Page 72 of Wicked Kilted Highlander

As they rounded a corner, they caught sight of their father’s and brothers' retreating forms, their torchlight casting eerie patterns on the cold stones. Lara felt a surge of relief course through her veins but quickly stifled it. They had yet to cross the threshold into the night, where true peril lay.

"Stay close tae me, and dinnae make a sound," Lara whispered, her hand trembling as it clutched Elsie's. Her sister nodded, her eyes wide with fear and excitement.

They trailed their family from a safe distance to the stables, where the men took their mounts and sped out through the castle gates. Each time they paused to catch their breath, Lara could feel the weight of her sister's gaze on her, searching for reassurance amidst the uncertainty of their venture.

"D’ye think we’ll find Darragh?" Elsie whispered, her voice quivering with trepidation.

"Aye, I ken it," Lara whispered back, her own doubts buried beneath a fierce resolution. "I will nae rest until he's safe."

With that, the two girls hurried quietly into the stables and saddled horses for themselves. They tied cloths around the horses’ hooves before leading them quietly out to the gates through which the men had disappeared.

Outside the gates, they secured their bundle before mounting the horses and following the same route they knew their family would have taken. Lara could just make out the faint sound of pounding hooves floating back to them.

“Follow the sound, but dinnae get too close,” she murmured to Elsie, who nodded next to her.

"Ye dinnae have tae dae this, Elsie," Lara said after a few minutes, wondering what danger she was getting Elsie into. "If ye wish tae turn back—"

"An' leave ye alone in this wilderness, in the dark? Nay, sister," Elsie told her firmly. "I'm with ye, tae the end."

A surge of gratitude filled Lara's heart, mingling with her fierce determination. They would find Darragh, and nothing would stand in their way.

After what seemed like an hour or so of tailing the men, Lara smelled smoke. "Look, Elsie," she cried out, seeing smoke curling into the sky from the woodland beneath. “Something’s afire in the forest."

“Aye, I see it, and I smell it too. The men are heading that way."

They speeded up, following the growing commotion ahead of them of men shouting. Finally, they came to the edge of a clearing among the trees and stopped, watching as the men dismounted some distance from what appeared to be a burning cottage.

Suddenly gripped by the horrible conviction that the burning building could have something to do with Darragh, she slipped from her saddle and ran towards it, with Elsie at her heels. She no longer cared if her father and brothers saw them or not. She only knew she had to get to the cottage before it burned to the ground. And looking at it as she ran, it did not look like it would take long.

Faither!" Lara yelled as they approached him.

Laird MacLean spun on his heels, his expression one of pure astonishment, then anger. "Lara? Elsie?! What the Devil are ye two doing here?”

"I’m sorry, Faither, but I couldnae stay away, ye kenned that very well when ye left me in the castle," she explained, catching her breath.

"Aye, and I couldnae let her go alone," Elsie put in, panting.

"What were ye thinking? We told ye tae stay back for a reason," their father shouted, his expression dark.

"We’ve come tae help," Elsie interjected, stepping closer to him.

"Nay, stay back, I tell ye," the laird shouted against the rising sound of the crackling fire. Behind him, Lara could see the grim faces of her brothers, who were obviously in agreement with him.

"D’ye nae have any faith in us, Lara? We can handle this ourselves. It’s nae safe for ye out here," Quinn yelled at her.

"Nay," Lara protested. "I am nae leaving without Darragh. If he’s in there, then we must save him. Hurry, Faither."

Harris sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Fine, but I will have nae arguments from ye. Dae ye understand me?"

"Aye, Faither," Elsie agreed. "But let’s go! That cottage is going up in flames!"

They all started towards the blazing building at a run, but Lara felt sickened by the thickening smoke and the crackling of the spreading flames as they consumed the thatch of the roof, but more so at the thought that Darragh could be somewhere inside.

I’m coming me love. Just wait fer me.