2
Tavish dragged the woman’s body out of the water and lay it down on the heather. He knelt beside her and placed a hand on her chest. Was she dead?
All of a sudden, her eyes opened. She coughed up a fountain of water, slapping his hand away from her a moment later. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Ye need tae take those clothes off, lass,” he said. He was surprised by the sound of his own voice. It had been many years since he’d spoken to anyone.
“Keep away from me,” she snapped, still scuttling away.
He sighed, shaking his head. “Keep going, English. You’ll be passed out in under a minute and I’ll just wait ’til then tae get them things off you, shall I?”
“Where am I?” Her teeth were chattering and the last of the color was draining from her face. She’d be gone soon.
“On the side o’ Loch Tay and aboot to die o’ the cauld.”
“Stay away from me. What am I doing here?” Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell heavily on her back, moving no more.
Tavish looked up at the sky. “Ah was happy enough on ma own.” God had a dark sense of humour at times, it seemed. “Why’d you send me her?”
He walked over to her as she jerked awake again. She pointed a wild finger at him. “You stay away from me or I’ll scream.”
“Go ahead, there’s none but me and the coneys tae hear ye.”
“Mrs. Campbell will hear me. I recognize this bit of shore. She’s just around the corner. Probably calling the police already.”
“Good. Maybe your Mrs. Campbell can talk some sense into ye before you drop deed o’ the cauld.”
“What are you talking about?”
He sighed. Could she be that ignorant of the danger? “You need to get them off ye before the chill kills ye.”
She glanced out at the loch. “Where’s my boat?”
“About thirty feet down by noo. It fell apart when you hit yon rock.”
“The rock?” She paused. “I remember. I hit a rock and I fell out. I was drowning. Then-”
“Then ah dragged you out. Ah wouldnae have bothered if I’d known you’d be like this.”
“You…you saved me?”
He nodded.
“But why?”
“Are we going to blether all day or dae ye want tae stay alive? Get them wet things off noo.”
She was shivering uncontrollably as she stood there, her arms wrapped around her chest. “I’m not undressing in front of you.”
He wiped the water from his face with his palm, trying to keep calm. “This way.” He picked up his fishing rod and headed home. He didn’t bother to look behind him. She’d follow if she wanted to live.
“Where are we going?” Her voice a few feet back.
She was following him then. He was glad. He had enough deaths on his conscience. There was no need to add another one.
“To ma house,” he said, climbing up a steep slope and then down the other side. His self-made hut sat buried amongst gnarled old trees, barely visible unless you knew where to look.
He stopped in front of it. “Ah’ve got some things you can change intae for noo.”
