She shot him a sharp look over her shoulder. “I dinnae need ye tellin’ me where tae step.”
He sighed, half exasperated, half amused. “Aye, ye dae.”
But in her agitation, she wasn’t watching where she stepped. The snare was perfectly placed, designed to catch unwary game in the darkness. Her foot hit the trigger mechanism, and before she could even gasp, she was jerked upward with a startled yelp as the rope tightened around her ankle.
Tòrr let out a quiet, unsurprised grunt. “That’s exactly why.”
"Ah!" Her startled cry echoed through the trees as she found herself dangling upside down, her skirts threatening to fall over her head.
Tòrr bit back a laugh as she struggled to maintain her modesty while trapped in the hunter's snare. "Well, that's one way tae end an argument."
"Dinnae just stand there!" she hissed, fighting to keep her skirts in place. "Get me down!"
"I'm thinkin’ about it."
"Thinkin’ about it?"
"Aye. Ye're much less likely tae run away while hangin’ from a tree."
"Tòrr MacDonald, cut me down this instant."
"Or ye'll what? Glare at me more fiercely?"
"I'll scream loud enough tae wake every wolf and bandit within ten miles!"
"Nay, ye willnae. Ye're too smart tae draw that kind of attention." He moved closer to examine the snare mechanism. "Besides, ye need me tae get ye down, which rather limits yer ability tae threaten me effectively."
"Just... dinnae look!"
"Look at what?"
"Ye ken perfectly well what!"
He did indeed know, and was doing his best to keep his eyes focused on the rope and pulley system rather than the expanse of shapely leg visible beneath her struggling skirts.
"I cannae free ye if I cannae see what I'm daein’," he pointed out reasonably.
"Then close yer eyes and feel yer way through it!"
"Aye, that sounds like a brilliant plan. Cut ropes in the dark while ye're danglin’ above me. What could go wrong?"
She made a sound of pure frustration. "Ye're enjoyin’ this."
"I'm enjoyin’ the fact that ye cannae run away. The rest of it is..." He paused, studying the mechanism more carefully. "Actually, it's rather cleverly designed. Professional work."
"I dinnae care if it's a masterpiece of engineerin’! Just get me down!"
"I'm workin’ on it. But I'll need tae cut the rope, which means ye're goin’ tae fall."
"What?" Panic crept into her voice. "How far?"
"Nae far. I'll catch ye."
"Ye'll catch me?"
"Unless ye'd prefer tae hit the ground?"
"What if ye miss?"
