Chapter 6
Islay blinked as she tried to comprehend the fact that Callum was standing in front of the bandits.
At first, she thought she had gone mad, and this was a product of her wild imagination, but as the sunlight hit his sword and the bandits gnashed their teeth, she knew it was real.
Somehow, he had come to save her, and while she was grateful, it was also humiliating that he had to see her like this and be the one to uncover her deed of walking away.
The bandits didn’t seem as shocked, though, or as impressed with his boast. They laughed and drew their weapons.
“I dinnae who ye are, but there is only one of ye and four of us. I prefer our odds, but no matter; two prisoners tae ransom are better than one. I wonder which of ye will get the most coin,” the bandit who had first suggested ransoming off Islay said.
“Let’s find out.” Callum smirked, and then charged into battle.
Islay had never seen anything like it before.
He moved as swiftly as a rushing river. His face twisted into fury, and his muscles bulged with strength.
He closed the distance between himself and the bandits quickly, moving between them, blade flashing into a blur as he struck them down.
He was a skilled swordsman and was no match for these ruffians, even if there were four of them.
The first one was the easiest to knock back.
He had yet to realize that the battle had begun.
Callum charged at him and knocked him over with his brute strength.
The man fell to the ground, arms splayed around him, looking groggy.
Callum brought the butt of his sword down on his head, and it lolled to the side.
In a swift and graceful movement, Callum swung around and met an ax that slashed through the air.
He roared as he pushed the ax back, using his full strength to dominate the bandit.
Islay winced as she heard steel clashing against steel.
The song of war filled the forest, and it seemed as though Callum was the champion of it.
The bandit was soon in a puddle at Callum’s feet, dazed and useless.
But Callum had no chance to celebrate his victory as the third bandit came rushing towards him.
This was the one with the chopped ear. Callum braced himself and quickly stepped aside as the man charged like a bull towards him.
Callum dipped his body and brought his arm crashing into the man’s stomach.
The ax he wielded fell to the ground harmlessly.
Callum wrapped his arms around the man and lifted him off the ground, before slamming him down facefirst, leaving him lying there.
Callum quickly pushed himself up and met the final challenger, the worst one of all, the man with the straggly hair.
Quick as a flash, the bandit flicked his wrist and hurled the dagger at Callum.
Callum raised his sword and deflected the dagger just as it seemed destined to lodge in his face.
The color drained from Islay’s face, but the bandit had ideas other than fighting.
As he saw Callum bearing down on him, he cursed and turned on his heel, sprinting away, leaving his companions behind.
Callum, with his face twisted in rage, looked as though he was going to pursue him, but then he saw Islay, and softened.
He reached behind her and cut her restraints with his sword.
The glowering anger of battle faded, and his fearsome snarl turned into a smirk.
She almost hated him for rescuing her as she didn’t want to depend on anyone, least of all him.
However, she couldn’t deny his strength and bravery.
Taking on four men and winning as easily as Callum had was no small feat.
“Are ye well?” Callum asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
He looked at her intently, and concern came upon his face when he saw her forehead.
She reached up and touched the tender area, feeling the blood that had crusted.
Her pride had been wounded more, though, and she hated that she must have seemed like a silly little girl to him.
“Aye, as well as I can be. What are ye daeing out here?”
“Oh, well, thank ye, Callum, for saving me would be nice,” he said, his eyes twinkling. Islay was fatigued, and her mind was stretched and strained to its breaking point, so she wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Her wrists ached from the restraints; she rubbed them to try and make the pain fade.
“Thank ye,” she said through gritted teeth, even though she was grateful. But it had been a harrowing experience, and what she wanted more than anything was to be left alone. However, when she walked forward, she stumbled, and Callum caught her.
“Islay, wait. What’s gaeing on? What are ye daeing out here?”
“I was…I was handling it myself. I would hae found a way tae escape,” she said haughtily, hating the words as they came out of her mouth, and yet didn’t know how to stop them.
Her emotions swelled in a great tide, and they burned inside her.
The anguish was unbearable, and it caused tension to coil and knot inside her, twisting like a serpent.
Why did it have to be him of all people?
And yet, in a way, she was convinced that it couldn’t have been anyone else.
“Oh, aye? Ye certainly seemed tae hae it under control.” He walked to where her pack was sitting and reached down, picking up the strands of hair that had been cut off.
He looked at them, then at her, and shook his head.
Her cheeks burned crimson. “A wee bit of humility wouldnae gae amiss,” he said. Islay turned to him and glared.
“What dae ye want me tae say? That I’m grateful for the wonderful hero coming tae my rescue?
” She stretched her arms out wide, gesticulating wildly.
“Is that all ye did this for? That’s all that matters tae a man, isnae it?
The glory and the honor. I bet this will make a grand tale at feasts.
Ye can tell everyone how ye bested four men tae save me and my virtue, and everyone will cheer ye.
That’s all ye really want, isnae it? Tae hae people celebrating yer great deeds and tae cheer ye.
Ye hae no idea what it’s like tae be a woman, tae be obligated tae things that ye hae no control over, and be trapped by yer duty! ”
“What haes that got anything tae dae with this?” Callum scrunched up his face and looked at her, perplexed.
Islay gnawed her lower lip and averted her gaze from him.
She stormed away from the glade, not knowing what she really wanted.
She didn’t answer his question either, and Callum didn’t seem to like this.
He marched after her, his long strides closing the distance between them.
He slung her pack over his shoulder and called out to her.
“Are ye nae gaeing tae answer me? It’s been the same for me, ye know. I’ve been trapped just as much as ye hae, and for just as long. I hae no more choice in the decision as ye did, and now that my da haes died, I’m laird as well. Dae ye think I asked for any of this?” he said.
His words gave Islay pause for thought. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him.
He had an earnest look on his face, and for the first time, she didn’t see him as the enemy.
She had never really thought of this situation from his point of view.
After all, he seemed to be getting what he wanted, but perhaps things were more complicated than she had first believed.
“I’m sorry. I didnae mean tae shout at ye, or tae appear ungrateful,” she said.
“I hae just been through a lot, and I…my mind is unfocused. What are ye gaeing tae dae about them?” she asked, looking at the three bandits on the ground.
They groaned, and they were in no state to move.
While she looked at those three, Callum was gazing into the distance in the direction where the straggly-haired man had retreated.
His hand clasped the hilt of his sword, but he remained in the glade.
“I dinnae hae the means tae take them back. I should arrest them and bring them back tae yer da, but I cannae dae that and bring ye back. He’ll want tae see ye as soon as possible.
” He seemed torn. Callum was well within his rights to kill them, and part of her wondered why he didn’t.
Frankly, she was glad. While she knew the world was violent, she didn’t like to think much about it, and she didn’t know if she could bear seeing these men executed in front of her.
While she had always considered herself a strong-minded woman, there were some things she simply couldn’t stomach, and that was one of them, so she was glad when Callum put his sword away and left the bandits behind.
“When I tell yer da what happened, I’ll tell him they were out here. Maybe if we’re quick enough, they’ll still be here. It’s a shame there’s nae enough rope tae leave them tied tae trees. I hate the idea of them hurting anyone else,” he said.
“Aye. But maybe ye hae knocked enough sense intae them that they’ll rethink their lives and change their ways,” she said.
It was a distant hope, but it made her feel a little better.
They left the bandits behind. Islay breathed a sigh of relief as they walked away.
The night had been harrowing, and before Callum had come along, it seemed to have been getting a whole lot worse.
It was a shame they couldn’t bring these bandits to justice immediately, but Islay knew she would never forget their faces.
If they ever showed themselves again, she would remember and make them pay for what they did to her.