“Patience, Keith,” Alistair said.
He spurred his horse to a brisk run. Keith followed after, laughing. They went down the hill and into the forest. But when they got to the area that deer were known to be in abundance, Alistair did not bring his horse to a halt. He trudged on, until they were once more on the path that they had taken yesterday.
“Why are we going in this direction, Alistair?” Keith asked.
Now they were only a short distance from the cave where Alistair and Jane had spent the night. “Because we must scout the area fer any other soldiers. We might be lucky enough tae intercept a carriage that will cause another uproar in the camp of the British.”
They were at the cave now, and Alistair was hit with memories of what had happened within it. Jane’s bottom pressed against him. Jane clinging to him. Of course, those memories paled in comparison with what had happened last night.
“I… touched the lass, Keith,” Alistair said suddenly, “nae her maidenhood. But I touched her.”
“Dae go on, Alistair.”
Alistair turned to his best friend sharply. “That is the end of it.”
“Is it?” Keith said, a twinkle in his eye. “We all saw how you looked at her from when we captured her, tae when we rescued you from this very cage, tae when we got to the castle. At dinner, she was all you could look at.”
“That cannae be the truth.”
“Except that it is,” Keith said with a chuckle. “I might have thought that ye had bedded her in this cave if she hadn’t emerged from it looking like a beleaguered harridan.”
Alistair gave him a sharp warning look.
“Me apologies, but it is the truth,” Keith continued. He shook his head. “I cannae fault ye, fer the lassisgood tae look upon. Her eyes are fascinating, and her form-”
“Say nothing about her form.”
“I only wish tae say that it is nae a mortal sin that ye are attracted tae her. Only remember who this woman is. The fiancée of an enemy of yer clan.”
They moved in silence for a while. They had gone past the witch’s cottage and were now almost at the very spot where they had ambushed Jane’s carriage. “Me clan will always come first,” Alistair said suddenly.
“I ken,” Keith said. “Alistair, we have been friends since childhood. Ye are the most honorable man I ken. All yer men would die fer ye if it came tae it, they have that much trust in ye. Me only advice is that you dae nae lose it fer a pair of green eyes.”
Alistair stared at Keith. “If I have noticed, others have noticed as well. These are sensitive times. We cannae afford tae have loyalties questioned.” He paused. “Especially the laird’s loyalty.”
“Ye are right,” Alistair said. They had come to the exact spot where they had captured Jane. There were still carriage wheel marks in the earth.
“Dae ye mean tae create a grove here where ye can worship after she is gone? Bah!” Keith’s tone was teasing, and Alistair chuckled.
“One day ye will fall madly in love with a lass, and I shall laugh you tae scorn.”
“Madly in love, aye?”
Alistair turned bright red at the turn of phrase he had used unintentionally.
Keith however continued with good humor. “That will never happen,” he declared. “I shall be unattached and unencumbered till the end of time.”
“I will remind ye of this when ye are tied tae her skirts,” Alistair said with a laugh.
But then his laughter died.
His piercing blue eyes scanned the environment, and he sniffed. Keith, noticing this, sat at attention. “Keith,” Alistair said, “where are the bodies of the soldiers we killed?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than an arrow whizzed past him, missing him by a hair’s breadth. He and Keith turned in its direction. Three English soldiers, initially hidden in the forest, were charging towards them. Alistair and Keith took fighting positions. With Alistair leading, they charged in the direction of the soldiers, their swords unsheathed.
On impact, Alistair’s blade delivered a deadly stab to the chest of one of the soldiers. The soldier fell off his horse, and the horse whinnied in fear and trotted away. Keith wrestled the second soldier to the ground. They both tumbled in the dirt, and Keith ended up on top. Because his sword was lost in the fall, he dealt heavy blows to the soldier’s head. The last soldier, to whose horse a bow and an arrow were attached, faced Alistair. Alistair could see, in the man’s eyes, something that he had seen in several other soldiers he had fought. Hatred.
The soldier charged. Alistair engaged, his sword raised, braced for impact. In mere seconds, the soldier was groaning, his life’s blood seeping into the earth. Alistair turned. The soldier with whom Keith was fighting now had the upper hand. He was on top, and he had Keith in a chokehold. Alistair ran to them. He yanked the soldier off, and Keith sputtered. The soldier squared with Alistair, and both circled each other like great cats.
