Chapter 36 - ...And into the Fire
Randall had walked around the hanging light and went to sit in a chair by the table. He looked up at Jamie who was standing there in the middle of the room, large feet spread on the cold stones, not looking at him as he watched the flames engulf the paper Ned had written.
"May I can you Jamie?" Randall asked. Randall then folded his leg over the other and sat back, watching.
"Ah care nae." Jamie said looking over at him. "Bit if ye'r expecting me tae beg fur mah lee..." He turned and leaned a hand against the wall. "...Ye'll be sorely disappointed."
"No, that would be a waste of both our time. I am unable to save you now, even if I wished to. Our time together is, but a momentary reprieve."
"Dinnae fash. Ah prefer th' noose tae yer company."
"Is that true? Why?" Randall blinked. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" He chuckled. "Do I haunt your dreams since Fort William? When you awaken in the middle of the night, shaken and sweating, is it my face you see looming in the darkness? Tell me. When you lie upon your wife and her hands trace the scars on your back..." He reached out toward Jamie. "...do you ever think of me?" He asked recoiling his hand. "And soften?" Randall smirked. "The scars on your wife's back have an odd beauty to them. Do you trace them one by one?" Randall smiled a little more. "I did."
Jamie whirled around and walked toward him as far as the chain would let him. "Whit's it yi'll waant fae me, randall?"
"I want you to admit the truth to yourself."
"'n' whit wid that be?"
"That you escaped Fort William, but you did not escape me. Surrender this pride that you hide behind and admit that even now, you're terrified."
Jamie straightened watching him.
"Admit it. Admit that one simple thing and I will give you something in return. A final gift."
Jamie swallowed and leaned on the table watching him. He smiled a little. "A gift?"
"The noose is such an ignoble ending. Give me what I ask and I will give you the death you deserve."
Jami watched him with something between amusement and disgust.
"Clean, honorable, and of your own choosing."
Jamie cocked his eyebrow at him, but remained silent.
"You could have a Roman death. You could fall on your own sword like Brutus."
Jamie stood back up watching.
"Or maybe a Greek demise. Socrates took hemlock."
Jamie turned away then, thinking.
Randall watched him carefully. "No. Perhaps you do not want to see my face at the end. I understand. I can simply slit your throat from behind. It's messy, but..." He inhaled deeply. "The choice is yours."
Jamie turned back to him slowly and sat down. "Howfur wull ah ever wale?"
Randall chuckled lightly and nodded. "But choose you must. First, you must give me your surrender. Make no mistake. I will have your surrender before you leave this world."
Jamie took a breath considering that.
ZzZ
Lizzy sighed as she and Jeremy Foster shared tea. The maids had come and made the bed. Jeremy watched her as she sat, thoughtfully looking into her tea cup.
"Why did you do it?"
"What?" She asked being pulled out of her reverie.
"Why did you come to him and give yourself to him. He is a brute of a man with no respect for anyone except himself."
Lizzy took a breath. "I had to." She looked at him. "Are you married, Jeremy?"
"No." He said. "I had a girl back home, but that was several years ago and her letters are getting further and further apart. I do not think soon she will remember me."
Lizzy nodded a little. "When you were with her, so much in love. What would you have done if someone had taken her to prison?"
"Anything." He said looking up. "Anything to try to gain her release."
Lizzy nodded. "Exactly."
Jeremy nodded slowly. "James Fraser is your husband." He said softly.
She nodded and looked to the window.
He sighed and lifted the box he had brought. "The jailers gave me a box of his personal effects. I do not think they think the reprieve will last." He opened it to show her.
She looked inside and saw her husband''s dirk, sgian dubh, sporran, and Sawny, the snake. Lizzy's hand went to her mouth.
"I'm sorry." He whispered a hand going to her arm.
"I...I can't give up on him." She whispered.
He nodded.
She rose to her feet. "I need to try to free him somehow." She whispered. She moved to the door.
He caught her. "I cannot allow you to leave here. Orders."
She looked up at him as he held her arms. "Jeremy. Please."
He shook his head a little and then looked toward the window.
"You could go to her." She said.
"And if she had another?" He asked. "I would not blame her for her betrayal now after so many years waiting for me."
"There are many women, Jeremy. You are a handsome lad. Some lass would have you in a heartbeat."
He smiled a little at that.
"I must save him. Please."
He took a breath and walked passed her to the door. "I have grown tired of all this here. The fighting. The Scots merely want to be left alone. I would love to allow them." He walked toward her again. "But if I disobey an order I would flogged or worse."
She looked up at him. "Than Run."
"Where?"
She looked about. "To Castle Leoch. You do blacksmithing. They could use that skill there." She said.
"I am English."
"Aye." She said. She lifted the jet rosary from the pocket under her skirt. "Ask to see Colum MacKenzie when you are stopped." She moved to a table and wrote a quick letter. She then used wax to seal it, pressing her wedding band into it. She handed it to him.
He took it and watched her. "This will have me executed for desertion." He said quietly.
"Would you rather watch more suffering?"
He shook his head slowly. "No. I wouldn't."
She nodded and went to the box. She drew out her husband's dirk and put it to her belt along with hi sporran. She pulled up her skirts to her thigh causing Jeremy's eyes to widen a little as she tucked the blade into her garter next to the other one. Last she took Sawny and put him in her pocket.
She looked at Jeremy then and nodded as she let her skirts drop.
He nodded back. "Very well. At least this is for a just cause." He murmured.
She came to him and then hugged him to her. He was startled at first and then embraced her, sighing into her hair.
"I love you." Jeremy whispered, thinking she had not heard it.
But she had. She looked up at him and his gaze was gentle in a way she had never seen before. She leaned up and kissed his cheek, but he turned his head a little, catching her mouth with his own. He kissed her gently and then pulled back.
"Be safe." He whispered. "If I survive, I would welcome a visit."
"Jeremy...had I not been married..."
"I know." He smiled and nodded. "I wish many things. I wish I had a woman as brave and beautiful as you. I wish my sister would have stopped me from foolishly coming." He looked up. "You are like her, you know. Same fiery temperament." He stepped back and then lifted a key. "This is one of the jailer's keys. It will open any door."
She nodded. Taking it in her hand. "Thank you. My family and coming child thank you."
He looked at her startled. "You are again with child?"
"I am." She said softly.
He smiled. "I think I would have liked to be an uncle."
She took his hand. "If it is a boy. I will call him Jeremy to honor you."
He was speechless a moment. "Thank you." He whispered.
She kissed his cheek again. "You are a brave man. I will always hold you with affection."
He walked to the door, her items in hand. He opened it. "Be quick and do not tally." He said. He lifted his hat. "Until we meet again, Lady Fraser."
She nodded and bowed her head to him. "Until we meet again, Jeremy Foster."
He smiled at her and then was gone.
She took a breath and then moved to the door.
She then moved out and down the stairs, being weary of the men about.
She moved down to the dungeons avoiding small groups of men going about their business. She had been forced to go a different route than Randall had taken her and so quickly became lost as to where she was as she avoided patrols.
She made it to a cell that had about twenty men within it. She looked in and swallowed.
"Jamie?" She asked. She looked at them. They seemed started to see a woman there. "Does anyone know where I could find James Fraser?" She took a breath. "Broch Tuarach?"
One man looked up at her. He was older and fully bearded. "Not in here. Try down below." He said. "That's where they keep those of us that's hanging's too good for."
She nodded. "Thank you!" She told him.
He nodded as she moved on down the passageway.
ZzZ
Jamie sat with his elbows on his knees.
Randall had moved to stand and Marley was behind him, silent, watching.
Jamie looked from Randall to his giant and back. He took a breath and nodded, rising to his feet as Randall watched him. "A' richt." He walked to the middle of the room, bare feet soft on the stones, the only sound the sound of the chains dragging with him. "A wullnae surrender. Tae ye or ony jimmy." He said stepping forward.
"I have to admit, there is a part of me that would be crestfallen if you did."
Jamie watched him steadily.
"You know that every man can be broken. It's truly nothing to be ashamed of."
Jamie looked down and took a breath.
"Will you show me your back? You wife was willing to show me hers." He smiled a little. "Most willing."
Jamie's eyes shifted from the brazier to Randall as Randall regarded him. He looked back at Marley and then at Randall again. "If it'll stoap yer talking."
"Hummm." Randall grunted.
Jamie stood still as Randall walked about him. Jamie looked back over his shoulder as Randall approached him and lifted a hand.
"May I?" Randall asked softly.
Jamie looked down, but was watching Marley before he took a breath and nodded slowly.
Randall took hold of the shirt tail and lifted slowly as Jamie stood steady.
As Randall exposed skin, Jamie suddenly turned, grabbing his throat. "Ye'r th' goosed yin! ye'r th' yin that sees mah coupon ilka nicht." He growled trying to choke the life out of Randall.
Marley growled and lifted a hammer and came forward. Jamie gasped and threw Randall at him to block the blow. He then dodged as Marley came after him lifting a stool.
Marley grabbed the chain at his foot, pulling him forward. Jamie swung the stool hitting Marley's arm forcing him to drop the chain.
Randall gasped for air as he looked over.
Jamie swung the stool several times as Marley dodged and then Marley hit and broke the stool into pieces, leaving Jamie with a nailed board. He lounged at Marley, but his chain prevented him from making contact.
Randall coughed.
Marley got in a blow to Jamie's shoulder who yelled in pain and then knocked Marley's head, forcing him back. Marley then jumped, landing on top of Jamie. He brought the hammer down, it cracked the stone as Jamie dodged the blow.
Marley then used the handle to choke Jamie. Jamie struggled even as Randall picked himself up. He cocked his head at the two and then kicked Marley in the face with his boot, forcing the giant to drop backwards, startled at the blow.
Jamie coughed as he suddenly had air again.
Randall looked at him. "Idiot. You could have killed him." Randall looked at the man at his feet. "Get him up." He ordered.
Marley stared at him.
"Do it, dog! Get him up!" Randall growled.
Marley flinched and then bent down, lifting Jamie bodily upwards and he held him.
Randall lifted the hammer. He walked toward them. "I truly hoped to spare you the noose. Hold his wrist. Hold his wrist."
Marley took hold of Jamie's left hand and put it on the table.
"I would lay it flat if I were you." Randall said in warning.
Marley slapped the hand down forcing Jamie to spread his hand.
"Now..." Randall said as he then dropped the heavy hammer onto Jamie's hand.
Jamie screamed in pain as he felt bones shatter.
Randall hit again.
Again Jamie screamed.
ZzZ
Lizzy was in the halls. She heard the screams and winced knowing that cry was her husband. She moved along the passage, quickly and quietly, her skirts kilted upwards to allow her to move better, her hair pulled back.
She held the dirk in her hand as she looked about.
No one was nearby.
She found a door. She opened it and found it was a passage to the side of the prison. It had an iron bolt. She removed it and then shut the door. She would remember that for later.
She walked along, listening.
ZzZ
Jamie grunted, sitting back on the cot, holding his battered hand as the pain made him nauseous and dizzy.
Marley wiped his face and walked away as Randall stood watching Jamie as he tossed the hammer to the wall, bloodied.
"What do you force me to treat you in such an abominable way?" Randall asked softly. "Why do you choose to spend the few hours left to you as a miserable cripple."
Jamie was panting as he fought the bile in his throat and the pain. He had never been in such pain. Even his flogging had not hurt so much as he held his broken hand.
Randall forced his head up by his thick hair, looking down at him. "Why do you force me to hurt you?" Randall looked at him and looked into his face. "Hummm?"
Jamie was looking at him, his vision fading as he was close to passing out.
Randall slapped his face as Jamie's eyes rolled back. "Wake up. Look at me." He said leaning closer.
Jamie blinked trying to clear his vision even as Randall looked at him.
"Look at me." Randall said.
Jamie's vision cleared a moment.
Randall nodded. "There." He said. He smiled a little. "There you are."
Jamie smiled a little too, though it was more a grimace. Jamie watched him and then growled deep in his throat and charged at Randall.
"Yes. Yes. Yes!" Randall smiled and held him as he struggled weakly, holding Jamie by his hair. "Shhh...there you are yes." He murmured as Jamie tried to struggle and fight him. Randall sat him down on the cot once more and held his good hand and an arm around him. He then took Jamie's good hand and pressed it to his groin which had hardened. He held Jamie even as he struggled weakly, forcing the younger man's hand onto his growing erection. "Can you feel that?" He asked Jamie softly. "You make me harder than your wife ever could."
Jamie gasped, struggling against Randall. "Na. Ah will murdurr ye." He gasped in a half sob.
"Can you feel that?" Randall asked hardening the more Jamie protested. "Shh...shh...shhh..." He hushed the younger man as he continued to use the man's right hand to caress him through his breeches. "It's all right." Randall said, head on top of Jamie's as he held him. He laughed a little. "I could take you right now." He said as Jamie's head dropped and then he fisted his hand in the dirty red locks and lifted his face toward him caressing it as he laughed a little.
He continued and then he paused a moment, taking a breath. "No." He shook his head. "I'll not give into course passion." He said.
Randall shoved Jamie away and the younger man landed on the floor, his hand and side hitting first. Jamie cried out and whimpered, curling around his hand protectively as he lay there, nearly unconscious from the pain. He quaked as he lay there.
Randall sighed, pulling his hair back and taking a deep breath closing his eyes to center himself. When his eyes opened, he looked down at the whimpering man at his feet and grunted. He walked to the stairs and snapped at Marley who moved up the stairs obediently. He turned back to Jamie who was panting.
"If you'd only stop resisting me, I could make this so much easier for you. I'm here to help you. Don't fight me."
Randall walked up the stairs and out into the passage. Jamie curled and let the oddly soothing numbing of unconscious take him.
Randall and Marley walked out as Lizzy stood in a side hallway, watching them pass behind her. She smiled. They walked around a corner and Lizzy moved back the way they had come. She looked into the room for they had left the door open knowing Jamie was in no condition to go anywhere in his condition.
Lizzy cautiously moved in and saw her husband lying on the floor, not moving. "Meine Goette!" She gasped. "Jamie." she gasped, moving quickly to him. "Jamie?"
She dropped to her knees at her back and lifted his head to her. She kissed his cheek and his eyes opened as he tried to focus on her.
"Lizzy...Howfur did ye..." He whispered. He took a breath. "Ye mist lea. Randall wull be back soon." He said.
"Randall? Randall did this?" She gasped. She looked at him and shook her head. "My God. What has he done to you?" She asked, looking at his shattered hand. She touched his wrist and he gasped in pain as she tried to look at it. "Sorry..." she whispered.
He looked at it and then her. "Dinna fash yirsel, catherine. Mah bonny wife. A loue ye." He said, half smiling. "Bit ye mist lea 'ere, afore he finds ye."
"No. Not without you." She said. She leaned down. "There is a door to the outside, just a few steps from here." She said softly. She looked over at him as he faded in and out of consciousness as he laid there holding his hand with his other.
She drew the dirk as she went to his leg that had the thick band of iron around it.
"Talk to me, Jamie." She said firmly. She tried the key, but it was not correct. It was only meant for doors not the prisoner locks. "Wake up!" She ordered.
She held the dirk and then lifted the heavy hammer upwards and looked about. She sighed and used the part of her skirt to brace his leg against as she hit the hammer against the dirk inside the lock. It did not work. She tried again. "Jamie, my love. You must stay awake. Can you hear me?"
"Ah hear..." He murmured softly.
"We're going to walk out of here, together." She looked at him as he laid back. "Stay with me."
She tried again and he grunted, feeling the impact, but then he lapsed unconscious again.
"You truly have a gift for showing up at the most unexpected times." Randall's silky voice said behind her.
She rose to her feet, dirk in hand as she slowly turned to face him, standing protectively over her husband. "You beast." She said looking up at him on the stairs, hands behind him, Marley beside him.
"You can do better than that." He said smiling.
She smiled a little and nodded. "You fucking barbaric piece of shit, I will have my uncle remove that head of yours from your shoulders if I don't kill you first!" She cried and launched herself at him, brandishing the dirk.
He smiled as Marley caught her, but held her to him, disarming her, but not before he was cut twice by her body contorting and stabbing at him wildly.
"Fight me fair!" She barked at him as she struggled.
Marley then held her, tossing the dirk away from them, and Randall stood watching.
"Scots have done little to improve your language skills, Kat." Randall said in half amusement.
She panted looking up at him as Marley held her arms. "I should have slit your throat when you were laying unconscious at Fort William."
Randall nodded. "Yes." He agreed looking at her. "I'm afraid you will come to regret that small act of humanity."
She struggled, crying out as she fought to free herself and come at him.
"You're no coward." Randall said. "Far from it. I will grant you that." He said stepping closer. "This was the woman I had hoped to bed. Wild, free, and angry enough to kill something." He smiled and walked to her side looking her up and down. "You're a fit match for your husband and I cannot give you a better compliment than that." He said.
She was panting, breasts heaving as Marley held her.
Randall stepped to her and kissed her, his hand coming to her lips, which he swept across near her nose as he pulled back. He looked at it and rubbed his fingers. "The sweat of exertion. Bravo." He said.
She growled something he did not hear and spat at him. He smiled, wiping his cheek, looking at her. "I could bend you over that table now and have you."
She looked at him. "Then do it. I do not fear you."
He chuckled and put a hand to her face. "That is the problem. You do not fear me. Not yet. But you will after I use you like a whore and you watch your husband suffer for your foolishness of coming down here to him without me."
Lizzy growled.
There were voices outside. Two men came in. "This way, the door is open." A man said.
Two privates came in and then stood on the landing, moving stiffly to attention as they saw Randall there.
Randall turned to them in annoyance. "How dare you interrupt me while I am conducting an interrogation." He seethed.
"Begging your pardon, Captain, but we have reason to believe that woman was the woman who had gone missing from the officer quarters earlier."
"Well now you found her. Congratulations." Randall said.
Lizzy looked back at her husband.
Randall continued. "But since that is the prisoner she had hoped to free, you can see the..." He paused. "The search can be now called off now."
Lizzy blinked. "Please, you can take me to the warden, Sir Fletcher." She took a breath. "He needs to be made aware of what is going on in here. Please."
The men considered that. The second took a breath. "Will the captain allow us to take the woman into custody for her own good?"
Randall moved up to them quickly. "No. No, he will not." He said looking at the men. "This woman is involved in a rebel plot against His Majesty. God save the King!"
The two gasped. "God Save the King." They repeated.
"You will tell your commander I have the situation well in hand."
"Yes, sir."
"Now...get...out!"
The men left then.
Lizzy gasped and then Randall turned back to her as the door closed behind the men.
"Search her for weapons." Randall ordered Marley.
Marley smiled as his hands moved to her breasts and then down. With her skirts kilted he was able to feel up under them. He found her three blades there as Randall stood there watching amused as Lizzy held his gaze.
Marley tossed the knives aside and then reached up again, rubbing her sex with his finger before pulling it out to sniff.
"Me, myself. I'm not in the mood for cunt today." He said as he watched her standing tall and proud, watching him. "But I imagine Marley here would like to entertain you, privately, in his quarters.
"You wouldn't prefer to watch?" She asked, defiant.
He made a face and stepped forward. "It was thrilling to watch that youth take you on a rack. It truly was." He smiled. "I may have what are called unnatural tastes, but I do have some aesthetic principles." He said turning her around to face Marley who had let her go, his hands going to her thick braided hair. He lifted it to his nose and sniffed as he then lifted the end and undid the thong of leather and combed out her auburn locks that shown more red in the brazier light than he had ever seen.
Marley look a part and sniffed as well as she stood still, back straight like a ramrod.
"You are a very lovely woman, shrewish tongue notwithstanding." Randall said caressing her hair. "I have seen every inch of you, but do I want to see you with Marley?" He looked her up and down as Marley caressed her face softly.
"No." Randall said. "I don't think I do want to watch that." He said walking passed as Marley kissed her top of her breast as she stood there.
Randall moved to Jamie and lifted him upward. "Right, wake up. Your presence is required." He ordered Jamie.
Lizzy swung into action, bringing her knee up sharply into Marley's face, he gasped, stunned and she threw him to the side as she rolled over him, landing on her feet, she launched herself at Randall, taking him to the wall.
Jamie was awake and he looked up and watched as his wife wrapped a chain around Randall's neck. She pushed her knee into his back as she yanked his head backwards violently, trying to kill him.
Marley's eyes opened as he blinked to clear his head. Jamie looked back and saw him moving to go after Lizzy, but Jamie lifted the broken chair piece that was near him, hitting the giant at his throat with the nails. They cut, slitting his throat. Marley gurgled as Jamie gasped on his hands and knees, trying to rise to help his wife as Marley dropped backwards against the wall, eyes wide in shock as he lifted a hand up to his throat.
He was dead in moments.
Randall laughed as the small woman tried to kill him, but then he threw his weight backwards, knocking her back. She was thrown backwards, knees hitting her husband's back. She fell backwards in a heap of skirts, legs over her husband.
She moved to recover, looking about for her weapons as Randall looked back at Marley.
"Good Christ." He murmured.
He then squared his shoulders and lifted Lizzy by her hair. He locked a hand about her throat, the other lifting the nearby hammer. He brought Lizzy before him, throwing her against the bars of the dungeon, he lifted her by her throat, her toes barely on the floor as her hands locked in his, clawing at him as he cut off her air supply. She sobbed as her vision started to waver.
Randall hit the cell wall beside her with the hammer loudly and looked back at Jamie. "Are you watching?" He asked.
Jamie growled, on his knees, holding his hand, as he looked up.
"Jack! Please!" she begged, struggling.
Jack looked back at her as he squeezed a little and she coughed, struggling.
"Stoap!" Jamie cried.
Randall looked back at him. "Make me a better offer."
Jamie panted, sitting back on his knees. "Hae me." He shook his head. "Let her gang in safety 'n' ye kin hae me. A wullnae struggle. Ye kin dae whit ye wish."
Lizzy gasped sobbing. "Jamie...no!"
Jamie looked up, cradling his broken hand. "Ye hae mah word."
"So, it becomes a matter of trust. Your word for mine." Randall said, holding Lizzy still. He had eased his grip a little, letting her stand more on her feet.
"Aye." Jamie agreed, looking down at his hand.
"Will you allow me a brief test of your sincerity?" Randall asked, watching him.
Jamie looked up, looking first at his wife, then back at Randall. He nodded slowly.
Randall moved, pulling Lizzy along to the far wall. Jamie pulled himself to his feet and looked at him as Randall held Lizzy by her thin neck.
"Your hand. Lay it upon the table." Randall ordered.
Jamie took a seat at the table and then laid his right hand flat.
"No, the ruined one." Randall said.
"No! Don't do it!" Lizzy sobbed.
"Silence her, or I will." Randall growled, tightening his grip.
Jamie looked at them. "Lizzy. Please." He said softly.
She sobbed as Randall held her.
Jamie then laid his bad one, trying to lay the fingers flat. He grunted in pain and the looked up, lifting a hand to his wife.
Randall looked at them a moment and then shrugged, releasing Lizzy.
She ran to her husband, standing behind him as his good arm wrapped about her. Her face buried in his neck and hair as she sobbed softly, holding his shoulders as he looked up defiantly at Randall.
Lizzy lifted her head as they both watched as Randall lifted a piece of the broken chair and pulled out a straight nail.
Jamie's eyes widened a little, but he did not move.
"No. No!" Lizzy gasped. "Please!" She said moving toward Randall to stop him, but Jamie caught her.
He pulled her to his chest with his good arm, holding her there. "Lizzy. No. No!" He said softly, kissing her brow to hush her. "Shh..." He said softly as Randall walked about the table.
Lizzy wrapped her arms about her husband as he cooed to her in Gaelic as though she was one of their bairns.
Randall shifted Jamie's hand flat as Jamie hissed in pain, struggling to remain still. Lizzy held onto him even as his hushed her still. However, once flat, Jamie screamed and panted in pain as Lizzy held him.
"I haven't even begun." Randall told her.
Randall looked at them both as he positioned the nail and then hit it with the hammer, knocking it firmly through Jamie's hand and into the wood beneath.
Jamie bucked and screamed, but did not move from his place on the chair as his wife sobbed, holding him. He looked at her, his eyes locking with hers as held onto her as though she alone was keeping him from falling to the floor.
Jamie looked ready to pass out as Randall went to him and lifted his head up by the hair. He leaned close. "Now kiss me." He murmured. He pressed his lips to Jamie's. Jamie did not struggle, but nor did he kiss back as Lizzy held him, sobbing as she watched.
Randall smiled at her as he moved back a little. He then pressed his mouth hard to Jamie's, kissing him hard enough to bruise as he forced his tongue into Jamie's mouth, holding him still with his hand under his chin. Jamie was surprised, but grunted, struggling a little and forcing himself not to either gag or bite Randall.
Randall caressed his head as he stood back smiling in triumph.
Jamie took a breath. "Tak' her awa'." He said not wanting her to witness whatever Jack Randall had in store for him. He was not sure he could handle having her witness what Randal chose to do if not actually achieving breaking him fully.
Randall looked down at him. "We will remember this moment for the rest of our lives." He said looking then down at Lizzy.
"Tak' her awa'." Jamie repeated.
"No." Lizzy sobbed.
Randall then pulled her from Jamie's side as she struggled.
"No, no!" She looked at him and pulled back, getting free. "I beg you. I need to say goodbye." she sobbed.
She went to Jamie's side, caressing his head softly. She turned his head to her. "I can't leave you." She sobbed.
He took a breath, struggling to stay awake. "Aye, ye wull. Dae as ah say." He said softly looking at her. "A loue ye, a ghràidh. Sae muckle." He bent his head to hers. Kissing her softly. She sobbed, her hands holding him as her head dropped. He kissed her brow. "Tak' care o' oor bairns." He whispered.
Randall pulled her free of him and Jamie let her go, his hand brushing the soft swell where his child was growing. He swallowed as Randall pulled her with him.
"I shall return shortly."
Once in the hallway he shoved her forward, holding a torch as Jamie remained there he was, unable to move and having too much honor to do it anyway.
"Walk." Randall ordered her. He pushed her before him. "I recently heard an extraordinary rumor about you." He said. "There was a trial held at Cranesmuir. You were accused of being a witch." He said as they walked.
Lizzy turned back toward him. "Yes. Witch, I am." She said softly. She looked at him, stepping closer. "And I curse you I curse you with knowledge, Jack Randall. I give you the hour of your death." She said, stepping ever closer. "Jonathan Wolverton Randall." She said softly. "Born September 3rd 1705. Dies..." She leaned closer and pressed her lips to his ears. "April 20th 1746." She whispered to him.
He looked at her, startled. He pulled her from him, watching her in the torchlight a moment before he shifted a few yards forward, throwing her through a hole in the floor.
She cried out as she fell, landing in a heap of muck.
He looked down and saw she was well enough and moved to return to Jamie.
She looked about in disgust, shocked when she found bodies. She shifted and cried out, hand going to her mouth as she came face to face with the lifeless corpse of Taran MacQuarrie. She turned her head violently away and vomited.
She then took a shaky breath and moved, getting out of the pile, climbing up, inching her way to freedom. At least she was out and she looked into the woods that surrounded the town. She gasped, looking back up, and then moving into the woods.
She was cold, hungry, and frightened as she heard the sound of a wolf close by. She looked about. She had no weapons with her now and she looked up for a tree she could climb to get to safety.
She moved finding none that would work. She panted a little hearing the wolf cries coming closer.
She moved around a tree when a hand grabbed her arm.
She whirled to face her attacker, hand up as she crouched for battle, but then she came face-to-face with Angus and she took a breath, relaxing almost instantly.
"Angus!" She gasped.
"Aye." He said. "Come then." He said.
"What are you doing here?"
"Murtagh wisnae aff tae let either o' ye rot sae we wur keekin fur a wey in."
She nodded, allowing him to pull her along.
ZzZ
Inside the cell, Randall had removed his uniform jacket and then knelt down. He put the key to the lock of the manacle that was about Jamie's ankle and then freed him.
Jamie's good hand went to his sharply. "She's awa' safe?"
"Yes. You have my word." Randall said softly, patting his hand.
Randall sighed as he walked behind him. He drew his dagger from his boot and walked forward. He cut Jamie's shirt away, looking at the silvery-white scars of the wounds he had caused.
Jamie didn't move, watching something ahead of him.
Randall moved closer, touching the scars gently, almost reverently. "How does it feel to be alive, yet wear so much dead flesh?" He asked softly, breath hot against Jamie's back.
Jamie said nothing even as Randall gently kissed a scar and then ran his tongue over some of them causing Jamie to gasp a little, but he did not move.
Randall took a breath and then leaned to his ear. "Shall we begin?" He asked.
Jamie made no answer, but sat there, not moving.