Dougal and Niall stayed in position, on either side of him, so he could not defend himself or fight one of them without the other being free to attack him. So, he waited to see what they had planned.
Niall remained some distance away when Dougal launched his attack. Charging him directly, James was forced to turn and ride toward Niall. As he did, Niall aimed the bow and James knew he would be struck in the leg by it. He stopped his horse and jumped from it, using it as cover while Dougal approached, driving his horse away.
Breathing heavily, James stood in the middle of the road awaiting his fate. Would they kill him now? The murderous look in Dougal’s eyes said aye. Niall seemed to be waiting for Dougal to act, for he never moved from his place or took his aim off his target. James took a deep breath as Dougal charged him now, for there was no hope of outrunning a man on a horse. At the last moment, he ducked low and turned away, but Dougal freed his foot from the stirrup and kicked him to the ground.
James’s landed facedown in the dirt and before he regained his feet, Dougal was there, sword in hand and murder in his eyes, ready to strike him down with the lethal Highland claymore he carried.
“Dougal,” Niall said. James had not seen the other man’s approach, but he sat on his horse just a few yards away. “Your orders.”
“Aye, Niall. I know the earl’s orders.” Dougal spit on the ground then. “He’s to be brought back alive to Lairig Dubh.” Dougal turned toward Niall and tossed the huge sword to him. Niall caught it with ease and nodded to Dougal. “I do not need my sword to show this cur that he should not have involved my sister in his plans.” Dougal climbed down from his horse and handed the reins to Niall, too. “Now, outlander swine, let me show you how a Highlander answers insult.”
No more words were spoken. Once Dougal launched at him, James could barely think. It felt like the man had eight arms and legs. The blows came from every direction and James recognized the pure fury in the attack. He’d held his own while fighting Tavis, but Tavis did not have righteous anger in his soul as Dougal did.
After the first punches and kicks, Dougal slowed the attack. No need to rush the punishment this dog would get at his hands. Once Murray’s vision was blocked by the blood pouring from a gash on his head and from the swelling from several of Dougal’s punches to his face, Dougal taunted him. Pushing him down from behind, he ground his face into the dirt of the road and punched him in the back.
There would be bruises aplenty on the morrow.
Oh, he was not unscathed but at least he would be standing when this was over. Only when Niall called out his name, did he stop. He trusted his friend to call a halt before the man died. After one more very satisfying punch to his face, Dougal walked away.
He took the skin of water from his horse and after taking a mouthful of it to rinse out the blood, he dowsed his head and face with some. Then he washed Murray’s blood from his knuckles and hands. Niall brought Murray’s, or rather the earl’s, horse over and together they threw the unconscious man over the saddle, tying his hands and legs to each other under the horse’s belly to keep him in place.
As they rode to catch up with Shaw and Elizabeth, who would be waiting north of the village, Dougal wondered what the earl would do with the man...and with his sister. It was near full-dark by the time they reached the agreed-to place, but Shaw had a fire built and was waiting for them. They dismounted and walked closer, seeing the cuts and scrapes all over Shaw’s face and neck and hands.
“What happened?” Dougal asked, glancing around the clearing.
“Your sister did not wish to leave,” Shaw said, touching one ugly gash on his neck.
“Where is she?” Dougal could hear noises but could not see Elizabeth.
“Over there,” Shaw said. “It seemed the best way to keep her and myself safe.” Dougal followed him across the clearing where Shaw led.
Elizabeth sat at the base of a tree, her hands and feet tied together and rope binding her to the tree. A length of cloth was tied around her face, gagging her mouth, though not stopping her from trying to scream at him. Dougal knelt in front of her and removed the cloth.
“Are you hurt, Elizabeth? Did he harm you?” He searched her face for any sign of injury from whatever Murray did to her.
“Shaw did not hurt me, Dougal. I am calmed down now, you can untie me.” She lifted her arms as much as the other ropes allowed, clearly expecting him to cut her free. He did nothing.
“I meant Murray. His note said he kidnapped you from Lairig Dubh. Did he...?” Dougal paused, thinking of the smell of the shieling. “Did he force himself on you?”
“You are a fool if you think he forced himself on me, Dougal. I did not think you a fool before.” Her eyes narrowed. “Untie me. Let us go.”
“I have my orders, from the earl. We are to bring you back to Lairig Dubh.”
She stared at him then and said nothing.
“Tell me, Elizabeth,” he insisted. “The earl will want to know what happened.”
When her chin lifted just a bit and her lower lip edged out, he knew he’d lost this battle. Stubborn to the core, she did as she pleased and answered to no one when she wore this expression. His anger drained from him and, pushing her tangled hair from her eyes, he asked his sister what he needed to know.
“Are you well, lass? Just tell me that much,” he said quietly so that none of the others heard.
The tears welling in her eyes worried him, but she blinked them away quickly and nodded. Turning away, she would not say anything else. Until she noticed Murray’s body strung over the horse.
“Dougal, what have you done now?” she said in a tone that nearly shouted at him. “Untie me.” She began to fight the ropes and, with the way Shaw tied his knots, it would only make them tighten more. “I beg you, Dougal. Niall. Shaw.” She looked at each of them. “Let me see to him. Please.”
Dougal just shook his head and walked away from her. Her reactions to seeing Murray as they’d left him explained much to him—more than he wished to know. Elizabeth had not been kidnapped. She had not been forced. She had been a willing participant in this folly and she would need to pay a steep price for contributing to her loss of honor. The earl would determine that once they got back home.
And she was mistaken if she thought she gave the orders. With a nod of his head, he directed the others to follow him. In a few minutes, they’d untied Murray, laid him on the ground on the other side of the clearing and bound his hands and feet so he could not move when he did wake. When he glanced in her direction, he found her straining against the ropes to see what they were doing.
