Chapter Seventeen

“Get off me,” Bella screamed.

“Stay put. That is a war cry from our clan. There is enemy on our land.”

Bella rolled to her stomach and slid her gaze around. The McRaidys lined the wall and began shooting over the heads of those running for gates. If they didn’t hurry, they would be locked out. She rose to all fours. Betty flattened her again with the weight of her body.

“We have to get down there before they close the gates.”

“There isn’t time, milady. We are stuck. ‘Tis my fault. I should have brought weapons just in case.”

Terror vibrated in Betty’s voice. Bella slowly patted the large woman’s hand to soothe her. They scooted behind an outcropping of rocks. The mist thickened and soon they could only listen to the battle below.

“Fill your apron with hand-sized rocks. We will climb lower,” Bella whispered.

“We should just wait.”

“We aren’t safe here. There is nowhere to hide. If we can follow the fog and stay in it, perhaps we can get to the back entry. If not, we will at least be in the trees with a better chance of finding somewhere safe. We will use the rocks to defend ourselves if necessary.”

“I want to stay here ‘til the men find us.” Betty’s voice cracked with fear.

“Be brave, our soldiers will know we are missing and search for us. They could be killed or captured. We must assist.”

“Aye, I didn’t think of that. I don’t want my man worrying for naught. Lady Somer would be disappointed in me for not facing the enemy.”

Bella smiled. “We don’t need to face them; we just need to find safety.”

“I’ll follow you, milady.”

A startling thought shot through Bella. “What about Somer? She is at her home.”

“Our men have her safe. I’ve seen it before. Doesn’t matter how many enemies are at our door, nearly half our warriors surround the cottage. No one’s getting in.”

With that reassurance, Bella focused on their decent. She stopped every few feet to listen and peer into the fog. As long as they couldn’t see anything, that meant they weren’t seen. They crawled along the ground in hope that the tall grass would camouflage them. The horrific sounds of battle screamed in Bella’s ears. Not knowing if it was a McRaidy or the enemy only made it worse.

Rain began to drizzle. Bella cursed quietly. It never stopped raining in Scotland. She just wanted one single day of warm sunshine. She looked at her fingertips and knew they would prune if she stayed in the weather all day. So angry at being drenched again, it took her a moment to respond to Betty’s nudges.

“Look, milady, it’s the Glarys and several other rogue clans with them.”

“How do you know?”

“Their colors.”

“Oh yes, that’s right.”

Deep inside, she knew they were here for her. It appeared as though it would be a standoff. Puppa’s constant barking and howling echoed over the wall. Pic’s yap was audible as well. She finally spotted Puppa racing around trying to find an opening to look for her. He was probably worried. The McRaidys weren’t really putting up much of an attack. From her vantage point, they seemed occupied with their daily routines inside the wall. The oddity made her uneasy. Why wouldn’t they launch an attack?

“Pardon me, I didn’t hear you?”

Bella realized she’d spoken aloud. “Why aren’t the McRaidys fighting back?”

“I suspect they’re waiting on our Laird. As long as everyone is safe, there’s no reason to panic. The Glarys will either tire themselves out or run out of arrows. Then we’ll attack. Our Laird won’t take kindly to the interruption. Watch the rear―that’s where they’ll come from.”

The previously frightened cook was now enthralled with the impending clash. She acted as though it was a rehearsed game instead of a life-threatening challenge. Bella did as her newly acquired friend instructed and stared at the dark woods behind the battlefield.

“Is this common, the enemy marching right up to the front gate?”

“More so than you might think. These are scum who have no home, nothing to lose, or the good grace to fight with dignity. They be nothing more than thieves. I doubt they even believe in a God.”

“Why do they come to the McRaidys? Aren’t they most fearsome of all the clans?”

“Aye, we are,” Betty said with pride. “These good for nothings aren’t as stupid as one might think. They know if they win just one skirmish with us, the other Highlanders might give them some fear.”

“We never lose, do we?”

“Never, ‘tis beneath us to give them so much as a step. Our women could thwart them without so much as mussing their hair.”

Bella trusted the bragged words from her companion. There was little more to do than wait and keep a watchful gaze for any sneak attacks. At times, the Glarys squabbled amongst themselves and no apparent leader stepped forward. The other assortment of derelicts followed when it appeared convenient. Some even attacked others in their army and raced off with horses. From her perch, the scene below gave all indications it would resolve itself. They’d probably all turn on each other, without dignity or respect. The worst part would be the mess of dead bodies the McRaidys would have to attend.

The dreary wait stretched on. Rian’s lack of appearance began to cause her concern. Did he know the hordes invaded the fields around his home? He must not, or he would have wiped out the threat even as minor as Betty claimed it to be.

Bella heard a footstep crunch behind them. She jumped to her feet and spun around ready to fight. A small pack of men emerged from the fog and grabbed her. Instead of responding weakly, Bella screamed. She bit, kicked, and punched with all her might. Several gritted curses and a loud snap meant she injured her opponent. Nearly free of the hands attempting to restrain her, she glanced quickly to see if Betty had freed herself. An amused voice stopped the chaos.

“We will shoot an arrow through her forehead if you don’t come willingly.”

The clan cook lay sprawled on the ground. Her face was bloody. A man towered over her, pointing a notched arrow at her head.

“I’ll come. Let her go.”

“We’re taking you both.”

The finality of her situation churned Bella’s stomach. She’d rather die than endure the sure fate that awaited her. The men quickly tied and gagged the two women and led them further up the hill. Mounting Bella on the horse proved difficult without her assistance. Betty sat alone on her animal during the struggle. Bella prayed the woman had enough sense to kick the muscled flanks of her beast and hope for the best. To draw more attention away from her friend, Bella dropped to the ground, kicked her feet, and screamed as loudly as possible through the gag. Her fight was ineffective, however, with her hands tied behind her back.

Betty finally laid forward and did what Bella hoped. She slammed her heels into the flanks of her horse. The frightened woman careened down the hill in a shot and disappeared in the mist. The man tasked with controlling Bella swung and landed a stinging slap across her cheek. She rolled to her side in an effort to shield her face.

“Don’t damage her!”

“The other one got loose. What do you want us to do?”

“Let her go. She wasn’t going to bring much coin.”

“She’ll tell the McRaidy we have his woman.”

“Nah, that horse will throw her long before she makes it to their gate. They’ll find her with a broken neck in a few days. Our work will be done by then.”

They wrenched Bella up by the arm. Her shoulder burned but she refused to satisfy their cruelty by crying out. Instead of allowing her to ride alone, the leader signaled to her handler who plopped her on the sour-smelling man’s lap. The quiet procession wove through dense forests and eerie crevices. She noticed the land began to flatten as they continued.

A rise of curling smoke in the distance caught her attention. Every detail of the landscape seared into her mind. She would escape and had to know how to get back to Rian. The rocky flat they rode across led to a hillside that dropped straight down on one side. The squalor of the encampment nearly choked her. Open pits of waste and decaying animals surrounded the huts. She wasn’t entirely sure if the mounds of mud and grass could be called a home, but the residents stepped out of fur-covered openings.

Women were few and far between. Most of them were so thin they looked near collapse. Their gaze remained downcast except for a couple of quick glances at her that seemed to scream for help. The sallow-faced children, shoeless and barely clothed, sat in the dirt without playing and paid no attention to their arrival. Most of the men shuffled along and were grotesquely gaunt. Their features and eyes didn’t seem quite right. Bella had no idea what caused such odd deformations. It became obvious who ruled the tribe of habitants. The slovenly, overfed men huddled together in various groups seemed to be the only ones satisfied with life.

The procession of riders stopped as a familiar-looking man strutted forward.

“Ah, the artist. She will fetch a fine sum. Put her in with the others.”

“The bitch is a fighter. Shall I keep her tied?”

“Let her free. The others will likely unknot her ropes anyway.”

It finally occurred to her who the male resident was. He was with Carl and had beheaded her brother. The Glarys had her but she wasn’t sure what they planned to do. The continual reference to coin confused her. They freed her hands without ceremony. A large man hurled her through a doorway into one of the mud huts.

Bella tripped over something and landed on the ground. There were others in the room with her. She quickly sat up and blinked but still couldn’t see anything in the dark. No one said a word. After a minute, her eyes adjusted and enough light came through the various holes and cracks in the walls. The room was full of women, most barely more than girls.

She removed her gag and asked, “Does anyone know why we’re here?”

“They are planning to sell us,” a young voice whispered.

“To who?”

“Any man willing to pay.”

“Highlanders don’t buy women.”

“I don’t think they are our kinsman. The people have been coming to look at us for days. They speak other languages.”

“Oh Lord, we need to escape.”

“Do you think our clans will find us?”

“How long have you been here?”

“Some of us a month or more, some a few weeks, and the rest in the last few days.”

“We are not waiting.”

Bella couldn’t stand up straight but managed to step over several pairs of legs to a hole in the wall. She peered out with one eye. The girl was right; behind their hut was an encampment of foreigners. A wall of armed Glarys stood guard around them. Escape was going to be nearly impossible by sneaking away. She picked her way back to the wooden slab that leaned over the doorway.

“I want to talk to your Laird!”

“Shut up, woman.”

“Get him right now or we will all start screaming until you do.”

“Go ahead, none of us care.”

“Your buyers will.”

She listened but didn’t hear any movement. Bella turned toward the huddle of women.

“Ladies, will you scream with me?”

“They’ll kill us.”

Death was a far kinder result of their kidnapping than what lay in store for them once the Glarys sold them into slavery. Convincing the huddled females to gather and fight back would take far more time than available.

“If we band together, we can fight,” Bella said.

“Our families will come.”

Their voices reflected the fear paralyzing them. She’d plan her own escape for the time being. With Rian’s help, they would return for the rest of them. Night began to crowd out the sun. She needed more time to survey the various rotations of guards, otherwise she would spend the night in the crowded mud pile.

Bella found a small space between two other women. They all sat silently. There wasn’t a point in discussing anything. No one really knew what to do. It wasn’t even dark outside but she closed her eyes and gave into sleep. Before long, a persistent voice woke her up. The iridescent light surrounding the newest capture forced Bella to squint. She had no idea what caused a candle flame to turn that color.

“Can you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“I am Liam McRaidy’s wife. He sent me to you. Are you well?”

“Christiana?” Bella sat up straighter and stared at the apparition.

“It is me. Liam has instructed me to tell you that any attempt to escape will be futile. He wants you to wait for Rian.”

“I was going to do a painting of you. You are beautiful.”

“Are you listening?”

“I thought perhaps I was crazed but milady Somer said she’s spoken with you and Liam. She assured me I am sane. Her admiration of you is tremendous.”

“Thank you for your kind words. Will you follow my guidance?”

“Why do you and Laird McRaidy come to us from the afterlife?”

“You will have to ask my husband that question. He makes the decision. May we discuss your safety?”

“Oh, milady, forgive me. Yes, I will follow your directions.”

“Very good. I must leave and will not return. Be safe.”

“I have questions and want to look at you longer.”

“Is there something wrong with you? Don’t you realize you are in danger?”

Bella swallowed hard. Her eyes burned with impending tears. “I am aware. If I can’t save myself, I know what will happen. These same men beheaded my brother and guards in front of me. I will never forget his eyes still staring at me as his head rolled to my feet. The Glary leader beat me repeatedly and nearly violated me as a woman. I hid for days with little or no food. I fought to survive and I am right back where I started. Perhaps God has determined it is time for me to come to him at the hands of the Glarys. I give up. I had wanted to finish my paintings.” She sobbed then cleared her throat. “I suspect it isn’t meant to be. My only hope is that I am the first to be murdered and not forced to watch these young girls suffer. It will be more than I can live with.”

“McRaidys do not give up.” Christiana’s voice sounded stern in Bella’s head.

“I am not a McRaidy nor can I ever be. I cannot bear a child,” Bella said.

“Do you trust in your Lord?”

“Of course. I accept my death is His will.”

“My time is done but listen to my words. You will not die unless you give up. Do not surrender. Be strong. Keep in mind, Liam McRaidy will be a very unhappy man if the portraits are not finished.”

“You are worried about your painting?”

“No, my dear, I am worried about you. My husband mentioned you are stubborn. I hope you will use that to your benefit. He also asked that I remind you.”

“Will Laird McRaidy cause me harm if I do not finish?”

“Certainly not but he can be…moody about issues at times.”

“Can you save me? Can your husband? Perhaps he could gather other spirits and slaughter the foul men holding us captive.”

“I am so sorry. That is not something our Maker allows. He barely tolerates our visits but all the McRaidys are our family. We can’t disappear for eternity.”

“Do you visit everyone?”

“Only those of you who have the gift of perception. We don’t force ourselves on anyone. You can block us if you choose to.”

Bella shook her head. “That’s not my wish. If I don’t survive this time, will I be welcome to exist with you and the Chieftain?”

“I cannot say but will remind you again; fight like a McRaidy when the time comes.”

“I am a Quintallia.”

“I think not anymore. Remember my words.”

In a flow of light, Christiana left.

Bella blinked. All she saw was the pitch black of the night. The sounds of sleeping women filled the air. The odor of so many of them in the confined space churned her stomach. She sighed and knew that wasn’t what caused her sickness. The cold feeling of helplessness was the culprit. She leaned her head back and prayed while she stroked the hair of the unknown girl sleeping on her lap.