Chapter 1 #2
“Dae ye want someone tae see ye? If they realize we’re up here, they’ll have us cornered,” Nessa said. She began climbing, moving about the tree as naturally as a squirrel. Caroline took a moment to speak with compassion to Tara.
“I know this is hard. It’s nae what any of us planned. Believe me, I dinnae want any of this tae happen. But it is happening, and it’s my job tae keep ye safe. I hae been daeing it for all ye life, aye?”
“Aye,” Tara replied reluctantly.
“Then trust me again now. I know ye are tired. I know ye are hurt. But we cannae allow our uncle’s men tae find us. Whatever fate awaits us, we share,” Caroline said, although in her heart she knew she was lying.
A look of resolve came upon Tara’s face.
She inhaled deeply and then rose, wringing out her skirt.
She went ahead, following Nessa’s path. Caroline trailed behind her.
As they ascended the tree, the ground became more distant, and more dangerous.
A fall from this height would kill them.
Caroline tried not to look down, for her head became dizzy with vertigo when she did.
Nessa kept climbing and climbing. The leaves rustled as they passed.
Eventually, Nessa stopped. There was a wide network of branches that were obscured from view by a thick veil of leaves.
Tara once again positioned herself against the trunk.
Caroline leaned down, straining her ears to listen for the hunters.
She put her finger to her lips, indicating to her sisters that they should remain silent.
The next few moments were filled with tension. Caroline’s heart beat so loudly she feared it would give them away. Their wet clothes emphasized the cold, and it made them shiver. It wasn’t long before they heard the dogs yapping near the stream. The heavy boots of men splashed across the water.
“They cannae hae gone far,” one of them grunted.
“Let’s fan out. They must be here. Can ye imagine the reward we’ll get if we’ll find them?”
“Aye, perhaps a night with one of them.” The man cackled.
Caroline winced at the evil intent. Tara and Nessa recoiled.
This world that had seemed so safe for them had suddenly become dangerous.
Without their father to protect them, Caroline struggled to see a way forward.
But she reminded herself that she was a well-educated young woman, the daughter of a Laird.
Pride flowed through her blood and she was not about to wilt in the face of pressure.
She could not allow herself to suffer this fate because her sisters depended on her.
The men and dogs moved on, still calling out their names. Tara moved, intending to descend the tree, but Caroline shook her head.
“Nae yet. We need tae wait for darkness tae fall,” Caroline warned.
The pale light of the day faded. Tara slumped against the tree, her head nestled against the crook of a branch, and she fell asleep.
“I dinnae know how she can sleep at a time like this,” Nessa scowled.
“It’s been a long day,” Caroline replied.
“Aye, that it hae. I wish I hae time tae fetch my bow. I could hae taught those guards a lesson in loyalty. I cannae believe how quickly they turned on us.”
“They depend on the Laird for their coin. His word is law,” Caroline’s words were faint and shrouded in fear. “I want ye tae promise me something, Nessa. If the worst should happen, I want ye tae take Tara far away from here. Be safe. Find a small part of the world and hide.”
Nessa frowned. “Ye will be there with us all the way. What are ye saying, Caroline?”
Caroline lifted her head and looked at Nessa directly. There was a resigned look in her eyes. “We may nae be able tae flee. I cannae imagine our uncle is gaeing tae stop until he marries me tae establish his power. If we are chased, I will give myself up, but ye and Tara must keep running.”
Nessa’s eyes flashed with panic. “Nae! Caroline, hae ye lost yer mind?”
“It might be the only way tae ensure yer safety. I will nae allow ye and Tara tae suffer at the hands of our uncle.”
“And we will nae let ye suffer either,” Nessa argued back, just as stubborn as her sister. “I dinnae know why ye get tae make this decision. What if I wanted tae sacrifice myself tae save the two of ye?”
Caroline lifted her head and wore an indignant expression. “I am the eldest. It’s my responsibility tae look after ye. It’s what Da and Ma would hae wanted.”
Nessa wore a sullen expression. “I am nae letting that happen. We’re in this taegether, nae matter what.”
They waited for a long time until the veil of night shrouded the world.
Stars twinkled above, and a crescent moon looked as though a thief had cut a slit in the night sky, stealing all of its secrets.
Caroline and Nessa felt as though enough time had passed for them to move.
They nudged Tara awake, who yawned and quickly huffed as she was reminded that their current situation was not a nightmare.
One by one, they shimmied down the tree, landing with a soft thump. The forest was quiet.
“Let’s gae, quickly,” Caroline said.
“Where are we gaeing?” Tara asked.
“Away from the Keep,” Caroline replied.
She didn’t have a singular destination in mind, she only knew that she needed to put as much distance between them and the Keep as possible.
She assumed that if she traveled in a straight line, then even in darkness she would make a lot of progress.
They kept low, skulking between trees and keeping themselves obscured between shrubs.
They stopped occasionally when they heard a suspicious noise, before continuing.
Tara was directly behind Caroline and tugged at her hand when a wolf howled in the distance.
Their uncle was not the only danger lurking in the woods.
“We should be careful we dinnae creep intae Knox territory,” Nessa warned.
“Why nae? Perhaps we could find help in another clan,” Tara asked, sweet, naive Tara.
Nessa let out a dark laugh. “Nae with the way Laird Knox treats trespassers. I heard he hanged a hundred men last year. ”
“We dinnae need tae know the details,” Caroline cut Nessa off before she could inflame any more fear.
Tara was already frightened enough. “If our path is true, then we should nae come anywhere near Knox territory. I’m sure we will find an inn along the way, and we can find lodgings for the night.
Think of the hot meal waiting for us, and the comfortable bedding. ”
Tara found this easier to imagine than the others.
Fatigue tugged at Caroline’s muscles. Hunger gnawed in her stomach like an angry beast. It became more and more difficult to keep her eyes open, and there were moments when the world seemed to spin around her.
They came across a small campfire. The smell of roasted meat drifted towards them, and never had she experienced anything more alluring.
But around the campfire were two guards.
Nessa was adamant she could sneak in and steal some food.
Before Caroline could warn her against it, the headstrong Nessa was already moving.
She nimbly skipped into the camp and moved like a shadow. She reached into one of the supply bags and pulled out some wrapped food, but as she withdrew her hand the bag slumped down, and a buckle clinked.
Nessa moved quickly. Caroline and Tara turned. They sprinted away before the other guards could give chase, but then they hit what felt like a brick wall. The girls fell back, gasping. Caroline looked up and saw the mean snarl of a guard. She went to scream, but a hand was clamped around her mouth.
The sisters were bound, gagged, and blindfolded.
They were dragged back across the land. Caroline’s heart sank that their escape had been short-lived.
The terrain changed from soft soil to hard stone.
Pressure was placed on her knees, forcing her to kneel.
Suddenly, the blindfold was lifted, and she was looking up at a man whose appearance was spoken about in whispered fears.
She had miscalculated their path.
They were now in the clutches of Laird Knox.