Utterly condemned, Daniea's fighting spirit abated once she was ruthlessly tossed down into the deep rocky void. Jamie's fate forthwith sealed as the grate's enormous lock clicked shut above the entrance. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the rain began to trickle down into the thieves hole.

"Food fer the witch!" Hollered a man from up above, tossing down half a loaf of stale bread. She knew it was no good to yell and scream, there was no one that could help her. And if she was being honest with herself, since she couldn't save Jamie, she didn't truly want to live anymore. The bitter cold of the chamber attempted to envelope her but grief that she felt with her entire being had already settled in. And as the moon travelled along its path in the night sky, she sank to the ground uncaring of what fate had in store for her.

Sunlight barely kissed the top of the pit as she awoke to the chant outside.

"They're going to burn the witch! They're going to burn the witch!"

It was starting.

"Fraser! Get a move on." A man called, lowering a ladder into the top of the hole. Daniea sluggishly climbed just to be grasped hard and pulled to her feet. The mob crowding around her, drawing nearer with every breath.

"Move!"

"Make Way!"

The men shouted and pushed her through the mass towards the courtroom.

"Witch! Witch! Burn her!" They cheered as she passed.

"Make way fer the accused!"

"Burn the witch!" They all yelled as she was shoved to the podium before the examiners.

"Stating in evidence," One of the magistrates began, "One Daniea Jane Branna Fraser, standing before the church's court for the crime of witchcraft. Who did inflict pain, suffering and death upon the citizens of Cranesmuir by her practice of the unholy arts."

The crowd murmured in hushed tones all around but she didn't so much as look up from her seat.

"Make way, make way!" A familiar voice sounded as they rushed through the door.

"Please, I demand to be let in to the proceedings."

"And ye are sir?" The examiner questioned.

"My name is Edward Gowan yer honor. Lawyer and former writer to the signet, Edinburgh."

"Let him pass."

Ned made his way forth, trying to give Daniea his best smile but she didn't even care to look up.

"And what brings ye here sir?"

"Yer honors, as we're all aware, the witchcraft act of 1563 was repealed by the house of lords in 1735...I therefore submit that this entire trial is illegal."

Daniea snickered at Ned's words.

"This is an ad hoc proceeding under the administration of the church." The examiner corrected.

"Oh, well then I see that we have dispensed with British law, which pleases me greatly, but I am certain that ye will not wish to dispense with our proud Scottish legal tradition." Ned began, his argument ever growing. "We are still in Scotland, are we not?"
"No one's disputing that Mr. Gowan."

"Yes, well, here in Scotland, an accused witch is entitled to a defense lawyer at trial, a benefit... a benefit sadly not offered to those in merry old England... as I therefore would like to offer my services in support of the accused."

"Oh very well, take yer place." They agreed, simply to get him to hush up.

"Let us now summon the first witness, Anna MacCloud."

A timid woman that Daniea had only remembered seeing a few times appeared before the crowd.

"I labored as a servant of Castle Leoch for three years, Yer honor."

"And did ye have occasion to witness any strange or unyirdlie goings-on during that tenure?" He questioned.

Anna wrung her hands in a fidgeting manner.

"I can tell ye that many a man and woman came to her dungeon in search of potions and elixirs. I suspect she also offered charms and ill-wishes for those in need as well. Many times I watched her out in the fields gathering herbs to meddle fer potions."

For over an hour Anna, in great detail, described all sorts of "potions" that Daniea had in fact made. Yet never added to the fact that they were for those in need of healing.

Finally after she spilled her last bit of half truths Ned rose to question her.

"Isn't it the truth Mistress MacCloud that Mrs. Fraser is the official healer of Castle Leoch?"

"Ahhhhh...ye...yes" She quivered.

"And isn't it true that the position was bestowed upon her by the Laird himself?"

"I suppose so."

"Now if that is true, wouldn't ye think that as a healer, one might believe the use of herbs and what not would be beneficial to the practice of healing?"

"I...don't rightly know."

"Then if ye don't know, but are sure that they are the workings of witchcraft, then ye must believe that yer Laird, Colum Mackenzie, would knowingly put a whore of Beezlebub in a position of power."

"I did not say that! Himself is a righteous and good man, he would never!"
"Then what I see here yer honors... is a case of jealousy and misdirected anger from a malcontent maid servant."

The crowd grumbled in laughter as she was dismissed from the court. Ned holding his head high as he so easily dismissed their first witnesses rantings.

"Let us summon our next witness… Lili Morgan."

Another woman, this time much stockier and not as timid as the last stood before the court. This time a woman Daniea had never seen before.

"I witnessed first hand that witch summon her familiar."

"Witch! Witch!" The crowd began, eager to jump on the accusers bandwagon.

"Please go on." The examiner urged.

" I saw that witch summon her familiar from the world between and bewitch the Laird's young son to ride him… but before she could claim his wee soul he was thankfully rescued by the horsemaster. "

"Ride him?" Ned questioned.

"Aye, the beast takes the shape of a massive stallion. His coloring blacker than tar."

Daniea groaned.

"Silence witch!" She yelled at her.

"I then saw ye beckon the beast back to ye, and use yer siren song to capture the clansman minds in the hall, making all of them fall madly in lust fer ye. "

The crowd once again raising in upheaval.

"Mistress Morgan." Ned began, "How long has the beast ye believe to be Mrs. Fraser's familiar been at Castle Leoch?"

She thought for a long moment, "A fair bit of time."

"Was the beast there before Mrs. Fraser ever came to the Castle?"

"Aye, but she probably sent him ahead of her arrival to begin her magics!"

The crowd roared to life.

"Now Mistress was one of the clansmen ye speak of, to have befallen by 's spell, a one Rupert Thomas Alexander MacKenzie?"

"Aye, tis." She began to sniffle, raising a kerchief to her face.

"Is it true that Rupert MacKenzie denied yer affections towards himself...in a fairly public manner if I remember correctly, during the Calling of the Clans?" Ned spurred.

"Tis... but only because that temptress had already used her siren song on my poor Rupert, made him crave her body and affections. Stole him away from me!" She blubbered, making the crowd burst forth from their seats. "She made all the MacKenzie men yearn fer her evil touch!"

"Witch! Burn Her!"

The examiners gavel banged hushing the roaring crowd.

After some deliberation from the examiners they spoke, "We shall reconvene in the morning, back to the hole with her!"

Ned followed as she was once again forced into the thieves hole but she had no wish to speak with him once the crowd had dispersed for the evening.

"Have hope my dear. Colum made sure that I knew immediately of yer wrongful imprisonment."

Just as she did the whole trial, she refused to speak. Taking her place on the stone floor once more.

"Fraser! Time to go." They beckoned as morning blossomed in the sky. Day two of the trial was about to begin. This time as she made her way through the crowd she noticed they had constructed a pyre during the night.

"The court summons...Fallon Gunnach."

Daniea acted like there was never a break in the trial. She simply sat on the bench not caring to listen to the accusations against her.

"Morning yer honors." The strange older man began, "I...I overheard while dining at Castle Leoch Mrs. Fraser's own father… whom I might add is Taran Douglas."

The crowd gasped at his name.

"Call his own daughter an…assassin."

Daniea heard a woman scream from the crowd but it did little to shock her.

Ned stood up. "Is that it Mr. Gunnach?"

"Aye, tis."

"Well... all those here know of Taran Douglas's reputation with the Black Watch. Is it possible he was simply jesting to those who were meant to be part of the conversation ye overheard?"

Silence fell over the court.

"I suppose sir, but whether an assassin or witch both deserve to be burned!"

Ned huffed as the crowd once again roared to life.

Daniea sank lower into her seat until the next name was called bringing her back to the light of day.

"The court summons its next witness… Laoghaire MacKenzie!"

The same all too familiar girl sashayed through the crowd towards the dias.

"She wasna Mrs. Fraser when we first became acquaint. She was Mistress Douglas then."

She paused, feigning shyness.

"Go on.." The magistrate urged.

"I came to her fer a potion."

The crowd gasped, talk beginning to rise amongst the ranks. The examiner banged his gavel, shushing them once more.

"Fer a potion to open Jamie Fraser's heart to my own...God rest his soul."

Daniea's heart shattered at her words.

"I'm sorry...it's so painful to speak about. I was the one ye see...who Jamie was meant to marry."

Laoghaire cried, her eyes welling with tears as she pointed at Daniea.

"But she took the potion herself!"

"Did ye make such a potion?" The examiner asked Daniea as he watched on.

"Never." Daniea growled.

"She hexed Jamie!" Laoghaire screamed, "She turned him away from me and he died because of it!"

The parts all clicked into place within her mind. Finally, it all made sense.

"Yer the bitch who destroyed all his medicines! Yer the one who sliced him down the leg!" Daniea sneered.

"Ye stole him away from me! I had to protect him somehow! I tried to save him yer honor... I...I admit, I did take a wee bit of his blood to only to add it to a fairy healing charm...but I was too late. She's the murderer!"

It took minutes to hush the crowd but Ned finally was able to make a statement.

"Clearly this jealous young lass has a broken heart." He tried to twist.

"Aye, I am. She was killing the love of my life and when I confronted her she hexed me as well."

"Liar! Yer the reason I'm here and the reason Jamie is gone! Ye destroyed any chance he had when ye tampered with his medicines. Ye took his final hours from him! I'll get ye fer it little girl, that I do swear!" Daniea screamed for all to hear.

"See, she be hexing me with ill wishes as we speak." Laoghaire stated, crossing herself in God's name.

"Now now. Hold on a wee minute. Daniea Fraser is a grieving widow, her words are not her own." Ned promised the court.

"Let's call the last witness…Brian MacKinnon."

A man that appeared around Daniea's age came before the court.

"I ask yer honors to forgive me but I was at the tavern the night James Fraser returned to Leoch after marrying this witch."

"Go on." They pressed.

"That night James came in with other men from Leoch. I tried my best to stay away from their personal business but as the night grew long he became loud. He was yelling about how he had married one of the Fae, that she had placed a curse on him. That….that she made him love her and he was going to do whatever it took to break her spell."

"Bear witness to her fiendish ploy!" Laoghaire yelled, aggravating the crowd in a new eruption of fury.

"She is a witch!"

"Burn her!"

"Witch!"

"Burn her!"

The voices rang throughout the church.

Ned's look was pleading, even if Jamie was under the influence of alcohol no one would believe his reasoning.

It didn't take long for the examiners to talk amongst themselves before bringing the court to order. "We have made our decision Mrs. Fraser."

Daniea didn't look there way, she knew the answer.

"We must rely on an injuction of the lord. Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch to Live!.. Thereby! We pronounce Daniea Jane Branna Fraser...guilty! And do hereby condemn her to death!"

The crowd roared with delight.

"Burn the witch!" They jeered, heading for the doors.

"Strip the witch and conduct her to the pyre!" The examiner ordered.

"No!" Ned screamed, drawing his pistol, but after firing his shot he was quickly detained by the mob, ushering him out the doors to bear witness.

The magisters made quick work of tearing Daniea's filthy dress off, leaving her standing in the freezing cold in her meager chemise. Her raven hair falling around her as they swept the combs from her locks.

"I shall dance upon yer ashes!" Laoghaire crooned, spitting in her face as they yanked her outside.

Four men dragged her through the mob which revealed in scratching, slapping and spitting on her. She tried to fight the men a few times but they won over, pulling her through the sharp stones up towards the city center.

Her spirit seeming to return as they wrestled her up the stairs. She screamed and clawed at them as they tightly lashed her to the pole.

The examiner came and stood next to her as the men and ever growing crowd gathered wood and straw piling it high around the pyre.

"We condemn and send Satan's mistress back to Hell. May God have mercy on her wretched soul!" He preached.

Once he returned to the crowd, they filled in the gapes and began to gather their torches to light the fire on his order.

"I'm so very sorry Lass!" Ned screamed above the people's cheering yet the only word Daniea could hear was Burn.

A ring of smoke gathered all around, creeping closer and closer until his words rang out.

"May she burn!"

In unison all the townspeople threw their torches into the tinder and watched on; as the flames grew and their heat began to lick it's way up Daniea's bound body.