Chapter 2: Battle Cry

Standing on the hill the next morning, Jamie watched as the clansman around him prepared themselves physically and mentally for what was about to come. Murtagh stood nearby, the only other man other than himself and Claire who knew what the fates had in store, but there was no sign of defeat on his face. He looked just as ready for battle as Jamie did, even more so. He could see Ross and MacBeth nearby and the rest of the Lallybroch men. He said a little prayer to keep them safe then took up his position ready to lead his men into battle.

Everything happened so fast, the Englishman advanced on them as they made their way up the hill towards the English camp. He could hear the clanging of steel as swords met defending their owners over and over again. The cries of men as they lay on the ground trapped in their broken bodies and the orders of Chief's as they urged their men to fight on. The ground around him bleed, not just with the blood of its victims, but with the clumps of earth thrown into the air as hooves and cannonballs scorched the fields around them. His beloved Scotland would never be the same. He stumbled as a cannon landed nearby and dirt rained down from the sky, his opponent taken out by the blast. His hair was full of blood and mud and he could feel it weighing him down as he tried to shake it off. He ran another officer through, slit the throat of the next as he tried to even up the numbers for his men. He could see Murtagh to his right looking every bit like the iconic blood thirsty outlaw highlander of the old tales and he could only imagine what he looked like himself. Looking back over the hill, he could see the smoke rising from the stables fireplace and thanked the gods that she was safe. The battle was young but already some men were crawling back up to the stable for her assistance and he knew that from the cries around him, she would be overrun with the injured in no time.

She worked so hard, harder than any man he had ever seen, tending to the ill day and night, calming their nerves and mending their bodies, comforting them in their final moments and giving them hope when they had none. She barely slept anymore, except for the hour or two she stole each night and she barely ate as rations all over were scarce. He was watching her waste away before his eyes and he cursed himself for not fulfilling his promise to her that she would always be fed and warm. Even in the midst of battle he had noted several rabbit holes nearby and fresh droppings on the ground, after this was over he would go hunting for her. She was long overdue for a good meal of meat and not just stale bread and Rhenish and he swore to himself that she would get it. Taking down another Englishman and withdrawing his blade from his assailant's lifeless body, he leaned backwards in an involuntary reflex as the familiar sound of a cannon whizzed past his ear at full speed and exploded into the hill on the other side of the valley, the earth shooting out at all angles like a volcano Claire had once told him about. "Claire." The thought was enough to sober him up immediately, the English bastards were aiming at the hospital he realised as another cannon landed several meters above the first. Scouting the land and finding his target, Jamie raced through the field like Hades himself dispatching no less than six men as he made his way to where the cannons were sitting. Murtagh had noticed Jamie's haste and followed in in close pursuit, a simple glance towards the stable and the image of the scorched land below telling him all he needed to know. Letting out an ear piercing war cry, Jamie flung himself through the air and knocked the young soldier about to light the fuse off of his feet, slitting his throat as he landed on top of him. Murtagh, two steps behind, took out his partner before he could stab his godson in the back as Jamie stood up to look at where they had been aiming.

JAMMF JAMMF JAMMF

I watched the battle as long as I could, it was hard to make out the faces, as the distance was just far enough away that they all looked like tartan clad blurs in the early morning light. Each man that went down, each cannon that exploded I prayed it wasn't Jamie. I hadn't realised that I had been holding my breath until the first of the men appeared over the clearing and hobbled in my direction, his arm hanging from its socket and a gash to the stomach, followed closely by four more. With only Fergus to help, and her three faithful guards, I had no time for self pity. I saw that the men were made comfortable and I did what I could for them. Even though the morning was cold, the room was warm and I felt myself hampered by my thick cloak. Setting it down in the far corner, by my medicine chest and the sword Jamie had given Fergus, a smaller imitation of his own he had had made the last time they were near a blacksmith, I set about triaging my patience and sending them off down the road. There were no cots, just blankets thrown on the ground all the kneeling over and getting up and down was playing havoc on my knees but I didn't let it show. "Here Milady." Fergus handed me a small cup of water as I insisted my latest patient take a sip of whiskey, setting his leg would be painful enough sober and the laudanum had run out days ago.

"Thank you Fergus." I grinned at him. I knew he wanted to be in the battle field with Jamie, but on that account we both agreed that he was too young. "Can you pass me that bandage." He was a fine assistant, even if he didn't want to be. Fergus held the leg up as I bandaged the leg and checked the patient was still with us, if not unconscious.

"What was that?" Fergus screamed as the ground shook slightly underfoot. It caught me off guard as well but I held my composure.

"It's just the vibrations from the battle making its way through the ground." I assured him, recalling the time I had felt an earthquake beneath my feet.

"I've never felt that before Milady." Fergus questioned me as I stood looking at the empty doorway, my guards temporarily distracted by something in the distance.

"We've never been this close before." I reminded him, "It's nothing." I assured him as I stood up to see what had distracted Jamie's men. As I approached the doorway a third tremor shook us, more powerful than the first two and I could see the dirt cloud rising from the valley below. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the men around me. Eight injured, five badly and two unconscious. I looked to my guards again and then back inside to where Fergus was giving another drink of water to the men as he made his rounds, and back to the guards. My stomach turned as I realised the unthinkable decision I was about to face.

"Milady." The urgency in the young Fraser boys voice was clear as he looked at me and then back to the valley.

"The men, there's too many of them, you have to help me." I begged him, I couldn't just leave them behind.

"There's no time." He insisted as he reached out to grab my arm but it was too late, I was already back inside the stable and yanking my patience out of their deathbeds.

"MILADY!" He ordered me, but as he reached out to grab me against my will I stood my ground and stared him down. I knew Jamie had given them strict instructions to keep me safe but I couldn't leave these men to die.

"Take those three." I ordered the guards pointing to the unconscious men in the corner, "Fergus get Mr McNab out of here." I ordered next as Fergus braced himself to take the mans weight as he rested on him like a crutch. I took a fifth man, bandaged and blind from a head wound while the three others scrambled for their lives on their own, barely making it out of the stable as another cannon exploded just meters from the entrance. We lay the men out in the field by the oak trees nearby where Jaime and I had visited the day before, just far enough out of reach of the English target. I breathed a sigh of relieve that they had all made it out relatively unharmed before making sure their dressings had held with all the man handling. Reaching for a bandage to stem the bleeding of McNab's knife wound, it was only then that I realised that my young assistant was no longer by my side. "Fergus?" I called out, but there was no answer. "FERGUS?" I shouted again as I looked around frantically but I couldn't see him anywhere. The guards noticed my distress and looked out into the woods and back towards the valley, "He must have gone to tell Master Fraser that Milady is safe" one tried to assure me but I knew he was mistaken. Surely Jamie would have seen what had happened and would be worried but Fergus would never disobey Jamie's order o stay by my side. As I looked towards the valley, praying I was wrong my heart froze as the something moved inside the stable.

"Fergus NO!" I screamed as I raced after him. None of the guards close enough to stop me thankfully. I paused briefly as I got to the entrance my body willing me to turn back around but I saw Fergus in the far corner of the stable, oblivious to my presence. "Fergus get out of here." I yelled at him as he turned around startled. I was at his side in a moment, ready to drag him out by the ear if need be. "It's not safe." I warned him as he

"I just need to…" Fergus began as he reached out and grasped the medicine box in one hand while he grabbed his sword in the other.

With no time to argue I grabbed him by the arm and spun around to see the three guards approaching from outside. It was only 20 paces to the door and I held Fergus tight as I estimated our chances of making it there in time. I had only made it 5 steps when my feet froze and my ears pricked to the sound above us. Pulling Fergus close to my chest I held Fergus tightly to me, shielding his face as I shared a knowing stare with the men outside, still gesturing for me to run to them. "Jamie" I cried out as the cannon hit the rafters above and the roof caved in around us.