Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Well now… what have we caught here?” the raider said.
Arianna lifted her chin despite the pain in her wrists and spat at the ground near his boots. “Release me, ye cowards.” Her voice rang sharp with fury, though her heart pounded wildly in her chest. The men barked with laughter.
The raiders dragged Arianna through the trees until the forest opened into a rough camp hidden beside a narrow stream. Smoke drifted from a crooked fire pit while several rough men sat sharpening blades or drinking from battered flasks.
One man, Walter, stepped forward as they shoved her roughly toward the center of the clearing. He studied her with a slow, amused grin.
“I am the leader of this lot. Ye seem to be a fiery one, lass,” he said with a crooked grin.
One of the men suddenly tugged at the edge of Arianna’s cloak and held it up toward the firelight. “Look here,” he muttered. “McGuire colors.”
Walter's smile widened slowly as his gaze returned to Arianna. “Is that so?” he said thoughtfully.
Arianna watched as he stepped closer and looked her over with calculating interest. Her dress was travel-worn now, but the quality of the fabric and embroidery was still plain enough to see.
He nodded slowly as understanding dawned in his eyes. “Ye’re nae some wandering woman,” he said. “Ye be someone important with these clothes, ain't ye?”
The man holding her arm tightened his grip. “Boss?” he asked.
Walter's grin sharpened. “Tie her hands,” he ordered. “If the Laird McGuire wants this lady back, he’ll pay dearly for it.”
Rough hands seized Arianna’s wrists and bound them tightly with coarse rope.
She did not cry out. Instead, she straightened her spine and lifted her head proudly, meeting the leader’s gaze with steady defiance.
Inside her chest, fear churned like a storm, but she would never give these men the satisfaction of seeing it.
Ian will come. But until then, I must survive.
The raiders dragged her toward a rough log near the fire and forced her to sit. She watched them carefully as they returned to their camp, speaking loudly among themselves. Every word they spoke might mean the difference between life and death.
“We should ransom her,” one raider said. “She would fetch a heavy purse.”
Another shook his head. “Nay. Better to use her as bait.” He gestured toward the surrounding forest. “The McGuire men will come searching soon enough.”
A third man laughed darkly. “Imagine their faces when they walk straight into our blades.”
Walter crouched across the fire from Arianna, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. “Perhaps,” he said slowly.
Arianna leaned forward slightly despite the ropes binding her wrists. “If ye believe Laird McGuire is foolish enough for that, ye’re a greater bampot than ye look.”
The raiders burst into surprised laughter. “Well now,” one said with a grin. “Listen to her.”
Another raider smirked at her. “Listen to the noble lady giving battle counsel.”
Arianna met his gaze without flinching. “If ye had any sense, ye would release me now and flee before clan McGuire arrives. They are blood thirsty men.” Her voice remained calm and cold despite the racing of her heart.
“And why would we do that?” Walter asked.
“Because Laird McGuire doesnae ride alone,” Arianna replied smoothly. “When he comes, he will bring warriors enough to bury every one of ye beneath this forest.”
One of the younger raiders shifted uneasily. “Is that true?” he muttered.
Another scoffed loudly. “She’s bluffing.”
Arianna tilted her head slightly. “Am I?” she asked coolly.
Walter narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Ye speak with a great deal of confidence for a woman tied to a log.”
“That is because I ken the man ye’ve chosen to provoke,” Arianna replied.
The men glanced among themselves.
“And what kind of man is he?” Walter asked.
Arianna’s gaze hardened. “The kind who will burn this camp to the ground,” she said quietly.
Silence fell over the fire for a moment. One raider looked toward the dark forest beyond the camp. “Maybe we should move,” he muttered.
Walter shot him an irritated look. “Have ye lost yer nerve?”
The man shrugged awkwardly. “Just saying… McGuire lands are close.”
Walter turned his attention back to Arianna. “Ye speak as though yer Laird is some unstoppable warlord.”
Arianna gave a faint, knowing smile. “Ye’ll see soon enough.”
Several of the raiders muttered under their breath. One spat into the fire. “I still say we ransom her.”
“Nay,” another insisted. “The trap will bring more gold than any ransom.”
The argument grew louder as they began debating among themselves. Arianna remained silent, though inside her mind raced with calculation.
Good. Argue.
The longer they wasted time, the greater the chance Ian might find her. She watched the men carefully as they bickered, memorizing their faces and their movements.
Walter eventually slammed his hand against a wooden crate. “Enough!” he snapped.
The men fell silent.
“We keep her here for now,” he decided. “If the McGuire men come searching, we’ll decide then whether she’s worth ransom or blood.”
The raiders grumbled but obeyed. As the night deepened, they began drinking heavily around the fire while Arianna sat bound and silent nearby.
Arianna drew a slow breath and stared into the flickering flames. Despite everything, a strange calm settled over her heart.
Ian will come.
She had seen the fire in his eyes too many times to doubt it. The thought surprised her. So much anger had stood between them these past days, so many harsh words and bitter doubts. Yet here in the darkness, facing real danger, the truth revealed itself clearly. Despite everything… she trusted him.
I trust him with me life.
The realization struck her like a sudden bolt of lightning. Her fingers curled slightly against the rope around her wrists.
Ian…
For the first time since her capture, hope burned bright within her chest.
The fire in the raider camp had burned low, its embers glowing red beneath a thin veil of drifting smoke.
Arianna sat against the rough log where they had bound her, her head bowed slightly as if she had long since surrendered to exhaustion.
The guard assigned to watch her slumped nearby, a half-empty flask dangling loosely from his fingers.
His breathing had grown heavy and uneven as drink and fatigue dragged him toward sleep.
Arianna watched him carefully through lowered lashes.
The rope around her wrists had been tied tightly hours before, yet little by little she had worked the knot loose against the rough edge of the log.
Each subtle movement had been slow and patient, hidden beneath the quiet stillness of the night.
Now the fibers had loosened just enough, and she slid one wrist free.
Her pulse quickened. Carefully, silently, she slipped the rope from her hands.
The guard snorted softly and shifted where he sat, but he did not wake.
Arianna remained perfectly still for several heartbeats, listening to the soft crackle of the fire and the distant murmur of raiders speaking among themselves.
When no one stirred, she slowly leaned forward and eased onto her hands and knees.
The camp lay scattered around her in shadows and dim firelight. Several men were still drinking while others had stretched themselves out to sleep. A few tethered horses, including her own, stood near the edge of the clearing where the trees thickened again. Arianna fixed her gaze upon them.
That is my path.
Slowly, carefully, she began to crawl. Every movement felt painfully loud to her ears as dry leaves crunched faintly beneath her palms. She kept low to the ground, inching across the clearing while her heart hammered wildly inside her chest. The men nearby laughed loudly at some crude jest, masking the faint sounds of her escape.
She reached the shadow of a nearby tree and paused to catch her breath.
The horses were only a short distance away now.
Arianna rose slightly and crept forward again, her cloak brushing softly against the grass.
Her horse shifted and snorted quietly as she approached.
She reached for its reins, whispering softly to calm the animal.
“Easy now… hush, lass.”
The horse lowered its head slightly. Relief flickered through her chest.
Just as her fingers closed firmly around the reins, a voice barked sharply behind her.
“Oi—what are ye doing?”
Arianna froze. Walter had risen from his bedroll and was staring directly at her. His eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing. Arianna did not hesitate.
She spun toward him and seized a fallen branch. With all the strength she could muster, she flung it at him. The crack echoed through the clearing as it hit his head.
Walter staggered back with a roar of pain. “She’s loose!” he bellowed furiously.
The camp exploded into motion. Men scrambled to their feet, overturning cups and crates as they grabbed for weapons. Arianna vaulted onto the horse’s back in one swift motion, barely pausing to steady herself.
“Stop her!” someone shouted.
She dug her heels hard into the horse’s sides. The animal bolted forward into the dark forest.
Branches whipped past her face as the horse crashed through the underbrush, its hooves pounding wildly against the uneven ground. Behind her, she could hear the furious shouts of the raiders as they rushed to mount their own horses.
“There she goes!”
“After her!”
Arianna leaned low against the horse’s neck as the forest rushed past in a blur.
Cold wind stung her eyes while her heart hammered violently in her chest. She had no saddle, no reins, only the horse’s mane clutched tightly in her fists.
Ride. Just ride.
Behind her, the thunder of hooves grew louder. Walter’s furious voice cut through the night.
“Don’t let her get away!”
Arianna glanced back over her shoulder just in time to see three riders bursting from the trees behind her. One of them raised a bow.
Her breath caught. The arrow whistled past her ear and struck a tree ahead with a dull thud. Another followed.
She ducked low against the horse’s neck. The forest floor grew rougher as roots and stones jutted from the earth. The horse stumbled once but recovered quickly, charging forward through the darkness.
“Faster!” she whispered desperately.
Branches clawed at her cloak as she pushed deeper into the woods. Another arrow flew past her shoulder.
“Stop her!” one raider shouted.
Arianna urged the horse onward, her muscles burning with tension as fear and determination drove her forward. She could not see clearly where she rode, but she did not slow. Behind her, the raiders gained ground. Hooves thundered closer.
Suddenly, a rider surged ahead of the others and cut across her path.
The horse reared violently as the man grabbed its bridle.
Arianna cried out as she was thrown from the animal’s back and crashed hard onto the forest floor.
Pain shot through her side as rough hands seized her before she could rise.
Walter rode up moments later, blood still smeared across his cheek where she had struck him.
His eyes burned with fury. “Did ye truly think ye could escape me?” he snarled.
Arianna struggled fiercely against the men holding her. “I would rather die than remain yer prisoner,” she spat.
Walter laughed harshly. “We’ll see about that.”
He gestured sharply toward the camp. “Take her back.”
The raiders dragged her to her feet and began hauling her through the trees once more. Arianna’s heart pounded wildly as exhaustion and frustration surged through her. She had been so close.
Yet, even now, she refused to surrender. As the campfires came back into view through the darkness, she lifted her chin stubbornly.
Ian will find me.
And until that moment came, she would continue fighting with every breath she had left.