Page 71 of Highland Spy

“I heard yer other two wives both have recently birthed bairns with their new husbands,” said Sorley.

“Ye are the one that is barren!” gasped Bridget. This shocked her but made her feel relieved at the same time.

“Enough!” shouted Valan, waving his sword in the air. “Ye will do as I say.”

“Nay. I willna,” Bridget boldly remarked. “Mayhap instead yer secret should be told in the chronicles.”

“I see now, I will have to kill no’ only yer faither, but ye as well.”

“Nay!” shouted Bridget as he swung his sword toward her.

“Leave her alone,” yelled Sorley, rushing forward to stop him. In doing so, he took the sword in the side, falling to the ground.

“Sorley!” screamed Bridget, now frightened for her life. The chronicler lay on the ground bleeding, and his eyes drifted closed. “Ye killed him,” she cried.

“That’s what happens when ye dinna do what I want,” chuckled Valan.

“Bridget? Bridget, where are ye?” came the voice of Logan from outside.

“I’m –” her reply was muffled by Valan’s hand clasping over her mouth. He held the sword to her throat and dragged her to the back door of the mews.

“If ye even try to warn them, I’ll kill ye just like I did to yer chronicler friend. Now, I’m gettin’ out of here, and I’m takin’ ye with me for assurance that I willna be bothered.”

Tears filled Bridget’s eyes as her gaze fell upon Sorley lying still and bleeding from a gaping wound in his side. Valan dragged her to the door and to his horse awaiting nearby. She felt a sinking sensation in her chest because she had the feeling she would never see Caleb or her father again.

* * *

Caleb ran like the wind, hearing the sound of snorting horses and barking dogs behind him. With Slink in his bag at his side, he had nobody now to help him but himself. He could see Clement up ahead, heading for the stream. He followed.

“Clement, wait up,” he called, both of them stopping near the water.

“What do ye want? This is a competition,” snarled the man, trying to get his breath.

“If we work together, we’ll be able to avoid them.”

“Why would ye want to do that?”

“I want to help ye.”

“But I’m yer competition.”

“Ye’re my competition, but no’ my enemy. Now, follow me. Be sure to go through the water so the dogs have a hard time pickin’ up our scents.”

Caleb knew these woods well, and had often had to escape the English, so he had a few tricks that he knew would work. He splashed through the water, with Clement on his heels, heading in the direction of the loch.

“This way. In here,” he told Clement, leading him down into a ravine on the other side of the river. They hid there as they heard the sound of the guards on the horses go by.

“I’m sorry I thought ye were the saboteur,” Caleb told him. “I guess I was too fast to judge.”

“Nay. Ye were right,” said the man, lowering his head in shame. “I hired a man named Valan to sabotage the other contestants, but I never told him to hurt anyone, I swear. I only wanted to win because my clan is sick and starvin’ and I need the money desperately.”

“What?” This surprised Caleb to hear this. “Wait a minute. I was right about ye after all?”

“I am sorry, Caleb. My clan fell on some hard times and I only did this to try to help them. I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”

“Why didna ye just ask some of the other lairds for help instead of cheatin’? I’m sure they would have gladly given ye what ye needed.”

“I was too proud to ask for help. I guess I thought somehow that made me weak.”