Highlander Medieval 06 - Her Highland Hero by Terry Spear

if you knew about their traitorous deeds?”
    For a moment, he seemed to consider her sincerity. Then he nodded. “For now, go free.” He let go of her reins and then as suddenly as he had appeared, he melted back into the pouring rain and disappeared into the woods. That’s when she heard horses coming, and she cursed silently to herself for allowing the man to hold her up for so long.
    Her blood pounding with fear that those following her would catch up, she rode as fast as she could through the tangled woods, praying her horse would not stumble and injure himself, until she found a clearing and saw a farmer’s cottage. At once, she realized she could not stop there or the men following her would most likely kill the farmer and his family, too.
    That’s when she thought she heard a Highlander’s brogue as a man shouted, “Isobel, stop!”
    Marcus? It couldn’t be.
    She jerked her horse to a stop and turned, not believing it could be who she thought it was.
    But it was. Laird Marcus McEwan, his cousins Rob, Finbar, and two more of his kin headed straight for her.
    “Marcus,” she whispered, not believing her eyes. “Oh, Marcus.” She wept with joy as she galloped toward him as he rushed to join her.
    His grim expression told her they were still in grave danger.
    ***
    Marcus wanted nothing more than to pull the bedraggled Isobel from her horse and hold her close, to assure himself she truly was all right and to assure her he was here for her now. But he had to be prepared to fight. He just had to get her somewhere out of this weather before she caught her death. And he couldn’t believe his fortune that not only had they met up with her doomed escort, only able to save one of her knights and kill their attackers, but that they had managed to find her before anyone else did.
    “The men,” she said, her words a whisper and over the pounding rain, he could barely hear her sweet voice.
    She was as he last remembered her, except wetter and exhaustion was evident in the dark circles beneath her eyes.
    “The brigands who attacked your escort are dead.” He didn’t want to tell her what had become of her own men. “One of my men carried one of your wounded knights back to Pembroke Castle.”
    “The others?” she asked, so fretful, he hated telling her the truth.
    He shook his head.
    “The maid?” she whispered as if it hurt to ask.
    “Drowned in the river when she tried to cross it.”
    Isobel let out a pitiful gasp, her face so pale he thought she might faint. He drew closer and grabbed her hand. Despite wearing mittens, her hand was cold and wet “We must get you out of this frigid wind and rain.” He feared she would be ill before long. “I would have you ride with me, but it would slow us down. I am afraid others may learn you were no’ taken hostage as planned and come for you. I will have to be free to fight. Can you ride alone, my lady?”
    If she couldn’t, he would take her in his arms and gladly. But he still felt they would be better off if she could ride her own horse for longer.
    “Aye.” Her voice was determined, but she looked as though she would not make it.
    “It willna be long.” But he knew it would. Even traversing a short distance would make it seem as though they rode forever in this kind of weather.
    “The cottage,” she said.
    “Nay.”
    She nodded and they traveled side by side in the open meadow, two of his men following behind, Rob ahead of them, Finbar and Alroy flanking them. They stayed close as it was so difficult to see in the pounding rain, they could easily lose sight of each other.
    Marcus was grateful they had found Isobel unharmed, but they were far from being safe from danger. He wanted Isobel to talk to him, to ensure she didn’t drift away into a silent, cold death. But he didn’t want to talk to her about her da’s demise, or anything else that might upset her.
    “We will return for Mary and take her to my home the first chance we get,” he finally