The Highlander's Quest

by Dana D'Angelo

  She hurried down the main street. When she spotted an opening between two houses, she quickly turned in to the alley.

  “Wait for us,” Jon said as he and his brother ran to catch up with her.

  Elspeth was halfway down the lane when she realized that she had no idea where she was going. She took a moment to lean against one of the houses. As she waited for the lads, she took in a few staggering breaths.

  A moment later, they reached her. “Are ye all right, Elspeth?” Jon asked, a worried expression on his face.

  She shook her head since she couldn’t trust herself to speak. But when they continued to scrutinize her as if she had contracted some terrible disease, she croaked, “I’m fine.”

  Alec joined her at the wall. “Ye dinnae look fine tae me,” he said, his brows creased with doubt as he continued to study her.

  The younger lad’s observation forced her to see the truth. A fullness formed in her throat, and she became overwhelmed by defeat. She had known all along that caring about the interests of her family was her responsibility. When her mother died, she was expected to be the strong one. And for a long time, she was the anchor in the family. When Angus came along, he shouldered much of her burdens. But the more strength he showed, the more she wanted to rely on his confidence and protection.

  Elspeth squeezed her eyes shut. Although she had come to her conclusions, she couldn’t eliminate the hurt she felt. The intimate moment they shared was a memory she treasured, something that made her feel wonderful every time she thought about it. But Angus didn’t have the same sentiments, and this knowledge made her feel sick to her stomach.

  For a moment, she felt compelled to return to Angus and challenge him. But that wasn’t going to change what she witnessed. And she had already established that the man didn’t owe her anything. He had gotten her this far, at least. Her job was to find Tam Roy and somehow bring him back to the Earl. As her thoughts shifted to the outlaw, she felt a renewed sense of determination. Somehow she would find a way to capture him.

  “Should I get Angus?” Jon asked. “He might be able tae help ye if ye are ill.”

  Elspeth pushed herself from the wall and released a long breath. “As I said, I’m fine,” she lied.

  She knew that none of the lads believed her, but it no longer mattered. She was slowly coming to terms with the fact that Angus found other lassies more appealing than her. She had average looks. Her hair was a mess, and the clothes she wore were dirty and rumpled from travel. In the end, she couldn’t compete with the attractive lasses in town. But then she reminded herself that she wasn’t here to compete with anyone.

  “I dinnae think I need your help any longer,” she said. “Ye should go with Angus.”

  “Why?” Jon said, narrowing his eyes.

  “Ye need tae continue your training, and Angus desires tae learn about his past. Having ye assist me with my mission willnae get ye closer tae your goals. Ye will all be better off if we part ways.”

  “We cannae do that,” Jon said. “We promised Angus that we’ll protect ye, and warriors always stay true tae their words.”

  “I dinnae need protection,” she said, her tone level. “I’ve lived this long without anyone’s assistance.”

  When it appeared that the lads weren’t going to change their minds, she let out a small sigh. “Look, I appreciate all ye have done, but I think ye should leave. I can handle things from here.”

  “Ye are going into the forest alone?” Jon asked suspiciously.

  Elspeth couldn’t fool the boys. “Aye,” she said, admitting the truth. “Now that I ken Tam Roy is somewhere in there, ‘tis nae necessary for ye tae come along.”

  “Angus willnae like this,” Alec warned. “Our task is tae protect ye.”

  Immediately she thought that the only person she needed protection from was Angus. She had given her heart to him, yet it was clear that he didn’t want it.

  Elspeth shook herself from the dark thoughts. “It disnae matter whether or nae he’ll like this. All of ye have things ye want tae achieve. I dinnae want tae stand in your way. Besides, I’ve watched ye train, and I’ve picked up a few things, and am well-equipped tae protect myself.”

  “The most ye can do is throw rocks,” Alec pointed out.

  “I’m guid at it,” she said stubbornly.

  “’Tis true. Ye are guid,” the younger lad admitted.

  “But she isnae skilled enough tae go on her own,” his brother argued.

  She frowned at his words. He was now starting to sound too much like Angus.

  “I cannae allow ye tae go alone,” Jon said.

  He grabbed his brother’s arm and stepped a little away from her. Even while he spoke with his sibling, he watched her as if he expected her to bolt. She was tempted to leave, but she waited for him. After all, it was his choice if he wanted to accompany her. She strained to hear what they discussed, but they were too far away. When they concluded their conversation, Alec nodded his head and ran off.

  ***

  Angus had finished chopping a stack of wood and piled the logs along the side of the house. He brushed the dirt from his hands and stood back. “There, ye should have enough logs tae last ye through the winter,” he said.

  “Och, ye are too kind,” Annis, the young lass cooed.

  He had met Annis earlier and found her pleasant. She was a wisp of a lass who was about fifteen years old. When he saw her struggling to draw water from the common well, he felt sorry for the bairn. He helped her carry the water to her home and met her mother. From there, he discovered that Tam Roy was in the vicinity. What luck! The outlaw and his companions had shown up in the town two months prior and were hiding in the nearby forest. When they carried out their raids, they made sure their criminal activities were held far from where they lived. From what Angus gathered, this was why the Earl and his men had such trouble locating the fugitive.

  There was no way he and his companions would have found the criminal on their own. Few people were willing to speak about the outcast. He felt fortunate to come across Annis and her mother, who were more than willing to talk in exchange for a few chores to be done. They even gave him a general idea of where to locate Tam Roy.

  The fact that the outlaw lived in the woods for so long demonstrated his craftiness. Likely, he felt secure in his hideaway. His thoughts briefly went to Elspeth, and he smiled. They had traveled for days and finally found the lead they needed.

  “Ye are a godsend,” the widow said, letting out a sigh as Angus stacked the last piece of wood against the wall.

  “It has been difficult for us since Da passed away in the summer,” Annis said. “Your help has saved us many hours of extra work.”

  The mother grabbed a corner of her arisaid and twisted it in her rough hands. Her plaid was slightly frayed, but it was still serviceable. “How can we repay ye?”

  “Ye have already repaid me,” he said. “The information ye gave about Tam Roy is verra useful.”

  “Ye will need tae be careful with him,” the widow said, a frown touching her lips. “Many people revere the man, and since his arrival, he and his companions have divided our community.”

  “I’ll take the necessary precautions,” he said.

  “Will we see ye again?” Annis asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

  “I dinnae think sae.”

  “Och,” she said, her disappointment apparent.

  “I’ll need tae go meet with my friends,” he said.

  Angus took his leave and walked to the front of the house and onto the street. His mood was high, and he was eager to tell Elspeth all he learned about the elusive outlaw. Once the lass heard the news, he anticipated that her bonnie face would brighten. And he would be glad when she claimed her prize money because then he could pursue the next order of business.

  “Angus,” a voice shouted.

  He turned to see Alec running toward him, a panicked expression on his face. When the lad reached him, he was winded.

  The lad b
ent at his waist, leaning his hands on his knees while he gulped in large amounts of air. “I was looking everywhere for ye,” he said.

  “I was assisting some locals,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Elspeth has gone into the woods in search for Tam Roy.”

  “What?” he asked, shocked. “Who told her about the outlaw?”

  “We encountered an auld woman who told us about him,” Alec explained. “I’m nae sure what happened, but Elspeth suddenly decided tae go after Tam Roy herself. We tried tae stop her, but she wouldnae listen. Jon is with her now.”

  As the lad recounted what happened, the shock Angus felt subsided, and he started to feel annoyed. What was she thinking of, putting herself and Jon in harm’s way? She had no idea what they were getting into or how many people they were up against. Didn’t she pay attention to any of his warnings?

  But even as his annoyance increased, he couldn’t ignore the worry that gnawed at him. Undoubtedly, Elspeth and Jon were about to walk into a viper’s nest.

  ***

  Many leaves had fallen to the ground, although the well-worn path in the forest was discernible enough to navigate. Some patches of color remained on the branches. And even though the carpet of leaves scattered on the forest floor, some greenery managed to peek through. However, despite the surrounding beauty, something felt off to her.

  “Maybe we should return tae town,” Jon said as if he could read her thoughts. He hunched his shoulders and looked uncomfortable. “I dinnae like this place.”

  In truth, she didn’t like it either, although she wasn’t about to admit this aloud. The forest was too quiet, and she was secretly glad the lad accompanied her. Of course, she knew that if Angus was here, she would feel even more secure.

  But the brawny Highlander wasn’t with her, and she was forced to contend with her unease. At the moment, she was fully conscious that she was moving farther and farther away from civilization. As the minutes passed, more doubts crept into her mind, and she questioned the wisdom of wandering into the thicket. What was she going to do or say if she encountered Tam Roy? Perhaps she could persuade him to turn himself in. But even as she thought that, she knew a wanted man would never surrender himself. And as much as she hated to consider it, she wished that Angus was at her side. No doubt, he would know what to do.

  Suddenly, several bird cries echoed in the empty woodland, startling her from her thoughts. Her gaze immediately followed the cluster of birds as they flew out from their perches. When the creatures were gone, she frowned. It wasn’t the birds’ abrupt flight that bothered her; it was something else. Now that she was mindful of the quiet environment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone watched her. However, when she studied the vicinity, she saw nothing unusual.

  “We’ve been traveling for hours and havenae encountered a soul,” Jon said, breaking the silence. “We dinnae have a plan, and when night falls, we’ll be in trouble.”

  The lad’s words forced her to see the reality of their situation. In truth, her idea to venture into the woods was hasty, foolish, and maybe even dangerous.

  “We should return tae town,” she said finally.

  “I never thought ye would say that.” He released a long breath of relief. “Let’s go.”

  Jon maneuvered his mount to turn in the other direction. Elspeth started to follow his lead when an arrow whizzed past her. A scream ripped through her as the shaft landed a foot away from her horse.

  “Elspeth,” Jon yelled.

  Out of sheer panic, she yanked at the reins. Unfortunately, the abrupt force caused the beast to violently rear up on its hind legs. The movement caught her off guard, and she was tossed to the ground. A split second later, she felt searing pain run up the side of her hip. However, her pain was quickly forgotten when she witnessed her mount running toward the trees.

  “Get my horse, Jon,” she cried.

  Jon raced after it as she tried to push herself up from the ground. She winced at the pain and berated herself for her ill-conceived scheme. Fortunately, she was able to wiggle her toes, and she surmised that her injury wasn’t too serious. But, her relief was short-lived when a twig snapped a few paces from her. She jerked her head up and found two grim men standing before her. And each of them had an arrow aimed at her.

  Chapter 19

  “What are ye doing in these woods?” the man closest to her growled.

  Although fear churning in her chest, Elspeth turned her head to see whether Jon had gotten away. She saw two more men following the lad as he rode after her stray horse. But when he became aware that he was being chased, he abandoned his mission and raced off. Jon was a sensible lad, and she prayed for his safety.

  “Well?” the same man demanded.

  “Answer the question,” the second bandit growled. “And while you’re at it, hand over all your valuables.”

  The robber’s rough voice jerked her back to the dangerous situation she was in. These men were brutish and intimidating. They were probably camped in the forest for a while. If anything, they looked as if they hadn’t bathed in a long time, and they were probably just like feral animals. But this made them just as dangerous. Were these thieves associated with Tam Roy? None of them had red hair, and she wasn’t sure whether or not they were just common thieves.

  But it didn’t matter who they were if their intentions were to kill her. Blood rushed to her head, and she felt the throbbing pulse at her neck. It was almost too difficult to speak when her heart hammered so quickly in her chest. However, she forced herself to respond to them.

  “I — I seem tae have gotten lost,” she said. “And I dinnae have any valuables.”

  The first man looked over her worn clothes, and he lowered his bow. Elspeth had always wished that she wore the finery of noblewomen. But now, she was grateful for her clothes and her lack of jewelry. She was not wealthy, and her appearance proved this.

  With Jon no longer in sight, Elspeth knew that she was utterly alone and at the mercy of her captors. She should have turned back when she had her chance. But no, she was too stubborn, and now she found herself in this perilous situation. The pain that she experienced from her fall had dwindled to a small throbbing ache.

  She had traveled so far only to die in this spot out of sheer fear. The expressions on her captors’ faces were grim, and it didn’t appear as if they had any qualms about murdering a helpless woman.

  Elspeth caught sight of a stone, and she felt tempted to pick it up and throw it at the nearest man. However, she knew that as soon as she did that, the second man would let his arrow fly.

  “I think she’s hiding something, Will,” the thief with the weapon said. “Besides, few people have ever come this far into the woods.”

  Will reached up and placed his hand on the arrow shaft, forcibly directing the weapon to the ground. “Stand down, Sande. The lass isnae a threat. Look, she carries nay weapons on her.”

  His friend reluctantly acknowledged her lack of weaponry and then withdrew his bow. “What should we do with her?”

  Will seemed puzzled by the question. But before he could find a reply, a commotion sounded to the right, and the robbers turned their attention in that direction. A minute later, two more men made their way to them with her horse in tow.

  The men gathered together to talk. At overhearing their discussion, alarm began to build up in her chest. If they saw her as a threat, they could easily slit her throat, and no one would be the wiser.

  “We couldnae get the lad,” the man said.

  “Well, we have her,” Sande said, jerking his thumb at Elspeth. “Although ‘tis unlikely anyone will pay a ransom for her.”

  They continued to debate about her value. She might have been fine if they ignored her, but they all turned to assess her. Their scrutiny made her want to shrink away, although she made herself stay in one place, pretending that she waited patiently to hear her fate. But as they continued their discussion, it became apparent that they were more concerned about the othe
r horse that got away. Her own mount wasn’t enough for them.

  The bandits were deep in their conversation. She took the opportunity to slowly back away from them, making sure her movements were subtle. As she took in her surroundings, she noted that the area was covered with clumps of brown bracken, grass, and other vegetation that had changed color to reflect the season. All she needed to do was reach the stand of trees, climb over the slope, and then make a run for it. She still had that small pain at the side of her hip, but she couldn’t let that stop her. At least she didn’t have to worry about Jon. And fortunately as well, the men didn’t appear to notice that she was slipping away from them.

  When she finally reached the trees, she turned and ran.

  A loud curse echoed behind her. “Aiya, she’s running off!” someone shouted. And more voices echoed behind her as her escape became known.

  The yells spurred her to go faster. The branches whipped across her arms and face, and all she could think about was to escape. But she knew that she couldn’t go too far before they caught up with her. She was still in an unfamiliar landscape. But she had to keep running because she had no other choice. If they caught her, they might take her to their campsite. And she shuddered to think what could await her there.

  Elspeth heard the sound of running feet crashing behind her. Pausing for a moment, she winced and gripped her hip. The pain had returned and radiated to her lower back. At the same time, her heart continued to race, and a thousand thoughts raged through her mind. The thieves were tracking her down and would soon catch her.

  A frightened cry burst from her lips. Her gaze took stock of the trees before her, and she went over the choices she had. She thought about climbing one of the birch trees, but she scrapped that idea when she saw the sparse leaves on the branches. If the robbers looked up, they would have no trouble finding her.

  Elspeth started to scramble up a small incline that was covered with fallen leaves. In her haste, her leg slipped between two large tree roots that jutted from the forest floor. She dropped her gaze and saw for the first time how the trees had grown. They were old, and the roots grew on the surface in a tangled mass. She knew that she didn’t have much time left. But then an idea struck her, and she clambered back down the mound. She figured that if she could squeeze herself into the small space, she might find the protection she needed.