As I laid on my back, the cool grass pressing into my skin and providing me with a slightly uncomfortable sensation against my shoulder blades. I sighed lightly as my gaze flowed with the moving clouds, watching as the patterns would change and shapes would slowly morph and change. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing the fresh air, letting it fill my lungs to the brim before slowly exhaling. As I opened my eyes I began to hear noises, noises that sounded like people. I sat up with a start, turning to look around myself for any kind of danger. My long blue dress moved to the side with the cool breeze as I stood, turning to fully face the hill I had rested at the bottom of. I saw small amounts of light as blurs of white danced around the rocks. I gathered my things, being as quiet as possible before I walked up the hill, making sure to head towards the backside, away from the standing stones so I could get back to the main road. But as I made it to the first tree, I felt myself slip slightly, pulling me down to the ground as my basket rolled down the hill, stopping a few meters away from me. I cursed under my breath, glancing back over my shoulder at the dancers before I looked back at the basket, but before I was able to look away the dancers movements seemed to grasp my full attention. Their song they sang and the way they danced was so hypnotizing. I felt myself unable to look away, mesmerized by the beauty of their ritual. A small smile made it's way onto my face as I relaxed, lying on the ground so I could prop up my head and see the women better. I continued to watch the dancers, even after my eyelids became heavy, all up until they seemed to involuntarily close, letting my head drop onto the cool ground as they did so.
When I awoke, I could hear birds chirping above me. The sun was bright, that I could even tell from beneath my closed eyes, as the rays seemed to burn into my skin. A cool breeze blew from above me, causing my hair to move out from in front of my face and more to the side of my head. I opened my eyes slightly, feeling a small burn in my eyes as the sun creeped into my gaze that caused me to bring my hands to my eyes, trying to rub out the sting of the sudden brightness. I groaned as I attempted to open my eyes again, stretching my neck as I looked at my surroundings. I was still on the hill, well at least I assumed. Good job you goof. Why did I stay out so late? And God, why does my head hurt so much? I thought as I attempted to stand up. As my head moved I felt a dull ache begin to form at he back of my head. I wondered as I brushed off my skirt and slowly walked towards the standing stones that seemed to look a bit different in the morning sun. I walked up to the middle most stone, looking up with a dull gaze at its outer form. As I lifted my hand towards the grey form I heard a loud rock of thunder behind me. I turned to look towards the sky, why on earth had it changed from sunny to cloudy in all of 3 seconds? I looked further up, trying to see where the storm was forming before I felt myself be pushed by a gush of wind, a wind that pushed me onto the rock. I reached both hands towards the rock to support myself. As soon as my hands touched the pale figure, everything went black.
I inhaled deeply as my eyes opened again, gasping continuously as I sat up from the ground where I had unknowingly found myself on. I groaned at the budding pain within my temples as I looked at my surroundings. I gazed up at the familiar looking stone, goodness what had happened to me? I stood up and rubbed my temples, my entire body truly aching as I attempted to walk towards the road. What in hell happened to me? And where is my basket? Or the fence on the other side of the stones? Wait wait wait, where did the road go? I wondered in a panic as I saw that the paved road had disappeared. My breathing began to become erratic, as I looked around frantically, my chest heaving after a few seconds. My anxiety and panic attacks were rather common in my life, so I turned and did the thing I could always count of to calm myself down, I ran. I felt the air rush against me as I ran; I felt tears blur my eyes as I attempted to blink away the water. All I could see was a green blur around me. I only stopped when I stumbled over a tree root, causing me to trip and land on another tree, hugging the trunk of the large tree as my breathing began to level out. Just as I seemed to have gotten my heart rate to what could pass as normal, I heard a gunshot. And then another. Yelling followed after as I looked around in confusion. War cries sounded people seemed to be running in my direction. I huddled down at the base of the tree, still slightly clinging to the tree trunk. I looked up at a hill above me to see men running across the grounds, a sight that had me frozen where I sat, then more men came, chasing after each other and firing their weapons. I whimpered quietly as I continued to ponder in confusion of my situation. Surely there was some logical explanation for this, but at the moment I could do nothing but shiver in the cool breezes.
"What are you doing out here lassie?" the gruff and deep voice did not sound inviting or at all helpful to my ears, the thick Scottish accent I could easily recognize seemed to slur some of the mans words. Just as I turned to look at the man who came from behind me, more shots fired overhead causing me to jump slightly from fright. "Come on lassie, wouldn't want you to get stuck in the middle of a gun fight and end up dead." the man said with a bit more urgency in his voice, "God knows Claire would kill me if I left some helpless woman out in the woods." I turned then as a firm hand grasped my upper arm to see an older male standing above me. His hair had gone white already; bits and pieces that could be seen from under his hat were wiry and looked grim. As he pulled me to his feet I was able to see that he was in fact much taller than myself. The other thing I noticed was his kilt. I felt my eyebrow arch up in confusion at the sight, did men in Scotland even wear kilts out and about anymore? Mrs. Baird had told me of men who would wear kilts that bared their family crest to weddings or other special events that required such attire, but not as casual clothing anymore.
"Who are you?" I was able to ask as the man turned around and began to hurry me along through the cut in the woods I am assuming he came from.
"My name is MacKenzie. And you are on MacKenzie land. What are you doing here? Are you British?" MacKenzie asked, expertly curving through the trees and branches, easily stepping over some fallen logs that I struggled to successfully clear.
"I am, well Russian to be more exact. I've lived in England for most of my life," I said, attempting to offer some useful information to the MacKenzie man who seemed to doubt the words I spoke.
"Russia? How in hell did you get all the way to England from Russia?" Mackenzie asked, seeming a bit befuddled by my answer. How do people get anywhere in this world? You simply drive or catch a train on its way out from the station I thought with a sense of mockery in my mind. How does anyone travel in this day and age? Or was he just referring to my age and saying it was odd that I had moved away from my family? Before I was able to respond to his ridiculous question, another man ran towards the two of us as we emerged from the woods. Seeing as he was dressed the same way the MacKenzie man was dressed, I assumed that he was apart of whatever odd performance must be going on here.
"Oh there you are! Claire has been going mad around the camp, speaking of how she thought ye might be dead by now. Jamie had to send us out to come and search for yer. Who's that ye got there," the man said as he approached us, again I heard the name Claire, the same girl MacKenzie had mentioned. Perhaps she was his wife or at least a sister seeing how worried she sounded and how frustrated MacKenzie looked when the man told him this.
"Good God the woman should kne by now that I can take care of me self. Don't need her fretting all about and getting herself all worked up o'er nothing at all," MacKenzie muttered as I continued to walk forward, meeting the man where he had stopped on a slightly worn out path. "Let's head on back before the woman decides it's time for her stubborn arse to get out here and come searching," MacKenzie replied before he let go of my arm, he shifted a few things on his body, putting away the gun I had not previously seen in his other hand so that he could grab me again but have one hand free. As I looked around I saw that they had no means of transport, which meant that was would be travelling on foot to whatever camp the other man had mentioned before.
MacKenzie didn't say a word to me as we walked and neither did his companion. Every so often they would say something in a foreign language, starting a brief conversation before they both would go silent again and just gaze around as we walked. MacKenzie seemed to have a very cold demeanor around him, his gaze always empty and set straight ahead of him. Even though he had saved me from what could have been a very awkward situation, he certainly seemed like the type of person who would be closed off from others and introverted. I didn't speak as we walked, barely daring to take a breath as the two men stood on either side of me, guiding me forward. After a while of awkward stares and heavy silence we cam upon and small house, and I use the term house very lightly. It resembled a small shack, with different types of siding and roofing made available to the owner(s).
"So are you ever going to tell me who this is?" the man asked as we came to the door of the small house, causing MacKenzie to stop as he was reaching to open the door. He looked back at me, his gaze slightly cold as we shared a glance.
"I guess we are about to find out huh lassie," MacKenzie said before I opened the door and walked inside, dragging me with him. When we entered I realized how small the house truly was. There were men all standing around the room, some sitting but the only person who seemed to notice our entry at first was the only woman within the room who jumped up as soon as her eyes set on MacKenzie.
"Oh thank goodness you're alright. You had me so frightened love," the woman with a distinctly British accent. Out of the corner of my eye I saw MacKenzie's mouth twitch slightly as though he wanted to smile at the girls excitement but couldn't.
"Dear God woman, ye know I can take care of me self. I don't need yer sending out the men I told to protect ye looking out an goose chase for me," MacKenzie complained as the woman smirked, walking towards us with a sly shake in her hips.
"Oh you love it you old bat. Who is this Dougal?" the woman asked as she stops her walk right in front of us, her eyes instantly moving to Dougal's hand that was still clutching my arm. Her eyebrow slowly arched as a look of disbelief made it's way onto her face.
"I found her in the woods while we were in a bit of a tussle with some Brits. She says that she is Russian but she sounds like you when she speaks. Maybe you should take her for a bit Claire, get some more information on her," Dougal suggests, but his demanding tone and cold glare in my direction makes it clear that his suggestion is an order and not an option. Claire smiled softly at the again man before nodding and reaching out to grab my hand. Dougal released his grip on me as Claire's hand wrapped around my own and pulled me a few inches towards her as her eyes connected with mine, her smile never wavering.
"Why don't we step outside for a drink of water and let the men talk about their business? You could tell me a bit about how you got here as well," Claire offered, nodding her head towards the door that was now a meter or so behind me. I took a quick breath before nodding and then letting Claire lead me out of the small shack and back into the slightly dulled evening air. Had we really walked through the day? Or had I woken up later than I imagined? How could it already be night?
"So what's your name? Mine's Claire as I'm sure you've figured out," the woman's soft voice interrupted my inverted pondering, forcing me to raise my head as she walked towards a small water pump off to the side of the house. I swallowed thickly, barely able to get my throat to close as Claire glanced back up at me.
"Aurora. My name is Aurora," I answered; finally able to find my own voice as Claire pulled out two small cups from a basket I had not noticed beside the water pump.
"It's nice to meet you Aurora. Very very nice to meet a princess."