A/N: Thanks goes to Tiffany & Sherry. Ma twa' braw lassies.
Chapter 53
By the time Edward realised what was happening, it was too late. He was surrounded by the English.
Edward warily glanced at Emmett and then stepped forward to greet the Baron, who was now smugly looking down at him from his horse. "I thought I warned ye tae go hame?"
The Baron smiled, "Yes, you did, but you see, I had a better offer. From someone who has it in for you even more than I do. That, and Isabella's father has come to join me," the Baron said, motioning to a dark haired man to his right. "He was very angry when I informed him of your marriage to his daughter."
Isabella's father spat on the ground and snarled at Edward.
Edward shrugged. "That is unfortunate, but seeing as the marriage has been consummated, there is little ye can dae. It's legally binding."
"We could make her a widow," the Baron growled.
Edward unsheathed his sword. "Ye can try."
The Baron laughed. "It will hardly be a challenge, you are outnumbered. Even some of your own men have turned on you."
Edward glanced around him, noticing that some of his men were indeed standing with the English. Their swords were smeared with blood, meaning that they had already slaughtered some of his loyal men. He cursed himself for being so distracted.
By his count at least ten of his men had betrayed him. That meant he was left with about thirty men, but how many of those men had been killed? The Baron had at least double that number. It would be a difficult fight, but Highland men didn't back down. "Acht," Edward sighed. "Highland men are worth at least three of your English. It wid be an easy fight," he smiled. "In fact, ma men could probably dae it with one hand behind their back if ye like."
The Baron didn't appear to like Edward's comment if his face was anything to go by. In truth, Edward believed he had hurt his pride.
"Kill them," the Baron hissed. "Kill the bloody lot of them!" he yelled, waving his sword in the air.
"Geal 'us Dearg a suas!" Edward roared, raising his sword into the air. His men cried out, chanting the war cry and banging their weapons as they charged at the English.
The battle was bloody and the English would have won, had it not been for another clan coming to Edward's aid. In the midst of the fight, Grahams surrounded them. At first, Edward thought they were coming to the assist the English, but he was soon proven wrong when they began to slay the Englishmen.
Every last one of the enemy was killed, including the traitors or so Edward thought.
"How did ye ken tae come tae my aid?" Edward asked, Carlisle after the fight.
"I did some digging, like I promised. It appears that the man working wae the English was a man called Iain McNab. Is the name familiar tae ye?" Edward shook his head. "He's the bastard son of Alec Menzies."
That name was familiar to Edward. It was the name of his father's brother, the one who had betrayed them, along with their friends and cost his mother and father their lives.
"I thought Alec wiz dead?" After his mother and father had been killed, his clan went up in arms in retaliation and killed Alec and his conspirators.
"Aye, he is, but it seems he left behind a bastard that nae wan kent about."
"And where is this bastard noo?"
A/N: Geal 'us Dearg a suas - Up with the White and Red. The real Menzies war cry.