Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
E wan awoke during the night and felt the loss of Annie’s comforting warmth next to him. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. Feeling panic setting in, he sat up and lit a single candle. He held it aloft, his eyes scanning the dark corners of the tent for her. He breathed a sigh of relief to see she was sleeping on the floor next to the stove, huddled in a blanket. When he had retired for an early night to recover from his hangover, she had not yet returned.
He thought of going to fetch her and making her get into the cot with him. But after watching her for a few moments more and remembering how flustered she had been by the kiss, how she had run out of the tent, red with embarrassment, he decided against it. If she was so embarrassed by what she had done, he did not want to make things worse.
Instead, he got silently out of the cot and fetched a spare blanket from the wooden chest. Creeping across to where she was sleeping he gently laid it over her, being careful not to wake her as he tucked in the edges. Then, feeling a little sad and confused, he got back into bed, blew out the flame and lay down again, only to find he could not go back to sleep. He stared into the darkness.
The kiss lingered in his mind and upon his lips as he pondered the growing complexity of their relationship. He thought that because she had initiated the kiss—he had wanted to kiss her many times but had always held back—she must feel something for him. The realization sent thrills chasing through his veins. His own feelings for her seemed to have entered a new, unknown dimension. He had already known for some time that he cared for her more than perhaps he should, more than was wise, all things considered. But now, he wondered for the first time if he could be falling in love with her.
Eventually, his tired mind fell back into slumber. He awoke at dawn the next morning, to find Annie still rolled up in her blankets by the stove. Deciding to let her sleep, he grabbed his things and stole from the tent, hastily dressing outside. He felt weary from his broken sleep, yet being out in the fresh air among his men brought renewed focus to his mind.
Colin saw him and went over to him. “New orders, Colin,” he told his captain briskly. “Gather the men. I wantae talk tae them.”
“Aye.” Without further ado, Colin began directing the men to the rallying point in the middle of the camp.
“Now, lads, listen well. I dinnae need tae tell ye that things are gettin’ serious around here. We’ve been here a month, and there’s nae a breath of Galbraith surrenderin’. The longer we stay here, the more likely it is that we’re gonnae clash with Allan and his army, so time’s runnin’ out. Ye’ve all heard about this supposed hidden entrance tae the castle. Some of ye have been tryin’ tae find it, without success so far. Maybe that’s because it daesnae exist, or maybe ye just didnae look hard enough.” There were muted protests from some of the men, but he waved them down and continued, his deep voice ringing out over the campground.
“But I can tell ye now that it daes exist. It’s here somewhere. I want ye tae search again, turn over every inch of these woods and fields around the castle until ’tis found. Because every second that we lose by failin’ tae find it cuts our chances of overcomin’ Allan and Galbraith’s forces.”
Having given his command, Ewan turned to Colin and said, “I’m goin’ out fer a scout about, but in the meantime, I want ye tae send out some riders, as many as ye can spare, fer the search. Tell them tae find someone, anyone, with knowledge of a secret passageway into the castle. Tell them tae offer them gold in exchange for the information and bring them back here tae me at once.”
“Will dae,” Colin replied, striding away to carry out his laird’s orders. With the day’s commands given and a determination in his heart that they would bear the desired fruit, Ewan decided to pick up breakfast and go back to the tent. He planned to eat and then ride out. But he also wanted to try to talk to Annie about what had happened the night before. He had found the tension between them after the “incident” at the pond almost unbearable. Hating the thought of being on bad terms with her again, he wanted to try to reach some sort of understanding with her before things got out of hand.
He fetched breakfast and headed back to the tent, to find her up and dressed. “Good mornin’,” he said evenly, thinking she looked pale and on edge as he carried the tray to the table and set it down. She nodded silently as he sat in his usual chair and poured them both mugs of tea from the billycan as he always did. Then, he sprinkled some salt on his oatmeal, picked up his spoon, and began eating. He was trying to formulate his opening conversational gambit when she suddenly plonked herself down in the chair opposite, leaned on her elbows towards him, and as if the kiss had not happened, declared firmly, “I’m comin’ with ye.”
“Comin’ where?” he asked, though he knew the answer.
“I heard what ye said tae Colin about goin’ out scoutin’ this mornin’. Well, I’m comin’ with ye.” She sat back and folded her arms, her expression adorably serious.
Well, with danger lurking without the camp, he had had no intention of leaving her there without him to protect her. “I suppose ye can come, but only if ye swear tae dae exactly what I say, and stay next tae me,” he told her, trying to sound stern.
“I swear,” she said at once, her face relaxing. It was the faint mixture of relief and triumph which flickered across her features that made him wonder what he had just agreed to.
An hour later, they rode out side by side at the head of a larger scouting party, in search of the information Ewan was determined to find.
They followed the main road to the castle, through the forest, and out the other side into moorland, heading for the various outlying villages. They were suddenly confronted by an armed party of about ten soldiers wearing black and gold jackets coming in the other direction.
“Jaysus, that’s Allan’s uniform those men are wearin’,” Ewan hissed to Annie as both parties reined in a hundred feet away from each other and glared across the divide.
“When we attack, ride as fast as ye can back tae the camp, Annie, and tell them what’s happenin’. I dinnae want ye in any danger,” Ewan instructed her urgently, unsheathing his sword, fearful for her safety. It was the signal for the others to do the same, on both sides.
“I’m nae leavin’ ye,” she declared determinedly, pulling out her own weapon.
“Annie! This is nae the time tae argue. Dae as I say!” He flashed her an angry look, but there was no time to wait to make sure she had complied. He looked ahead and saw the enemy starting to charge, blades raised for attack. He thrust his own sword aloft and bellowed, “That’s the enemy, lads. Let’s give them a taste of our metal!”
Both parties let out an almighty roar as they raced forward, weapons glinting in the sun as they rode like the wind towards each other. They clashed with a sound like thunder, and a fierce battle ensued. Ewan saw men on both sides fall from their horses in the first hectic collision and then be mercilessly cut down by those still on horseback. Others who fell got up and slashed at the legs of the passing enemy riders, aiming to unset them, or engaged in close combat, the sound of metal on metal ringing out across the field along with rough shouts and the screams of men and horses in agony.
Roaring curses at their foes, Ewan carved a savage swathe through the melee, slashing left and right with his blade, leaving blood and mayhem in his wake as he forced his stallion forward, heading straight for the commander of the small enemy force. The man, whose face was partially concealed beneath a helmet, bared his teeth as he rushed to meet him, blade held aloft.
When they met, they both wielded their reins and swords skillfully, trading deadly blows on horseback, taking pass after pass, each trying to mortally wound the other and send them crashing to the ground, to be finished off with a single thrust. Ewan fought ferociously, knowing what was at stake, but he was also worried for Annie’s safety. He dared not take his eyes off his opponent for one second, so he just had to trust that she had obeyed his command and gone back to the camp.
Maybe it was that moment of distraction that enable his assailant to wound his shoulder, not badly enough to slow him down, but uncomfortable just the same. Furious at his slip, he redoubled his attack and finally succeeded in ousting the enemy captain from his saddle. His stallion reared as Ewan doubled back, slashing at the unprotected man’s neck as he staggered to his feet. Ewan did not bother to wait and watch after he fell, screaming and clutching the spurting wound—he was already on to his next victim.
Ewan found that in a fight, time both sped up and slowed down. Thus, it seemed like an eternity and at the same time mere seconds passed before he understood they were winning the battle against Allan’s men. The remaining soldiers were starting to scatter in all directions, on horseback or on foot, feeling from their pursuers.
That was how he managed to have the time to turn his horse and spot one of them heading straight for Annie. On seeing her still there, he felt a rush of anger to find she had disobeyed him and put herself in danger. Nevertheless, he thanked the Lord she’d had enough sense not to join the charge and had instead hung back from the main conflict.
That had been safe for a while, but now the enemy soldier wanted her horse to try and get away. He was trying to grab the reins and attacking her, and she was struggling to control the horse and stop him from pulling her down by slashing at him with her sword!
With terror in his heart, Ewan kicked up the stallion and thundered towards them, his bloody sword out held at his side. By the time he got there, the man had Annie halfway out of her saddle, and although she was putting up a spirited fight, Ewan could see she was in great danger. Driven by a deep need to protect her, he slipped from the saddle, immediately yanking the man off her by the collar of his uniform coat.
The man shouted and staggered a little but soon righted himself. Ewan raised his blade to cut the fellow down and only glimpsed the dirk glinting in his fist when it made contact with his chest, a long horizontal slash that tore through his leather jerkin and into his flesh. Hardly realizing he had been cut, Ewan knocked the dirk from his assailant’s hand and forced him to the ground, gripping his throat tightly.
“Where’s yer maister’s army? How many days from here?” he demanded, shaking the man violently.
“I’ll tell ye naethin’, ye bastard,” the man spat.
Ewan put the point of his sword to the fellow’s throat. The man shrank back, but Ewan held him tightly in place. “Tell me what I wantae ken and maybe I’ll spare yer life.”
“He’s two days away at least,” the soldier admitted, his face turning red, then blue. He choked out curses as he struggled in vain to loosen the grip on his throat.
“Thank ye, that’s very helpful,” Ewan growled before running the man through the chest. He flung the still twitching body to the ground at Annie’s feet. She ran to him, but when he tried to put his arms around her, he felt a terrible pain in his chest that made him double over.
“Ach, Ewan, ye’re hurt!” she cried, shoving herself beneath his shoulder in an attempt to hold him up.
“’Tis naethin, just a scratch,” he told her, nausea sweeping through him. He leaned on her as he looked around and saw his remaining men gathering themselves, dusting themselves off, retrieving their horses and those of the enemy that were running loose.
“Bring their weapons,” he shouted, “and pile the corpses in the wood over there before ye come back tae the camp.” The men started to do as he commanded.
“Ewan, ye’re badly hurt. Ye havetae come with me tae see the healer right away,” Annie said urgently, her face white. She ripped off her kerchief and placed it over the wound, trying to staunch the blood.
“Later. We need tae get back tae the camp and report this. Somehow, some of Allan’s men, an advance scouting party nay doubt, got intae the area without me knowledge. I must get back and tell Colin what’s happened.”
“All right, we’ll go back,” she agreed, “but as soon as ye’ve told Colin, we’re goin’ tae see the healer.”
“All right,” he said grudgingly, in agony from his injury and worried about the appearance of Allan’s men. Yet a part of him was deeply touched by the concern she was showing for him.
Once his men had concealed the enemy corpses, they gathered around their laird. They had lost four men and another five were injured, some seriously. What was left of the scouting party limped back to the camp.