Chapter 2
Callan walked a step ahead of Nora, leading her to a small trail that led through the trees.
He glanced at the sword’s hiding place and frowned.
He’d have to come back for that later. It would ruin his story if he fetched it now, and he didn’t think she would believe him if he just happened upon the sword.
He was dismayed that the carriage hadn’t turned up much either.
What kind of woman traveled without any jewelry?
It was a most bizarre situation, and she was a most intriguing woman.
Now that she was free of her blindfold he could see that her eyes were as blue as a rich summer’s sky and just as alluring.
It was indeed fortunate that he was the one to come upon her, for other men might not have been so noble as him and would have taken her virtue, considering that she didn’t have anything else of value to rob.
But she was clearly of value in some way to MacPherson, and that meant he needed to keep her close. Was she a daughter, a relative, perhaps something else?
When he noticed her lingering behind him he slowed his pace and grabbed her wrist, curling his fingers around the soft, alabaster skin. Nora gasped and tried to pull away.
“Best tae keep close, lass. Ye dinnae ken when bandits will leap up and try tae steal ye away,” Callan said.
Her bright blue eyes widened with fear and he almost pitied playing with her like this. The only dangerous man around was him, but if she was afraid then she would be more compliant, and that made his task easier.
“How many were there?” she asked, her tender, youthful face shadowed by fear.
Her palm was turned upwards to him and from the soft skin he could tell that she had known a comfortable life free of hard work. Her dress was the kind that noble women wore as well, not the kind that everyday women wore to protect them from suds and knives and soil.
“I saw three, but there could hae been more.”
“Ye fought off three men?” Nora gasped.
“I dinnae think they expected tae be startled, and yer guard wounded one of them. He seemed like a fierce fighter, they must hae gotten lucky against him. I saw them over his body. They grabbed his things, and perhaps that’s all they wanted.”
“Why didn’t they hurt me?” Nora asked, a confused expression on her face.
Callan shrugged, trying not to show his annoyance with her incessant questions. She was too curious for her own good and now he had to embellish details about this non-existent attack and try to think about the motivations of these imaginary bandits.
“Perhaps they were new at this, or they just wanted the coin and dinnae really want tae hurt anyone.”
Nora scowled and he was surprised by the forbidding look upon her face, as well as the harshness of her tone.
“Even if they’re poor that’s nae excuse. They are vile cowards, attacking a man when they outnumber him. If they want coin then they should work for it like anyone else.”
Callan turned his head away, hiding his sour look.
As if ye ken what work is, he thought, but kept it to himself.
“Aye, well, who kens what gaes on in a bandit’s mind,” he said, surreptitiously moving his hand around to the pouch he had stolen, his fingers nestling against the coins.
“What were ye daeing there?” she asked.
“Just wandering. I live nearby. In fact, we’re almost there,” he said, hoping that she would be done with the questions before too long.
The trees parted and the ground became a little softer as his humble hut came into view. It was hidden from the rest of the world, framed by lush trees.
A perfect hideaway for a man who didn’t want to be found.
The hut was cast in shadows, although sunlight slanted through gaps in the trees. There was a stump outside that he used to chop wood, and a spit where he roasted meat.
“This is where ye live? Are ye a huntsman?” she asked.
Callan considered the question for a moment and then decided that it was an accurate enough description.
“Aye, lass, that’s exactly what I am,” he said, then opened the door.
The hut was made up of just a few rooms. The main area had a thin rug stretched upon the floor, one of his earliest spoils that he kept for sentimental reasons.
A hearth stood at the far end of the room.
There was a simple kitchen that housed a counter and all the implements he needed, while a doorway led to a bedroom.
In the main room there was a large chair by the hearth with a sheepskin blanket draped over it.
A long bench rested against a wall, and another blanket was placed upon this.
“Thank ye for saving me,” Nora said as she perched on the edge of the bench.
Callan poured her some water into the single cup he owned. It flowed clear from the jug.
“Drink this. Ye must be thirsty. There’s a well out back,” he said as she eyed the cup suspiciously.
Nora took it from him and clutched the cup with two hands, sipping at first, then draining the cup dry. Drops of water lingered on her lips, making them shine. He turned away, wondering why he was tempted to stare so intently.
“Where is the nearest village? We should gae there for help,” she said.
Callan stretched his arms out by his side.
“Lass, ye are safe here. There will nae be any bandits storming these walls, I guarantee it.”
“But the carriage hae been left there, and that man should nae be left tae rot in the middle of the road. There should be dignity in death.”
“Aye, lass, there should,” Callan said, although he was so familiar with death that he knew more often than not there was no dignity.
He didn’t share this with Nora, however.
If she wanted to cling to a naive view of the world then so be it, it would not last for much longer.
The truth of it all would be revealed to her in time.
Callan sighed. “But I’m afraid the village is too far for us tae walk right now. Darkness shall fall, and ye should nae be in the woods after dark. They’re even more dangerous in the daytime.”
“I just hate the thought that they’re lurking out there. What if they hae been watching us this whole time?” Nora asked, rounding her shoulders and folding her arms around her body, as if to shield herself from an invisible threat.
Callan pressed his lips together, beginning to regret the story he had concocted. He thought it better this way to gain her trust, but now he wondered if he should have blindfolded her himself and dragged her here as his prisoner rather than his guest.
It took a great deal of effort to keep his voice calm.
“Then I shall gae and scout the area tae make sure they are nae near us. I will nae be seen. I ken these woods better than anyone, certainly better than any bandits. By the way they scurried away I would nae be surprised if they’re far from here, counting whatever they stole from yer guard.
I can also get help from some other hunters I ken in the area,” he said, heading towards the door.
To his dismay and surprise, Nora rose as well.
“I’ll come with ye.”
“Stay here,” he said, meaning for it to be an order rather than a request, although Nora didn’t seem to be of the same opinion.
She reached the door with him and the air became alive with her scent, as it had been when he held her close.
He had been struck by the softness of her body and the sweet scent lingering in her hair, as well as the beads of anxious sweat that rested against her temples.
He was no stranger to the closeness of a woman, but there was something different about Nora that he couldn’t quite define.
He brushed it off as the air of nobility, but it continued to nag at him.
“The woods are too dangerous. Ye are better off staying here,” he said.
“And walking intae the woods with a stranger is nae dangerous? Staying alone in a hut without any idea of where I am? What if the bandits are watching us now and wait until ye leave? What if ye come back tae find me…” she trailed away, unable to finish the thought.
Her face paled with fear and he watched her lower lip tremble. While he did not hold any regrets about his vocation, he did not take joy in causing a lass distress.
“Dae ye think ye are in danger with me?” he asked, softening his voice.
Nora’s head dropped and she averted her gaze.
“I dinnae ken,” she whispered.
“I saved ye, lass, believe me, if I wanted tae hurt ye I would hae done it back on the road. I can tell ye are shaken, but I promise that nae bandits will find this place. I will nae be long. Let me light the hearth and ye can rest. I will see tae everything,” he said, moving away from the door and turning his attention to the hearth.
He worked on the fire. Nora remained by the door, but it didn’t take long before she was sinking into the chair, letting the warmth flood over her. She nestled into the sheepskin blanket and tilted her head back.
Callan rose, watching the amber glow dance upon her face.
“I will scout the area around here first, and if there’s any danger I will whistle. If ye hear it, gae intae that room and bar the door behind ye. Wait for danger tae pass, but I’m sure it will nae come tae that,” he said.
Then, he placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled. It was a high, piercing sound that filled the hut. Nora winced.
“How can ye be sae relaxed?” she asked.
“Because I ken the world, and if those bandits hae been bloodthirsty they would nae hae stopped until the both of us were dead. But I’ll gae and scout anyway. I will nae be long,” he said.
Thankfully this time she remained in the chair, calmed by the warmth of the fire. Callan closed the door behind him and breathed a sigh of relief.
Now that he had her, he just had to figure out what to do with her.
Callan sauntered away from the hut and then broke into a run, jogging back to the road. Everything was as he had left it.
Empty.
He dragged the guard’s body to the edge of the forest and laid it among the shrubs.
He needed time to decide what to do next, and it was better if people didn’t discover a dead body nearby.
While he had taken every effort to obscure his hut, if people were scouring the forest they might well happen upon it.
Callan, however, did not share Nora’s opinion that everyone deserved dignity in death. Given that this guard served MacPherson, there was no telling what kind of grim deeds he had performed over the years.
“I wonder how many people would be happy tae ken yer life hae come tae an end,” Callan muttered as he pulled a leafy branch over the man’s face.
Then, Callan turned to the carriage and pulled out his dagger, cutting the horses free.
He kept hold of one of the reins. One horse was allowed to roam free, while the other would have more work to do.
He was a little wary of taking it back to the hut should Nora recognize the horse.
However, since she was blindfolded for the trip the chances were slim, and even if she did, well, he was confident that he could explain his way out of it.
He pulled himself atop the horse and took a deep breath before riding away. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do about the carriage. It would just have to stand there, silent and abandoned, a mystery about what happened to it.