Page 8 of Never Fall for a Highlander

Robin groaned as two warriors carried him into the great hall.The pain of everyone watching their laird enter the keep carried like a bairn almost hurt more than the slash he’d received on his side.He wished he could command them to set him down, but he kenned he would most likely pass on if they did which would be even more humiliating.

“Get the healer!”Brandon, one of the guardsmen shouted again.Everyone just stood perfectly still like statutes before Helena Ross raced over to him and began issuing commands.

“Where is the healer?”Brandon asked, attempting to push Helena Ross out of the way.

“I am a healer,” she said and wiggled her way in front of Brandon.“Get this mon upstairs to his bed.Send for Aline and tell her to bring all the medicants she has.Someone else fetch clean linens and plenty of hot water.”When they all just stood and stared at her, she snapped.“Now!”

She left his side and strode back over to where her sister stood, doubled over.Helene took Jena’s arm and helped her up the stairs.

Robin closed his eyes and wondered how it had all gone wrong.

As he was shifted and carried up the stairs, he concentrated on his memory rather than on what was happening since that might help keep his mind off his pain.

At the break of dawn, he had gathered his men in the great hall and told them what they were facing.‘Twas not supposed to be a full scale war, since they were heading over to their border that joined with the Gunns to clean up a serious matter.

For months now the Gunns had been stealing sheep, fowl, and anything they could get their hands on.Reivers had been part of the occasional clashes between the clans for centuries and most often minor thievery was overlooked.

But from what had been reported to Robin, the last raid on the Gunn border with Mackay had involved burning a couple bothies, and raping women while their men were out in the fields.That put Robin close to declaring war but he hadn’t wanted to take that step until he could attempt to rout out the men responsible, make them pay and then send word to The Gunn that he needed to control his men or face a formal declaration.

Several of the Clan Council members had grumbled at Robin’s decision not to flat out attack the Gunns.He’d clashed a bit with the Council before, and lately more often.When they weren’t pushing a wife at him, all he’d heard from them was “That’s not the way yer da would have done it.”

He tried to explain he was trying to keep peace with his borders so his men dinna have to drop everything, leave their families and ride off into war every new moon.

“Then why are ye keeping yer warriors busy in the lists every day?”Johen, one of the more outspoken men had asked.

“We need to keep Dun Ugadale fortified,” Robin had returned.“Just because I donna want to attack our neighbors for minor stealing, doesna mean I plan to leave us defenseless.”

“I wouldna say burning homes and raping women is minor actions,” Johen had shot back.

“We are going to rout out the offenders and if they are Gunn clan members, I will be taking the issue up with The Gunn.”

Once the men had left that morning, the plan had been to split up into three groups, then sweep over the area where the attack had taken place, surrounding the men who had committed the crimes.Since this had been an attack unlike any they’d seen before, Robin was somewhat certain that the most recent attack was not from the Gunn clan, but drifters, belonging to no clan.

Robin led one group, Craig and Finn the other two.He had complete confidence in his brothers’ abilities to carry out the plan.What he had not expected was the attack that came to them before they even reached the area where the prior assault had taken place.

He believed someone from his own clan had turned on them and reported to the outlaws what they’d planned to do.Surprise attacks did not cause problems for his men, but this one was well-planned, since the men dropped from the trees, knocking them from their horses, barely giving the men a chance to pull their swords.

There was blood, screams, and death.Robin had counted a few dozen men who had dropped from above, but it hadn’t taken them long to dispense with the criminals, who had been an outlaw band.But in the battle, Robin’s side had been slashed.

The sound of their battle had drawn the other two forces who arrived just as the clash ended.Several of his men had been injured, but his seemed to be the worse which annoyed him more than the injury itself.

He groaned as they placed him on the bed.Craig had wrapped a cloth around the gash at the battle site, so hopefully he hadn’t lost too much blood.

Where the devil was the healer?

* * *

Helena helped Jena to her bedroom with the sounds of the men behind her cursing as they maneuvered the laird up the stairs.From the lack of sound coming from the mon, she guessed he had passed out, which was for the best.

With Jena apparently preparing to give birth, and the laird with heaven kenned what sort of injury, she was torn.Hopefully, Aline would come and take care of the laird so she could concentrate on her sister.

No sooner had she undressed Jena and put her into a nightgown than her birth waters flowed down her legs, streaming to a puddle on the floor.“Oh, Helena, I am so sorry.”Jena began to cry and gripped her stomach at the same time.

“Do no’ fash yerself, sister.‘Tis all part of the birthing process.I will change ye again and get ye into bed.‘Tis good ye dinna wet the bed, that would be more work than cleaning this puddle up.”

“We need to tell Blair what’s happening.”Jena clasped her stomach again.

“Doona hold yer breath, Jena.Keep breathing.”Once the pain had passed, Helena changed Jena’s gown again and helped her into bed.