Chapter 1
The man riding before her on the narrow trail came to an abrupt halt. Ella’s horse had to stop suddenly as well, and she took a sharp breath at the unexpected jolt, startled once again out of her daydreams. She had not been paying attention to where they were going for some time, her mind wandering, fretting over the days to come, imagining all of the possible outcomes. In front of her, Malcolm held very still, his head cocked slightly to one side, as if listening for a faint sound.Knitting her brow, she listened too, holding her breath.But Ella could hear only the wind rustling in the pine boughs high overhead, and the eerie creaking of the swaying branches. She glanced down as her stallion, Sindal, restlessly pawed a hoof, and saw the yellow coltsfoot flowers rising up from the forest floor.Good for coughs, her mind echoed reflexively. Esme had been teaching her herb-lore since she was just a child. Nearly every plant had a purpose, whether for food or medicine, and she knew them all.
The wind was picking up, the clouds thickening, and she could tell by the feel of the air that there would be a storm brewing later.She sighed and bit her bottom lip. Though she didn’t mind storms, she didn’t relish the thought of being out tonight with no shelter. A storm could be cozy when you were cuddled up in a chair before a warm fire, but not nearly so pleasant if it was drenching you.
Behind her, Duncan had also reined to a halt, though he was just as silent, waiting. She looked back at him, her eyes questioning, but his expression was stoic. If he knew why they had stopped here and now after so many days of riding, he wasn’t letting on.And she knew better than to interrupt Malcolm.The unexpected cry of a raven turned her head back, and Ella lifted her eyes to see the large black birdwinging its way just above the path that stretched out in front of them. It flew straight towards them, rising up over their heads at the last moment so close that she ducked instinctively, turning to see it disappear into the trees.She sucked in an uneasy breath; surely it was an omen.She looked expectantly to Malcolm, and saw him nod to himself and turn slightly in the saddle to look back at her. “We’re here,” he said, solemnly, though she thought she caught what looked suspiciously like a faint sparkle of amusement in his eyes.
We’re here?Ella looked around, a bit perplexed; perhaps she had missed something. No, there was nothing but trees, no sign of a castle.And this narrow road that was more of a path through the woods was certainly not the main route to a large holding like Tulloch.They had clearly said she was to go to Tulloch Castle.
“What do you mean we’re here?I thought we were going to a castle...”
Malcolm laughed and slid down from his saddle, his black cloak billowing out in the rising wind.
“You think too much. You always have”, he said.“Trust me love, everything will be fine in time; all will be as it should.”
Ella bit the inside of one cheek in mild annoyance.She was used to such cryptic remarks from Malcolm, he almost never gave her a straight answer, but it did not explain why they had ridden for nearly a week only to stophere. He could at least have the decency to explain himself…But her thoughts were interrupted when Malcolm reached up and pulled her from her horse, setting her down on the mossy ground on one side of the path, her thin leather shoes sinking into its soft depth.The steadily rising wind whipped her long golden hair into her face and she had to keep pushing it back behind her ear so that she could see.With a mischievous glint in his eye that she couldn’t have missed this time, Malcolm reached for Sindal’s reins and quickly tied them to his own saddle. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on her cheek, and a tight-lipped smile. Then he swung up onto his mount and made to turn the horses around, an act which turned her confused frown to open mouthed astonishment. Were they going to leave her here alone?
“Malcolm, where are you going?” she tried to keep the sudden panic from her voice.
He gave her a wicked smile. “Why, I’m going back home to my nice soft bed and a good hot meal, of course.”
She felt a moment of panic tingle down her spine. “You can’t justleaveme here! I don’t know how to get there. You are supposed to be my escort, Malcolm.”She turned to the other man. “Duncan?What’s going on?”
He just shrugged at her, “I’m following Malcolm.”
She glared at him and stomped her foot.“Malcolm!What are youdoing?”
Malcolm turned to look at the path ahead, his eyes narrowing for a moment.
“We have to go nowmo leannan, but I promise you”, he said with a little laugh, “no matter what comes now, one day you’ll be thanking me!”With that he kicked his horse forward, and Duncan, the traitor!, followed suit, raising a hand in a gesture of farewell. “Take care, and good luck to you!”
“Malcolm! Have a care for my horse!” She loved that horse.
They had soon disappeared into the pines. She stood there for a long moment, stunned. No doubt they thought to leave her quickly, to avoid any protests she might raise.Good luck, says he!Cowards!Her first instinct was to go after and tell them exactly what she thought of them, but of course that would be a futile effort. They had taken her horse. Not to mention she had far too much pride to let them think she was frightened or couldn’t handle things on her own.No, she rationalized as she calmed a bit,ifMalcolm has left me here, it must be for a good reason. He was the most gifted seer she knew, and he certainly would not have been smiling if he knew she would come to harm.The blasted rogue.She had known him since they were children, and he was like an older brother to her.And he loved her like a little sister, this she knew, despite his teasing and constant refusal to give her a straight answer.
Having reasoned herself out of most of her doubt, she straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath, drawing in the musky, pineyscents of the forest around her. A sudden gust tousled her hair, and she pushed it back from her face again in a practiced motion. When had she lost the tie she had bound it with this morning before they left camp? Probably hours ago. And her bag was still on her horse, she realized. She now had nothing but the clothes she wore and the dagger she had in the pocket of her gown.They had not even left her any food! She was sure to be starving by nightfall. What on earth did they mean for her to do here all alone? She didn’t know where she was, and wasn’t altogether sure she could find her way back home, either. Ella stood exactly where they had left her for several long moments, the breeze blowing dry leaves around her feet, wondering whether she should begin walking, and how far she might get before the storm finally broke.
The brisk wind must have carried the sound away from her, because she saw movement through the trees before she could hear the soft thud of hooves on the hard earth.A jolt of alarm raced through her, and her heart beat faster as she watched the horses and riders come into view.She saw the moment the eyes of the first man landed on her, and he checked the speed of his mount.She saw, as if in a dream, the muscles of his bare arms flex as he pulled back on the reins, his powerful body moving in perfect grace with his mount. He came to a halt several yards from where she stood, and the rest of the men pulled up beside him, forming a semi-circle that blocked her path on three sides.There were five all together, all on massive steeds.
She stood her ground, frozen, watching them, what else could she do?She certainly could not escape on foot from five mounted highlanders.All were large and well-muscled, clad in highland plaid, and all were armed to the teeth. Each had one hand poised lightly on the hilt of an enormous claymore, and the handles of knives and daggers jutted from belts and tall leather boots.The horses they rode snorted and danced and nervously pawed at the earth, as if eager for battle.The tension of their poses told her that they were ready to attack in the beat of a heart. Warriors, all of them, bodies hewn for battle. Bodies hewnbybattle, in all likelihood.And all of that weaponry at the ready for defense against one small woman. That sudden ridiculous thought made her lips lift slightly at the corners, despite the uncertainty shefaced.Surely she should be flattered to be considered such a threat, after all she did have the one small dagger.
In what could only have been a few seconds, her senses, heightened by caution, took all of this in.Then there was the soft scuff of earth under hoof as the leader moved forward from the others on his massive black stallion.She raised her head and boldly met his eyes. He carried himself proudly, and an almost palpable aura of dangerous strength and power swirled around him. It made her want to get closer, to touch him, to see if she could feel it. She did not know this man; she certainly had never met with him before this day, because she surely would have remembered that face. He was beautiful, ruggedly handsome and achingly sensual at the same time. And since she knew him not at all, she thought it strange that she felt no fear as she looked at him.None.She would have expected it, the fear. A woman alone had better be wary of men; there were as many bad as good, and despite everything she was as vulnerable as any other. But it just wasn’t there; its absence nearly as alarming to her as if she had actually been frightened.But sheknewthat this man would not hurt her; it was not a vision, which unlike Malcolm, she had only rarely, but a calm certainty.
Her chin tilted up higher as she continued to study him. A wide, full mouth, strong dimpled chin, high cheekbones, slightly wavy chestnut brown hair tied back at his nape, and his eyes… a fathomless deep blue-green.The color of the sea. She was still studying him when he spoke, his voice deep and hard and demanding; the voice of a born leader of men, she thought. He was used to being in charge.
“Who are you, lass?”
“Ella”, she said simply, not dropping her gaze from his steady glare.
His eyes roamed boldly and unapologetically over her form before returning at last to her face.“Where are your kin?”
She paused, unsure of how to answer, then said truthfully, for she knew the best option when one had to be deceptive was to come as close to the truth as possible, “I have few kin to speak of, and none nearby.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, but she stood her ground. She tilted her chin up just a little more, meeting his gaze even more boldly thanbefore. He was trying to intimidate her with dark looks. It doubtless worked well, on most people. She, though, was on a mission, and a few dark looks would not get in her way.
“And why would a lass be wandering in the forest alone, with no escort?” he asked calmly, but his eyes snapped with suspicion.
Wandering in the forest? He made her sound like some silly child! “I am notwanderingin the forest”, she said, “I am following this path, er… road.And Ihadan escort, but they abandoned me some time ago”.She shrugged slightly, as if being abandoned was of no matter to her.
