April Holthaus - The MacKinnon Clan 01

by The Honor of a Highlander

  “Stay close and guard the women,” he said to his men. “Ewan, ye and I will ride ahead.”

  “Aye,” his men answered back.

  Rory pulled out his sword and carefully observed the sounds around him. It was quiet, too quiet. The wind had died and the leaves had stilled to an eerie silence. Looking around, he scanned the perimeter. Rory was about to give the all clear, just before he heard the sound of a twig breaking under a man’s foot. Someone’s here. He held up his fist to halt the riders.

  “Men, spread out. Angus, stay here wit the women,” he whispered so the uninvited guests would not be able to pinpoint their location.

  “Please dinna go,” Annella uttered to him with uneasiness.

  “It will be fine, lass.” Rory winked at her and looked at Angus, “Watch o’er them.”

  “Aye, my laird.”

  As the men scattered, Annella watched Rory turn his horse around and trot into the thick fog. She swung her bow around and grabbed an arrow from the quiver strapped to her back and notched it in place. Moving her head from side to side, she readied herself for danger.

  She took one glance over to Lady Kenna who was holding onto her reins so tight that she could see her knuckles turning white. She gave her a brief smile and drew her attention back towards the trees.

  Please be safe, Rory. She sent up a few more prayers as she, Angus and Lady Kenna huddled their horses together. Angus moved his in front of them and held out his sword. For such a young lad, he was very brave, Annella thought. Angus had become a very good friend to her. He was always kind and helpful. It was apparent that one day he would become a great warrior and would help lead Rory’s army. She was glad that he was here protecting her, but she wished Rory had stayed. She couldn’t fathom the possibility of him getting hurt.

  She wondered who these men hiding in the woods were. Could Stewart and his men have already caught up to them, or per chance just common highwaymen looking to steal loot from travelers? All she could hope for was the lesser of two evils.

  Chapter 11

  Without warning, an arrow brushed through Annella hair. What the devil? Turning around, she saw a long feather tipped arrow lodged deep in the tree directly behind her. She looked over to Lady Kenna as both women’s eyes were wide and jaws were dropped open by the surprise.

  “They are o’er here.” Annella heard someone call out from a distance in the fog. She heard the sound of swords clanging together but could not see where they were coming from. It was as if the sound echoed off the surrounding trees. Squinting her eyes, she could see a figure approaching towards their small group. As the mass grew larger, she grasped that the man charging towards her was not part of their traveling party. He had his claymore held high above his head and was coming right for them. She pulled back her bow string and released her arrow, embedding it into the man’s throat.

  Angus looked over at her in shock, impressed by her skill and said, “Nicely done, my lady.”

  “I did nay intend to kill the mon. Just render him useless for ye to attack.”

  She had never killed a man before and was astonished that she didn’t break down from the remorse. She had always wanted to be a wee warrior but proved herself as a great adversary.

  Notching another bow in place, she peeked over to Angus whose sword was held high and gave her a reassuring grin. Looking around the fog anticipating another attack, she suddenly heard a loud thud and for a moment Annella’s heart skipped a beat as her body instinctively shuddered in place. She turned her head towards the sound and locked onto Angus’s eyes. The smile on his face slowly faded.

  She saw his head drop down to look at his chest as her eyes followed. In disbelief, she saw the end of an arrow implanted in his chest. Angus instantly dropped his sword and slowly began to lean to the side. Annella threw her arms out to cling onto his shirt to steady him on top of the horse.

  “Annella, quickly, we have to get him down from his horse,” Lady Kenna instructed.

  Lady Kenna jumped down in between the horses allowing them to block any further danger and held her hands up to hold onto Angus’ waist while Annella climbed down off her horse. Both women used all of their strength to help Angus down.

  “Be careful,” Annella said as she held his arms while Lady Kenna grabbed his legs and together, they slowly placed him down on the ground.

  Looking at Lady Kenna she asked, “Is there anything ye can do?”

  “I dinna ken. The arrow looks to be embedded in his heart.”

  She tore his leine shirt away from the protruding arrow to examine his wound.

  Quietly Lady Kenna lowered her head and said, “I…I’m afraid it is in God’s hands. I can no’ help this lad. Even if I tried to cauterize his wound, I believe there is damage to his heart.”

  With tears falling from her cheeks, Annella held his hand. His breaths became more and more unsteady. “It’s ok, Angus. I’m here. Ye can no’ die,” Annella muttered and wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve.

  “I…I…die w…wit honor, my lady,” he stammered.

  Annella knew that death was inevitable and that Highlanders’ valued honor above all else. Wanting to acknowledge his bravery and valor, she sadly agreed, “Aye, Angus…wit honor.”

  Gazing deep into the man’s eyes, she saw the color begin to fade. His eyes began to roll back and his hand went limp in hers.

  “Nay, nay. Angus…Angus,” Annella said shaking his upper body in attempt to wake him back up.

  Never had she seen life taken from this world in this manner before. To see the soul leave the body while lying in her lap was an overpowering ordeal.

  Lady Kenna came up from behind her and Annella buried face inside her soft embrace. After a few moments, Annella heard the sound of rustling leaves and she bolted up and grabbed her bow pointing it in the direction of the commotion. Ewan and Colin came into view.

  “Whoa, my lady. It is just us,” Ewan said raising his hand guarding himself from her attack. “What’s wrong?”

  “Angus,” she cried out.

  They looked beyond the horses and saw Angus’ body lying on the ground. Both men ran over to where he laid and kneeled down before him.

  Looking around, Annella began to panic. “Where is Rory? Ewan, where is he?”

  “I’m here, my lady,” his voice came from a few yards away.

  Annella turned around to see Rory a few feet away returning his sword to its sheath. She ran into his arms. Thank God. Rory stood back to look at her and saw her tear-stained face.

  “It’s alright, Love, I’m fine. We killed the bandits following us. They were no’ the English and I dinna believe they were Stewart’s men either. Probably just some local thieves trying to…”

  Cutting him off in mid-sentence, she shook her head to correct him, “Nay, it’s no’ that. It’s Angus.” She moved to the side clearing his view so that he could see everyone gathering over by the horses.

  Rory ran over and saw Angus’s dead body lying on the ground. He put his hand on Colin’s shoulder and bowed his head. Colin had been good friends with Angus.

  “We will have to bury the lad. We are still two days ride out and wit the English and Stewart trailing us, we can no’ take him wit us. We will take his sword and his cross medallion to his father. And we will mark his grave.” Rory’s voice was low and full of sorrow over the loss of his squire.

  The rest of the men gathered around to give their final goodbyes and blessings and walked away to find materials needed to dig a grave.

  The day was already getting late and Rory had decided to set up camp a few yards away. Most of the men went out to hunt for their meal while the others quietly set up the tents. Annella could sense the mourning each of them felt. Angus had become a part of their family, this small band of warriors. Being the youngest, he was the most spirited and easiest one to poke fun at when the men would jest. But he was equal in size and his skill was well respected.

  “My lady, the tent is set up for ye and my mothe
r. I feel it is safer to have ye two together. We will have several guards on watch tonight,” Rory said as he came to sit down next to her.

  She could see it in his eyes, the regret he felt. She wanted nothing more than to be with him tonight and be held safe in his arms but she knew that he needed to know that she was safe and agreed that it was the best idea.

  “Aye, my laird,” Annella said as she got up and walked with Lady Kenna over to her tent to go to sleep.

  “I ken that look in yer eyes, cousin,” Ewan said as he sat next to Rory.

  “Aye. I’m worried. We still have a lot of land to cover and are now less one person,” Rory said fiddling and carving into the log he was sitting on with his dagger.

  “We will get to Dunakin before the English or Laird Stewart reaches us. They will be foolish to attack us then wit our full army behind us. Dinna feel blame for Angus’ death. He was a good mon and did his duty. I have been meaning to ask ye. If Wallace recruits again, I would like yer blessing to join him on my own. Ye will be married soon and have a clan to lead and Colin can manage helping ye lead the men. I am only a warrior. I have no’ a home of my own or wife to leave behind.”

  Rory looked at him wanting to deny his request for his blessing but he knew that Ewan would go whether he liked it or not.

  “Ewan, ye have a home. Always will. But aye, I would give ye yer blessing but only on one condition. After ye are done ye get yer ugly arse back home to us or yer mother and father would be the death of me for letting ye leave in the first place.” Rory punched him in the arm and both men smiled in amusement.

  “Here, drink yer whiskey, ye bastard,” Ewan said jokingly as he threw Rory’s flask into his chest. “I will take first watch.” Ewan stood up and walked over to the trees.

  Knowing that tomorrow’s ride would be another challenging day, Rory decided to go into his tent and get some sleep. They would be riding through the muddy bogs and rock outcrops. Neither terrain was well-suited for horses but it would be the fastest route to take. He didn’t believe that the English or Stewart would dare take their men through there and put their horses at risk. Rory was familiar with the area so he knew all of the secret twists and turns to take and which to avoid.

  Lying on his plaid, he tossed and turned, struggling to ease the guilt on his mind. But his guilt wasn’t only for feeling the blame of Angus’ death but for how his lack of judgment could have caused Annella her life. Annella should never have been that close to danger. He felt he was careless regardless of what Ewan said.

  The next morning the rain set in making the ground even more muddy and uneven. The horses struggled as Rory pushed them forward through the rocky terrain. Cold and wet, Annella wrapped her cloak around her shoulders tighter and kept her head down so the rain would not hit her face. She trusted Finlay to take lead and follow the horses without her having to direct him.

  After hours of riding, her body started taking its toll. Her thigh muscles ached from squeezing them tightly around Finlay’s large midsection and her rump began to feel numb. But worst of all, she couldn’t get the vision of Angus’ eyes out of her mind. It was as if in the last moments of his life, she saw into his soul. She felt blessed being the one to comfort him during the final breath before he left this mortal world.

  His justice was resolved when Rory and his men slayed the outlaws in the woods. She felt pity that Angus’ death was caused by nothing more than the greed of men looking for a small bounty to fill their coffers.

  Slowing his pace down, Rory came to ride by her side.

  “How are ye doing, my lady?”

  “I am feeling winded, my laird. But please dinna stop on my behalf.”

  “Nay we should stop soon. There is a cavern ahead where we can stop and build us a fire to warm ourselves until the rain and drizzle passes. It’s just on the other side of this pass,” he said giving her a pleasant smile.

  “Thank ye. That would be lovely.”

  Once they were around the bend, Annella saw the cavern Rory mentioned. It looked very inviting and well out of the rain. She looked forward to waiting out the storm in front of a nice warm fire and to fill her grumbling belly.

  Dismounting her horse with the others, she slipped inside and found a dry flat stone to sit on while the men went to gather dry wood for a fire.

  “My lady, a large boulder is just over there. It may offer ye enough privacy if ye would like to get out of yer wet clothes and put on dry ones. The rain should be gone soon,” Rory said as he pointed in the direction of the boulder.

  “Thank ye, I would like that verra much.” Anxious to get out of her wet dress, she scampered over to where she set down her belongings, pulled out clean garments and went behind the large rock. She slipped into a new riding dress. Putting on the dry dress made her feel so much better, inside and out.

  Walking over to sit by the fire, she combed out her hair in an attempt to dry it as best as she could. Filling the entryway of the cave stood Rory, glaring in her direction. She could smell the whiskey coming from him from across the room. She couldn’t decide if he drank it or bathed in it.

  “Would ye like something to eat, my lady?” Rory offered holding out some cheese and dried meat as he sat down next to her.

  “Thank ye,” she said holding her hand up to take the offering.

  “My lady, I wanted to say to ye that I ken that ye have had a difficult time these last few weeks, and e’en though I am no’ good at talking to lasses about these matters, I want ye to ken that ye can talk to me if ye are bothered or feeling...well ye ken what I mean,” Rory struggled to say the right words, his head feeling clouded.

  She put her hand on top of his and smiled. “Thank ye. But I am fine, truly. I will say that I was verra worried that something could have happened to ye back in the woods when we were attacked. Rory, before when I said that ye make me feel things that I dinna want to feel, well I…”

  Before she could finish, Ewan jumped between them and excitingly declared, “My laird, my lady, the rain has stopped and a few of the men just spotted what appear to be the men who have been following us along the ridge of the mountain. I dinna believe they ken our whereabouts but I think we should leave immediately.”

  Chapter 12

  The Isle of Skye was just as beautiful as Annella dreamt it would be. The vibrant colors, the lovely smell of wildflowers, it was magical. The land was dominated by heather and fields of purple thistles. The rock outcrops stood out of the ground as if they were strategically placed and the mountain tops touched the heavens.

  Running through the fields on the back of her horse, she saw off into the distance sheep grazing in the fields and could almost smell the salt of the ocean as they drew closer to the shore. With the fog and dark clouds gone, the sun shined brightly and Annella felt her spirit lift as the beams of light shined off her hair and dress in hues of golds and reds.

  After two days of rough riding they were finally climbing the last rise that looked down upon the MacKinnon land. Anxious to see Rory’s vast dwelling below, Annella encouraged Finlay to ride faster. Passing Ewan and Rory she raced to the top of the hillside.

  Looking down at the village and the dark castle in the distance made Annella tremble. The castle even from a distance looked towering and overwhelming. She swallowed hard. This was to be her new life when she married Rory. And this would be her new home. Feeling her nervousness, she clasped the reins tighter and bit down on her lower lip.

  Aware of her apprehension, Rory rode up next to her side and reached out to hold her hand. She glanced over to him and saw his big smile. He was happy to be home. His smile comforted her.

  “Come,” he said and rode down the hill in front of her.

  Entering the village, Annella watched as villagers cheered for the safe return of their laird. Men, women and even small children waved as they passed by. She was impressed watching Rory call out to so many of them by name. Annella gathered by the warm greetings that the MacKinnon clan were very welcoming people.
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  “Tonight we feast for the return of our laird and his upcoming marriage to Lady Annella MacCallum,” Ewan pronounced in a loud booming voice while the crowd applauded.

  Before she turned her head back to the crowd, Annella felt all eyes upon her. Knowing that these people must be curious of her, she sat tall on her horse and bowed her head to them. She hoped that these people would come to accept her, an outsider.

  In the corner of her eye, she saw an auld man and woman frantically scanning the men’s faces as they rode their horses through the village. Rory must have seen them too as he lowered his head trying not to look into their misty eyes.

  Dismounting his horse, he walked over to Ewan who had also dismounted. Together with Angus’ sword spread out across Rory’s hands, they walked over to face the distressed-looking couple. At the sight of the sword, the woman collapsed into the man’s arms weeping. The man took the sword with a loose grip and the tip of it fell and dug into the ground. “My boy,” he cried out and held his wife.

  Annella’s eyes instantly filled with tears and her heart ached for them. Annella knew the couple was Angus’ parents the moment she saw them. She felt sympathy for their loss and pain. She slipped off her horse and walked over to the grieving couple.

  “He was a good mon and fought bravely. Ye should be proud of him.” She heard Rory say to them as he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder.

  Annella bent down to Angus’s mother and placed her hands over hers to console her.

  “He was verra noble. I held him in my arms when he died. He spoke of bravery and honor. He saved my life and now my debt is owed to you, my lady.”

  The auld woman looked up with teary eyes and seemed to take comfort in her words. The man nodded and picked his wife up off her knees to help her stand. With his arm wrapped around her thin waist, they turned away from the crowd and walked towards one of the small crofts. The crowd of people became silent with grief. Annella looked up at Rory and saw the sadness in his eyes.