I am posting a little early this week because I have some obligations later in the week. After this I should be back to Thursday postings. Thanks to everyone who has given me feedback especially Zay. It is so valuable to me. You should be getting a pretty good sense of Sam by now. I would like to know how you feel about him. I'd also like to know how you feel about Catriona. I want you to see her as naive, reckless and a little bit selfish, but I still want you to like her. Is she a likeable character?
Part II
Strong Enough
Chapter 7
Nothing's true and nothing's right
The Present
Strong arms were around me and I was moving up and up toward the light. When we broke the surface of the water I gasped in air spluttering and spitting like a trout. Sam was towing me behind him toward the shore. He dragged me up the bank and dropped me unceremoniously a little ways from the stream which had become a river.
I rolled over on my side and retched up the water from my lungs then lay panting and gulping in great lungfuls of air. When breathing had become relatively easy again a pair of large wet feet and hairy ankles appeared in my line of vision and I rolled on my back.
Sam was standing there clad only in a sopping wet shirt that hung to the middle of his thighs. It did very little to hide what lay beneath it clinging to every curve of his muscular shoulders and chest. A good ten inches of muscular thigh was exposed above square knees, and thick hairy calves. Embarrassed at the sight, I hastily raised my eyes to his face and wished I hadn't. He was glowering at me with his mouth set in a thin grim line.
"What in hell were you about? Trying to drown yourself?"
"I was trying to get away from you, you great brute!"
"Well, you may as well give up on that, lass. You're no more likely to get away from me than you are your own shadow." He put out a hand to help me to my feet, but I swatted it away.
"Keep your hands off me, you savage." I sat up then scrabbled to my knees pushing myself onto my bare feet. I patted my bodice and realized that my shoes were no longer there. I'd lost them. Now I'd have to walk barefoot like a poor crofter!
His eyes glittered with malice as he looked at me from their corners. "Savage am I? After I risked my neck to pull you out of the river? If I hadn't jumped in after you, you be in a watery grave!"
The injustice of that remark fired a burst of rage that flamed up from my gut to the top of my head and burned away any restraint I had left. "If you hadn't abducted me in the first place, you wouldn't have had to save me!"
"Abduction was it? As I recall you came willingly enough and this is the second time I've saved your life, but I've yet to hear a word of thanks!"
"You clot head! Why in the name of God would I thank you for abducting me?" He was insane. Suddenly I wanted nothing more in the world than to get away from him. A cough racked my lungs and I looked down. My breasts were perilously close to falling out of my bodice. I looked up quickly and found that Sam's eyes were fixed there.
Summoning every ounce of restraint and all my theatrical skills I said sweetly, "You're right. I could have drowned. Thank you for saving me. Now if you wouldn't mind…" I looked down toward my chest.
Sam looked annoyed but turned around.
As soon as his back was turned to me I bolted as if the hounds of hell were behind me sure that if I didn't escape him now I never would. I took no more than half a dozen steps before big hands clasped me about the waist and lifted me up. He pulled me up against the front of him one vice-like arm around my waist and the other just beneath my breasts. I kicked my heels against his shins and screamed with rage hammering his arms with my fists.
He clapped a hand over my mouth but I struggled on still screaming beneath it. I threw back my head hitting something hard that I hoped was his nose. The blow loosened his hand from my mouth for a moment and I managed to sink my teeth into the flap of skin that webbed his forefinger and thumb.
"Bugair!" He dropped me like a stone and I landed so hard on my bottom that I bit my tongue.
Before I could gather my wits enough to get on my feet, he bent and picked me up like a sack of grain throwing me over his shoulder and knocking the breath out of me. He walked away from the stream and laid me a down bit more gently than he'd picked me up on a flat, dry piece of ground. Before I could scramble away he pinned me with his big body over top of mine and grabbed my flailing arms holding them above my head. I wriggled beneath him frantically trying to free myself, but it only served to press his body more closely into mine until we were pelvis to pelvis with his big body between my legs and me bucking beneath him.
I was suddenly aware of more than my anger. I froze. I remembered the fetid breathed attacker of last night and a cold wave of fear streamed through me cooling my rage. I was trapped. Sam lay so heavily atop me that I couldn't draw in enough breath to scream. I began to push frantically against his chest. Seeing my distress, he shifted the weight of one hip and shoulder from atop me onto the ground, but he still kept me pinned with the weight of the other half of his body. With every breath I felt the muscular arm pressing against my breasts and the heavy thigh that lay across my pelvis grow heavier.
He brought his furious face to mine. His narrowed eyes were made all the more ominous by the thick brown brows drawn together above them. Those flashing, eyes the color of the sea on a stormy day bore into mine while blood from his nose and water from his hair dripped into my face. He looked like a berserker and I could taste copper from the stream of bloody water that dripped from his face until it found its way down between my lips. For the first time I felt afraid of Sam, very afraid.
I was prepared for threats, but when he spoke his voice was calm and soothing. "I know this is hard for you lass, but you must see sense. You can'na escape me and I can'na let you go. Conrad has ordered me to keep you with me, but I swear that no harm will come to you while you're in my care."
I felt hot tears slipping down my cheeks whether they were from rage or despair I wasn't sure. I should have said that he was already harming me for my breasts were pressed painfully against my chest by the heavy weight of his arm but all that came out was a plaintive, "I want to go home."
"I can'na take you there now lass, but do as you're bid and mayhap it can be arranged before too long, or mayhap you will find you prefer the Mackenzie Clan to the Frazers."
"Please, please let me go! I must get home. You can tell them I got away from you and I can make my own way back to Kilmorack."
A concerned look crossed Sam's face and what might have been a blush stole up his cheek. He eased himself up off me and sat up then pulled me to a sitting position beside me. Without looking me in the eye he said gently, "Even if I was willing to disobey Conrad, ye would na make it to the next town. It's a two day walk and a lass alone is not safe. Haven't ye learned that yet, Trioblaid? You've already been near raped and almost drowned."
I had to admit he made sense. With no horse, no money and no shoes I was unlikely to get far, but what was the alternative? If I let these men take me to their Mackenzie Chieftain what would become of me? If I told Kenneth Mackenzie I was in fact the Lady Catriona Frazer would he even believe me? If he did he would know it meant trouble with the Frazer clan, might he decide to just quietly kill me and save himself all that trouble. After all, my brothers had no idea where I had gone. They might think me dead already.
If I managed to get word to my brothers they would come for me, but my reputation would be in ruins. What man would want to marry a woman who had been dragged through the Highlands by this band of ruffians? A tear slipped down my cheeks at the thought of being forced to marry some unwashed Mackenzie Highlander while Finn languished for me or worse married Elspeth thinking I had deserted him.
Sam seemed to notice my distress. "Lass, there were none but you, me and the blaigeard in the graveyard last night. Whoever you thought to meet there did not come."
Sam's words struck home. For the first time I allowed myself to feel doubts about Finn. Why hadn't he come? Why hadn't he waited for me? If he loved me as much as he'd said in his letters how could he let anything stop him? Sam had risked life and limb to save me twice and he didn't have any feelings for me at all.
Sam squeezed the arm around my shoulder. "You're a bonnie lass. You'll have a new sweetheart in no time and a husband soon after." Sam stood up and pulled me to my feet. "We'd best be getting back. Conrad will be wondering what happened to us."
I nodded too weary even to speak at the moment.
"If I tell him you were trying to escape he'll have you trussed up like a chicken. Do you want to be tied up like that?"
I shook my head. "No, you don't need to tie me up. I won't try to run away again." If they tied me up I'd have no chance of escape.
"If you'll swear not to try and escape again, I'll tell Conrad that you were washing in the stream and lost your balance and I had to dive in to save you. Is it a bargain?"
"Yes. It's a bargain." I knew I would try to escape again if the opportunity arose and I felt a strange little pang of guilt but wondered at it. This man had abducted me against my will and however kind he might have been about it I owed him no loyalty.
"If you run off again I'll tie you up myself and not let you loose till I present you to the Mackenzie. Do you swear to God you won't run off again."
"I swear." If I worked up the courage to try and run away again it would surely be God who inspired me.
"Come one then. Conrad will be wondering where we are."
Sam started walking up stream and I followed him without protest staring at the center of his muscular back and shoulders under the rough linen shirt as I walked. It was really quite vulgar the way his muscles bulged everywhere. I preferred men who were slim and wiry like Finn. Even his haunches bulged under that shirt.
I felt a sharp pain in my foot and let out a cry pulling my foot away from the pain and hopping on the other foot. I'd stepped on a thorn.
Sam turned and took my arm.
"Sit," he said lowering me to the ground and kneeling in front of me he stuck out his hand. "Let me see your foot."
Reluctantly I held it out to him. When he took my heel in the palm of his hand I could still see the half moon impression of my teeth where I'd bitten him and I took a wee bit of satisfaction in that while Sam delicately took hold of the thorn in my heel and began to pull.
"Ouch!" I tried to jerk my foot back but he held it firmly until he'd pulled out the thorn.
"There," he said rubbing his thumb against the wound. "All gone."
I hastily snatched my foot away. "Thank you."
He took my hand and helped me to my feet again. "From now on watch where you step."
After that I watched the ground to prevent anymore injuries and was spared the sight of Sam's back. We came to where his kilt lay in a heap presumably where he'd heaved it off to jump in after me and we stopped. Sam arranged his kilt on the ground over top of his belt then straightened its folds while I watched curious to see exactly how this procedure worked. When he had it pleated to his satisfaction he sat down in the middle of the fabric, picked up the ends of the belt beneath it and wrapped belt and kilt around his waist cinching his belt. Then he stood up and fastened his belt. The kilt hung in neat folds about him again.
We started walking again and in a little ways we discovered his sword, dirk, and boots in a pile. As Sam reshod and rearmed himself it occurred to me to wonder when he had time to undress.
"You took them off first, your boots and sword, before you took off your kilt. How did you have time to take them off before you saved me?"
"I was watching you from the trees."
"You were watching me?" I blushed at the thought of what he must have seen me do.
"Aye, I couldn't really trust you alone but I knew you wanted some privacy."
"Why didn't you stop me before I tried to cross the river then?"
He smiled. "I thought you'd learn your lesson a bit better if I let you find yourself wet all over, but I didn't expect you to be swept away. I dropped my kilt and ran along the banks after you in my bare feet. When I saw you go over the little falls I thought you'd surely drown and Conrad would have my head so I dove in after ye. Serves me right I suppose for not following orders, but at least my kilt isn't wet."
My anger flared again. "So you thought you'd drown me to teach me a lesson!"
"Not that harsh a lesson. The drowning was an accident. You best take off that wet earasaid."
I considered raking my nails down his face, but I found myself too weary so I unbuckled my belt and took off my wet earasaid instead.
He picked it up from where I dropped it on the ground. "I'll ring it out for you and try to get this blood off my nose while you eh… dry yourself a bit," Sam said then walked further up stream.
I stepped behind some bushes and removed my skirt and bodice. My wool skirt was thin and I managed to wring it out without much trouble. To my surprise one of my pearl ear drops was still safely tucked in my pocket. My bodice was thicker than my skirt and I was still wringing it out in my soaked chemise and corset when Sam returned fully dressed with my wrung out earasaid folded in his hands.
Even though I didn't think he could see me behind the bush I crossed my arms over my breasts.
Keeping his eyes focused well over my head, he laid the folded earasaid down in the grass. "I'll just leave it here," he called across to me, "It's still damp."
"Thank you."
While Sam took great interest in something on the river bank I hastily put on my damp skirt and still wet bodice grateful for the simplicity of this peasant clothing that I could manage to fasten without help.
"I'm ready now." I walked out from the bushes and picked up my neatly folded earasaid.
"Come on then."
I followed him silently back to the other men feeling uncomfortably wet and wishing for my lost shoes.
When we drew near Conrad stalked down the hill towards us with his hand on his sword hilt looking as if he might smite one or both of us. "Where the hell have you two been? I was about to send out a search party." He took a closer look at both of us and frowned, "Are are you wet?"
"Twas an accident. Trioblaid there was having a bit of a wash, but she fell in and got swept along in the current and I had to jump in and fish her out before she drowned."
"Are you daft, lass? I've no time for you to be primping yourself much less falling in the river." He grabbed me by the arm and scowling down at me. "Delay me again and I won't answer for what might happen to you."
Sam spoke. "Some good came of it. I was glad of a wash. I smelled like Caochan after ten days in the saddle."
The rest of the men found this comment very amusing. They snorted and laughed at the truth of his statement and even Conrad's mood seemed to lighten a bit at the comment. He gave me a hard look and let go my arm.
"I've not time for your foolishness lad. The McKenzie must know of the McDonnels' plans forthwith. Get you mounted and if you catch your death from riding in wet shirt twill be no less than you deserve."
With that he turned on his heel, mounted his horse and set off to the North.
Sam pulled me quickly to where his horse was tied and helped me mount. Then he mounted behind me and spurred his horse until we caught up with the rest of the group.
With all the dignity I could muster I sat carefully away from my captor in the saddle, but I was very cold in my damp clothes with the wind blowing in my face. My back ached from the strain of sitting in such an unnatural position and the blow I'd taken against the rock while my hind quarters were simply sore from riding without stirrups to post in.
I relaxed slowly by tiny increments until my damp back gradually leaned up against his damp chest. After a moment he wrapped his dry plaid around us both. The heat of his body began to seep through the layers of cloth between us lessening the ache in my back and I took comfort from it, but I reminded myself that I was not content to be a captive. I must be vigilant and keep my eyes open for any chance at getting back to Kilmorack.
Even if it was impractical to run away, I must do something. Should I continue to masquerade myself as Flora and let them take me to their Chieftain? Once there I could find someone willing to take "Flora" back to Kilmorack, mayhap some passing merchant or traveling troupe of entertainers. When I returned to Kilmorack I would explain what happened to Finn and God willing he would understand. My brothers would be unlikely to object to our marriage then. They'd simply be grateful that a decent man was willing to overlook my reputation and marry me.
Sam's warmth was seeping into my bones and I felt my eyes begin to droop. Perhaps I would close them for just a minute.
