Bound to a Warrior
Read Bound to a Warrior Online
Authors: Donna Fletcher
Bound to a Warrior
When summer touches winter and the snow descends the reign of the false King begins to end.
Four warriors ride together and then divide among them the true king hides.
When he meets death on his own that is when he reclaims his throne.
A S
EER'S
P
ROPHECY
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Duncan tumbled down hard onto the woman. He lay sprawledâ¦
Mercy shivered, her skin prickling with gooseflesh, not only fromâ¦
Dampness remained at the ends of Duncan's plaid and atâ¦
They walked for another hour before they settled in theâ¦
Duncan woke early the next day, and though he wouldâ¦
Mercy froze, her mouth agape, staring at Duncan. “That's notâ¦
“You're not even going to turn away?” Duncan asked asâ¦
Mercy couldn't avoid the dirt and stones that rained overâ¦
They found shelter in an abandoned cottage weathered and beatenâ¦
Duncan and Mercy woke early and agreed it was bestâ¦
Mercy found herself in Duncan's arms and his lips onâ¦
By late morning Mercy was feeling the fast pace theyâ¦
Duncan studied the open field with the eye of aâ¦
Mercy licked her lips. She could almost taste the freshâ¦
Rain clouds thwarted the setting sun as Duncan and Mercyâ¦
If Mercy had hesitated even for the briefest of moments,â¦
Duncan and Mercy set out early the next morning withâ¦
Mercy surrendered everything, her heart, her mind and her passion.
The day remained clear, though a chill hung in theâ¦
Low chatter surrounded Mercy and she struggled to get pastâ¦
Night had already fallen when they finally reached Duncan's homeâ¦
Duncan sat on the bed beside Mercy taking her inâ¦
Mercy had hoped she could slip away before her identityâ¦
Duncan hadn't expected to sleep so soundly but he had,â¦
Duncan kept turning around glancing over his shoulder to lookâ¦
The solution was simple.
Mercy had no time to think of what she hadâ¦
Duncan lay spent, Mercy spread naked over him.
Mercy woke alone and with scattered thoughts. Her musings jumpedâ¦
Mercy settled in a small room on the third floorâ¦
With a hooded, heavy wool cloak to protect her fromâ¦
Duncan stood with his brothers and father on the battlementsâ¦
Mercy never thought much of being her father's daughter. Heâ¦
“I feel fine. After all it has been two months,”â¦
Dawn was near on the horizon and with it Mercyâ¦
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Scotland Highlands, 1005
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uncan tumbled down hard onto the woman. He lay sprawled across her, hoping he had not hurt her. She was a bit of a thing that a good wind would blow away, but in the short time he had been shackled to her, he had come to realize that she was a strong one, a survivor.
He rolled off her, and with a slip of his arm around her narrow waist, took her along with him as he got to his feet. Her slim hand grasped hold of his arm until she found strong footing and then she let go. The strength of her grip shouldn't have surprised him, but her slim body led one to believe her weak.
“Move it!” one of the soldiers yelled and gave the woman a rough jab in the back with his sword handle.
She stumbled forward and this time grabbed hold of his arm. And he did, the strength of his rock-hard muscles alone enough to steady her and keep them from repeating the act.
A tentative smile told him that while she was appreciative, she was also hesitant to rely on him. Unfortunately, she had no choice. They were shackled at the wrists with iron cuffs and a connecting chain that didn't allow for much distance from one another.
Even in their dire circumstances he couldn't help but appreciate her lovely features. Though her round face was dusted with dirt there was no hiding her beauty; bewitching sapphire blue eyes that sparkled more brilliantly than the gem itself were framed by long, curled, black lashes. And no amount of grime could hide the luster of her waist length, raven black hair. Her garments were that of a peasant, and yet he had noticed that her hands showed no signs of hard toil.
He couldn't help but wonder who this woman was that he was chained to.
“I fear they mean us harm,” she whispered.
It was the first words she had spoken to him since their ordeal had begun hours ago, and while he agreed, his thoughts lingered more on her low, sultry voice than their present situation. He almost laughed. How could he focus more on his attraction to her than their problem? He wisely contained his humor, but could not do the same with his thoughts.
“I agree,” he said.
“Is there nothing we can do?” she asked.
He tapped at her iron cuff. “This could present a problem.”
“I'm not afraid to fight.”
While he admired her courage, it was obvious that she had never tasted battle, and he didn't believe she would have the stomach for what must be done if they were to attempt an escape.
As if she understood his doubt, she said, “I have more gumption than it may appear, and the odds are even, two of them to two of us. Besidesâ”
Her lovely blue eyes glazed over with tears, though she didn't shed a one.
“What choice do we have? They most certainly intend to kill us.”
She was intelligent as well and no doubt wondered why they had been singled out from the group of captives the king's men had gathered along their route home. He hadn't given any reason to arrest him, though more than likely it had something to do with the prophecy many believed was soon to be fulfilled. He fit the age of the man prophesized to be the true king of Scotland, who would soon return and claim the throne that was rightfully his. As for the woman, her handsome features were reason enough for the king's men to arrest her and give as a gift to the king for his entertainment.
She was right. They truly did have no choice but to attempt an escape.
“Hurry along with you,” the one soldier ordered, jabbing Duncan in the back.
“We must be quick if we are to do anything,” she murmured, “for they hurry us to our deaths.”
“Follow my lead,” he whispered and she nodded.
Duncan knew that he had to strike at both men almost simultaneously if they were to succeed. Otherwise one would have enough time to strike and it wouldn't be him who the soldier targeted.
The two soldiers grew more impatient, shoving at the shackled pair and causing them to stumble. Duncan worried about making a move, his apprehension more for the woman's safety. If he were on his own, he would have been free by now. But being chained to the woman made escape that much harder.
He could almost hear his three childhood friends, Reeve, Bryce and Trey laughing at him, since they had all declared that they would never let a woman shackle them. Memories of the three brought to mind the mission he was on, a mission that couldn't fail. He had no choice; he had to survive.
The men kept urging them forward, though this time it was the tips of their swords jabbing at their backs that kept them moving rapidly. That was when Duncan knew without a shred of doubt that something wasn't right.
He did his best to prevent them from falling again by keeping a hand to her arm, and he was glad he did. They suddenly broke through the thicket of woods to a small clearing and Duncan grabbed quick hold of the woman just before she almost tumbled off the edge of a cliff.
The soldiers laughed and one said, “You'll be going over dead or meeting death soon.”
Duncan silently cursed himself for not acting sooner.
“Choose,” the other soldier said. “A sword through you to send you over orâ” He laughed as the other man joined in. “Or jump. It's death that will be greeting you either way.”
“But we want to be fair and let you choose,” the heavier of the two said with a snicker.
Duncan gave a glance over the edge. It was a long, deep drop to the turbulent river below that would either swallow you up or spit you out. On his own he'd have a chance; a slim one, but a chance. Two shackled together, one a mere wisp of a woman, was not good odds.
“Figured it out, have you?” the one asked with a grin.
Duncan wanted to strangle the man. The woman obviously understood his snide remark, since he could feel her body tremble beside him. However, once again he had to admire her courage, though he was beginning to believe it was more tenacity, for she took firm hold of his hand and raised her chin.
“I'm ready.”
The two soldiers snorted with laughter, but Duncan realized that she was letting him know that she could do this. She was ready to survive.
Duncan, knowing a slim chance was better than no chance at all, bowed his head to the two men who continued to snicker. He then hooked his arm around the woman's slim waist and yanked her hard against him. Strange that at a moment like this when death could be a hair's breath away he should notice that she molded so
perfectly to his body, almost as if she had been created for him and him alone. It made him want to protect her even more and pray that they would survive.
“Hold on and don't let go,” he ordered and without hesitation he stepped off the edge, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her.
She buried her face against his chest as he continued to keep her pressed against him. They tumbled for what seemed like forever to their deaths, or would it be to the rescuing arms of the river?
They hit the water feet first and submerged to a good depth. He released his hold on her and gestured toward the surface, and then he immediately began swimming in that direction. She followed his lead, her slender arms pumping as fast as she could, though unable to match his mighty strokes.
Her effort, while valiant, hampered his attempts. And he soon wrapped his arm around her waist and with one hand swam to the surface. She gasped for breath and sputtered and coughed while he kept an arm around her waist and managed to easily regain control of his breathing.
The cliff was a sheer wall of rock from river to sky and it appeared to travel horizontally for as far as he could see, leaving no river bank they could swim to.
They had no choice but to keep swimming.
The woman seemed to struggle and he yelled to her, “Easy or you'll sink us.”
Her head disappeared beneath the rough water and he yanked her up.
She sputtered and struggled to speak until finally she spit out, “I can't swim.”
Duncan quickly wrapped his right shackled arm, taking her left shackled one with him, beneath her breast, leaving his left arm free to keep swimming. He couldn't believe that she had the audacity to jump off that cliff knowing that she couldn't swim. Or had she trusted him enough to save her?
Finally he spotted a small section of riverbank and swam toward it. He feared that the strong current would rush them right past it, and to his surprise, as he reached for a rock jutting out from the shore, the woman did so as well.
Her extra effort helped sustain their hold there, giving Duncan a chance to catch a good breath. He then managed to get them both to shore where they collapsed on the muddy bank.
While summer was in its waning days, the nights grew chilled, especially this far north in the Highlands. They would need to get a fire going and get dried or else a fever was sure to finish what the river had started.
“We need to get moving,” Duncan said and stood, though was prevented from rising all the way since the woman didn't follow.
She sat up, giving slack to the chain so that he could straighten some, and she placed her hand to her chest.
He was amazed at the way her creamy wet skin sparkled from her dunk in the river and her blue eyes were a more brilliant blue, if that was possible. Damn, but he couldn't believe he continued to be captivated by her after she almost drowned him.
She patted her chest and barely managed to say, “Mercy.”
He was surprised that she begged when she had shown such bravery. “I know you're probably exhausted from your ordeal, but this is no time for rest.”
She shook her head and patted her chest again. “Mercy. My name is Mercy.”
He went down on his haunches with a twinge of guilt for having doubted her courage, and with a smile introduced himself. “Duncan. Duncan MacAlpin.”
“Thank you, Duncan MacAlpin, for saving my life.”
“Haven't saved us yet,” he said. “We need to find a safe place to get a fire going and get dried, or death will get us after all.”
“Do you think they believe us dead?”
“Those two idiots were certain you would drown me.”
“I realized that and knew then we had a chance,” she said.
“But you can't swim. And how did you know I could?”
“I saw the way you looked over the edge. I realized you believed there was a chance, though it was a slim one with us chained together.”
“You trusted me, a stranger?” he asked.
“I believed it was wiser to do soâ” she held up her shackled wrist “âsince I truly had little choice.”
“Another matter that needs remedying.”
She shivered.
Duncan gave a quick glance to the sky. “Night is a few hours off and we need to be settled well before then.”
“Need we worry about them making certain we're dead?” she asked as he helped her stand.
Duncan shook his head. “I doubt they'll bother to search for us, but the king's men are everywhere. We must avoid them, especially since we have the king's property.”
Her eyes turned wide with apprehension.
He smiled and shook his wrist, rattling the chain. “He may want these back for other prisoners.”
She smiled while wringing the water out of her long black hair, and once again he was struck by her beauty. The distraction, though it was more attraction, annoyed him and without thinking he turned and abruptly walked away.
The quick yank of the chain had her falling against him and he turned just as she fell into his arms. And damn if she didn't feel good even soaking wet and damn if he wasn't staring straight at her two luscious, full breasts.
He should have felt guilty and he did; not for staring at her breasts, but for forgetting they were joined together and causing her to fall into his arms. A place he didn't mind her being, though not like this.
“I'm sorry,” he said. “Being chained is going to take some getting used to.”
“Yes, in more ways than one,” she said with a slight blush.
Only then did he begin to realize the many ramifications of being tied together.
“We need to free ourselves,” he said.
“I couldn't agree more,” she said. “Do you think it will be soon?”
“That's hard to say.”
She suddenly looked defeated, but he wouldn't make the mistake again in believing that she was easily giving up, as he realized the problem.
“You need private time,” he said.
“Desperately,” she begged.
“The best I can do is turn away and let you have the time you need andâ” He shook his head. “You'll need to do the same for me.”
“All right,” she agreed quickly. “But I need that time now. Right now.”
They walked a ways into the woods, and after finding a good spot, he turned his back, stretching his arm out behind him. He knew this could not be easy for her, and yet she had managed to get through dire circumstances without crumbling, weeping uncontrollably or surrendering.
Mercy was quite a woman.
“Your turn,” she said, and gave him the same privacy.
“We just might make it through this,” he said as they were on their way.
Near dusk he began to change his mind. The temperature had dropped more than he had expected and while normally it wouldn't cause a problem, with their garments being wet it chilled them to the bone.
They found a spot by a cropping of rocks that provided good shelter and they both gathered twigs, fallen branches and what dried leaves they could to start a fire.
Duncan had one going in no time and they both snuggled close to it, not only to get warm but to dry their garments.
“You must be hungry,” he said, recalling what little if any food the soldiers had given them.
“I had a nibble of bread early this morning.”
“Why a nibble?” he asked. “A slice was passed to each person.”
“There was a young lad⦔ She didn't finish.
That she would share her food with a starving lad spoke much about her nature, though she hadn't shared, she had surrendered it. “It's too late for me to hunt,” he said, disappointed since he was hungry himself.