The souls of true lovers meet again and again transcending time. The souls of Jamie and Claire have met many times before 1743 and they will meet again many times after. This is the story of another incarnation of the lovers. They find each other almost 150 years before Jamie and Claire begin their journey together. In this time King James the VI of Scotland awaits the death of Queen Elizabeth I hoping to reign as James I of England and Ireland. Meanwhile all three nations suffer in turmoil. In Scotland it is known as linn nan creach, the time of raids
PART 1
OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME
Chapter 1
In the fell clutch of circumstance
Near Midnight
May 31, 1602
Kilmorack, Scotland
I hurried toward the kirkyard. I was late, very late. What if Finn decided I wasn't coming and left before I could meet him?
I picked up my pace, but it was hard going. It was dark except for the light of the full moon and my bundle was heavy and awkward. I shifted it between one arm and the other again and again in a vain attempt to keep my shoulders from aching. My legs too were protesting the pace I'd set for them with burning thighs and aching shins. Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen the kirk yard for our rendezvous. It didn't seem so far away in the daylight.
It was a cold spring night and my breath was turning into a frozen mist in front of me. I wore an old plaid earasaid (Footnote: a draped garment worn in Scotland as part of traditional female highland dress. It may be a belted plaid (literally, a belted blanket), or an unbelted wrap)and I could feel the sweat trickling under my arms and slithering down the small of my back beneath my corset. I unpinned it from around my neck and let the heavy wool slip down over the belt I wore at my waist until it hung down around my ankles. I longed to let the whole thing fall to the ground and leave it there, but we might have to sleep outdoors tonight, and I knew I'd be glad of the cloak's warmth then.
I heard an owl hoot behind me and looked sharply over my shoulder, but I could see no one. Who would they send after me, McDonnel warriors or more likely Beiste? I was not sure which terrified me more for I had betrayed Beiste's trust and he was not the forgiving kind. Strange to be afraid of a man who had always protected me, even when he was angry with me like he was... Lord, was it really only last night?
Yes, just last night I'd been as happy as I'd ever been. Everything I'd wanted seemed to have been possible and just within my reach. Then it all came crashing down. Well they could bluster and threaten and cajole all they wanted. I wasn't going to be forced into ruining my life. It was my life after all.
I caught sight of the kirk's stain glass window in the distance. I knew it would shine like a beacon in the darkness! It glowed now with red, gold, green and purple light. The kirk sat on the top of a hill at the end of a long winding path. It was a simple structure built of white gray stones with no ornament save the one arched, stained glass window set in the peak made between the steeply slanted sides of the roof.
The sight of my goal strengthened my resolve. I was almost there. I struggled up the path toward the kirk with renewed energy, but the climb was a long one. When I finally hurried into the grave yard next to the kirk my breath was ragged and I sat down on a stone bench near my parents' graves to catch my breath. I laid my bundle down next to me and as my breathing slowed I scanned the yard looking for signs of Finn, but all I saw were the ghostly white grave stones that studded the ground.
I knew the graveyard well. I'd prayed here at my mother's grave each Sunday since I was a wee lass and for more than a year now at my father's as well. If only my father were still alive things would be so different. He would never have put me in this position. I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes, but I sucked in a deep breath and to keep them at bay. I was sure my parents would understand why I had to run away.
I prayed silently, "O God, Who has commanded us to honor our father and mother, have compassion in Thy mercy, on the souls of my father and mother; forgive them their sins, and grant that I may see them in the joy of eternal brightness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
It was called the orphan's prayer, and I was an orphan now with no family save my brothers and Beiste, if you could call a great lass of seventeen an orphan. A tear came into my eye when I thought of Eoghann and the rest of my brothers, but I wiped it away and rose from the bench picking up my bundle again. Eoghann would have to forgive me for not telling him my plans. He was still angry with me and I couldn't trust him to keep my secret. He shouldn't have said those things about Finn. He didn't know him the way I did, and he didn't know Angus McDonnel at all!
The bulk of the graves were marked by simple stone slabs no more than a foot high, but here and there were taller slabs carved more elaborately. In my note I asked Finn to meet me by the sepulcher of a hero who died in the Battle of Flodden (Footnote: The Battle of Flodden, Flodden Field, or occasionally Branxton (Brainston Moor[4]) was a military combat in the War of the League of Cambrai between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, resulting in an English victory. The battle was fought in Branxton in the county of Northumberland in northern England on 9 September 1513, between an invading Scots army under King James IV and an English army commanded by the Earl of Surrey.[5] In terms of troop numbers, it was the largest battle fought between the two kingdoms.[6]James IV was killed in the battle, becoming the last monarch from the British Isles to die in battle.) He possessed the one notably large monument in the graveyard, a six foot tower that reminded me of the piawn pieces in my father's chess set. It was easy to see it across the path in the older more neglected part of the graveyard.
The graveyard was quiet save for the sound of the wind rustling through the tree limbs. On a spring morning the graveyard was a pleasant, sun drenched field with the scent of wild flowers in the breeze, but tonight it seemed a place where evil lurked in the shadows and the wind carried the scent of sweet decay. I touched the iron cross around my neck to ward off evil. Flora was rubbing off on me. I was getting as superstitious as she was. I had chosen this meeting place because I knew it would be deserted at this hour and I should be glad of the privacy not quaking over unseen spirits.
The hero's monument was just ahead and I hurried to reach it, but my toe caught against something hard and I felt myself falling forward. As I threw my hands out to stop my fall the bundle tumbled out of my arms. A cry escaped me when I hit the ground. I froze there on my hands and knees listening intently for any sounds from the kirk, but I heard nothing except the eerie whistle of the wind as it whipped over the grave stones.
When I was a very little girl my brothers told me never to stray out of bed at night when I heard the wind whistle.
"Do you hear it, that whistling? That's the sound the witches make as they pass over riding on their broomsticks. They're looking for children to steal away from their parents and give to the fairies."
For years afterwards, I had hidden my head beneath the quilt whenever I heard the wind whistle outside just to make sure the witches didn't get me, and I still found the sound a bit unnerving.
The damp of the earth began to penetrate through the thin fabric of my skirt and into my knees. I rose and brushed the earth off my palms picking out a bit of stick that had somehow jammed itself under my skin. I gathered my bundle up again and started to make my way to the sepulcher anxiously searching for Finn, though I could see no one.
Perhaps he had hidden himself in the shadows. Should I call out? No, better to show myself to him. I circled the hero's tomb silently. It was old and covered in vines with dry leaves trapped in their tangles. Every step I took made a crunching noise as my feet crushed the leaves beneath them. I moved very slowly, each step a crackling misery because I feared I'd be discovered, but I came full circle without finding a sign of Finn.
I stood there silently as long minutes ticked past waiting and straining my ears for any sound of Finn. The sweat from my climb up the hill had long since dried in the wind and I was getting cold. I shivered and gathered the earasaid around my shoulders again. Had something happened to delay Finn or had I been so late that he'd given up hope and left? What if he never even received my letter? I was just beginning to despair when I thought I heard the sound of soft footfalls coming across the yard. I listened harder and heard the crack of a twig underfoot. Thank Christ, he'd come!
"Finn," I half whispered but was greeted only by silence. "Finn, it's me," I said louder. I heard the sound of breathing behind me and turned. "Finn?"
Even in the moonlight I could see that it wasn't Finn. Fear coursed through my veins and without conscious thought I let out a shriek and turned to run. Before I took two steps brawny arms snaked out and big hands grabbed my shoulders turning me around.
"I'm not Finn, but I'm glad enough to take his place."
I could smell the stranger's fetid breath in my face and I fought down the urge to scream. Trying not to panic I faced the large shadowed figure of the man holding me and said calmly. "I'm sorry there's been a mistake. I was just looking for my brother. I'm sure he'll be along any minute."
"Your brother is it? Well I've a mind to keep you busy while you wait."
Wet lips came down on mine and the big hands dropped to my hips pulling me against him. I began to fight him in earnest wrenching my head back and forth to avoid his lips and pushing hard against his chest.
"Stop! Stop it, I say!" He showed no signs of stopping so in the most regal tone I could muster I shouted, "I am the Lady Catriona Frazer and I demand that you unhand me immediately."
He stopped trying to kiss me and held me at arm's length sweeping his eyes over me. "Lady Catriona is it? Well I'm Mary Queen of Scotts. Glad to make your acquaintance!" He laughed heartily then quick as a striking snake he grabbed a fistful of my hair forcing my head back.
The pain in my scalp was intense and tears filled my eyes. I tried to kick at him with my foot but I stumbled and fell to my knees. Wet lips covered mine again cutting off my air supply and hard fingers squeezed painfully against my breast. Then I heard a sound like the cracking of a nut and my attacker dropped. His body fell hard against mine pushing me down onto the ground with its slack weight as he crumpled. Flat on my back I pushed against his great stinking torso, but I was trapped beneath him. I struggled pushing mightily against the weight of the man's limp form. Then someone was there rolling his body off me and holding out a hand.
"Finn!" I felt a surge of joy, but looking up I saw at once that is was not Finn. The shape above me was far too tall and heavy in the chest and shoulders.
"Are you alright, lass?"
"Who "I struggled to find the words, "Who are you?"
"Just call me Sam. Can I be of service?" His tone was light, almost teasing, but his voice was deep and he rolled his Rs like a Highlander.
Suddenly, a new light shone from the back of the church and I could hear male voices shouting in the distance. Sam poked the toe of his boot against the unconscious form of my attacker then turned his head at the sound of a someone shouting.
"Over here, lads!" a voice called in the distance.
"I believe that will be this blaigeard's friends coming to find out what you were shouting about" Sam held his hand out and I took it letting him haul me to my feet. "Run for the kirk, lass! The priest will protect you."
Revered Reed would surely send me home again if I sought his protection.
"But I'm supposed to be meeting my brother here," I lied.
"Well your brother's not here, lass. Either run for the kirk or come with me now." Sam held out his hand.
Where was Finn? Surely if he were here he would have saved me himself, but he wasn't here and I couldn't let them take me back. I couldn't wait any longer.
I took the stranger's hand and he led me silently away from the kirkyard towards the woods behind it. He made his way so quickly that I was hard pressed to keep up with him. He seemed to be able to see in the dark like a cat and move just as soundlessly. As soon as we entered the thick woods I began to stumble. My shoes were loose and the moonlight coming through the trees was not enough to give shape to the shadows. I crashed about making noises that sounded as loud as the crack of a whip to my nervous ears.
Sam stopped. "You sound like a wild boar crashing through the brush. Here, grab my plaid and hold on. Walk in my footsteps. Try to place your feet exactly where I placed mine."
Without thought of protest I took hold of the loop the back of his plaid and placed my feet as closely into his footsteps as I could manage. It was slow going at first, but much quieter even though I still fell against him occasionally. His body was hard as a stone wall and it only took a few painful collisions before I learned to follow the rhythm of his steps and we moved with quiet efficiency.
When I began to feel we were safely away I asked, "Where are we going?"
Before he could answer we came to a tree that had fallen across our path. He started to leap over it but felt the tug of my hand on his plaid. (Footnote:The Great Plaid was a large piece of cloth, which by the 16th century measured up to 8.2 metres (9.0 yards) in length, half of which was pleated and belted about the waist, while the upper half was draped over the left shoulder, was then gathered in front and could be used as a cloak and hood during inclement weather.) He stopped and turned to me. "Here lass, let me help you."
Before I knew what he intended, he stooped and picked me up with one of his arms behind my knees and the other behind the small of my back. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck afraid that he would drop me. I was tall for a girl and among my brothers only Eoghann, the tallest, could still heft me with ease, but the big arms that held me were steady and the chest I pressed against was solid as a tree trunk. I realized that Sam was as large as Eoghann, perhaps even as large as Beiste.
His hands were warm and he smelled of wood smoke, damp wool, and unwashed male, but his scent was not altogether unpleasant.
Sam walked to the fallen tree and held me just over and past it. Then he gently lowered me until my feet touched the ground and I stood up. I let go of his neck with haste feeling embarrassed at the awkward intimacy of wrapping my arms around a complete stranger. Still on the other side of the tree from me he put the palms of his hands on the trunk and leapt over it with ease coming down just beside me.
"My friends are in the clearing yon. It's not much farther now."
"Yon" seemed quite far away to me, but eventually we came to a clearing. I saw a clump of dark shapes that proved to be about a dozen horses and men when we came closer. One tall man detached himself from the group moving towards us quickly.
"Well, did he come?"
"No Conrad, at least I don't believe he did."
"What do you mean you don't believe he did, Toll-toine?" He stepped closer to Sam. "Did you see him or no?
"No! I had to leave a bit hastily. I ran into a wee stramash."
"What sort of wee stramash?"
"I found something interesting in the graveyard." Sam stepped to one side revealing my presence.
He jerked his head back with surprise. "A lass! Who is she?"
"Well we haven't been properly introduced, but when I came upon her some ruffian was trying to rape her and she told him she was Lady Catriona Frazer. I cracked his skull open for him with a piece of grave stone."
"Did he see you then?"
"No," Sam snorted dismissively, "the raping blaigeard will never know what hit him."
"Good." Conrad turned toward me and the moonlight showed his profile. He had a long beard and a broadsword at his belt. He stared at me in the moonlight. "Out with it, lass." He jerked his chin at me. "Who are yea? You're not dressed like any lady I've ever seen."
He was right. Under my ancient earasaid, I wore a dress of faded blue gray wool with the round neck and wrists trimmed in strips of worn brown taffeta. It was a bit small for me clinging tightly across my bust and showing more ankle than was seemly. My mushroom cap had been lost somewhere in my struggles and the bun at the top of my head had given way loosing medusa locks of coffee brown hair around my face. One of the leather thongs that laced my simple sheep skin shoes had loosened and the shoe had slipped off my heel. I bent to pull it up and tighten the lacing while desperately trying to calculate whether the truth or a lie would serve me better.
Finally, I stood up and said, "I'm Flora, Flora McNeal."
Without any pretense at introducing himself this Conrad demanded, "Why were you skulking about in the middle of the night in a graveyard?"
"She was there to meet her brother," Sam said.
"Her brother was it?" Conrad scoffed and the other men in the group laughed with him. "Well I'm not sure there's any truth in you, Flora McNeal, but can you tell me why fifty McDonnels have come to visit your Laird's keep?"
"It's because of Lady Catriona. Angus McDonnel is going to marry her." I answered.
Conrad squinted his eyes and bared his teeth as if he felt a sudden pain. "Mo Chreach! I knew those bloody McDonnel's were up to something. Glengarry must be seeking to bind the Frazers to him. He needs another clan to stand with him against the Privy Council in Edinburgh. They will soon tire of waiting for him to answer their summons and send the King's men to fetch him back."
"I can't believe Roibeart Frazer would marry his sister to a McDonnel," one of the men in the group said in a hoarse Highland Burr, "Wasn't his own mother a Mackenzie?"
I couldn't let them disparage Rabbie when he was innocent. "I doubt Laird Roibeart even knows about the match. He's still in France with his new bride. Twas more likely that treacherous uncle of hers."
"God's gogan! Well there's nothing for it now lads but to ride for home and tell Kintail what's happened. There's not that a dozen of us can do against fifty McDonnels."
"What about the lass?" Sam asked.
"Search her."
Before I could protest Sam pulled the bundle from my hands. He untied it and rooted through the contents holding up, a sturdy linen night dress, a much daintier extra shift, a hair brush, tooth powder, two silver candle sticks, some bread and cheese and a long string of fresh water pearls.
"Let me see that necklace," Conrad said.
Sam picked the necklace out of the pile and handed it toward Conway.
"That's mine!" I said making a grab for it but I wasn't fast enough and Conrad pulled it out of my reach.
"Is it lass, because it looks to me like you're a thief?"
I attempted to look this Conrad in the eye despite the darkness. "I am no thief. They're mine. Mi Lady gave it to me for my dowry." That was at least partially true. The pearls were a gift to me and I'd planned to use them to survive on until Finn and I could reconcile with our families.
"Well I'll keep them safe for you until then." He opened the leather sporran he wore at his groin and dropped the pearls inside. (Footnote: a pouch that performs the same function as pockets on the pocketless kilt. Made of leather or fur, the ornamentation of the sporran is chosen to complement the formality of dress worn with it. The sporran is worn on a leather strap or chain, conventionally positioned in front of the groin of the wearer.) "And the candle sticks as well."
Sam removed the candle sticks and handed them over to Conrad who in turn gave them to one of his men. When the man added them to a pack on his saddle,
I wanted to cry. I would never get my things back. I would have to survive without funds.
"Now search her person," Conrad ordered.
"Forgive me, lass," Sam said before putting a large, warm hands on each of my shoulders. His touch was almost comforting as he patted down my arms. Then he reached out and took me by the waist with both hands as if we were about to dance and slowly ran his hands down to my hips. The touch was impersonal but it shocked me none the less, reminding me too strongly of my attacker in the kirkyard. I sucked in my breath in surprise and Sam gave me a reassuring smile. He patted the large pockets formed by my earasaid and pulled out the small knife I kept to cut my meat and three copper coins. Conrad held his hand out to Sam and Sam placed them in his palm.
Conrad looked carefully at the carved bone handle of the knife before dropping it and the coins into his sporran with the necklace. "Mount your horses. We must be well away from here by dawn."
"What about the girl?" Sam asked.
Conrad gave me a hard stare then let out his breath in exasperation. "Bring her. She might be able to tell us something useful."
"We don't have an extra horse," Sam protested.
"As you saw fit to bring her here she can ride with you." Conrad said over his shoulder before mounting his horse.
Without thinking I burst out, "Wait! You can't take me. I have to stay here."
Conrad turned on his horse and looked at me as if he was shocked that I would contradict him. Then he slowly drew his dirk from his belt. "You'll either come quietly lass or I'll cut out your tongue out for you, but you'll not be left to tell any tales to the McDonnels."
I searched his face for any sign that he meant less than he said, but saw none.
"Which is it then, lass?" Conrad said menacingly his dirk still drawn.
"I... " I swallowed, "I'll come with you."
"Remember what I told you about keeping quiet." He looked toward Sam and said, "If needs be silence her any way you can." With that he rode out and the others began to follow suit.
One of the mounted riders led a horse to Sam and he took it by the bridle tucking it up beneath his arm. "Thank you, Fergus."
He had retied my bundle and he fastened it securely to the horse's saddle before turning to me. He wove his fingers together making a stirrup out of his hands. "I'll give you a hand up. Give me your foot."
I hesitated. Could I make a run for it? I remembered how quick Sam had been on the way here. I'd never out distance him and if I did one of the other men would likely ride me down before I got away. There was nothing for it but to cooperate.
"Don't worry, lass. If you do as you're told you have nothing to fear from us." Sam looked at me and I saw the flash of his teeth again. I could tell he wore his hair long around his shoulders but I could see precious little of his face.
If I did what I was told! Coming to a decision, I put my foot into his hands, and he lifted me effortlessly up until I got a leg over his saddle. I had no time to settle before he was seated behind me with his big arms around either side of mine signaling the horse forward with the press of his powerful thighs. I was forced to hang onto the saddle to keep my seat. There was barely enough room for both of us. My back was pressed up against his broad chest and he was so close I could smell his scent again.
I felt a rising panic. I was stuck like a rabbit in a snare. This was not at all what I intended. Instead of eloping with Finn I was riding deeper into the highlands with a dozen Mackenzie warriors, and no one knew where I was or what had happened to me. I might as well have been taken by away on a witch's broom and given to the fairies. I began to shake but whether from the cold or fear I didn't know. Sam gently pulled my earasaid up and spread it over my shoulders without a word. How had I come to this pass when yesterday everything I wished for seemed to be within my grasp?