Chapter 4

I don't own anything.

Claire POV

Evelyn's body slumped on the ground like a sack of potatoes. She had taken a hard hit to the temple and I could see blood oozing from a wound on her head.

"Evie" I screamed she didn't move or respond.

Captain Randall's attention turned to me and he stalked forward and placed his sword to my throat. "Shall we try those questions again Madam." He said calmly as if nothing at all had happened and he hadn't just been molesting my sister in front of me. I spat in his face and he struck me with his fist.

The was a noise from above and suddenly Captain Randall was on the ground underneath another man. Before the captain could even register what had happened or put up a fight he was knocked out by the hilt of a sword. My rescuer quickly got to his feet. He was filthy but I recognised him as one of the kilt wearers fleeing the red coat men.

"Ruith" He urged gesturing for me to come with him. "Ruith" He said again and gestured when I failed to move.

"I can't just leave her here." I cried running over to Evie. She was pale but the bleeding had slowed and she was still breathing. "I think she's just knocked out. But this wound needs more attention." For a moment, I was convinced he would just leave us here. He looked between Evie and back in the direction the red coat men were coming from.

"Ah Christ woman." He exclaimed. He came over to us and picked up Evie. Noting wear his gaze had gone I quickly arranged her dress to cover her breasts, rescuer or not he didn't need to be seeing her like that. He threw her over his shoulder and grabbed my arm pulling me along. We ran for a while darting through the bush until we came to a horse tied to a tree. He threw Evie up over the front and mounted behind her then pulled me up in front of him. He reached around me and pulled Evie upwards so she was slouched backwards with her head resting back on my chest. He wrapped his arms around me and locked his elbows to grasp the reins and urged the horse into a canter.

"Hold onto 'er." He said. I grabbed Evie as much as I could to prevent her from falling, she was still out cold. We rode for a while until we cleared the woods and came to a small cottage.

"Where are we?" I asked. He didn't offer any answer. He dismounted and tied the horse to a tree with many others grazing around it. He eased Evie out of my arms and began to carry her toward the cottage. I dismounted clumsily and followed him. As we came through the door I was immediately confronted with the sight of several more kilted men. My rescuer slammed the door behind us with his foot and laid Evie carefully a straw bed. The men began speaking in a language I vaguely identified as Gaelic as I checked over Evie. The bleeding from her wound had stopped, I hesitated to ask these men for any bandages as I was sure anything they had was as filthy as they were. All the men in the room were staring at us, some with curiosity, others with leers. I noted my dress was torn in several places, nothing important was showing and I made sure Evie was as covered as she could be by the remains of her dress.

One of the men stood up from his stool and walked over to me. I stood up and stared him down determined not to be intimidated by his size. He grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me closer to the fire light.

"Come 'ere then lass, lets 'ave a look at ye." He commanded. I instantly took him as the leader of this strange group of men. "What's yer name?"

I decided to continue using the name I had given Captain Randall "Claire. Claire Beauchamp and just what do you think…"

"You say you found 'er?" He cut me off turning to address our rescuer.

"Aye." The rescuer said and then continued. "She was havin' words wi' a certain captain of dragoons wi' whom we are acquainted. There seemed to be some question as to whether the lady was or wasna a 'hoor. She wouldna leave the other behind so I brought the twa o' them"

"I see." The leader spoke turning to me. "And what was the lady's position in this discussion?"

"I am not a whore." I said firmly.

"We could put her to the test." Another man said jovially from the other side of the room while another giggled stupidly.

"I don't hold wi' rape." The leader said. "And we've no time fer it anyway."

"Dougal, I've no idea what she might be or who, but I'll stake my best shirt she's no hoor." The rescuer pronounced eyeing me carefully.

"We'll puzzle it out later." Said Dougal turning away from me and walking over to a man hunched over on a stool. "We've a good distance to go tonight and we mun' do something about Jamie's arm first."

I thought of escaping but I had no idea where I was, and trying to find the road back to Inverness in the gathering darkness felt like a fool's errand. Evie was clearly injured and I had no hope of being able to carry her.

"Out o' joint, the poor bugger." I heard Dougal say of the young man seated on the stool. "Ye canna ride wi' it like that can ye lad."

"Hurts bad enough sittin' still." Jamie spoke for the first time. "I couldna manage a horse."

"There's no help for it then." Another spoke. "We'll have to force the joint back inta place."

"Aye." Jamie agreed. The wisest course of action would have been for me to turn back to Evie and keep my head down and my mouth shut and wait for whatever search party Frank must have mustered by now. My rescuer handed Jamie a flask and he took a hearty chug before handing it back.

"Hold him" Dougal said and I stared on horrified at their attempt to get in arm back into place.

"Don't you dare!" I shouted walking over to them. One of the men pulled his knife out and brandished it at me. "Stand aside at once. You'll break his arm if you do it like that. You have to get her bone of the upper arm in the correct position before is slips into joint." I adopted my best nurse matron voice. Dougal took a couple of steps back allowing me to approach my patient. Jamie looked surprised but didn't resist when I grabbed his wrist.

"Hold him still." I instructed the men standing behind him. My rescuer wrapped him arm around Jamie from behind bracing him with his shoulder to hold him firmly in place. I pulled the wrist up and forced his elbow in. Jamie grunted and began panting hard. "This is the worst part." I used considerable force to bring his arm around in front of him forcing the joint back into place. Suddenly the joint gave a pop noise as it slipped back into place. Jamie stared up at me amazingly.

"It doesna' hurt anymore." He exclaimed.

"It will." I told him knowing that at the moment he was feeling relief, but that the pain would set back in. I gave him some basic instructions on caring for it and demanded a belt or cloth from one of the men to support his arm with. He gave me his belt only when Dougal commanded him to do so. I placed his arm into a sling.

"I take it ye've done this before." Jamie said.

"I'm a nurse." I replied. He eyed the front of my dress where my breasts were. "Not a wet nurse." I said exasperated. "All right, how does that feel?" I asked when I had finished.

"Better thank ye." He said gratefully.

There was a groan from over on the straw bed where I had left Evie. I rushed over to her. "Evie darling. Can you hear me?" She groaned again in response. "Everything is alright. We are safe. Try not to speak." Dougal came over to the bedside and peered down at her.

"And what happened to the young lass?" He asked me.

"Captain Randell molested and nearly raped her" I said. "When she fought back, he threw her and she hit her head on a rock and was knocked unconscious."

"Hmmph." Was all the response he gave. "Murtagh, ye'll have to carry this one with you." He gestured to Evie. "Jamie can ye ride a horse?"

"Aye." Jamie responded.

"Good, we're leaving." Dougal commanded.

The men made for the door, the owner of the cottage gave me a blanket to secure around Evie's shoulders to cover her bare form. Murtagh carefully picked her up and carried her outside to his horse. He slung her over it a mounted behind her. I looked over in the distance and realised I should be able to see Inverness from here.

"Where is it?" I asked confused. "Where's the city? It should be visible from here."

"Inverness?" Jamie queried. "Yer lookin' straight at it."

There were no electric lights as far as the eye could see. So as much as my rational mind rebelled against the idea, I knew in my heart, Evie and I were no longer in the twentieth century.

Jamie had moved over to mount his horse and Dougal grabbed me by the elbow dragging me along with him. "Ye be sure to stay close to the rest o' us" He ordered. "And should ye try anythin' else, I shall slit yer throat for yer." He stopped in front of Jamie astride his horse. "Giv' me yer foot. Give it to me." I placed my foot into the palm of his hand and he thrust me upwards, I scrambled onto the horse in front of the young highlander. Dougal moved away and mounted his own horse. I felt Jamie shift in the saddle behind me.

"What are you trying to do?" I asked annoyed after he had jostled me for the third time.

"I'll get my plaid loose to cover ye. Only I canna manage it one handed." He said.

"Thank you but I'm fine really" I lied. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Yer shakin' so hard it's makin' my teeth rattle. The plaid will keep us both warm, but I canna manage it one handed. Can ye reach?"

I decided there was no point in freezing to death on the back of a horse so I reached around and grabbed the plaid he was offering and tucked it over one shoulder then turned and did the same with the other side. I wondered how long we would be riding in this rain for.

"We don't want to freeze before sun up." He spoke as if answering my thought.

I turned to him horrified. "Sun up? You mean we'll be riding all night."

He nodded "All night, and the next one too I reckon. Fine time of year for a ride though." He added.

Dougal gave the command and all the men urged there mounts into a walk. We rode for some hours and I was getting quite worried about Evie and her head wound riding in this rain. I started to twist and crane my neck to see where in the column of riders they were.

"What are ye doin lass?" Jamie asked.

"I'm trying to find Murtagh with my sister. I really should check on her."

"Murtagh." Jamie called. A rider broke from the column and rode up towards us. I could see my sister bent forward with her head hanging.

"Evie." I cried alarmed.

"Dinna fash lass" Murtagh said. "She's still breathin, just sleepin a moment I reckon."

"Do you mind. I mean would you mind terrible riding close to us so I can check on her occasionally?" I asked him.

"Mmmph" was all the response I got but I took it as an agreement as he moved back into line but just ahead of us.

"Murtagh's a good man lass." Jamie said. "He'll no' let harm come to yer sister."

We rode on through the rain and well into the night. It must have been in the small hours of the morning when I heard my sister from Murtagh's horse.

"Claire?" she groaned. "Claire."

"Halt." Murtagh called. Dougal turned from the head of the line and rode back to us.

"What's yer problem?" he asked.

"She seems to be stirin'" Murtagh indicated. "I thought we mun let the lass attended to her sister."

"Claire. Where r we? Who are you? And what on earth is that appalling smell?" She asked gazing around confused.

That's the end of chapter 4. I just wanted to say thank you to my 2 reviewers Baby dragon and top story.