“Do you trust me?”
She looked at the captain before answering. His face gave nothing away. “I do.”
“Then trust me on this.”
“Brace yourself,” the captain said. “I can’t risk the time to row to shore. I’m going to ground her.”
“But you’ll destroy your ship.”
“Maybe but if I don’t we’re all dead. Hold onto something.”
The shoreline grew nearer until Wallace could make out individual trees just off the beach. He grabbed hold of Natalie with one hand and gripped the mast with the other.
The ship rocked from side to side, scraping sounds growing louder underneath until there was a giant thump and they ground to a halt. Only his strong grip kept them from falling.
“Off you go,” the captain shouted.
“Are you not coming with us?”
“I make my own path,” he replied, waving them toward the port side of the ship. “Jump for it.”
Natalie stood on the edge, looking down at the swirling water. “I’m not sure I can do this. What if there are rocks?”
Wallace grabbed her, jumping a second later. She screamed and then they went under. He heldhis breath, pushing upward until they were both out of the foam, Natalie gasping and spluttering.
“Swim,” he called, shoving her forward.
He felt the arrow wound in his side sting as the salt water ate at the edges. Ignoring the pain, he kicked for the shore, Natalie in front of him.
Glancing back as he reached the shallows he saw the pursuing ships closing in. They had only minutes before dozens of men would be coming for them.
“Here,” the captain shouted as he swam after them. “You forgot this.”
Wallace held out a hand and caught the sword by the hilt as it was tossed over to him. Then he was up on his feet with Natalie by his side. “Run,” he said.
“Where are we going?”
“We must reach the door in the rock. It is the only way to save the highlands from the barefoot man.”
“Who is he?”
“Pray you never find out.”
They ran as fast as they could but Wallace was hampered by his lack of knowledge of the terrain. He took them along one track that disappeared into a swamp and slowed their escape.
In turning back and finding another route they ended up on the edge of a cliff with no discernible route down. All the while their pursuers were getting closer.
“This way,” Wallace said as Natalie fought for breath behind him. He turned along the cliff edge until it gradually descended into a wide grassy valley.
On the far side was a mountain topped by jagged rocks that looked exactly like the shape of a wolf mid-run.
“Up there,” he said, pointing toward the wolf’s tail. He took a step toward it and then stopped. From left and right armed men appeared, all of them slowing as they saw their prey standing together in the middle of the valley.
Wallace lifted his sword as the men approached. “I will gut you all,” he cried, muttering to Natalie, “Stay behind me.”
The men grinned, their faces as cruel as their weapons, swords glinting in the sunlight. Natalie clung onto him, her panicked breathing in his ear making him all the more determined to die protecting her.
The men charged all at once.
