He jumped from the treetop directly onto Dermid’s accomplice, taking the lout by surprise. The savior beat the man’s face, pummeling him with his fists, then pulled his sword from its sheath and held it at his throat.
The daft fool reached for him anyway, forcing him to cut his throat and end his life.
Then the savior turned to the victim, smiled, and reached for her.
Jennie hollered but the gag muffled her shouts. No matter. He had a mission to complete, so he lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder, though it took a wee bit for him to steady himself. Once he reached the fool’s horse, he placed her over the horse and mounted behind her.
Jennie struggled and fought to loosen her ties, but the savior shouted, “Cease!”
His mission was almost done.
***
The savior traveled through the early night, certain of his destination. He hated to keep his captive tied and gagged across his horse, but it was paramount that they travel without making much noise. He had no idea where Dermid MacLean had gone, and didn’t wish to attract attention.
When he was certain they were out of danger, he stopped his horse and pulled the gag out of Jennie’s mouth.
Jennie shouted, “Loki Grant, what the hell were you doing leaving me tied up?”
Loki’s shoulders straightened and his chin jutted out. “I did what my training as a Grant warrior taught me to do. I got you out of danger before freeing you. Here, give me your hands and I’ll undo your bindings.”
“You did not need to keep me tied up, I could have helped you. I know the area better than you. I could have kept an eye out for Dermid. I could have helped…”
“Shush! This is why I left you tied. Could you cease for a moment so we can make a plan? If you keep your barking, Dermid will hear you from the other side of Cameron land. I am only doing what my sire taught me. You must stay observant and not make your move until you are certain of success. You are safe, are you not?”
Jennie looked at Loki and started giggling. Once unbound, she sat up on the horse and turned to face him. “My thanks for saving me, Loki.” She threw her arms around him. “You scared me half to death when you jumped out of the tree, but I was verra glad to see you.”
He hugged her back, but then held his finger to his lips. “Hush. Listen!”
A bellowing yell echoed across the small glen they were in. Jennie turned to Loki and said, “Alex. I would know his shout anywhere.” She shifted in the saddle and said, “That way. We will be sure to catch him.”
Epilogue
And his special talents are recognized again, this time by a lass named Arabella.
This was to be their last night on Grant land before they headed home on the morrow. Jennie had told Aedan more about Loki’s background and how he had ended up joining thefamily. With Alex and Maddie’s approval, they had requested this special night to include all the guards and their families.
After a filling meal and before the revelry was to start, Alex kissed Maddie’s cheek and then moved to the front of the dais and waited for the crowd to settle. Robbie and Brodie ushered everyone to the side and to the back while Aedan got up and stood beside Alex.
The Grant cleared his throat. Once the crowd’s whispers about the event settled, Alex placed his hands behind his back. “I call Loki Grant forward.”
Loki made his way to the front and stood in front of Alex, just as he had done a long time ago, still looking quite small next to the huge Alexander Grant. While he had grown, his surprise still made him look young and innocent.
“Loki Grant, ‘tis with great pride that I celebrate your efforts in saving my sister, Mistress of the Cameron Clan, from the hands of a mad man. You are a braw warrior and I am proud to have you as a nephew and a valued member of our clan. The Chieftain of the Camerons has something he wishes to say.”
Aedan nodded to his guards, who formed a line behind Loki Grant, then did a short drill with their swords before lining up behind Loki once more.
He removed something from his pocket and held it up for all to see. “I bestow this jeweled brooch as a gift from my clan, the Camerons, unto Loki Grant. It carries our crest, and while we recognize that Loki is part of the Grant clan, he is also an honorary member of the Cameron clan. For those of you who do not know of his heroism, he chose to make himself my wife’s guardian, and in so doing, saved her life.”
He turned to Jennie and handed her the brooch. She walked toward Loki, who was now the same height as she was, though still growing, and pinned it next to his Grant brooch. She huggedhim and then stood back, holding her hand up to make an announcement of her own.
“You may have heard the story, but not my version. I was hit over the head, and while I was unconscious, I was bound and gagged and stuffed into a burlap sack. When I awoke, I was in an area I had never seen before, and I listened to two men discuss my fate. They planned to use me as bait for my husband, then leave me to die, bound and gagged, where I would have definitely succumbed to the elements.
“Once the sack was removed, I could see my captors, but I could see no way out. Fortunately for me, Loki had followed my captors and hid in a tree without making a sound. He fell on a man twice his size, killing him in order to save me.”
The group gasped in unison, some nodding at the story they had already heard.
Loki, embarrassed at being the center of attention, fiddled with his fingernails.
