Chapter 18
G ordon hated to leave Tara, but she was safe, and Laird Knox wasn’t. There was still much fighting to be done to drive away the enemy and ensure safety for the people of the Knox clan. Gordon rushed out of the keep, following in Nessa’s footsteps. The girl moved like a wolf, and it was a challenge just to keep up with her.
“Dae ye hae a death wish, lass? Dinnae ye know there is strength in numbers?” he said when he finally caught up with Nessa. She glared at him.
“I’m used tae fighting by myself. People around here dinnae believe a woman can be a warrior.”
“I dinnae share their opinion. The fiercest warrior I ever knew was a woman,” Gordon claimed.
Something flickered in Nessa’s eyes and she slowed her pace. The air was alive with fire. People were still rushing to put it out, but the flames had spread far and wide. Horses were whinnying in panic, and in the distance Gordon saw silhouettes of them running away, fleeing into the darkness.
People sprinted about as well. Some of them managed to hold on to their sanity and help the efforts to douse the fire, while others were scattered about in blind panic. Gordon was impressed at how focused Nessa was. She was undeterred and undaunted by the chaos around them. Warriors were raging and swords were clashing. There were small wars happening all across the battlefield.
Gordon occasionally sent his men to help when he saw one of his allies being threatened by the makeshift army of bandits and scoundrels. But he was focused on helping Ryan, for Tara’s sake.
Going to these lengths, fighting another’s battle for them, was anathema to Gordon. All his life, he had been taught to only be concerned with matters in his own territory. The rest of the world could burn as long as the Abernathy Clan remained strong. But in a sense this did involve his clan because it had involved Tara.
When he had received the message that the Knox clan was going to be attacked, his face had paled and a dark fear had taken hold of his heart. He had warned Tara not to go. He had told her that she would have been safer with him, and yet he also understood her need to be with her family.
So he only had one choice, and that was to chase after her. Keith had understood. He knew how much she meant to Gordon, and he was eager to see Gordon be a hero like in all the stories Keith had heard. Gordon wasn’t the type of man to stand by when someone he loved was in danger.
“Yer sister said ye were fierce.”
“Aye, she said plenty of things about ye as well,” Nessa replied. There was no hint of kindness in her voice.
“Dae ye hae something against me, lass?” he asked.
“Only that ye better nae get in the way of my kill again. That was my uncle. Ye hae nae right tae step in and interfere.”
“I thought I was keeping ye safe.”
“Tara might need yer protection, but I dinnae. If ye get in my way again, I’ll hae nae qualms about fighting ye either.”
Gordon’s eyebrows arched, but he inclined his head in response. The last thing he wanted was to get in a duel with Nessa, and not just because she was Tara’s sister. He could outfight the vast majority of men, but Nessa was another matter entirely.
Nessa stopped suddenly when she came across a fallen man. He was clutching his shoulder. Blood poured from the wound profusely. He had a pained look on his face, and his foot hung limply from his leg, likely suffering from a broken ankle.
“Hamish, what happened? Where’s Ryan?” she fell to one knee and clasped Hamish’s hand.
There was genuine concern in her eyes, and all of the aggression faded away to be replaced by sympathy and fear. Hamish glanced in Gordon’s direction, but he was too weak to ask any questions. His words were punctuated by panting breaths.
“Nessa, I tried tae defend him, but there were tae many of them. I could nae… I’m sorry.”
“Where is he, Hamish?”
Hamish turned his head over his shoulder, but it seemed to cause him pain to do so, as he winced. “He led Ken that way. Taewards the stables. I dinnae know what’s happened tae him. I tried tae walk but…” he trailed away as he gestured to his ankle. Nessa sighed.
“Stay here. Someone will be with ye as soon as possible. Just keep safe, and keep out of combat. I’ll find Ryan.”
“Take care of yerself,” Hamish replied.
Nessa pushed herself up, scowling. They continued on towards the stables.
“Is he someone close tae ye?” Gordon asked, but Nessa remained tightlipped.
“He reminds me a lot of my Da,” Nessa said after a moment, and winced, like confessing that small thing caused her physical pain.
“My sister seems tae be under the impression that ye love her. Is that true?”
“Are ye sure this is the best time tae be asking me this?”
“There is nae better time for the truth than in battle. Ye cannae waste time on lies,” Nessa replied, and Gordon saw no need to deceive her.
“Aye, I dae love her. That’s why I’m here. I swore tae protect her.”
Nessa stared at him, regarding him carefully. “I want the same thing.”
“Then perhaps we hae more in common than ye think,” he replied.
He thought he saw something resembling a smile on Nessa’s face, but they moved too quickly to tell for certain. They increased their pace, breaking into a sprint when the stables came into view.
“By the gods…” Nessa breathed.
The entire stables were up in flames. The smell of burnt meat filled the air, and smoke billowed out. The flames danced wildly, as high as the buildings itself. Nobody had been able to bring water this far, and it was yet to be determined if Ryan and Ken were still alive.
Gordon’s heart was in his throat. The last thing he wanted was to return to Tara and tell her that he had been unsuccessful, or to tell Caroline that she was a widow and her son was never going to be held by his father again. He barely knew Caroline, yet his heart went out to her because he knew what it was like to be a parent fraught with worry. It was a frigid prison with no escape, not until her husband returned to her.
“This dinnae look good,” Nessa muttered under her breath.
Gordon grunted in agreement. But as they approached he began to hear voices.
“This is yer end! Ye think ye can take my birthright away from me? This clan is mine, and as soon as I spill yer blood, I shall take it all!” came the maniacal words.
Gordon glanced at Nessa. The stable entrance had been destroyed by fire. The roof had caved in. Smoke poured out in plumes. They ran around the back, towards the pasture where the horses normally grazed, but there was no sight of them now. Instead, they saw two men amid what looked like a lake of fire.
The flames surged around the field, blotting out the rest of the world. Gordon glanced over his shoulder towards the Keep, but he couldn’t see it because of the smoke. The men clashed. One of them looked wounded. His movements were slow, and he was unable to raise his arm fully. He ducked and ran back towards the stables. The fire was in patches, and he turned towards some fallen debris.
“That’s Ryan,” Nessa noticed, and pushed herself forward, running into the pasture. “Get away with ye, Ken! We hae yer Da, it’s over for ye. Give up now, or face the consequences,” she cried.
Ken turned, and his eyes blazed as wildly as the fire. The man was clearly crazed, his mind lost a long time ago.
“Nessa, how sweet tae see ye again, my cousin. Dae ye think I will believe yer lies? My Da cannae die. He survived in yer dungeon for two years. He can survive anything.”
“Ye are wrong. I saw him fall myself. If ye want proof, ye can gae and pick up his sword from the ground. I threw it out the window when it was knocked from his hand.”
“ Ye are lying! ” Ken roared, and rushed towards her.
Gordon turned his attention to Ryan, who was using the distraction to regain his strength. But unfortunately, he had made a misjudgment. In his haste to put distance between himself and Ken, he was standing near a fragile wall that was becoming weaker with every passing moment.
Gordon could hear it creaking like an old man’s bones, and before he could do anything it crumbled. A cloud of dust arose as the stones fell. Ryan cried out, but then his voice became muffled, and he disappeared from sight.
“Nae!” Gordon cried out.
“Gae tae him. I hae Ken in hand,” Nessa said, fiercely meeting Ken in battle.
Gordon watched her as he moved towards Ryan, wanting to make sure that she was capable of facing Ken. She was skilled with a sword, no doubt about that. She dodged his strikes nimbly and countered with ones of her own, trying to sneak her blade into his most vulnerable parts. But Ken, in his crazed state of mind, had incredible pain endurance, and he was no slouch with a sword either.
Gordon could well imagine Gorram standing there, torturing Ken with lessons until he became a formidable warrior. But Nessa was every inch his equal, and she did not let her emotions get the better of her. It would have been easy to do so, given all that she had been through, but instead she channeled them into her body, deriving controlled strength from them.
The sound of clashing steel joined the fervor of the flames. Gordon turned away from them, focusing his attention on Ryan. The heat seeped beneath his clothes, itching under his skin. Sweat pooled in the crevices of his body. It fell from his brow and stung his eyes. He blinked the drops away.
The cloud of dust swirled, and he had to move carefully as the rubble made the terrain difficult below his feet. His ankles turned, and he stumbled as he searched for Ryan. He called the man’s name out once, twice, three times, but it was only on this last time that he heard a response. Ryan groaned, and there was a gentle movement of debris.
Gordon quickly searched the rubble, pulling back hard stones with jagged edges, before he uncovered a hand and then a face smudged with dirt. Ryan’s breaths were haggard.
“I… can’t,” he began, but failed to get the rest of the words out.
Gordon wiped his hands on his leather armor and then gathered his strength, heaving away the stones. He managed to free more of Ryan, but a huge plank of wood stretched over Ryan’s chest, pinning the man down. The ends of it were hidden beneath more rocks.
Pain tugged at Gordon’s muscles, straining them to their limits. His skin was raw, being scraped away by the rough surface. Sweat mixed with blood, and it stung fiercely, but Gordon grit his teeth through the pain, absorbing it within him, and using it as fuel.
He managed to push the rocks aside and then clasped the planks. He roared as he lifted it, his knees shaking under the immense weight, his shoulders shuddering. It felt as though he had the whole world on his shoulders, and it was pressing him down.
He had felt the same when he had suffered from grief. It all threatened to buckle around him, but just as he had endured grief, he endured this as well. He bellowed out as he heaved the wood up and up, pushing it as high as it would go, and then shoving it to the side. It landed with a clatter, crushing smaller rocks, thundering a cacophony around them.
Ryan gasped and gurgled. He coughed and a plume of blood erupted from his lips. Gordon took his hand and lifted him out. Dust and small stones fell away as Ryan rose, looking groggy and worse for wear. He winced and grimaced, trying to force the pain away. Gordon looped his arm around Ryan’s waist and supported him as Ryan hopped beside him.
He was panting and grunting, too impaired to speak. Gordon led him away, but then he heard a scream. He twisted his neck and saw that Nessa had been disarmed. Ken was cackling with laughter, bearing down on her, using his sword more like a hammer. Nessa was doing well to dodge him, but she was scurrying back, and her feet caught in the uneven ground. She yelped as she fell back, and was at the mercy of Ken.
“Nessa!” Gordon roared, his thunderous voice breaking through the chaos of battle.
As he spoke, he lowered Ryan to the soft grass and then unsheathed his sword, launching it like a spear. It hurtled through the air, and his aim was true. It slammed into the ground near Nessa.
Her eyes gleamed at the opportunity. She pushed herself up, taking advantage of the hesitation in Ken’s movements, who was stunned to see a sword flying towards him. Nessa spun around him and in one elegant movement grabbed the sword, plucking it from the ground. She brought it around herself in a sweeping arc and then held her position.
Everything was still.
Blood dripped from the blade. Ken looked down. His laughter faltered as he realized what had happened. He stared at his stomach, along which a shadow of crimson was quickly spreading. Then his eyes lolled in the back of his head and he fell to the ground.
Nessa bent down, wiping the sword of blood, and then picked up her own. She came marching back to Gordon and handed him his sword. There was a measure of respect in her striking eyes.
“Thank ye for nae getting in my way,” she said. Gordon suppressed a smile,
“Are Caroline and Allan…” Ryan asked, but trailed away, unable to gather the strength to finish the question.
“They’re safe in the Keep. Laird Abernathy’s men hae seen tae that,” Nessa said with begrudging respect.
Realization dawned upon Ryan’s face, and he looked at Gordon with new appreciation.
“Ye are Laird Abernathy? Tara hae spoken well of ye. Thank ye for coming tae our aid, even though we are nae allies.”
Gordon pursed his lips in a look of veiled amusement. “But we are, Laird Knox. Tara saved my son’s life. I am indebted tae her. I could nae stand by and permit a threat against her life.”
Ryan studied him for a few moments and then nodded. He coughed again, a hacking thing, and then motioned to return to the Keep. They walked back slowly. Gordon’s men had helped turn the tide of battle. Ken’s men either fled or they were being tied up. As the battle waned, more people were able to help with the efforts to douse the flames. Order was being restored.
Gordon helped Ryan all the way to the Keep, but then he paused, thinking that Tara might prefer the opportunity to be with her family. He dipped his head and said that he should check on his men.
“Come and find me in the morning. We need tae hae words,” Ryan said.
As every moment passed, he was regaining his strength. Gordon bowed his head to Nessa, who reflected the gesture. A smile played on her face, and he hoped this meant he had earned her respect. Gordon turned away from the Keep and headed towards the healers, ready to thank his men for their efforts.
Tara paced back and forth in the room. She gnawed on her lower lip. Her mind was fraught with worry.
“I can see now why Nessa prefers tae be in the heat of battle. I somehow think it would be easier than waiting up here, nae knowing anything,” Tara lamented.
Caroline rocked Allan back and forth. “It’s nae easy, and I cannae say ye get used tae it. Ye just hae tae trust that everything will be well.”
Not long after they said this, they heard footsteps approaching up the hallway, accompanied by a hacking cough. Ryan appeared, doubled over and looking the worse for wear. His skin was dusted in gray debris mixed with blood. He looked more like a monster than a man, but his appearance did not stop Caroline from rushing to his side or taking him in her arms, or showering him with kisses.
She only stopped when he winced in pain. Tara quickly made a potion that would help ease the pain, but she suggested he should see the healers as swiftly as possible so they could treat their wounds.
“Aye, aye, there’s time for all that later. I want tae be with my family now,” he said, gazing towards Caroline and Allan.
He held them close, not wanting to let them go. Tara looked beyond him and Nessa, searching the empty air with confusion. Had a tragedy occurred? Had Gordon given up his life to save Nessa and Ryan?
Nessa understood the anxiety on Tara’s face. “Yer Laird is with his wounded men. He is every bit as impressive as ye claimed. Ye hae done well for yerself, Tara,” Nessa said, and this was resounding praise from her sister.
Tara looked towards Caroline, seeking permission to leave. Caroline nodded. Tara raced away, her clothes billowing out behind her as she rushed through the castle, almost bumping into soldiers and guards. She barely noticed the motley looks on the faces of the prisoners that were being led into the dungeons because she only had eyes for Gordon.
She found him in the healer’s quarter’s The other apprentices were there, working assiduously to tend to the wounds of the soldiers. Tara noticed a few surly looks cast in her direction, but she ignored them. Their opinions didn’t mean anything to her now, although she did feel some measure of satisfaction at their shock when Laird Abernathy turned and opened his arms to her.
“Tara,” he gasped, and that single word was rich with a plethora of emotion.
Tara bundled herself into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his frame, not wishing to let him go.
“How are yer men?” she asked.
“Och, just a few scrapes. They will be fine,” he replied. “How are ye?” Concern came upon his face as he held her tightly.
Tara tilted her head from side to side. “Better now that it is over, although I feared at first that ye were fighting against us.”
“I hope that ye would know me better than that. My father allied with yer uncle. I thought I could make use of that. Gorram was sae arrogant, he could nae entertain the notion that I would betray him.”
He allowed his hand to fall and take hers, running his thumb over her palm. There were people all around them, but somehow that didn’t seem to matter. He spoke low, his words meant only for her.
“I was sae worried, Tara. I thought that ye might be in danger and I… I could nae?—”
“I am safe, thanks tae ye.” Tara smiled sweetly.
“I promised that I would protect ye. Nae matter where ye gae, I will nae let any harm come tae ye. I swear that as the most solemn promise, Tara.”
“And I made a promise tae ye as well, Gordon. I promised that I would return tae ye.”
Gordon drew back. “I am nae gaeing tae hold ye tae that promise, Tara. I hae seen how close ye are with yer family. It is something tae cherish. I would understand if ye want tae stay here with them.”
Tara dipped her head. “But what dae ye want?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Gordon gazed into her eyes. They shared a searching glance, the secrets of their souls revealed. The world swirled around them, but they were motionless, lost in this perfect moment. She studied the worn lines of his face, the depth of his eyes, the tenderness of his lips. She was falling deeper and deeper into him.
“I want…”
The words trickled out of cracked lips, but he finished the sentence with a gesture rather than words. He pulled Tara close to him and planted a scorching kiss upon her lips. Tara’s soul lurched with happiness, and the world tumbled around her. This was everything she wanted and more, and she knew that no matter what happened, her destiny lay with Gordon.
She was the woman she wanted to be when with him, and she wasn’t going to let that go. She would always cherish her family, but it was time for her to spread her wings and take flight. She had discovered her purpose in a faraway clan, and she could not turn away from this man’s love.