Chapter 9 #3
“What’s the matter? Canna ye teach anyone? Or is it too hard for ye to do that?”
“Of course, I can,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road. “I can teach anyone.”
“Just not a woman.”
“That’s no’ true,” he protested. “I said I could teach anyone and I mean it. I could even teach the skill to a child if I had to.”
“That’s wonderful. I think ye should.”
“What?” He turned and looked at her in confusion.
“Children, yer faither is goin’ to teach ye how to make a bow and arrows,” she called back to them.
“Wait! I dinna say that.” Why had she twisted his words?
“Da, I canna wait,” said Colina, standing up in the cart.
“I want to learn, too,” said Leith, never wanting to be left out.
“Now look what ye’ve done,” Shaw grumbled.
“I think it’s a fine idea.” That little smirk was back on her face again. “Ye said ye could teach the skill to women and children, and now ye’re goin’ to be able to prove yer boast.”
He was about to complain again when she glanced at the road and her eyes opened wide.
“Stop!” she shouted, causing Shaw to pull back on the reins. His daughter was standing and ended up falling atop the tarp inside the wagon. A man was lying on the road, face down.
“Da, there’s a man in the road and he looks like he’s dead,” said Leith.
“He’s no’ dead,” said Shaw. “It’s a trap. Hold on, everyone, we’re goin’ to get the hell out of here.”
“Wait, Shaw,” Spring begged him. “What if the man has been robbed and is hurt?”
“Why would ye say that? Ye ken better than me what this is all about.”
Spring knew Shaw was right. This had all the signs about it of being naught but a trap. Still, the vision was stuck in her mind of Shaw’s dead father looking up at her with sad, frightened, hollow eyes.
“Ye’re right,” she agreed, pushing aside her emotions, coming back to her senses. “These woods are full of bandits.” She scanned the area, looking for men.
Shaw directed the horse around the man on the road. Just as they passed by, the man jumped up, grabbing Leith from the cart and holding a dagger to his neck.
“Nay!” cried Spring.
Shaw stopped the cart and was off of it with his sword drawn in a second.
“Leave my son alone,” he warned.
Men appeared from both sides of the road now. They didn’t seem to be from a clan, but rather just bandits, working together.
“Take one step closer and I’ll slit his throat,” the man warned. Leith whimpered.
Spring’s heart jumped and her hand instinctively went to her side to grab for her bow. Of course, it wasn’t there. She did carry a dagger on her waist belt and would use it, even though she didn’t like blades.
“Take the wagon and the girls as well,” the bandit ordered his men.
Shaw fought the bandits like a madman as they swarmed around him, six to one. A man approached the cart and Spring kicked him in the gut and hit him over the head.
“Take Colina and get out of here,” Shaw yelled. “Hurry!”
“Nay, I willna leave ye or the boy.”
“Da!” shouted Colina, poking her head up over the side of the wagon.
“I like wee lassies,” said one of the men, reaching for Colina. Without thinking about it, Spring took her dagger and flung it at the man. The blade stuck into his chest and he released the girl. Colina screamed.
“Get down!” Spring shouted to Colina, as she crawled over the driver’s seat and into the wagon to get to her. Shaw now fought off four men at once. She felt helpless and needed to do something quick.
Ripping the tarp off the shipment, she grabbed a bow and arrow. One by one, she let the arrows fly, taking down one man after another. The horse became spooked and took off without a driver. Spring almost fell from the cart.
“Colina, I need yer help,” she shouted.
Colina was crying and hid her face in her hands.
“Get up,” Spring said, dragging the girl to her feet. “I need ye to crawl over the driver’s seat and grab the reins and stop the horse.”
“I canna,” she said, her voice quavering.
“Do ye want to see yer faither and brathair die?”
“Nay!” She cried harder.
“Then do as I say. I need to keep shootin’ and we’re gettin’ too far away. Now hurry.”
“I will.” Colina momentarily forgot her fear. She climbed over the bench and reached the reins, managing to stop the cart.
Spring saw the man who had grabbed Leith.
He got on a horse and starting to ride away with the boy.
He was getting further away every second and she had to stop him.
This wasn’t her bow but she had to make it work.
Scooping up an arrow and raising the bow, she closed one eye and cocked her head.
Then she let the arrow fly, managing to hit the man in the back.
He pulled back on the reins and his horse reared up.
He fell, along with Leith, to the ground.
She saw Shaw drop the last man and race toward his son. But then another half-dozen men emerged from the woods and it didn’t look promising.
“Hold on, we’re comin’,” came a loud shout from behind her. A Scotsman with red hair barreled down the road with three men on horses following him. Coming to the rescue, he jumped off the horse and started fighting the bandits.
“Stay here and keep yer head down,” she told Colina, running to Leith and Shaw.
“How is he?” she asked, coming to Shaw’s side. Shaw was hunkered down, checking his son.
“He hit his head pretty bad when he fell, but I think he’ll be all right.” Shaw stood up with his son in his arms.
“Give him to me.” Spring threw down the bow and held out her arms.
“Ye . . . saved my life,” said Leith, looking up to Spring with grateful eyes.
“Give him to me,” she said again. “Ye might be needed to help the men who came to our rescue.”
Shaw placed his son in her arms and Leith held on around her neck. “I’m sorry I said I dinna want ye for a mathair,” Leith apologized. “I changed my mind. Now I do.”
Spring felt an odd sensation in her chest and her throat suddenly became tight. She couldn’t answer, even if she wanted to. Leith no longer hated her. He wanted her for a mother. Why did it feel so damned good?