts. He had enough on his mind. She lingered there anyway, refusing to leave. Or did he refuse to let her?

  He had had the occasional visit from women selling their wares as they passed through on their travels. They had sufficed, though rarely satisfied. There was too much for him to
think on, too much that needed to be done to allow himself to get lost in a woman.

  That was why Hannah would serve him so well. Though he would have to be careful and not let her into his heart. What heart? It had died and he had buried it along with all he had lost. He had no tenderness, no caring, no love to offer her.

  They each had a need and that need was what would be served, nothing more.

  “That offer still remains,” Helice said with a sour face and a nod to a wrapped bundle on the table when Hannah entered the kitchen the next morning.

  She decided to counter with a smile. “You will miss me if I go, Helice.”

  “Bah, why would I miss a lazy one like you?”

  Hannah snatched a warm piece of bread off the table. “You will miss my smile since it is the only one in the keep and you will miss how I eagerly devour your delicious meals.”

  “I will not miss your foolishness,” Helice argued with a dismissive wave of her hand.

  Hannah chuckled. “We are all foolish one time or another whether we want to be or not, or so my mum warned me.”

  “Then you should have paid her heed,” Helice scolded.

  Hannah’s smile faded. “Aye, I should have.”

  “I will bring your meal to the Great Hall,” Helice said as if dismissing Hannah.

  Hannah went and while she did enjoy Helice’s meals, she found that this morning she was not hungry. Her mind was on Slain and that he had given her one day to accept his offer and that he seemed sure she would.

  But then that was what she had come here for, safety, was it not? Why did she continue to question it? What would it change?

  Everything… with what he wanted from her.

  She sat at the table alone staring at the bowl of porridge Helice had brought her. She forced herself to take a few spoonsful, then shook her head and snatching up her full bowl off the table, she went to the kitchen and placed it on the table where Helice worked. “I am not that hungry.” She then went to the door, grabbed her cloak off the hook, and went outside.

  “Where are you going?” Helice called out.