Aidan (21 page)

Her heart ached for Aidan and she wanted to be lying naked in his arms more than anything right now. “Hurry up,” she whispered. “Aidan’s life depends on it.”

“Och, this isna goin’ te work,” she heard Ian grumble, and turned around and couldn’t help but laugh. He stood there in the guard’s clothes, but he was much larger than the Englishman, especially with all his muscles. The tunic was so tight he couldn’t move, and it was much shorter than his leine, as it barely covered his waist. And since the Scots didn’t wear braies or hose, that left them naked from the waist down.

“I see what ye mean,” said Onyx, having the same problem.
He leaned forward, and Effie heard the seams of their tunics splitting.

“We dinna have time fer this,” said Effie. “Jest put yer own clothes back on and wear their cloaks and keep them closed in front.”

“Aye,” she heard Madoc saying. “Wear their helms as well so they don’t see your hair and faces.”

“Onyx and Ian did as instructed, pulling their long hair up under the helms.

“All right, let’s go,” she heard Ian say, so she turned back around to join them. She looked at them trying to keep the cloaks closed, but their plaids were very visible. And they looked ridiculous trying to fit into the helms, pieces of their hair sticking out from underneath in every direction.

“Well, it’ll have te work,” she said. “Unless any o’ ye have a better idea.”

“I do,” said Madoc. “You’ve got an Englishman right here, so use me to your advantage.”

“How so?” she asked.

“I’ll bring you to them for reward money. Ian and Onyx stay behind us, and whatever you do, try not to speak. And with any luck, this’ll at least get us into their camp before they figure out who we are.”

“We’ve still got a ways to go
afore we get there,” said Effie. “What if they find the stone afore we have the chance te stop them?”

“The English aren’t
going to go digging around in the water looking for anything until it gets light,” Madoc said. “Believe me, I know they don’t like to get their feet wet either.”

“Unless Aidan goes fer it in the dark,” said Onyx.

“Aye,” agreed Ian. “Then all o’ this will be fer nothin’, becooz I dinna think the English will just sit back and let him take it from them.”

“They had his hands as well as his feet tied,” said Effie. “I’m no’ sure he’s goin’ anywhere anytime soon.”

“Och,” said Ian, “we ken Aidan better than thet. And I assure ye thet no ropes holdin’ him down nor the darkness o’ the night is goin’ te stop him once he makes up his mind thet he’s goin’ after the stone.”

Chapter 23

Aidan waited until the English were all asleep, then he started his plan for escape. If he could just get these damned ropes off of him, he’d sneak down to the river and somehow move the stone, and hope
fully find a way to get it far away from here before they even awoke. He did it before, he told himself, and he’d do it again.

But when he tried fraying the ropes of his wrists against the rocks, every movement brought a
searing pain shooting through him from the wound in his shoulder. He knew it was getting worse and he felt as if he were going to retch.

“What do ye think ye’re doin’
?” asked Tasgall, stepping out of the thicket from behind him.

Aidan was just deciding how to shut him up, when the man pulled his dagger and came for him. Aidan kicked at him
, and Tasgall backed away.

“Stop it, ye fool, I’m here
te help ye.”

Aidan was leery of the man, but had no choice right now but to trust him. He stopped moving
, and Tasgall reached forward with the dagger again.

“If ye try
te stab me with it, I swear I’ll kill ye,” Aidan warned the man.

“
Blethers! I’m only goin’ te cut the ropes,” he said, doing just what he said.

“Why?” asked Aidan, rubbing his wrists, once the ropes were
off. Tasgall then went about removing the ones at his feet.

“Becooz I made a mistake, and I’m tired o’ bein’ a coward.”

“Ye helped Effie escape, didna ye?” Aidan stuck the ropes into his belt, knowing he would need them later. If he managed to get the stone, he’d use the ropes to pull it with the horse like last time.

“
Aye,” he said with a nod of his head. “And hopefully I can help ye do the same. Now come on, get up and lean on me shoulder. I’ve got a couple o’ horses saddled and waitin’ in the thicket.”

Aidan got up and leaned on
Tasgall, but when they mounted their horses, he started in the opposite direction, toward the water.

“What are ye doin’?” whispered
Tasgall, moving his horse toward Aidan.

“I canna jest leave and let them get the stone,” he said. “I’m goin’
te get it and move it afore they find it.”

“Ye’re mad,” said
Tasgall, stopping his horse.

Aidan turned his horse back toward him. “I could use yer help.”

“This is nothin’ but a deith wish,” the man said, shaking his head.

“Well, then
we’ll both die fer a guid cause, willna we?”

“I’m no’ goin’
te help. I’m gettin’ out o’ here alive while I still can.”

“Go on then,” Aidan
said, disgusted, and headed toward the water. Then he turned his head and talked to the man over his shoulder. “But I thought ye said ye were tired o’ bein’ a coward?”

Aidan
headed away, feeling like hell. His body was shivering from the fever and his wound was bleeding again. He was dizzy, and knew he hadn’t the strength to pull the rock out of the water by himself, but he would at least die trying.

He made it to the Rowa
n, and slid off the horse, tying the reins to the tree. He then slid into the stream, feeling the cold water biting at his open wound. He hunkered down and felt around for the stone, then his hand brushed across it, and he found it right where he’d left it. He used the embedded handles in the stone and tried with all his might to pull the rock from the water.

“Arrrrgh,” he let out a muffled cry as he felt the fires of hell yanking at his shoulder. He tried once again, but it was stuck in the muck at the bottom of the river and it weighed too much for him to move it himself, especially since he was injured.

“Could ye use another hand?”

He looked up to see
Tasgall standing in the moonlight. It was just what he needed, as he’d almost given up hope.

“So ye decided te help me after all?”

“I canna be a coward me whole life.”

“And what if we die tryin’
te do this?”

“Then I’ll die alongside one o’ the bravest men Scotland has e’er seen.”

* * *

Effie nervously shifted on the horse in front of
Madoc as they rode into the English camp. He held his arm around her, and a dagger against her to make it look as if he was bringing her back as a prisoner.

Ian and Onyx followed on horses beh
ind them, wrapped in the cloaks of the English guards. She just hoped they didn’t have to talk, or the English would know at once their little ploy.

“Someone approaches,” she heard as they rode up, and immediately, two guards jumped up and pulled their swords
from their scabbards.

“I found this girl on the road when I was passing through,” said
Madoc. “Your guards told me you’ve been looking for her.” He nodded toward Ian and Onyx behind him. They nodded back, and Ian almost lost the helm, as it was too small and just sitting atop his head.

“Lord Ralston!” called the guard, and the man appeared from inside a tent. He took one look at Effie and smiled.

“Well, look who’s back. Where did you find her?”

“I found
her . . . ” Madoc was cut short by Lord Ralston’s words.

“Who are you?”

“I’m just a traveler passing through on my way back to England.”

“By yourself,
and on Scottish soil? And at night?”

“Aye.”

Effie felt Madoc’s arm stiffen around her, and she knew he was readying himself for a fight.

“Guards, is this true?”

Onyx and Ian just looked at each other, but didn’t answer, and this obviously made the man suspicious.

“Guards, I asked you a question.”

“Aye,” they both answered at once.

“Guards, bring her to me.”

Ian stepped forward and helped Effie off the horse, but when he reached up to get her, his cloak opened, and when he tried to close it, his helm fell from his head to the ground.

“Something’s not ri
ght.” Lord Ralston looked through the darkness, and Ian tried to keep his back towards the man. “Where’s the Highlander?” He unsheathed his sword when he realized Aidan wasn’t there. Effie wondered where he’d gone as well. Then she realized Tasgall was nowhere to be found either. There was only one place they’d be, and that was at the river, getting the stone.

Before she knew what was happening, Lord Ralston
reached forward and pulled her to him.

“Men, we have intruders,” he shouted.

Ian and Onyx threw off their disguises, and in one motion raised their swords, meeting with those of the English. Madoc fought from the top of his horse, as a battle broke out between them.

“You won’t get away with this, bi
tch,” said Lord Ralston, dragging Effie to a horse and mounting, pulling her up with him.

“Help,” she cried out,
struggling to get out of his hold, but Ian, Madoc and Onyx were busy fighting off several men each and couldn’t come to her aid.

“
Get the cart and head to the river,” he shouted to several of his men, and they took off through the night, leaving the rest behind. Effie had a feeling that things were only going to get worse from here, because she knew that at the river was exactly where they’d find Aidan.

Chapter 24

With
Tasgall’s help, Aidan managed to get the stone on shore and also tied with ropes, trailing from the back of a horse. They were just going to ride away, when out of the darkness, like a bat out of hell, came three riders. As they got closer, through the darkness he saw that is was Lord Ralston and two of his guards, and to his horror, they had Effie with them. One of the soldiers was driving the wagon.

“What the hell?” he ground out.

Tasgall looked up as well, as the English came over the grass right toward them. “Should we make a break for it?” he asked Aidan.

“We canna outrun them
draggin’ along the stone,” said Aidan. “And neither will I leave Effie in their bluidy hands. If ye want to make a run fer it, go. I willna think any less o’ ye, as ye’ve already risked yer life te help me.”

The man seemed to consider it for a second,
then just shook his head.

“Nay. I am tired o’
runnin’ and I will stand me ground.”

“Spoken like a true Scot,” said Aidan, slapping him on the back.

“Aidan!” cried Effie as they stopped their horses in front of them and the two guards jumped off and came up to them with swords drawn. “I’m so sorry,” she cried.

“Effie, I told ye
te get the hell outta here, what happened?” he asked.

“I came back fer ye, Aidan. Te save ye.”

“Why the hell did ye think ye could do thet?”

“Because I have Onyx, Ian
, and Madoc with me. They’re back at camp fighting.”

“The
y are?” Suddenly, Aidan saw a light at the end of the tunnel. If his friends were here, then he knew he might have a chance after all.

“
Tasgall, you bloody bastard, you deceived me,” snarled Lord Ralston.

“And I’m proud o’ it,” said the Scot
sman, raising his chin in the air.

“Put the damned stone
in the back of the cart,” Lord Ralston instructed.

His guards moved toward it
, but he stopped them.

“Not you two, you fools,” he said. “The Scots will do it.”

“And if we dinna do it?” asked Aidan.

“You know what will happen.”

“No’ this again,” he mumbled to himself as he saw Lord Ralston raise his blade to Effie once again. “I’m getting’ tired o’ this,” he said, taking hold of the stone, and with Tasgall, they struggled, but got it atop the back of the cart.

“Hurry,” Lord Ralston instructed. Then when they were finished, he looked at his guards. “Kill the Scots and let’s get the stone to safety.”

One reached out for Aidan, but even with his wound and with no weapons, he fought like a madman. And when the second came to help his friend, Tasgall jumped in front of the man’s sword, just as he was about to stab Aidan.

Aidan looked up to see the Scot lyin
g there with the sword in his back, having blocked the killing blow. Aidan threw the first guard off of him and pulled out the sword from Tasgall and turned around and stabbed the second guard.