Lara could feel the hairs on her arms rise and her heartbeat quicken. She had made it this far and now freedom was only a few more feet away. She prayed her attempt would be successful and not in vain. It had been a long while since she breathed in the crisp, fresh air and felt the earth beneath her feet. She was determined to do so again even if she had to kill every guard that stood in her way.
As soon as she was able to look back at the guards, Lara heard the jingling sound of a chain coming from the stairs that led to the dungeon. The guards jumped from their chairs and ran over to the staircase to inspect the noise. Lara used the distraction to run to the alcove which framed the door.
Carefully, she began to turn the handle.
“What do you think you are doing?” one of the guards yelled from across the room.
Lara panicked; so frightened her body went stiff. Unexpectedly, she heard a loud painful moan followed by several grunts and heavy breathing from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the two guards engaged in a brawl with the nameless warrior who had managed to escape his cell as well. A crack to the jaw, a jab to the stomach, the warrior fell to his knees. His two attackers circled around and mocked him for his failed attempt to escape.
Lara’s heart ached for him. He was in no condition to fight. But just as she thought his luck had run out, the warrior grabbed onto the back of one of the guard’s knees and pummeled him to the ground. Bringing his fist up high into the air, he swung down making contact with the guard’s nose knocking him out cold. Blood trickled down the guard’s face and spilled onto the floor.
The other guard grabbed onto the warrior’s arms, but the warrior twisted his upper body, tossing the man over his shoulder and slamming him onto the ground. After a few more swings and punches, the warrior was able to render the second guard unconscious as well.
Lara could feel goose bumps creep along her arms as the warrior limped toward her. He was taller than she had expected. From the dim light, all she could tell was that he had long hair with a matching beard, broad shoulders and a thin waistline. Still unable to make out his features, she watched as he looked past her out the door.
“Run towards the trees, and follow me close,” he whispered, as he pushed her through the door and started running towards the dense forest.
Chapter 2
The blackness of night blinded Lara from seeing the low branches as she ran past them. Small twigs slashed across her face, stinging her cheeks. Too dark to see even a few feet ahead of her, Lara was uncertain where they were heading. Deep inside, she wanted to trust him, but still had reservations. Even though they had shared more than a week together in the same hellish pit, she knew nothing of him. And she had no cause or reason to trust him.
Even with the warrior’s obvious injuries, Lara had a hard time keeping up with him. He was fast and physically in better shape than she was. The muscles in her legs started to burn. She knew not how she could keep going. Let the English come, she thought. Tripping over small tree roots on the forest floor, Lara tumbled forward, collapsing to her knees. The warrior ran back to her.
“Are ye hurt?” he asked.
Lara shook her head.
“Nay. Go. Just leave me, please,” she begged as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
“Nay. Now get up,” he said as he grabbed under her arms, helping her to her feet. “Ye canna stop. Ye must keep going.”
Lara took a deep breath and nodded her head.
Silently, they trotted through the forest for miles within the dark until they came across a campfire where three men were sleeping. The campfire burned low and the men snored loudly, covering the sound of leaves crunching under Lara’s feet. The warrior put his finger to his lips indicating for Lara to keep quiet as he crept further towards them. He stopped and waited for several long moments. Holding his hand up for Lara to stay where she was, he walked to the other side of their camp where three horses were tied to a tree.
Without a word, he gave Lara a wave of his hand for her to walk towards him. Lara’s heart raced. She had to put her hand over her mouth to quiet her breathing. Her legs felt like dough and shook almost uncontrollably at the knees. She stepped lightly, praying to God that she could make it across the campsite without waking the men. As she walked towards her companion, her eyes did not stray from the sleeping men. That was her first mistake. Stepping on a twig, she gasped and felt her heart drop in her chest. Lara froze in place. She was no longer able to quiet her breathing as she imagined all sort of terrible things the men would do to them once they discovered their presence. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think; her head began to spin. The warrior calmly walked back towards Lara and took her by the hand. Together they walked to the other side of the camp. Lara took a sigh of relief when they safely made it across. Grabbing onto her waist, he carefully lifted Lara on top of one of the horses. The horse grunted loudly.
“What is that?” a man grumbled as he looked in Lara’s and the warrior’s direction. “Wake up ye eejits, they are stealing our horses!” he hollered.
With lightning speed, the warrior untied the ropes, freeing the other two horses. Swinging up behind her and wrapping one arm around her waist, he grabbed onto the reigns. After a loud slap to the horse’s rump, the horse bolted into a fast sprint. The men’s voices from behind them began to fade as the distance between them and the camp increased.
After riding several hours, Lara could smell the distinct aroma of food being carried on the wind. The delectable smell made her stomach growl and mouth water. The warrior slowed the horse and stilled its movement as they came upon a small dwelling.
The croft was made of stone and looked as if it had been abandoned. Several stones had crumbled showing signs of erosion and the ill-thatched roof was in desperate need of repair. Along the back side of the croft was a small barn that housed two horses and throughout the yard a dozen chickens pecked the ground.
At first, her instinct was to tell him to keep going for she did not know if they were on English soil or Scotland’s. However, the smell of the food and the idea of a warm pallet were far too tempting. As they drew closer towards the barn, the chickens became startled by the horse and began to cluck loudly.
“Who goes there?” a woman croaked.
“I apologize, my lady, I dinna mean to disturb ye,” the warrior replied.
Once the woman came into view, the warrior dismounted and walked closer to her but remained in the shadows. The woman was old with a round mid-section and stood half as tall as him. Her clothes were tattered and worn and her silvery hair was partially covered by a white linen head-rail.
“Are ye the mon, McGregor sent lookin’ fer work? I was told that ye would no’ be here fer a few days.”
“Nay, my lady. I am no’ McGregor. We are passing through and happened to come across yer lands. We are seeking food and shelter.”
Lara watched as the old woman looked the warrior up and down. Tilting her head to the side, she looked behind him to Lara who was still perched on top of the horse. Pursing her lips, the woman looked at the two of them very carefully.
“Have ye any coin?” she rudely asked.
“Nay, my lady,” the warrior replied.
“Well, if ye cannae pay me then ye will work fer yer meal.”
“Of course, my lady,” the warrior said, and slightly bowed his head to her.
“And who is that there wit ye?” she asked.
“Only an acquaintance, my lady.”
“Well, come here so I can have a look at ye,” she insisted.
Lara slid down the side of the horse and slowly came out of the shadow and stood within the light of the moon. With her hands balled tightly against her sides, she readied herself to run if instinct told her to. Her stomach clenched when the old woman gazed down at her with beady eyes. The woman expressed a look of astonishment as if she was utterly appalled by Lara’s appearance.