clueless as to how to get back in the first place. 99
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
Stretching out her legs, getting the blood circulating again, she paralleled the men's progress, her knife clutched in her hand. She needed to be ready for anything. In the distance, she detected the soft squeak of leather and the faint jangle of harness. Almost imperceptible, but there nonetheless. Whoever these new players were, they were making their way through the woods as stealthily as possible on horseback.
Geez, doesn't anyone ever sleep at night in the sixteenth century?
The two men moved closer to the horses, hiding and shifting in the shadows, but never moving into an attack position. Only watching. She hadn't seen so much covert activity since the army, but who were the bad guys and who were the good guys?
She continued to parallel the two men as they moved closer to the others, wishing she knew which side they were on. Putting them out of action would be a snap, but she didn't dare take the risk. They may be on recon duty for MacLean, and as far as she was concerned, the MacLeans were the good guys.
Okay, so she had a soft spot for a few of them, like Elspeth and Ian, although he wasn't a real MacLean, but not Colin MacLean. No siree, she did not care a whit about that man. Still, she couldn't let anything happen to him either. It was obvious how much Elspeth loved the big ape. The thought of his sweet aunt hurting because he'd gone and gotten himself killed or something simply wasn't acceptable. 100
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
Shaking her head, she couldn't believe how soft she'd gotten in so short a time. With a silent sigh, she crouched low in the brush as one of the horsemen dismounted and studied the ground.
A tracker. But whom was he tracking? Her or these two bozos lurking in the bushes beside her?
The man stood as the moon slipped from behind a bank of clouds. The dark strands brushing his shoulders appeared blue-black in the meager light.
She sucked in a silent breath. Colin . Although nothing more than a silhouette, he did something to her, and she hated it.
He pointed in the direction of the clearing. "She's gone that way," he said softly, then mounted his horse. He was looking for her. A small spurt of pleasure shot through her, but died quickly. Had she lost her mind? He wasn't tracking her for some romantic midnight rendezvous. The ogre was no doubt ticked because she'd escaped. He and his posse started to move again. She glanced at the two men hidden in the shadows, then back to her former jailer.
Should she nab these two spies or should she just slip away and let him deal with them himself? If he'd managed to locate her trail so easily, and she knew darn well she'd done a good job of covering her tracks, it wouldn't be long before he realized he was being watched.
But he wouldn't be out here at all with two unknowns circling him, if I hadn't decided to take off in the first place . 101
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
She stifled a curse and carefully made her way to the nearest spy. Honor could really ruin a girl's day. Slapping her hand over one man's mouth, she promptly knocked him out and laid him on the ground. She moved on to the other one and knocked him out as well, but he managed to make more noise than the other.
"Colin," one of his men whispered harshly, pointing to the small hedge disguising her presence.
Her luck was running thinner by the minute. She wouldn't be able to sneak off and leave the goodies behind now. Eyeing them through the bush, she noted each of his men had a hand on a weapon. The way things were going for her lately, they'd pin her to a tree with their dirks first, then ask questions later.
With a defeated sigh, she silently sheathed her knife at her calf and stood up very slowly.
"Out for an evening stroll, fellas?" MacLean vaulted down from his horse and stomped toward her. As he churned the earth beneath his heavy feet, the musty smell of
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
Stretching out her legs, getting the blood circulating again, she paralleled the men's progress, her knife clutched in her hand. She needed to be ready for anything. In the distance, she detected the soft squeak of leather and the faint jangle of harness. Almost imperceptible, but there nonetheless. Whoever these new players were, they were making their way through the woods as stealthily as possible on horseback.
Geez, doesn't anyone ever sleep at night in the sixteenth century?
The two men moved closer to the horses, hiding and shifting in the shadows, but never moving into an attack position. Only watching. She hadn't seen so much covert activity since the army, but who were the bad guys and who were the good guys?
She continued to parallel the two men as they moved closer to the others, wishing she knew which side they were on. Putting them out of action would be a snap, but she didn't dare take the risk. They may be on recon duty for MacLean, and as far as she was concerned, the MacLeans were the good guys.
Okay, so she had a soft spot for a few of them, like Elspeth and Ian, although he wasn't a real MacLean, but not Colin MacLean. No siree, she did not care a whit about that man. Still, she couldn't let anything happen to him either. It was obvious how much Elspeth loved the big ape. The thought of his sweet aunt hurting because he'd gone and gotten himself killed or something simply wasn't acceptable. 100
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
Shaking her head, she couldn't believe how soft she'd gotten in so short a time. With a silent sigh, she crouched low in the brush as one of the horsemen dismounted and studied the ground.
A tracker. But whom was he tracking? Her or these two bozos lurking in the bushes beside her?
The man stood as the moon slipped from behind a bank of clouds. The dark strands brushing his shoulders appeared blue-black in the meager light.
She sucked in a silent breath. Colin . Although nothing more than a silhouette, he did something to her, and she hated it.
He pointed in the direction of the clearing. "She's gone that way," he said softly, then mounted his horse. He was looking for her. A small spurt of pleasure shot through her, but died quickly. Had she lost her mind? He wasn't tracking her for some romantic midnight rendezvous. The ogre was no doubt ticked because she'd escaped. He and his posse started to move again. She glanced at the two men hidden in the shadows, then back to her former jailer.
Should she nab these two spies or should she just slip away and let him deal with them himself? If he'd managed to locate her trail so easily, and she knew darn well she'd done a good job of covering her tracks, it wouldn't be long before he realized he was being watched.
But he wouldn't be out here at all with two unknowns circling him, if I hadn't decided to take off in the first place . 101
Highlander's Challenge
by Jo Barrett
She stifled a curse and carefully made her way to the nearest spy. Honor could really ruin a girl's day. Slapping her hand over one man's mouth, she promptly knocked him out and laid him on the ground. She moved on to the other one and knocked him out as well, but he managed to make more noise than the other.
"Colin," one of his men whispered harshly, pointing to the small hedge disguising her presence.
Her luck was running thinner by the minute. She wouldn't be able to sneak off and leave the goodies behind now. Eyeing them through the bush, she noted each of his men had a hand on a weapon. The way things were going for her lately, they'd pin her to a tree with their dirks first, then ask questions later.
With a defeated sigh, she silently sheathed her knife at her calf and stood up very slowly.
"Out for an evening stroll, fellas?" MacLean vaulted down from his horse and stomped toward her. As he churned the earth beneath his heavy feet, the musty smell of
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