Knight of the Highlander (3 page)

"Tae choose my husband," she spoke with bold confidence that was not felt as she tried to still the violent shaking of her knees.

At her bold request, her father regarded her with more attention than usual. His brown eyes narrowed slightly as if measuring her worth for the first time.

A moment passed, then another until Arywnn felt that her request was going to be denied. Then a calculating glint to her father's eyes gave her a spark of hope.

"I'll be needin' tae approve o' the man. I've worked too hard tae let a young green whelp take the clan and run it to the ground. 'Tis a fine opportunity I have, tae choose my Tanist rather than be obligated to give it tae my son. The Covenanters did me a favor, they did."

Arywnn bit her tongue until she tasted blood. Her father's callused response to her brother, his son's, death was overwhelming, causing a fury to rise within her.

"Tis nae likely ye will find the blackguard anyhow. What have I tae lose?" He chuckled to himself. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he picked up another missive.

Nodding in respect, Arywnn turned to leave, but her father's voice stopped her. "Lass, be sure that ye don't bed any o' the men tae find their secrets. No doubt the man ye have in mind will nae take kindly tae a whorin' betrothed." He gave a crude snort before dismissing her again.

Cheeks flaming with humiliation and outrage, Arywnn fled to her room to compose herself before she would put her plan into action. With the Tanist position at stake, the men will no doubt be ruthless in their search. So far she had only heard whispers of men's suspicions, but she had her own. Tonight she would begin her own ruthless search, for she had far more at risk than any of them, and failure was not an option. Not if she wanted to hold on to any shred of hope for her future.

Colin covered his face with a long black scarf, leaving only his eyes visible. Dressed in black, he silently left the gate and hid in the many shadows the night offered. With a silent count to three he ran through the small clearing outside of the keep walls and into the thick forest.

The forest was alive tonight, no doubt part of the wild manhunt brought on by the lunacy of the Chattan Laird's announcement.
How had he known?
Colin had spent the past night mulling over each possibility and found none that gave away his duplicity. The only answer was that someone on the outside, someone from English soil, had leaked information. If that were the case, then nothing he did was safe, even the upcoming rendezvous. He was now on his own until he gathered the last necessary information regarding the timeline of the possible attack.

Then he would disappear.

The thought was both welcome and heart wrenching, part of him thrilled at the thought of going home, no longer having to hide and pretend. Yet as he considered never seeing Arywnn again his heart seized in his chest. Resisting the urge to growl his frustration, he squeezed the handle of his sword harder causing the metal handle to indent his flesh with its design. Hearing voices, he continued his silent trek into the darkness. Now he must focus on the task at hand. He needed to be the ears of the forest.

"What did ye find out?" A low voice carried across the tall trees.

"Both yer men were clean, not the traitor ye thought they were," a higher tenor voice answered. One that sounded familiar. Closing his eyes, Colin focused on the voice till he could place a face with it.
Gaul
, the stable hand.
So he's a snitch.
Colin filed the information in the back of his head for later use. Now he needed to find out who was using him.

"What about the lad, the MacGregor boy? He's not of our clan, at least his mither's not. What 'bout him? Did you follow him like ye said ye would?" the deeper voice spoke once again. This time it was louder and sounded familiar.

Closing his eyes yet again, Colin waited as he searched his mind for the owner of the voice. It was more difficult, but as the man raised his voice to scold Gaul, Colin's mind snapped with recognition.
Rian
. He would be more observant than most. Known for his tracking skills in both the hunt and in war, Rian was a formidable foe. But knowledge was the edge that Colin needed. He knew who they were, yet they still didn't know him.

"Did you hear that?" Rian asked suddenly, interrupting Gaul's request for payment.

Colin heard the noise as well. It came from the north, not more than a few paces from where he stood. Closing his eyes he listened. The gentle movement had stopped, but he swore he heard a soft breathing.

"Search the trees, there," Rian spoke, breaking the silence. Soon Colin heard the boy stumble through the dark brush toward him. With a curse that was spoken only in his mind, he deftly moved to the left, away from the boy's advance and the source of the noise.

A loud
snap
sounded as twig broke, and whoever else was listening in on the conversation began to run away. Colin heard Gaul shout, and begin a pursuit that was followed by Rian advancing as well. After a small pause, Colin began to head deeper into the forest. A loud scream split the night air.

****

"Tis a wench!" Gaul's surprised voice broke into a squeak as he pinned Arywnn to the forest floor. She would have made it, if not for the log that had tripped her causing a bruised ankle. She berated herself for screaming as Gaul's body slammed against hers. With a violent push she scrambled away from the groping hands of the stable hand and tried to run, hobbling on her injured leg and hoping he didn't recognize her through the disguise.

Unable to be run, she ducked into the darker shadow of a tree that blocked out any moonlight. She closed her eyes and worked on calming her rapid heartbeat. Loud footfalls began in her direction signaling the approach of two men. The tree offered her a darker shadow and she hovered into it, holding her breath as the footsteps slowed. As the men came closer, she stood quietly and moved around the back of the tree, keeping it's fat trunk between her and the pursuers.

"Don't scream," a definitive English accent whispered as a leathered hand covered her mouth and pulled her body into a hard masculine frame.

"I'll not hurt you, but they—" He paused for a moment before continuing his soft speech in her ear." They will."

She wanted to fight, to thrash and break free, but a lightening thought struck her before she acted in fear.
She had found him! The traitor!
He was holding her captive, if only for a moment! To find out his identity, she only needed to remain with him till he gave himself away. Surely he wouldn't suspect a woman? Relaxing slightly so that her captor would know she had heard and would obey his words, she waited. After a moment, he released her slightly and tried to lead her into the dark shadows of the forest, she tripped. Her injury caused a fierce pain in her foot and prevented her from walking as quickly as her English rescuer wished. A breath later, she was lifted by strong arms and carried silently past a continuous shadow of trees. Whoever this Englishman was, he was braw, strong. Through his outer garments Arywnn could feel the tight-corded muscle of his chest as it flexed in carrying her weight. Although he was moving quickly his breath was not labored, but controlled.

He smelled of leather and smoke, but nothing that would set him apart. A momentary pang of disappointment hit her as she pried her mind from the power of the man, and focused on how to identify him. After a moment she realized that at some point her arms had wound around his neck and were now gripping him in a tight embrace. Quickly she began to lift them only to find that her balance was compromised. Soft hair that fell onto his shoulders brushed against her arms, tickling them.

Who are you?

****

When Colin had heard the scream, he knew that a woman alone at night in the forest was asking for trouble. Unable to silence his more chivalrous side, he snuck over to where the scream had originated. When he saw a shadowed struggle between Gaul and the unnamed intruder, he tried to determine how to assist her without being caught as well. When she struggled free and began limping away, he circled around to help her hide, never intending on reveling himself but only distracting the other men so she could disappear. But when he had gotten closer the moon had offered him a glimpse of the woman's face and his blood chilled.
Arywnn!

Rian wouldn't care that she was the Laird's daughter; he would only see someone who had dared spy on him. Surely he would at the very least drag her to her father and demand a severe punishment, perhaps even ruin her in the forest and claim her hand without having to participate in the competition. Knowing the Laird, Colin didn't think he cared about his daughter's virtue as much as he would be embarrassed at her spying, and would want to humiliate her in return. None of which were acceptable to Colin so he crept closer, until he was able to reach her. Just before he did, he paused.

Why would she be out at night?

Unless… the answer came to him quickly and he knew he would be playing a dangerous game, but one he had no option to decline. She was searching for the traitor as well, searching for him. No doubt she was acting to preserve her own freedom and discover the man before the others. Colin quickly wondered what would be
her
prize should she win. But regardless, she could never know it was he. After a quick deliberation, he reached out and pulled her soft body against his and spoke without his Scottish brogue. The smooth English words tasted strange as they came from his mouth. It had been four years since he spoke in his native accent.

She struggled fiercely, yet a moment later she ceased her attempt to free herself from his grasp. Her lithe body was tense and he could hear her ragged breathing, choppy and full of fear, yet strangely silent and aware. Her reaction affirmed Colin's suspicions that she was after him. The traitor. Although he knew it was foolish, his heart still stung with betrayal. He pushed it aside knowing that it was hopeless and that his love was doomed from the start. This was simply another affirmation.

Arywnn's slight misstep drew his attention. He would have to carry her if they were to escape the tracker Rian. Without hesitating, he reached down and wrapped Arywnn's arms around his neck and spirited her away as silently as possible.

Oh, her slight weight was a welcome burden his arms. Her soft curves pressed into the hard muscle of his chest and the scent of rosemary filled his senses. He marveled at the softness of her bottom as he cradled it in his arms and he found himself unable to focus clearly on the moonlit path. Straining against his desire to stop and press her against the nearest tree and taste the honey of her kiss, he pressed himself on, faster so he would no longer be inhaling her scent, but the clean fresh air of the night forest.

After a few minutes, he paused beside a large oak and set Arywnn down gently and pulled her tightly against him. Immediately her scent overwhelmed his senses once more. Pulling his focus away from her and onto the silent forest, he waited, listened and searched for their pursuers as his gaze scanned the trees. The forest was quiet and after a few long moments to assure their safety, he took a deep breath and released Arywnn.

"Are we safe?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"Yes, for now," he spoke again with his crisp English tones, hoping they disguised his voice enough for her to be unable to associate it with her clan's blacksmith.

"Why did ye do that?" she asked.

He watched her shadow shift in the moonlight as she tilted her head to glance up at him. He moved to the side so that the moon would be behind him, keeping his face in total darkness. The movement had the opposite effect on Arywnn's features, for the moonlight illuminated her expressions with surprising clarity.

"Save a damsel in distress? I'm a Knight, tis' what we do." He bowed slightly, proud of his playful ruse.

"Yer a Knight?" Her voice was full of doubt as were the moonlit features of her face.

"Tonight I am," Colin whispered.

"Then I thank ye, sir Knight." She offered a slight curtsey that was awkward as she forgot about her injured foot and lost her balance. Reaching to catch her, he grasped her arm and lifted her slightly so that she once again stood.

"My, ye are the savin' type aren't ye?" Her voice was teasing. Colin was thankful she hadn't pressed him for information, yet.

"We must get you back to your home miss…?" he trailed off, not wanting her to suspect that he knew her; knew her well.

"Arywnn," she completed.

"What a beautiful name for a lovely lass," he complimented as he bowed crisply and reached out for her hand. With a smile at the irony of the situation, he placed a warm kiss to her chilled palm. Feeling a bit devilish, he caressed her fingers with his own before releasing them.

"And, and, what be yer name Sir Knight?" Arywnn spoke with a hitch to her voice, the universal sound of a woman pleasantly surprised.

"Ah, I have many names, but you may call me Knight. After all, that is how I'm sure you will remember me in your dreams tonight." He couldn't help the smile that broke across his face. Thankfully she couldn't see it. It was liberating to boldly flirt, kiss her hand, and hold her close. If only he could steal a kiss…

"So, Sir Knight—" she began before he interrupted.