Chapter 36 #2
Cairren was tempted to spew the obscenities she’d learned at court and the ones she’d heard from the Munros, but she took care not to antagonize Duncan.
She also didn’t want him to grow suspicious, so she let loose an ear-piercing scream as he moved toward the entrance.
As soon as she could no longer see Duncan, she began working on the ropes.
She would take her chances if he were to return, but she wouldn’t lose a minute while the tide surged toward her, splashing over her knees.
The saltwater spray stung her eyes, and the frigid water splashing her face felt like shards of ice, but she worked quickly to cut the ropes.
She grew impatient as the minutes passed, but it was awkward trying to drag the knife along the rope, especially without cutting herself.
The water had reached her mid-thighs when the length gave way.
She inched her way to the side of the cave where she saw a ledge that was wet but not submerged.
She squatted, trying to keep her skirts out of the way as she worked to free her feet.
She knew she had a better chance with her stronger legs propelling her through the water than her arms.
Once her feet were loose and she’d kicked off her boots, she ripped at her skirts just above her knees.
Her muscular legs would do her little good if they were tangled in fabric.
She ripped a hole in the material, but it was hard to cut it.
She stood on the hem, pulling the fabric taut, making it a little easier to tear.
When she had a hole large enough for her fingers, she kept her feet on the hem of the skirt but took a large step forward while pulling up on the part her fingers held.
The skirt tore, and she continued taking steps toward the mouth of the cave until the ledge ran out.
She’d ripped a large enough hole that when she bent over and leaned against the wall, she could step through it.
She gathered the material between her teeth and split the rest of it off.
She was breathless by the time she finished.
She pulled her arisaid loose. Her only regret to leaving it behind was that it was Padraig’s; she couldn’t care less that it was a Munro plaid.
She watched the tide push it into the cavern before sucking it back toward her.
The rushing water now submerged the ledge, and the water was rapidly rising to her waist. She tried to use the last few minutes she had to loosen her wrists.
Between the knife and her teeth, the rope grew slack, but not enough to break through or to slip her hands out.
She knew the bone chilling water would only make the fibers more rigid, but she had no choice.
She had to abandon the cave, or it would become her coffin.
Dunure Castle had a secret passageway that led below the cliffs to Browney’s Cave.
Her parents insisted that their daughters know how to make their way through the tunnel and out to the postern gate.
They’d shown the girls how to scale the rock face to find the key that unlocked the gate, allowing them freedom to the Firth of Clyde.
She’d learned to swim in the firth and was grateful she knew what to expect as the icy water continued to rise.
It didn’t make it feel any less cold, but it also didn’t steal her breath.
Her father taught her to count how long each inward and outward surge lasted, so she would know when to surface and cling to the rocks.
She tried not to dwell on the inward surge, which appeared more powerful, lasting longer than the outward.
I can’t wait any longer. I chose to go with Duncun not only to save Lachlan and his men but because I thought it was my best chance to save my bairn. Waiting in this cave will surely kill us both.
She put the handle of her sgian dubh in her mouth and eased into the water, gingerly feeling around with her legs for any outcroppings of rocks she hadn’t spied as she entered.
She waited through two sets of surges to get a feel for the waves’ strength.
When the third outward surge began, she dove under the surface and kicked as hard as she could as she counted.
Just before the movement shifted, she surfaced.
She used her fingers to grip the rocks as best she could, but the strength of the rushing water pushed her back a couple of feet.
She dove again as the tide sucked the water from the cave.
She kicked even as the muscles in her legs rebelled against working in the freezing water.
You can’t give up. It’s not aboot you anymore. You have someone else to think aboot. Cairren reminded herself once again of the babe she suspected she carried. She would do anything she could to protect the life that might be growing within her womb.
It took Cairren four rounds of swimming with the current until she emerged from the mouth.
She had to contend with the crashing waves and spray pushing her toward the jagged rocks.
She found a rock she could wrap her legs around and clung to it, as she heaved and spat saltwater.
She glanced around, trying to get her bearing.
She could see where Duncan brought her down to the cave, but the high tide covered the pebbly beach.
She wasn’t sure that even if she made it there that she could reach up to climb the rocks to the part of the path free of water.
She considered turning her back to the waves and trying again to free her hands, but she knew the rope wouldn’t give now that it was wet. She would do better to save her energy.
Cairren looked across the cave’s mouth and tried to see if there was another path up the cliffside, but she couldn’t see anything.
It would be hours before the tide went out, and she would freeze to death before then.
She had no choice but to try to at least cling to the rocks along the shore where the beach had been, rather than remaining in the middle of the opening to the cave.
She gripped her dirk between her teeth again and drew in a deep breath.
She prayed she was strong enough not to be dragged back into the cave.
She pushed away from the rocks, kicking and using her arms to pull her through the water.
When her lungs couldn’t last any longer, she kicked to the surface.
She’d traveled further than she expected, but the cliff still appeared elusive.
She didn’t give herself time to think beyond drawing in another deep breath before diving under.