“Ellen,” Alan said with a soft chuckle, “that was almost ten years ago. You were but a girl, you didn’t know what you wanted. You likely changed over the years. You must understand what the world expects of you. You don’t need to be out there, believe me.” He gestured to the wild with a wave of a hand. “There’s nothing out there but blood and sorrow. Stay with me and we can build a life together. We can have a home, and have children. We can honor your father’s last wish and we can provide a safe place for your mother to stay. I have paid my dues and I have earned a comfortable life with a beautiful wife who will bear me many children.” He stepped closer to her and his glower took on a menacing, threatening tone.
“You wouldn’t want to go against the wishes of your father, would you? I’m sure he taught you how to be a good girl and be an obedient wife. I’m not even asking you to do anything difficult. All you have to do is relax and enjoy everything that life has to offer.”
As he said this he ran his hand along her arm, his fingers trailing down her forearm before resting against her palm. Ellen took a sharp intake of breath and pulled her hand back. She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded, tearing herself away because she had no idea what to say to him after that. When she was younger he had treated her with more respect that he did now; now he only saw her as a wife, as a thing to be held, a prize to be won. Not as a person with her own desires and ambitions.
Perhaps that was just the way the world saw her, and she might as well accept it. Myra wanted her to have this life, as did Robin, and if it was indeed his last wish, well, she would be a horrible daughter if she let that happen. But with all the gifts it seemed as though Alan was trying to turn her into something he wanted her to be rather than accepting her as she was. Part of her wondered if he even truly cared about her, or if he just wanted her as his wife because he knew her and she was available. It wasn’t at all how she wanted a marriage proposal to go and she certainly didn’t feel the tingling sensation or the heady emotions that her father had described to her.
Myra and Alan were acting as though it was a foregone conclusion and Ellen wondered if she had any say in the matter at all. All they seemed to want from her was for her to shut up and go along with whatever they said. So she wore the dresses that were bought for her and tried to relax and enjoy them, and in her mind she tried to picture a life where she was sitting in a home beside Alan, nursing a child, but all the time, even in her imaginings, her gaze drifted to the window and looked out at the wider world. Her curiosity was always gnawing at her, and this deep need to see the world could not be quashed.
One day, Alan marched downstairs after he slept and declared that they were going to leave to visit his home.
“It’s about time you see your future home,” he said to Ellen, “and I have neglected it for too long. As much as I enjoy staying here, we must look to the future.” He promptly made arrangements for them to follow him in a wagon while he rode ahead, eager to return to his home and show Ellen and Myra the future that awaited them. He had been boasting during his stay of his successes in the Highlands and how he had been generously rewarded by nearby dukes for performing tasks for them. Some of these were dangerous, but the stories only filled Ellen’s head with an urge to achieve something like this for herself rather than just listen as part of a rapt audience.
Alan certainly seemed to have made a good life for himself though, and that could not be denied. Robin had always chastised Alan for being rash and never thinking too many steps ahead, but it seemed as though he had fixed that character flaw and prospered.
“It’s all well and good speaking of my future home,” Ellen asked, “but what about this home?”
Alan dipped his head. “There is much that we need to discuss with regards to our future plans, but the plain fact of the matter is that we do not need two homes. Now, I have been considering keeping this property, but I feel it will be better in the long run if I sell it. I’m confident there will be many willing bidders and it should fetch a good price. It’s for the best, Ellen. Think of your mother. This place will only bring back sorrow for her, and for you as well. After Robin’s death it’s better that we all make a fresh start and move towards new beginnings.”
Ellen’s heart sank when she heard this. It was the only home she had ever known and Alan’s proposition provided her with an unsettling feeling. It just seemed plain wrong and cruel of Alan to expect them to leave everything they knew behind. But, without a good reason to deny Alan his request, Ellen found herself sitting in the wagon with her mother, trundling along the lane towards Alan’s house.
4
Alan had assured them that the journey wouldn’t take long, but Ellen wasn’t unhappy at the prospect of it taking a little longer than expected. She huffed and sighed as she gazed out of the window, looking at the pretty flowers and tall trees go by. Sunlight slanted through the leaves and the flora rustled as small animals scurried about their business. Since they were traveling, Ellen had managed to convince her mother that it was acceptable for her to wear some simple clothes, which she felt far more comfortable in.
“Make sure you change as soon as we arrive though,” Myra said. “Alan will want you to look nice when he shows you our new home.”
Ellen was still unsure about Alan’s intentions, but there was little she could do about it. As they traveled, she thought about flinging the wagon door open and rushing out, running away into the forest to find her fate elsewhere. A smile played upon her lips as she thought about this. She could forage for food and find people to help, earning bread and coin by doing good deeds and punishing evildoers that escaped the boundaries of the law. It was not a glamorous life at all, and indeed it was a life that few would want, but to Ellen there was nothing sweeter.
“I’m glad that you have finally accepted the world as it is,” Myra said. “I know it has been difficult for you, but it is a weight off my mind to know that you will be taken care of by a good man. God has blessed us by bringing Alan back into our lives in this moment. We know him, and your father trusted him with your life. It is just a shame that Robin isn’t alive to see the union take place. It would have brought him so much happiness.”
“Mother, are you sure that Alan is the right man for me? That this is the right life?”
“Of course darling! Who could be better? Don’t try to wriggle yourself out of this one,” Myra said with an admonishing glare. “You have always complained that the suitors we have tried to arrange marriages with are too dull or don’t understand you. Well, there’s nothing dull about Alan, and he has known you since you were a child! He knows you more than most and I’m sure that if you give it a chance love will blossom between the two of you. Life doesn’t always have to be the way your father described it,” she said gently. “It took me a while to truly fall in love with him, but that doesn’t mean my love is any less impressive or intense as his for me was.
“Now, I suppose that in the past Alan was always a bit of a wayward soul, but being out in the world has really changed him. He seems to understand better now what is important, and he’s become a man. When he left us he was just a boy. I’m sure he could teach you a lot about life Ellen.”
“Perhaps,” she said.
“I’m just glad that his adventuring days are behind him. He’s fortunate that he did the right jobs and received quite the windfall, and that he’s smart enough to know when to stop. That was something your father always struggled with.”
“That’s because Father wanted to keep fighting while there was still evil in the world. He knew that he couldn’t rest when there were bad people around. If he did nothing then he wasn’t doing his duty.”
“And what about his duty to us?” Myra spat. She collected herself quickly and smoothed down her dress. “I don’t mind to speak ill of the dead, especially not your father, but there were times when he put the needs of others ahead of his own family. If he had turned his attention to other matters he might have been able to enjoy the twilight of h
is years instead of leaving us in this situation.”
Ellen bit her tongue, amazed that Myra would say anything against Robin. Ellen continued looking out the window, wishing that she had someone else’s life.
“Did Alan talk to you about his plans for home?” Ellen asked.
“He did mention something or other, yes, but I wasn’t paying much attention. I don’t like to concern myself with all those business matters,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“He wants to sell it,” Ellen revealed. “At least that’s what I think his intent is. It’s our home Mother, and he wants to sell it. He made some excuse that it would only remind us of what we’ve lost.”
“And he may well be right. I have to admit that it’s difficult to sleep in an empty bed, and there are times when I’m certain that I can hear your father speaking to me. Why, there are even times when I’ve woken up and been convinced that he’s been standing next to the bed watching over me, but as soon as I rub my eyes and stir, he disappears. It’s almost too much for me to bear and I could use some relief. It’s so nice of Alan to think about me like this, and it would be a relief to have some spare coin to help you and he begin a new life together. I’m sure that with all the wisdom he’s acquired on his travels he’ll be able to make some good business deals and you won’t ever have to worry about a thing. Imagine it Ellen—a life without struggle. Oh, what a lucky girl you will be!”
Ellen pouted at Myra’s reaction. It had been her last refuge for resistance against the marriage, but Myra was acting as though she needed this more than Ellen did. It seemed inevitable that this was happening and Ellen was just going to have to cope with the fact that she was not going to be able to deviate from this path. This was her life, for better or worse, so she might as well get used to it.
The lanes through the forest were long, winding, and desolate. Villages were dotted along the road where people plied their trade and struggled along, eking out a humble existence from the land. They passed groups of hunters going out towards the forest ready to find food that would help sate the village’s hunger, and other carts that trundled along, carrying goods to be traded. As they drew nearer to Alan’s home the land around them became sparser. They passed boggy ground and a dark lake, and in the distance mountains rose. Ellen gazed out into the murky world ahead, the Highlands, that held so much mystery and awe for her. Robin had always warned her to never go beyond the boundary because the men there were dangerous and, in truth, more like beasts than men. Her heart hammered against her chest in anticipation when she gazed out into the unknown, knowing that was where adventure awaited her.
It seemed as though the land had been forgotten. Few people were willing to make their homes this close to the border, where it was easy for a group of Highlanders to run down and take what they wanted. Perhaps, Ellen thought, my new life might not be so bad after all. Being this close to the border might bring adventure to me.
Suddenly she heard a frightened shout from the driver. The horses whinnied and the wagon jerked as it came to a halt. Myra looked frightened. Ellen steadied herself as the horse bucked and caused the entire wagon to jerk.
“What’s going on?” Myra asked in a trembling voice, when thunder seemed to surround them. Ellen peered out and saw a group of riders. Panic and fear flared inside and she gulped desperately, wishing that she had a sword by her side. Now more than ever she wished that her father was still alive, because she knew he would never have let anyone do this to her.
Steel clashed. Ellen screamed as she saw the driver being flung back with an axe driven through his chest. Ellen pressed herself against the inside of the wagon, praying and hoping that it would all be over soon. Shadows of the men outside danced inside the wagon. The horses were in a frenzy and the wagon rocked and rolled, threatening to tip over completely. The door was flung open and Myra screamed. A red-haired brute stood there, smoldering with intense anger. Ellen met his gaze and for a moment everything seemed to stand still. His green eyes burned with passion and his entire burly body bristled with strength and power. Myra dug her hand into Ellen’s skin, but the pain was a distant one. Ellen was about to speak when the horses outside jerked once again and the wagon shook violently. Ellen hit her head against the thick wood, and everything went dark.
Ellen awoke to the steady rhythm of a galloping horse. She grimaced and tried to move her arms, but noticed that she was tied to the back of her horse. There was no sign of her mother. She strained against the ropes, but at this speed it would have been dangerous to fall off the horse, so for the moment she decided to remain quiet and try and learn about her captors. She craned her neck around and looked to the man on the horse in front of her, the same man who had opened the carriage door. She had been struck by the look in his eyes, and it caused an uncomfortable, unusual sensation in her stomach. She was almost convinced that it wasn’t due to the way she was positioned on the horse.
“I thought they’d be gone after we won the battle, but the English are like demons. They keep coming up from the pits of hell, more and more of them without end,” one of the Highlanders said in his thick accent. Ellen had only ever heard her father’s approximation of one so it took her a few moments to get used to the way they said certain words, and she had to focus carefully on each one to get the proper meaning.
“Aye, and they’ll keep coming until they’ve got what they wanted. We cannae let them take the land. If they want tae keep coming then we’ll keep fighting, and we’ll see how long they can keep it up for,” the man who had captured her said. Ellen thought this couldn’t be true because the English only ever fought for noble causes. Then, another thought struck her. From the way they were speaking she was confident in assuming that they were the same Highlanders who had fought her father. The man who killed Robin might well be in their midst.
At this thought she couldn’t be quiet any longer and railed against her captivity, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Who are you? What do you want with me? Where’s my mother? Where are you taking me?” She caused such a commotion that the Highlanders had no choice but to stop and let her down from the horse, because she was liable to stir the animal into a frenzy.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she backed up and glared at the Highlanders, scowling and taking the measure of them.
“I’ve heard about men like you, about how you prey on women’s virtues. Well, you’re not going to take mine. You just put a sword in my hand and I’ll fight any one of you!” Ellen said as firmly as she could, although she wasn’t confident that she had managed to hide the trembling nerves in her voice. The Highlanders looked mean and surly. The sun was setting behind them and the world was dark. If she could run she might be able to escape.
“I told ye she’d be trouble, Duncan,” one of the Highlanders said. Duncan, the man who had captured her, stepped forward stroking his chin. He had a thick beard and a thick neck. His body was packed with muscle. He wore a tight tunic that stretched over the expanse of his torso and wore a sash that came around his body and wrapped around his waist. A sword hung at his waist, and he wore black trousers and dark boots.
“Aye, well, I could nae leave her with the horses threatening to tear that wagon apart,” he said, and then turned to Ellen. “If ye would be quiet for a wee moment I’ll let ye ride properly with me. Ye were nae waking up.”
“I don’t care! You can’t just take me prisoner like this! And what about my mother?”
“Aye lass, I dinnae know what tae tell ye. She fainted like ye and she…well…I dinnae think she made it. I rescued ye lass. The horses were gaeing crazy. They would hae stomped on ye if I had nae taken ye away.”
Ellen clenched her jaw and swallowed her fear. “Well, in that case I thank you and I’ll be taking my leave of you now,” she said, and proceeded to walk briskly away, before breaking out into a run. Her feet pounded the ground as she tried to shake her hands loose of the restraints. Behind her, the Highlanders laughed uproariously. Sw
eat beaded on her temple as she pushed herself as hard as she could, only to hear a horse coming up behind her. Duncan whirled it around and blocked her path. He alighted from the horse and scratched the back of his head.
“I dinnae think ye want tae dae that lass, it would take ye a while tae get where ye are gaeing.”
“Oh yes, and I’m sure you’d hate for me to leave your captivity. You’re no better than bandits. Now get out of my way,” Ellen said. Her father had taught her many things in life. One of them was to always stand up to bullies because they preyed on the weak, and more often than not a fight could be won before a weapon was drawn. She moved to walk forward again, but Duncan was steadfast.
“We’re nae bandits lass, and ye insult us by suggesting it,” he said in an intimidating growl.
Ellen wasn’t going to listen to him though. The word of a bandit could never be trusted.
“You captured me and you raided land that doesn’t belong to you.”
“That land is ours by right!” Duncan said so vehemently that spittle flew from his mouth. One of his hands rose in anger and his face twisted with fury. “It’s being trespassed along, and we are only defending our territory. We dinnae capture women, only prisoners of war, and it will only end when ye English learn tae stay where ye belong.”
Ellen was filled with mixed emotions, but she couldn’t believe there was a war going on, or that the English were the aggressors.
“Ye can gae if ye want lass. I’m nae gaeing tae keep an innocent lass here, but tell the rest of ye people tae stay out of our land,” he said, and promptly handed her the reins to a horse. Ellen took them and looked bemused. She hadn’t actually been expecting her protestations to work so she stood there for a few moments, before realizing that she shouldn’t wait in case he changed his mind. She studied him, making sure that he wasn’t going to try and stop her, and then mounted the horse in one graceful movement. The other Highlanders seemed just as dumbfounded as her.
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