by Barbara Bard
Agony was etched upon Drew's face. He clutched at his leg and howled in pain. Sarah fell to his side.
“I'm so sorry!” she cried, wishing that she could do something to take away the pain.
“Is nae your fault,” Drew muttered through the pain, but Sarah couldn't help but feel there was more she should be doing.
Looking down, she peeled the cloth away to look at the wound and drew back. It was dark and red. The blood had dried into a deep crimson, and the wound looked nasty.
“I don't think it should be left like this,” Sarah said, pulling the cloth away. It was dried and hard with all the blood it had soaked up and needed to be redressed. Sarah looked around for a clean part of her garment and pulled it away again.
“If ye keep doing that ye won't hae any clothes left...nae that I'll be complaining,” Drew murmured, his eyes twinkling despite the pain.
Sarah ignored him and placed another dressing over the wound.
“I don't think you'll be walking anywhere today. You need to give it rest,” Sarah said.
Drew leaned his head back against the rock and shook his head with disappointment.
“I feel so helpless,” he uttered in frustration.
Sarah didn't know what to say to him. His physical prowess was evident, and it must have been difficult for him to accept that his body wasn't at its usual level.
“I wish I could do more.”
“Ye hae done enough. I would nae be sitting here if it weren't for ye. Ye saved my life. I can never repay ye for that.”
“It was the right thing to do.”
“Ye are a kind soul, lass, a kind soul indeed. I think ye may be right about me needing some rest. I can feel myself getting tired already. I think I'll just close my eyes for a little while.”
“You do that, Drew. Just rest, and I'm sure you'll be feeling better when you wake up,” she replied, stroking the top of his head and placing a kiss on his forehead. Drew's head lolled to the side as he quickly fell asleep, and Sarah was amazed at how quickly the gentle giant could be tamed.
She stood up and walked around. It would be so easy to escape now, to continue her adventure into the heart of the forest to a new life. But what kind of life would it be? The smart thing to do seemed to be to leave Drew here, but then she thought about the future. What if she always regretted leaving this place? What happiness might she miss out on if she walked away?
There was no telling if she could make it back to England safely. As Drew said, there were plenty of dangers that lurked in the forest. Even then, there was still a chance that Lord Flynn could find her. If she stayed with Drew however, Lord Flynn would never find her. It seemed strange to admit it, but the safest place for her might have been with the Highlander.
It was an easy choice to make. Sarah was intoxicated with thoughts of being in his arms again, of their feelings defying the boundaries between them.
She was struck with thoughts that were similar to those she had experienced when seeing the battlefield. As the dead lay strewn upon the ground she noticed how they were all the same. It didn't matter if they were English or Scottish. They were all dead. It was the same in love. Being of two different cultures did not matter to Sarah, for it was their love that was important. It was true and sincere. She could feel it in the very depth of her soul.
She smiled as she thought of all this and decided that she was not going to leave.
Instead, she chose to spend the time bathing. She had intended to bathe in the river the previous day before Drew had presented himself. Now that he was sleeping, she could peel off her garments and wash herself in the river.
Glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Drew wasn't peeking, she began to get undressed, letting her clothes fall to the ground. The only witness was the horse, and he didn't seem to pay much attention to her.
The warm breeze felt good against her skin, almost as good as Drew's body. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, imagining being enveloped by his strong arms again. The sensation of his kiss haunted her, and as she stepped towards the riverbank her body glowed with arousal.
Dipping her toe in, she found that the water was quite warm. The trees broke over the river, allowing the sun to shine directly onto the water, heating it all the way down. The water was crystal clear, with occasional foam rushing by. She smiled as she felt the liquid surround her feet, and then submerged herself fully.
She dove under the water, opening her eyes to the cerulean-shaded depths of the river. A few fish swam by, but not enough to alarm her. The ground was rocky, but the current was gentle, so she did not have to worry about being swept along and dashed against the rocks.
The water was refreshing over her body, and she felt alive. It was strange to think that a vicious battle was raging somewhere near this peaceful glade. It was almost a shame to think that soon they would have to return to that world, a world of war. It would have been perfect to live off the land in these words, and call nature home.
When her lungs began to burn she pushed herself up and broke through the surface of the water. It cascaded all around her, and her hair splayed out. She shook it and watched droplets of water trickle all down the curves of her body. She felt around her stomach and her hands reached lower, below the surface of the water, and found the heat between her legs.
A soft moan escaped her lips as she let herself sink down in the comfort of the water. She breathed in the sweet smells of the forest and let the soft water surround her body. The fresh water slipped into her open mouth and lingered on her lips before sliding down her throat. Then her mouth turned into a smile.
She sank down into the warm water and let it wash over her. The relaxing feeling took her far away from thoughts of the war and the terrible suffering she had endured. She closed her eyes and was transported to another realm, a realm where she was free of strife and anguish. After a time she stood up in the water and washed herself, letting the water drip and trickle all over her naked body, scrubbing herself clean with her own hands.
When Sarah was clean, she returned back to the camp and found Drew lying on the ground, with sleep almost consuming him, she laid by his side and he wrapped his hands around her. Sarah stayed still like this, till sleep came and dragged her away.
In the back of his mind Drew had betrayed his people and his feelings, but in that secluded glade, hidden from the world, he didn't much care.
Chapter 12
Sarah and Drew stayed in each other’s arms and time flew by. Sarah have never felt more at peace in her entire life. She wished she could stay in this strangers arm forever.
Everything felt so different and strange with him. She wanted to tell him about Rosemary, the bandits, Lord Flynn. She wanted to tell him everything, how she was imitating Rosemary and Lord Flynn’s plan to take her as his wife after he had conquered the Highlanders.
She did not know what it was with this stranger that made her want to divulge all her deepest secrets. Whatever it was, she knew she had to get away from him as soon as possible.
She had to get away from Lord Flynn as fast as possible. The more she stayed close to the battlefield, the higher the possibility of him finding her.
There was nobody here to protect her, except for him. He barely had the strength to walk, and he would not be able to hold his ground when faced in a duel with Lord Flynn.
She could not bear the thought of going back to be Lord Flynn’s wife. The cruelty and wickedness she has seen in him in the few days she spent at the castle, she would rather die that get married to such a man.
Sarah’s mind drifted to the battlefield. She wondered who was winning, she thought about Catherine. She missed her, she never imagined that she could feel the absence of her company. Catherine was different from her brother. Although cut from the same cloth, she could sense that Catherine was conflicted. Like she wanted another life, one far away from her brother and father.
Sarah knew that by now, they would have found out that she escaped.
She wondered if Lord Flynn would send out a search party for her after the war was over, that was if he won the war or if he would just treat her as one of the causalities of war and find another poor girl to marry. She was sure that he would search for her, his ego was too large to let a girl trick him and escape from his grasp. He would comb every inch of this forest if he had to, just to drag her back to his castle and punish her for her crimes.
She thought about Rosemary. If she ran away now, this could be the last time she ever saw Rosemary, if she were not dead by now. The Highlanders are not known to spare their prisoners. She wondered what could have happened to her friend. Lord Brambly would never know what happened to his daughter.
Sarah looked down at the man in her arms, he had a mop of black hair on his head, perfectly chiseled face. She could see his chest move as he took every breath. His muscles were taut and hard. She saw the scars on his body and wondered how many lives he has lived how many battles he has fought. Looking at him alone set her whole body on fire, her groins were moist and she felt herself yearning for a man she barely knew.
Time got away from her and evening fell upon them. They had nothing to eat for dinner. She had to go in search for something they could eat before it became dark. She would also use that time to plan her escape. She tried to free herself from his embrace without disturbing his sleep. But before she could make any movement, he was already stirring awake.
“Where are yae going?” he asked suspiciously
“We have nothing to eat for supper, I am going in search for what we can eat. Hopefully I find some berries and grapes and if we are lucky, maybe a rabbit”
“What does a girl like you know about hunting?” he asked with his eyebrow raised mockingly.
“When I was younger, I used to follow my father…”
She stopped mid-sentence, flashed a shy smile at him and turned her face away from him.
She turned back to him and he could see the sadness in her eyes. She was trying so hard not to cry. He wondered what could cause her so much pain and sadness and in that moment, he wished he could carry her burdens as his own.
“I can see my question brought ye pain; ye don’t need to tell me”.
“Try and get some sleep, you need to recover your strength. You will need it.” She said, as she stood up and disappeared into the forest.”
Sarah took the familiar path she knew, hoping to find meat for their dinner. They have been living on fruits and water for days now, it would be nice to have something different. She longed for a good meal, it had been days now since she had one. Sarah wondered what it was that made her so comfortable to this Highlander. She almost gave herself away. She needs to be free of this man. She walked further away from where they were camped and still she had not found anything for them to eat.
She started to think about her escape plan. She would leave in the early hour at dawn when he was fast asleep. Sarah felt guilty that she was leaving without telling him but this was the only way to get away from Lord Flynn. She could not bear to look at him, her feelings would betray her.
She would look for a small village where she would be far away from Lord Flynn. She could get a job as a tavern maid and hopefully a man she could call her own. This was all she had ever wanted as a child. A man that she loved and that loved her. A family of her own.
Sarah had been very kind to him, she saved his life at the expense of her own. Stayed back to care for him and treat his wound. His wound was healing and very soon, he would be able to use his legs without any pain. She did not have any reason to feel guilty. Actually, she had even done more for this Highlander that they did for her parents. They showed them no mercy, and slayed them when she was just a little girl. She felt sad that she was finally parting way with this man she had started to feel for, but this was the only way out.
She found some berries and grapes along the path she was walking and decided to turn back to where they had camp when she heard some rustling nearby. Her heart skipped a beat. She wondered what could be in the bush. She braced herself and went over to check what could be going on and to her surprise, she found a rabbit caught in a trap. Today must really be their lucky day.
Sarah freed the rabbit from its trap and put it in her bag. It was getting dark and if she stayed longer, it would be hard for her to trace her path. She headed back for their camp, happy with everything she found for them to eat.
When she got back, she found him sleeping. He needed all the sleep he could get to regain his lost strength. He needed it, now that she won’t be around to go hunting for food or care for his wound. She decided to wake him up when supper was ready.
She made a fire, skinned the rabbit and left it to roast on the fire. She took the waterskin and went to the river to get some water. She rinsed the fruit and set out everything that would be needed for the meal.
Immediately the meat was done, she brought it down from the fire and shared it between them. It wasn’t a grand meal, but they would have to make do. When she was done, Sarah went to where Drew slept and gently tapped his shoulder. He slowly awoke from his sleep.
“When did ye get back?” He asked in a sleepy voice. She slipped away from him and moved to where she had set their dinner.
“I got back a while ago, I met you sleeping and did not want to wake you. You need all the sleep you can get to recover your strength,” Sarah said as she sat down to eat her meal.
“Ye should hae nae let me sleep that long”, he said as he struggled to lift himself up to join her for dinner. She watched as the moon shone on him, making his skin glisten. She saw his scars under the moonlight and she wondered what story was behind each scar. He finally got up and she immediately tore her eyes from his body and looked down at food.
“The food will get cold if you keep nagging me like this, hurry up and come and eat your meal”, she said teasingly. “You are in luck today, I found a poor rabbit struggling in a trap. I decided to set it free and roast it for dinner. I bet this is the best meal you have had since the war begin”
He chuckled and limped his way to her. He sat down in the space she has prepared for him. She took a plate and started filling it up with meat and grapes and berries. When it was full, she gave it to him along with the waterskin. She went back to her space and continued eating her food.
They set out to eat their meal in silence. Everywhere was quiet and one could hear the leaves move with the wind. When they were done, Sarah cleared the plates and killed the fire. The only light they had was the moonlight. They laid back to watch the stars and listen to the rustle of the leaves.
“Before the war, me and my brother were always getting into fights with each other. We never agreed on anything”, he suddenly blurted out. His voice piercing the stillness and echoing through the forest. He looked at her face and the expression she had made him want to continue what he was saying.
“We always disagreed on everything. He is hotheaded and never listens tae anyone. He doesn’t think before making decisions. The head of the clan has been his inheritance since father died but he has been running away from it for a long time now. Some people in the clan hae the opinion that I will be a better clan head he is but betraying my brother will be treason. I also cannot think about what it will do tae my mother. The death of my father took its toll on her, I wondered what will happen tae her if her two sons are turned against each other. It is more than she can take.” He decided not tae mention Rosemary.
“My heart was so conflicted before the war. With everyone telling me what a better leader I will be, I almost betrayed my brother. But on that day on the battlefield, I realized that all those things didnae matter. I just want to fight by my brother and defend my country. He may not be the perfect leader but he is my brother, and I am willing tae do everything within my power to help him become the leader our people need.”
Sarah could hear the honesty in his voice. All her life, she has been told that the Highlanders are savages and mindless brutes. Only capable of killing and
destroying everything in their path. But here was this stranger baring his soul out to her, showing emotions.
“I am sorry about you and your brother. That is something I would never know, the balance of hate and love between siblings. I have always wondered what it was like to have a sibling. I was just a little girl when my parents were slayed before my very eyes. They left me with no siblings. I have always dreamt of having a baby sister. Dress her up in her nice cloth, plait her hair and all the other things elder sisters do for their baby sisters.” Sarah could feel the tears rising in her throat. She fought hard to hold it back. “I wish I had a sibling to argue and fight with. The only thing I have close to a sister is the daughter of the man that raised me.” Sarah let the tears flow freely.
He saw her tears flow and that pierced his heart.
“I am sorry that my people took your parents from you when you were just a little bairn. I don’t ken which clan is responsible for the killing, but I apologize on their behalf,” Drew said with a soft voice.
