Page 36 of Bewitching her Highland Savior

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Without his clansmen's support and Macleod’s men keeping a careful eye on everyone at the keep, Liam had to come up with a better plan to help Muriel and the servant girl than simply grabbing them and running away. Nothing could be done in the morning, as there would be nowhere for them to hide. He had to wait until nightfall and cursed himself for insisting on leaving that very next day.

If I ask to stay one more night, Lucas will ken the reason.

The only way Liam could think of to pull off his plan without anyone stopping him was to leave with the rest of the men and return later that day. Even if Lucas noticed him missing, Liam doubted he'd do anything if there was a chance it would put him in immediate danger.

It wasn’t the most carefully thought-out plan but he didn’t have the time to come up with anything better. At least he already knew the keep’s weak spots — the few that Macleod had overlooked — after being shown around the grounds. Slipping back inside wouldn’t be an issue. He had also taken some time to explore the interior of the huge keep to find out exactly where Muriel’s room was and the best way to reach it.

Slipping out would be the challenge, especially since he had to sneak two people out of the walls.

Liam considered going to Muriel’s chambers and warning her about his plan but he didn’t want to risk being seen. Besides, it wasn’t as if she would resist. She wanted to leave that place more than anyone else and so Liam knew she would go along with his scheme, even if it was a surprise.

Instead, he retired to his chambers early to get a good night's rest before waking up early the next morning, eager to put his plan into action. But Muriel was nowhere to be found that morning, and Liam didn't dare to ask if he could see her before leaving. As he prepared to leave, he noticed the servant girl peering at him from around the corner of the kee, and he gave her a subtle nod. He hoped she trusted him enough to wait for him.

After bidding Laird Macleod farewell, Liam and the McAlpine men headed back down the hill toward the pier. Once there, he assisted in loading their belongings onto the boat that would transport them back to the mainland, including his own bags. He only kept a pouch with gold, some water, dried meat and a rope with a hook at one end of it. He even left his sword on the boat, only taking his sgian-dubh with him.

He could only hope he wouldn’t need anything else.

Liam stayed near the boat, making sure to be as visible as possible, until the last moment. He forced himself to move slowly, inching away from the boat when everyone else was busy and then slipped away from them; disappearing into the small crowd.

With some luck, no one would notice his absence until they had already sailed for the mainland but he couldn’t count on that. He would have to hide as best he could until that night so that neither Macleod’s men nor his own would find him.

Liam walked slowly toward the nearby forest that stood at the bottom of the hill on which Macleod’s keep was located. He didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. It was only when he reached the trees that he began to rush; deviating from the path so that he would leave no tracks behind. It was a good thing that the forest was thick and filled with tall Scots pines, shrubs, and rocky formations where he could easily hide. Even though he didn’t know the area well, he knew how to stay away from prying eyes and he only had to be very cautious until nightfall.

Liam found a small cave near the keep where he could hide. It was just big enough for him, and the rocky walls were damp with moisture; making him shiver with cold. He didn't dare light a fire for fear of being discovered, but even if he did, he wasn't sure he could fit one in there. Instead, he wrapped his coat tightly around him; curling in on himself to conserve as much body heat as possible.

By the time the sunset, Liam could see his breath in front of him and his hands had all but frozen stiff. Crawling out of the cave turned out to be a herculean task, his limbs as stiff as his fingers from the cold and the lack of movement for hours but once he stretched the inactivity out of his muscles, he was ready to go.

It was a moonless night and the lack of light made the trek through the forest difficult. Liam stumbled on rocks and exposed roots – feeling rather than seeing his way through the trees. It was the perfect time for an escape – under the cover of darkness. He made his way to the keep carefully, walking around to the back of the walls where he knew there was a small entrance. Just as he had expected, it was guarded by two men.

He had to be quick if he didn’t want either of them to call for reinforcements. Pulling his sgian-dubh out of the scabbard around his calf, he approached them quietly from the side as they were talking to pass the time. Once he was close enough, he struck one of the men on the temple with the handle of his knife, knocking him unconscious with one hit. The other man was quick to react; he jumped toward him, drawing his sword out at the same time but Liam was faster. He aimed for the nerve on his arm, punching him hard enough to numb it and disarm him but even when the sword fell to the ground, the man didn’t stop.

He didn’t shout for help either. Perhaps he was confident enough in his skill to think that he could handle this intruder by himself.

He was careful to avoid harming him. Had he not cared for the man’s life, the fight would have been over in seconds,but Liam didn’t want to hurt him. The soldier was only doing his job and he had nothing to do with Muriel so Liam kept the flat of the blade firmly against his arm as he fought him. Swinging to the side, he dodged the man’s fist and then brought his own down; striking him on the cheek. When the man stumbled, disoriented, Liam took his chance and hit him on the temple, just as he had done to the other guard.

It took only moments for him to fall to the ground. Liam glanced at them with pity for the morning that was to follow. When he had been in their shoes, it had taken him a whole day to recover from the resulting headache.

Sheathing his sgian-dubh once more, Liam rushed to the side of the keep where he knew Muriel’s chambers were. If he remembered correctly, there was a privy hole at the next corridor, and he would only have to cover a short distance to get to her.

He found the hole easily, more through smell than sight. His face scrunched up in disgust as he tossed the hook up, tugging on the rope a few times to ensure that it was secure before he began his climb. It was less than ideal and Liam had to hold his breath to keep from gagging until he couldn’t anymore. The climb up felt endless but he managed to get inside – bursting out into the hallway once he was there.

Liam took a few greedy breaths, breathing as much fresh air as he could. He brushed his hands over his clothes, trying to appear at least a little presentable, before making his way to Muriel's room and silently opening the door.

He found her kneeling by the bed, hands clasped in front of her and eyes firmly shut, mumbling a prayer. A servant girl snored softly at the other end of the room, and Liam approached Muriel as quietly as he could to avoid waking her.

When he was behind her, he clasped a hand firmly over her mouth and it didn’t surprise him when she began to struggle, trying to scream and claw at him with her nails. What did surprise him was the glint of a blade, one that Muriel pulled out from a hidden pocket and raised high in the air, aiming for his thigh.

Liam stopped her at the last moment, grabbing her wrist and stilling it just as the tip of the blade touched his trews.

“It’s me, Muriel,” he whispered. “Liam.”

Once his words settled in, Muriel sagged against him; the fight draining out of her. She turned to face him, eyes wide in surprise but then she seemed to notice the knife in her hand.

“Lord!” she whispered. “I almost hurt ye!”

“Just as I taught ye,” Liam said with a smile. “Ye did a good job. Dinnae apologise for it.”