A Perfect Match

by Bethany Hauck

  “Nay,” she said, then she pushed her chair back and got up. She was so flustered she didn’t even put the cup in her hand down before adding, “I’m sorry, I find my head is paining me. I think it best I retire to my room for the rest of the evening.”

  She didn’t wait for anyone to answer and ran up the stairs into her bedchamber where Mungo was lying in front of the fire. One of the maids was there turning down her bed.

  “Good evening, Lady Peigi,” the maid said.

  “I’ve told you before, Maggie, just Peigi is fine,” she replied. She placed the cup on a table in her room, trying to calm herself.

  “I didn’t expect you back so soon, is there anything else you need?” Maggie asked.

  “Has Mungo been taken out?” Peigi asked.

  “Not since you went down to the Great hall. Would you like me to take him for you?” the maid asked.

  Peigi didn’t answer right away, because a plan was beginning to come to her. She was going to have to leave the Keep and find a place to hide until Gory returned. He’d come looking for her, she knew that, and he wouldn’t give up until he found her. She hated to worry him, but there was no other choice, if she stayed, she’d be forced to marry that horrid man.

  If there was one thing Peigi was sure about, it was that she was not going to marry Laird McNary. She wasn’t sure if she would ever marry anyone. If she did marry, it would have to be to a man she loved and one who loved her. She refused to be anyone’s pawn and marry a man someone else picked out for her, and she also refused to be anything less than a wife like her Mither had been before she laid with any man.

  “Nay, I’ll take him myself in a short while,” Peigi answered. “If anyone asks where I am, you can let them know, I’ve retired for the evening to take a tisane for the pain in my head.”

  “Would you like me to get one for you?” the maid asked.

  “Nay, Maggie, I’ve already taken care of it,” Peigi told her, pointing to the cup she’d carried into the room with her. Maggie didn’t need to know the only thing in it was water.

  “Goodnight then,” Maggie said and left the room. Peigi quickly put the bar in place so no one could enter.

  She grabbed a bag our of her trunk that would be big enough to use and tossed it on her bed. An extra gown, shift, and nightdress were the first things she packed in it. Peigi wasn’t sure where she was going, but she would need to stay in the Highlands and not go so far that Gory would have trouble tracking her down. Next, she threw in her hairbrush, an extra pair of boots, some stockings, an extra plaid, and a ring her Mither had given her that she hoped to use one day if she ever did decide to marry.

  She pulled her bow and arrows out of a different chest and set them next to the bag. She’d have to hunt if she was going to eat, but thanks to Gory, that shouldn’t be a problem. She went back to the trunk and opened it once more, taking out a dirk and the sheath for it that Gory had bought her. The weapon might come in handy, and it didn’t need to go in the bag since it could be strapped to her forearm.

  Once she had everything she could carry ready to go, she sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting for night to fall and the Keep to go quiet. Mungo came over and leaned against her legs, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as Peigi scratched behind his ears.

  “Where should we go, Mungo?” Peigi asked the fully grown wolfhound. “Where ever it is, I’m glad you’ll be with me. I know you’ll keep me safe.”

  Peigi kept thinking, wondering what direction would be the safest to travel. She’d never gone anywhere away from the Keep, so she didn’t know anybody that lived in any of the villages nearby. She wasn’t even sure in which direction those villages were located. She’d never met her Mither’s family, so there was no one to turn to there. She finally decided to wait and make her decision once she was safely outside the Keep walls.

  It was close to midnight when Peigi decided the castle seemed quiet enough to leave without being seen. She pulled the bar out of the door as quietly as she could. Walking back to her bed she strapped the dirk to her wrist, slung her bow and arrows over one shoulder, and the strap to her traveling bag over the other. She covered herself with her cloak and then walked back to the door.

  “Come, Mungo,” she said to the dog. “It’s time for us to go.”

  Mungo wagged his tail as she opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. Finding it clear they walked down the hall to the back stairway and took the steps down into the kitchen. Luckily, no one was in the room, but Peigi knew they still had to be quiet. She again signaled for Mungo to follow her, and the dog did immediately. They crossed the room to the door that led down to the storage cellar, which Peigi opened as silently as she could before motioning Mungo to enter the room and following him through the door. Peigi felt safer once they were in the room and the door was shut behind them.

  “It’s too dark in here,” Peigi said aloud, talking to herself. “There’s got to be a candle around here somewhere.” She searched the shelves but couldn’t find one. “Stay, Mungo,” she told the dog before making her way back into the kitchen.

  Thankfully, since she’d helped the cook many times, she knew where things were kept in the kitchen and found a candle quickly. Peigi was able to light it from the banked coals in the fireplace that were still hot. She carried the lit candle back into the storeroom. Once the door was closed again the candle gave off just enough light to see the contents.

  “Now if I can just find that trap door,” Peigi mumbled. She was looking for the entrance to the bolthole Gory had told her about. It took her longer than she thought it would, but finally, she found the door and the hidden latch that released the lock and opened it. The tunnel inside was pitch black.

  “We can do this, Mungo,” Peigi told the dog as she stroked his head. “I’d crawl through there with no candle to get out of marrying that man. Come on.”

  Peigi made her way through the tunnel as quickly as she could. She kept one hand on Mungo, afraid if the candle went out she’d never be able to find the exit and she’d be trapped in the tunnel forever. It took all her strength to keep calm until they reached the exit just on the outside of the Keep’s back wall, near the river.

  Once outside, she sat down on the ground, trying to calm down so she could make a well thought out decision on where to go next. She looked in every direction, thinking about the landscape and where she’d most likely find a place to hide for a while. Peigi knew she had to make her decision quickly, since the further from the castle she was when they found her gone the safer she would be. She decided to travel north, deeper into the Highlands so she wouldn’t have to try getting past the castle again without being seen.

  She kept Mungo next to her as they walked through the night. The few times Mungo alerted her to possible danger they would stop and find a place to hide. Mungo hadn’t been trained as a guard dog, but he did well being quiet, and only released a few soft growls once when riders came too close. Peigi trusted his instincts and the two of them stayed hidden each time until Mungo felt it was safe again to keep going. They kept walking until the sun was high overhead and Peigi was exhausted. She laid her plaid down on the ground and used her cloak to cover herself. Mungo laid down next to her and kept watch while Peigi slept for a few hours.

  When she woke the sun was already to the west, and she knew the day was close to being over. Peigi’s stomach rumbled, making her realize she hadn’t eaten since the evening meal last night, and she was hungry. He gathered some wood and built a small fire. Once the fire was burning she grabbed her bow and two arrows.

  “Stay, Mungo,” she told the dog before walking a short distance away. Within a few minutes, a rabbit came into view. A short time after that it was on a stick cooking over the fire.

  Peigi, with Mungo at her side, spent the next two days walking, hunting, and sleeping in the woods. On the third day a little after mid-day, they came across a clearing, and Peigi couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the well-kept hut sitting in the middle of
it. The overgrown brush around the outside made her believe no one had been there in months.

  Being careful, she found cover in the trees and watched the cabin closely from all angles for hours, looking for any signs that someone was living there. When she finally decided no one did, she went to the door and found it open. She sent Mungo in first, and when he seemed calm she entered the hut herself. The dust on the table in front of the fireplace confirmed what she’d already figured out, that no one had been there for some time.

  When Peigi looked through the few cabinets and shelves she found oats, root vegetables and plenty of spices stored there for use. She also found a crate that was stocked with healing supplies and plenty of wood chopped and stacked for the fireplace. Peigi decided this would be the perfect place for her and Mungo to stay for a few days, as long as the owner didn’t show up.

  That had been six days ago, and Peigi knew it was time to move on. She’d walked the area around the hut with Mungo every day, and after searching the hut, she found a map in a trunk in the bedchamber. After studying it and the area, she had a general idea of where she was. She was considering heading to Glasgow next but wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk that far.

  Mungo sat up and let out a soft growl. Peigi scanned the area and slowly stood up so she could see better. She wasn’t sure if she should stay or run as a horse came out of the tree line, walking slowly and heading straight for them.

  At first, Peigi thought the horse must have gotten loose since she saw no rider. As the animal came closer she was able to make out a figure almost lying across the animals back and neck. Just as she was getting ready to raise her hand in greeting, the man slid off the animal’s back and hit the ground hard. She didn’t know if she should take the opportunity to run, or stay and help when he didn’t move.

  Chapter 3. Not A Healer

  Mungo made the decision to run to the man first, but Peigi was right behind him. When they reached him he was lying face down on the ground. Mungo used his nose to nudge the stranger’s shoulder as Peigi began checking him for wounds. She found several, but some had already been bound and she didn’t want to unwrap them until she got him inside the hut.

  Peigi was far from a healer, but she knew how to clean and sew wounds closed, and she knew what herbs to mix to fight off infection. From the look of both the fresh and dried blood on the cloth wrapped around his legs, she knew the wounds must be a day or two old. She’d need to treat his injuries soon or infection would surely end his life; if it wasn’t already too late.

  “How are we going to move him into the hut, Mungo?” Peigi asked, trying to think of a way to solve her problem. She couldn’t leave him out in the clearing in front of the hut. It would be dark in a few hours. “He’s too big for me to drag inside by myself.”

  She ran back into the hut and grabbed one of the large plaids she’d found in a trunk and a length of rope. She carried them both outside and laid the plaid down next to the injured man. Next, she went behind the hut and grabbed the wide board she’d noticed leaning against the outside wall. She laid the board down and then spread the plaid on top of it. It took all her strength to roll him onto it, and she knew she hurt him by the way he flinched.

  She wrapped the plaid around him tightly and then making a loop at the end of the rope she tied it around his body and the board, making sure he wouldn’t fall off. She tied the other end of the rope to his horse. Taking the reins of the horse she walked the animal slowly forward. It worked, and the animal pulled the injured man to the door of the hut. She was glad no one was there to see it when she led the animal through the door and into the main room. She kept going until the stranger was in front of the fire. She untied the rope and left the man near the fire before quickly leading the animal back outside to an area where he could graze. She tethered him to a tree and then hurried back inside.

  She knelt beside the injured stranger and tried to decide what to do next. He seemed to be more comfortable laying on his side; she hoped she’d be able to treat his wounds that way. He had dirt and dried blood all over him and Peigi knew she was going to have to strip him down.

  She again went into the bedchamber and gathered all the extra furs and plaids she could find. She brought them back and made the thickest pallet she could even closer to the fireplace. She untied the stranger from the board and struggled to again move him onto the pallet so he would be more comfortable.

  Next, she needed to gather supplies. She got back up to pour some of the hot water she kept near the fire in a pot. She grabbed the crate of healing supplies and went through the contents. It looked like everything she would need was there. Next, she gathered all the candles, she’d need them to see what she was doing. Taking everything back over near the stranger she once again knelt next to the pallet.

  “If you can hear me, I’m going to need to take your clothing off to see how badly you’re injured. I’ll need to clean and sew up some of your wounds, so this may hurt a bit,” Peigi said to the man. “I’ll be as gentle as I can.”

  Peigi tried to pull his tunic up and found it impossible to do without hurting him. Instead, she pulled the dirk from her wrist and cut the garment off of him. She began by washing him down and then treated his wounds as she found them. There was a gash on the back of his head that she cleaned and then stitched closed, lots of small cuts and bruises to his face and arms, and bruised ribs which she wrapped tightly. His arm was swollen and bruised, and Peigi wasn’t sure if it was broken, but she splinted it anyways. There was also an older wound on the front and back of his shoulder that was mostly healed and luckily hadn’t broken open.

  Finishing the top half, Peigi turned her attention to his bottom half. She found and removed two dirks before pulling off his boots and unwrapping the binding on his right leg first, she stopped to take a deep breath. She was nervous because she’d never seen a naked man up close before. Knowing it had to be done, she again pulled her dirk and sliced the leg on one side of his trews before doing the back of the other and pulling them off.

  The wound on his backside was deep and the edges were already red. Peigi knew she was going to have to clean it and pull out the infection before she could sew it shut. She started with hot water and clean rags; placing a wet hot cloth on top of the wound until it began to cool. Each time it did, she’d replace it with a new one. At first, the removed cloths were coated with dirt, grime, and yellow discharge, but once they were clean on removal, she knew the wound was ready to be closed. The sun was beginning to set as she put the last stitch in.

  Peigi rolled up a plaid and placed it along his back before rolling him over to check the front of his legs. The plaid kept him from rolling completely over onto his newly stitched wound. As she inspected the front of his legs she found that each thigh had a wound, a sword slice to the right and an arrow was still lodged in the left. She shook her head and wondered what could have happened. Hopefully, whoever did this wasn’t still looking for him.

  “Keep watch, Mungo,” she said to the dog before getting back to work treating his last two injuries.

  By the time Peigi finished pulling out the arrow, cleaning both wounds, stitching them both closed, and them binding them both to keep the wounds from opening again, the sun was beginning to rise and she was exhausted. She once more dug through the crate of healing supplies and pulled out what she’d need to make a tisane both for pain and to keep the stranger sleeping so he could heal. She mixed the herbs with some of the hot water and then set the pot to the side to cool so it would be ready if he woke.

  Peigi pulled a plaid up and covered him, trying as she had all night not to look at his cock. She’d gotten a long look at it and even touched it as she’d washed his body to get rid of the coating of dirt, grime, and sweat. She was still wondering what the big deal was, it wasn’t very big. The women of the village had made it sound much bigger when she’d heard them talking about their men’s ‘swords’.

  Not wanting to leave the man alone, but needing to get some sleep
herself, Peigi laid down on the floor next to him and covered herself with the last fur. She fell asleep almost instantly.

  **********

  “Water,” Peigi heard the stranger whisper, waking her up.

  It was the first time in two days that he’d spoken. Peigi had barely left his side, except to hunt, and with the number of rabbits and grouse in the area, that never took long.

  She’d changed his bandages multiple times a day to make sure the infection didn’t start again. The wounds on his backside and thigh had needed extra care. When he began to run a fever she’d wiped him down with a cool cloth and then changed the mixture of herbs she was giving him. She made broth from a grouse and then spooned it into his mouth one sip at a time, massaging his throat to get him to swallow.

  She filled a cup with water and carried it over to him. “Take small sips,” she said as she held the cup to his lips.

  “Who are you?” the stranger asked once he took a drink and looked up at her.

  Green eyes was her first thought. She’d wondered what color his eyes might be. The man might be injured, but that didn’t stop Peigi from noticing how handsome he was. His chest and abdomen were all muscle, and the muscles on his arms were the biggest she’d ever seen. She wondered what he did every day for them to be that way. She felt a flutter in her stomach and looked away.

  “Who are you?” Peigi asked, not wanting to tell him her name until she found out why he was in the area.

  “Craig McCabe,” he said quietly, laying his head back down and closing his eyes, “and this is my Grandda’s hunting lodge. Now who are you, and what are you doing here?”

  Peigi thought about how to answer him. Should she tell him the truth? Or come up with some excuse? What excuse could she give that would sound convincing? She decided to tell him the truth, just not the entire truth.

  “My name is Peigi,” she said, “Peigi Farland. I needed a place to stay, and stumbled upon this hut a few days ago. I was planning to restock the supplies I used before I left.”