Chapter 2

The forest is a very unforgiving place to be lost in.

As Calum kept running, his mind couldn't help but remember a tale he had heard earlier in life about a man who had to go through the entirety of Hell just so he could escape being lost in a forest that he had no recollection of knowing how he had gotten there.

That wasn't the only story he had heard that depicts the forest as an evil place. Or a literal breeding ground for the most evil of people.

Forests were the home of witches, demons, vengeful spirits.

Possibly because there were tales that were crafted with the purpose and intention of scaring kids into not wandering too far into the uncharted, wooden territory.

In his mind, Calum loudly prayed to God that he could give him something, anything that may help him escape his creation.

For it was God that created this forest. It was God that created him. Every good gift he has ever received has come from his divine hand, he was taught.

God, apparently heard his prayer, then showed him an opening in the trees ahead.

Not just an opening, also the sound of rushing water.

All he had to do now is simply follow the stream until it brings him back to some kind of civilization. With any luck, he still may be in Scotland.

But then his ears caught something else other than the sound of the river. Music.

Music from what sounds to be a harp. He had heard a harp playing a number of times less than the number of fingers on his hand his entire life but this was the first time that he wasn't hearing it in a town. He was still in nature.

He walks alongside the river, more curious as to who's playing that angelic music than what the water flowing beside him tasted like.

That was when he saw her.

Dressed in fancy attire that was the color of the clear sky above them, the slightly damp, blonde haired woman looking no older than eighteen years of age stopped playing as she stands up to look at Calum.

He can only stare at her with curiosity as she smiles at him.

As he takes in the fact a young woman is smiling at him, he wakes up from his fantasy. Discovering spit on both sides of his mouth.

Groaning to himself, he wipes his face as he counts his blessing. He did not remember sleeping this well for a very long time.

He was about to thank God for the wonderful dream when the sleeping soldier next to him farted loudly.


In the early hours of the morning, Philip continues his conversation with Calum as he munches on an unspiced egg. The soldiers on either side of them also enjoying their morning meal.

"So… you had a dream about Lady Laurie Cunningham? I mean, I understand why. Just, what were you doing with her?"

Calum took a swig of his milk as he tries to remember his dream.

"I remember… getting lost and… Laurie was playing a harp. I don't know why… but she smiled at me as soon as she saw that I was there."

Philip nods. "Ah, I think I understand what your mind was trying to tell you."

"You do?"

"Yeah… you and Laurie are ALREADY in a relationship. But it's one that is forbidden. There's no WAY Lord Cunningham would allow anyone like us to marry his daughters!"

Calum scratches the back of his head. What Philip said hurt him a little. But it's the truth. "Yeah… I kind of figured."

Philip points at his friend. "You better abandon all hope of marrying a Cunningham, my friend. There are plenty of women from here to Edinburgh that would love to carry our children."

Calum was about to talk back when he notices a familiar face standing behind Philip looking down at him.

In a gruff, authoritative voice, he speaks out.

"What's this I hear about marrying Cunningham girls?"

A confused Philip looks behind him to see who's speaking, only to quickly stand up and greet his superior.

"General Greenlaw! What a pleasure to see you here!" Philip desperately greeted while bowing.

General Finlay Greenlaw. The army leader appointed by King Charles to oversee the protection of the Cunninghams.

Af fifty-four years old, he is the oldest and most experienced member of the unit stationed at the Hamilton Resettlement. The most experience also means that he's really good at killing people while in service to the king. Whether it be Charles or Cromwell.

"I'm sure you're not just saying that to get onto my good side, Pherson. It didn't come over here for a social conversation!"

He quickly makes his way towards a nearby tree stump so that he's facing the nearly fifty soldiers that he's in charge of.

"Everyone! I require your attention!"

Now is the general's time to speak and when the general speaks, everybody else shuts up and listens. Even if they are of royalty.

"I have just received a message from our scout team… Last night they have recorded sightings of Seth Cameron's thieves guild camped just outside the outskirts of Hamilton!"

An unsettling atmosphere enveloped the unit. The Cameron thieves guild were infamous for openly raiding marketplaces as well as small traveling trader groups throughout the lowlands of Scotland. Out of all places, Calum thought, they just had to be camped outside the town they're stationed at.

"Now I don't think I need to tell you all what the civilians pay their taxes for now, do I?" Greenlaw continued. "So I expect you all to be battle-ready within the hour. You have my word that each of you will be commended once we send that bastard Cameron straight to Hell!"

Greenlaw then jumped off of the tree stump. "Dismissed!"


As the unit of soldiers make their way to the outskirts, some having their hands on their horses' reins, others on their bagpipes imported from the highlands, General Greenlaw makes another announcement.

"Cameron's men do not have the training that we have! They know the tactics of the blade as well as they know the righteous path of life. If they flee in the other direction, do not give chase. Only fight those with murderous intent!"

Calum speaks back when no one else did. "Sir yes sir."

General Greenlaw looks back at him for a second. "Glad I made myself clear."

The silence that followed didn't last long however, as the unit overheard singing coming from a cluster of trees downhill.

Dismounting his horse, General Greenlaw sets his eyes on a lone thief admiring the shine on a possibly stolen ring.

He raises a fist, signaling the bagpipes to announce their arrival on the enemy campsite.

Reacting like he had heard a horn sounding straight from Heaven, the lone thief drops his ring and without hesitation, draws his sword.

His own sword already drawn, General Greenlaw rushes towards the lone thief and proved his skill by cutting him down. The criminal's cry of agony quickly drowned out by the bagpipes uphill.

Riled up by the sound of the local musicians, Calum, Philip, and the other soldiers dismounted their horses and began to charge alongside those who weren't granted the privilege of one.

He unsheathed his weapon just in time to witness the general drive his sword into two more thieves' sides. They came at him expecting only a single attack from the army leader.

As the general disappears into the forest, a group of about a dozen more thieves, all dressed in black with gold trinkets decorated on their bodies, as if they believe themselves to be soldiers of greed.

Both sides already in armed conflict, Calum comes faced with another thief. A large, gold cross is seen hanging from his neck, probably believing it to be a good luck charm.

Luck however, is only a very small part of skill in Calum's experience. He raises his shield up as he thinks to himself some more.

"Keep it together, Calum. Just keep it together. Remember your training."

Calum's attacker brings his sword down on his shield. A rookie move.

Sword and shield together. Not sword then shield like any child with wooden toys would perform.

And just like those kids playing in the streets of Hamilton, his opponent would be useless in a real fight.

Calum's blade effortlessly sliced through the thieve's shoulder and into his chest.

Seeing the life flicker away from his eyes as his arms went limp, he kicks him away. His body joining the three men General Greenlaw had killed not a minute before.

As he sees the fighting going on around him, he sees that victory is favoring his side. As the enemy is greatly outnumbered and underskilled to the point where there are soldiers stabbing the barely moving corpses that General Greenlaw had downed earlier.

He looks over to his friend Philip, only to see that he unluckily is facing an enemy with a shield.

He starts to rush in to help only to see that his fighting tactics greatly differ from his own.

Philip purposely points at his opponent's head with his blade, causing him to shield himself while also foolishly having his belly exposed. Philip then struck him down by stabbing the soft spot.

What happened next was something Calum thought he could never unsee.

Philip's shield was strapped to his arm. So his hand's free to use his secondary bladed weapon: a dirk.

He plunges his weapon into the face of his dying enemy. Effectively striking a point where he couldn't before, splitting his head open. Blood pouring onto the grass below like a red waterfall.

Philip however, seems unfazed by any of it and looks to be enjoying the pain he's causing.

Deciding that he'll speak to his friend later, Calum heads to the forest to assist the general.


Following a trail of bodies, Calum sets his eyes on a large tent in front of him, possibly belonging to Seth Cameron.

He makes his way to the General as he hears his voice from within.

"What shall it be, Cameron!? If you surrender now, you'll be granted mercy in the form of a trial!"

Seth, a shaven man dressed in black, speaks back to the general that killed his men.

"A trial which I will undoubtedly be sentenced to a beheading. I have already repented for my sinful ways earlier in life.

Know this, general. Hope that you live long enough to witness a man by the name of Cromwell take the title of King again!"

The general remains unfazed. "Cromwell! Oliver's dead and Richard couldn't count livestock to save his life! Are you referring to Henry!?"

"I've said enough!" Seth pulls out a small knife coated in some kind of paste. Before the general could move to stop him, he plunges it into his stomach.

A few seconds pass by, then the general is taken aback by Seth Cameron's loosening of vomit and bowels as he crashes down onto the ground below.

That was when Calum entered the tent, Philip Pherson not far behind.

"General Greenlaw! Is everything al-ACK!"

He quickly exits the tent at the discovery of the body's rancid stench

Greenlaw however, simply ignored it as he takes the knife out of Seth's corpse.

After a brief inspection, he concluded. "Wolfsbane. He took the easier way out."

He exits the tent and speaks to a wheezing Calum.

"MacBain! How many casualties of our men did you witness!?"

Calum looks up at the general as he catches his breath. 'Uh… none sir. No casualties."

"I have no casualties to report either, general." Said Philip as he makes his way towards the two.

The general looks up at the sky. "Christ Jesus. Were we blessed with no deaths on our side!?"

Philip smirks. "Yes, it does seem like it, general."
As the other soldiers made their way to their general, one of them shouted. "Here's to General Greenlaw!"

"Greenlaw! Greenlaw! Greenlaw!"

Calum sees his general give a small smile, probably because no one died. Not because they were cheering his name.

"All right men! New orders!" Greenlaw announces. "Gather any valuables from the campsite and submit them to the town's tax collectors! Now don't worry, I'll make sure you'll all get pay raises one way or another!"

He then turns to face Calum and Philip. "I'm going to be submitting a report to Lord Cunningham about today's events. I'll need some witness accounts."

"You're being serious right now?" Said an astonished Philip. He then playfully punches Calum in the arm. "You hear that Calum. It looks like you'll have the chance to actually meet Lady Laurie Cunningham after all!"

Calum however, was unamused as he rubs his arm. "S-shut up!"

General Greenlaw smiles at the two.