Page 22

13

The night passed, and as it did so, Hilda and Maxwell whispered with each other. The light from the flames illuminated the cage while other men slept. The conspiring couple kept their voices low so that the enemy would not be able to hear them.

“We hae tae think of a way out of here,” Hilda said, “and the sooner, the better. I’m worried about the next person they’re gaeing tae take. I cannae believe we hae nae heard anything from Angus.”

“Aye,” Maxwell said grimly, “they must be daeing dastardly things tae him if he cannae even bring himself tae scream.”

“If we dae escape, then we need tae gae and rescue him. I know ye hae nae seen eye tae eye—”

“I would never leave a man behind,” Maxwell said, almost offended that she would even suggest such a thing. “As much as Angus haes argued with me, he’s still an ally. We hae the enemy tae focus on. We’ll find a way tae rescue him, but how?”

Hilda sighed. “The first thing we need tae dae is get out of this cage,” she said.

“I hae already tried wrapping my arms around it. It’s a firm thing. They hae nae taken any chances.”

“Aye, but how deep does it gae?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. Maxwell tilted his head, gesturing for her to elaborate. “I know ye may forget, considering how yer head is in the clouds, but there’s a lot of ground we can use. If we dig, we might be able to fashion a tunnel under the cage and wriggle out. Once at least one of us is on the outside, then they can let the others out. It’s the only way I can think of that we could escape. If we try and attack them when they bring our food, they’ll only raise the alarm. Unless we find a way tae break the bars, this is our only option.”

Maxwell nodded as she spoke, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Aye, ye might be on tae something there, lass. But how are we gaeing tae dig a hole without them knowing?”

“I didnae say it was gaeing tae be a quick thing. We’ll hae tae dae it at the rear of the cage and hope that they will nae notice. During the day, we’ll hae tae keep it covered. There are plenty of us in here. I’m sure it will nae be that difficult.”

“Aye, and what about if we get free?” Maxwell asked.

Hilda smiled, appreciating the fact that he was letting her speak and come up with ideas. Despite having been a fierce warrior, she had always been looked down upon for being a woman, and her ideas had always been dismissed by people like Angus simply because he was a man. She took a moment to stop and think, and while she did so, he commented on this fact.

“A good idea is a good idea, lass, and ye hae certainly proven yerself a worthy warrior. I hope ye know that when I asked ye tae stay behind, it was no reflection on yer skill. I just didnae want this tae happen.” He gestured with his arms and his eyes to the cage that now held them. “However, I hae tae admit that I’m glad ye are here. I would never hae thought about burrowing below the cage.”

Hilda smiled at this. “Thank ye. It’s nice tae be heard once in a while.”

“Can I ask ye something about yer clan?” Maxwell said.

Hilda nodded.

“Well, there’s one thing I dinnae understand. Ye are clearly proud of yer clan and the history of yer warrior women, but if sae, then why are the men of yer clan sae dismissive of ye?”

Hilda sighed. “I hae been asking myself the same question all my life.” She arched her eyebrows and shrugged. “It does annoy me that memories are sae short-lived. It was only a generation ago that the women of the clan banded taegether with the men tae fight for justice. But then peace fell, and the women raised children, and I suppose that’s all these men know. They hae nae seen their mothers take up arms, and sae they think us incapable.”

“That is their mistake,” Maxwell said.

“Aye, well, my da never thought that way. Nae all of them dae. He never prevented me from taking up a sword. But there was always more tae my life than being a warrior. Ma always told me that one day I would hae tae raise a family, and it haes never seemed fair that I should hae these obligations and give up what I want just because my body can dae something a man’s cannae. Ye could fight until yer dying breath if ye wanted, and nobody would ever make ye dae anything differently.”

“Aye, well, sometimes everyone haes tae dae things they dinnae want tae.”

“What dae ye mean?”

Maxwell cleared his throat and looked off into the distance. Hilda got the sense she was about to hear something deeply private.

“When I was younger, I was a large lad, bigger than all the others. I was raised with a lot of other children. We were like a litter of puppies, but because of my height, I was the one that got all the attention. People assumed that I was mean and angry because I looked it, and they also thought I was older than I was. Sae I was put tae work as soon as I was able. While the others were playing and being children, I was out there on the farm, helping out because I could. I wanted tae be a child, but I was nae able.

“Then, when I got taller and taller, I was treated like some kind of monster. People looked at me as though I could rip their heads off, and if they weren’t scared of me, they wanted me tae dae tricks. They never treated me like a person at all, and when they left, I used tae hear them muttering tae themselves about me being a giant, ugly, and that I should gae back tae the mountains. I heard them say that nobody would ever love me, and for a time, I believed them. I didnae think I would be able tae get married or dae the things that ye see as a burden.”

“And then Bea came along,” Hilda said quietly, thinking about the hardships that Maxwell must have endured over the years. She had never thought of raising a family or being offered in marriage as something of a privilege before.

“Aye, and I couldnae believe it. By this point, I haed a good life for myself. People knew I could be depended on for hard work, and a man came saying that he wanted his daughter tae marry a prosperous man. He said she was the loveliest lass in the land, and all he wanted was tae give her tae a husband who could protect her, care for her, and provide her with lots of sons. I asked him if she knew what kind of man I was because I didnae want her tae recoil from me or feel as though she haed tae live with a monster.

“Then he gave me a letter she haed written. In it, she said she haed heard the stories about me and thought that if I was a giant, then I must have a giant heart and that she wanted tae dae all she could tae fill it with love.” He smiled at the memory, and despite Hilda’s envy, she still found it touching. “I read that letter over and over again until the day she was due tae come and marry me, and then I saw her, and for a moment, everything was perfect. Then they attacked.” A shadow fell over his face, and the pain in his voice was impossible to ignore.

Hilda reached out and placed her hand upon his. His flesh was warm under her skin, and she felt something blossom inside her. Their eyes met, and something passed between them, although only for a moment. He shook his gaze away, and she pulled her hand from his.