Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Aoife's arms fell to her sides and her mouth gaped open. Deirdre's eyes grew wide as she walked slowly over to Maeve, who wrapped her arms around her as she comforted the youngest. Maeve blinked several times. "Jocelyn, are ye sure that's the smartest move? I mean, if yer caught, ye'll be killed. With Bram at the helm of the clan, I dinnae want tae think about the meaningless torture he'll put ye through."

Jocelyn shot Maeve a glance, signifying the time of talking had ended. She walked over to a large wooden chest. Dropping to her knees, Jocelyn carefully folded the ends of the large blanket made with clan colors up and set it on the ground. Opening the chest, she pulled out three, thick woven, black hooded capes, three leather bags, and two middle sized burlap bags with a string to tie them shut. Rising to her feet, Jocelyn made three piles on the bed and turned to the girls.

"I ken that yer both scared, but if it were Bram who killed his father, tonight may be the only chance we'll ever get tae escape. Our other option is tae stay and pray that we'll still get tae marry out of the clan. Let's be honest here, that's nae gonna happen. Bram would give up anything tae watch us die. Tonight will be perfect. All of the guards will be too distracted and spread-out dealing with the death of the Laird tae worry about us. As far as they ken, nothing has changed fer us. We dinnae show them anything else."

Jocelyn walked back up to Aoife and Deirdre, taking their hands. "I ken that we are in a pretty bad situation here, but I need ye tae trust me. I honestly dinnae want tae ken what tomorrow will bring. Bram willnae want tae wait tae take the title of Laird, and with him sittin' as the head of the Clan, especially if he killed his own father, there's nae tellin' what he has in store fer us. Whatever it is, we all ken it won't be as kind as poison."

Aoife took a deep breath and looked at Deirdre who was holding back the tears that threatened to spill down her young cheeks. Turning back to Jocelyn, she nodded. "When Blair left, we put our faith in ye, and ye've done everything ye could tae keep us safe. Ye sacrificed yerself tae give us a taste of freedom, and ye put yer own life on the line tae ensure we survived. We trust ye, Jocelyn. I'd rather have the chance at getting away than kenning that death would be waitin' at our door stoop when dawn comes."

Jocelyn fought back the tears hearing those words from Aoife. Her sister was tough and stubborn with a pinch of her father's sarcasm sprinkled in. It wasn't often that she gave Jocelyn any kind of thanks or notice of what she had done, so it meant a lot. She smiled at Aoife and looked at Deirdre. "And how about ye? I want us all tae be in agreement, it's only fair. It's yer life too."

Deirdre puffed out her cheeks and glanced over at Maeve. "Well, seein' as I haven't yet found some secret door tae the world of giants and faeries, and I'm nae a fan of torture either, I will go along. The two of ye, ye have memories of a life before all of this, but I dinnae ken what it's like tae feel the sun on me cheeks and nae have tae look around fer me crazy cousin. I want tae ken that too. But I swear, one day, when I'm a bit taller, I'm comin' back 'ere and I'm kickin' me cousin right in the…"

"Alright," Jocelyn interceded, laughing as she pulled Deirdre into a hug. "Hopefully he'll be long gone before we ever reach that point. When we leave 'ere, I dinnae think I'll ever want tae return."

"Aye," Aoife replied exhaustively. "Even if it means sleepin' in the woods. As long as I'm free."

Deirdre began to giggle. "She says that now. But wait until the bed of leaves and moss is under her. She'll miss her fancy hand-sewn dresses."

They all smiled and Jocelyn took a deep breath, knowing their time was growing short. It was good to see her sisters' smile, but she knew it was just a cover, a facade hiding the fear and anxiety of what they were about to do. They had to hurry, though, as every second they waited was a second closer to whatever Bram had planned for them.

"Maeve, I need yer help one last time," Jocelyn said, turning to her maid.

"Of course, anything," Maeve replied.

Jocelyn gripped her hand. "Help us escape."

Deirdre ran across the room and pushed past Jocelyn, hugging Maeve around the waist. "Can't ye go with us? We can all travel together."

Deirdre had been so little when their mother and father died. Maeve may have only come about in the last few years, but she was the closest thing Deirdre had ever had to a mother besides Blair.

Maeve bent forward and smiled at Deirdre. "Sweet lass, I wish I could. But they will come lookin' fer me when they can't find ye. If I can be scarce fer a bit, it will buy ye more time. If I were tae leave, yer cousin will take it out on the other servants and I cannae do that tae them. They are already scared enough having tae suddenly work fer Bram. I couldnae be the reason they were hurt by him. I promise ye, when ye get where yer goin' I'll try tae get messages tae ye. We'll see each other again."

"Ye promise?" Deirdre asked, sniffling.

Maeve kissed her on the forehead. "Aye, I promise. We'll see each other again, either in this world or the next."

Deirdre hugged her and headed over to stand with Aoife. Maeve stood up, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I am…friends with the stablehand." Maeve's cheeks blushed as she spoke the words. Jocelyn could tell "friends" wasn't quite the right word for their relationship, but unfortunately, she didn't have time to ask. "I'll go tae him right now and have him prepare three horses fer ye and as quietly as possible."

"Perfect," Jocelyn responded. "But before ye do that, would ye bring us some clothes from the servants' quarters? The more we're able to blend in, the easier it'll be tae get tae the stables, and hopefully ride off intae the dark without issue."

"Of course," Maeve replied, nodding and heading out of the room.

Jocelyn quickly locked the door behind her but stayed there waiting for her return. She turned toward the girls who were standing next to each other, nervously. Aoife glanced around the room as if it already had lost its feeling of home. "Are we gonna go find Blair?"

Jocelyn nodded. "At least we'll head in that direction. I think I remember from lookin' at the maps in the library around where she is with James, but we might have tae ask a bit once we get closer. The most important thing is tae stay together, off the main roads, and tae be as quiet as we can fer as long as we can. Once he realizes we're gone, Bram will send men after us."

Deirdre huffed. "Why cannae he just leave us alone. Just let us go."

Jocelyn didn't know how to answer that question. "Fear, I suppose. People do and become wild things when they are scared. The prophecy is still somethin' he clings tae, and he's afraid we'll end up bein' the wolves."

"And he's what? A rose?" Aoife said with a smirk.

Jocelyn chuckled. "The funny thing is, we were never the wolves, but he might just change us intae them."

Suddenly a loud knock echoed out and all three girls jumped. Maeve whispered from the other side. "It's me."

Heart beating wildly, Jocelyn shook her head and turned back, opening the door. Maeve laid three identical stacks of clothes into Jocelyn's arms. "They should fit ye pretty well and nobody'll ken the difference. Now, dress quickly and gather whatever yer taking. The stable hand willnae be long once I go down there. Whenever yer ready, go down through the service halls, keepin' yer hoods up and yer eyes down. Go through the kitchen and out the back straight tae the stables. Dinnae linger in the lamplight, just go in. If ye hear any voices other than mine or his, step intae the shadows until ye know the coast is clear. I'll try tae come say goodbye but I may nae be able tae. If I cannae, ken I love all three of ye, and I'll be prayin' I never see ye return here unless yer takin' it all back."

Jocelyn handed Aoife the three stacks and quickly hugged Maeve tightly. "Thank ye fer everything."

They squeezed tighter before Maeve hurried off toward the kitchen. Jocelyn and the girls took off their nice dresses and put on the servant clothing. The skirts were pretty long but warm. The blouse was typical and white, and there was a sash that draped around the waist with their uncle's crest on it. The three of the girls looked at each other and then ripped the sash off, tossing it on the floor. Once their boots were laced and they were ready to go, Jocelyn handed both Aoife and Deirdre a leather bag.

"Ye cannae take much with us, just the essentials, some things ye dinnae want tae leave behind." Jocelyn handed Aoife one of the burlap bags. "Put as much coin and jewelry as ye can find in here. Anything ye think we can sell or barter with. We dinnae ken how long we'll be out there before we find Blair. Hurry now, and then meet me back here."

The girls hurried from the room and Jocelyn filled her leather back with a couple of books, some oil, some strips of fabric, and a few trinkets including the brush that had been her mother's. She had so many more things of sentimental value than her sisters did, small trinkets she had tucked away before Bram could destroy them all. Everything was sentimental. Everything was a memory with her parents.

After filling the leather bag, Jocelyn quickly went back to the chest and pulled all the jewelry her sister had been sending since they made the agreement. She shoved that and two satchels of coin that Jocelyn had saved into the burlap satchel. When she was done, the girls were quickly entering back into the room.

"I brought me sewing kit, the medicine Blair sent in case we got sick and couldnae see the healer, and a few small things," Aoife listed off. "And the coin and jewelry."

"I brought me journals, the pen and ink I had, and a few trinkets I had found in the woods. I didnae have much coin but there's jewelry in there too."

Jocelyn smiled, seeing how brave they were being. "Alright. Put these cloaks on and pull the hoods up. Aoife, ye take the back. Deirdre, stay between us. We're going tae take the servant halls tae the kitchen. Dinnae look at anyone and follow me lead."

The girls nodded as they tied their cloaks and pulled their hoods up. They hid the bags beneath the thick fabric and headed to the door. All three paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Jocelyn didn't need to look back, she knew that no matter what, as long as she got her sisters out safely, they would be fine, and their mother and father would be with them.

With that, they opened the door and headed into the darkened halls. The years of practice in hiding helped them move within the shadows. Their footsteps were silent, yet they moved quickly, slowing at each turning hallway. Jocelyn would slowly make her way around each corner, and when finding the hallway empty, they would hurry down, repeating until they reached the halls to the kitchens.

As Jocelyn turned the corner, she spotted four guards walking in unison through the space. She slowly turned her head away from them, glancing back at her sisters who did the same. The girls moved to the side and shrank their bodies as small as they could until the guards passed by, barely noticing them there. It was obvious they were on their way to somewhere specific.

Jocelyn held her breath until she heard them turn the corner and walk out of sight. With a collective sigh, the girls kept moving, knowing they couldn't pause for even a moment. One moment could be their last if the wrong person turned the corner. Jocelyn knew Bram wouldn't be that far into the servant's area of the keep, but that didn't mean one of his men couldn't be. She took to the doorway into the kitchen in small strides, entering into the well lit room.

The kitchen was always so loud and busy when Jocelyn worked in, but it was late at night and only a few servants lingered, chopping and preparing for breakfast later that day. As Jocelyn passed the table, her eyes shifted to meet one of the servants. Her heart stopped in her chest and her feet slowed just a bit, waiting for her response. The servant recognized Jocelyn and had worked beside her many times through the year. Jocelyn really didn't know her well as they didn't talk much but the woman gave a small nod and looked back at what she was cutting.

The same occurred with two other servants, and Jocelyn knew she could count on them to keep their secret. As they reached the back door of the kitchen, Jocelyn paused for a moment, making sure she didn't hear any guards outside. She cracked the door just a bit, listening harder but there was nothing but silence. She glanced back at the girls and nodded before each of them slipped quietly out into the night.

Getting to the stables was the most dangerous part as there was no tree line or shadowed area to sneak through. It was an open field straight to the large barn. She knew that once they were out in the open, they were committed. Even if someone spotted them, their best bet would be to make a run for it. As she stepped forward, the sound of two men talking and laughing pulled her back. She grabbed her two sisters and pulled them to the left, into a small thatched overhang where wood for the fires was stored.

There, in the shadows, they put their heads down and held their breath, waiting as the men walked through, doing their roving duties to the keep. The men were talking about her uncle, but Jocelyn could barely hear them with the loud beating of her heart in her ears. Thankfully, they didn't dodge back there, and kept moving until they had reached the other side of the keep and turned out of sight. Jocelyn's shoulders relaxed and she looked at the girls, nodding. Deirdre and Aoife nodded back, and Jocelyn led them from the small covering and into the open field. The moon was almost full, but the clouds shrouded the light enough for them to blend into the grasses, while they were still able to see well enough to move with haste.

Jocelyn began to look back over and over again, fearful that the guards would catch them. She knew it would only be a matter of time before they came back around. As soon as they reached the front of the stables, the sound of the men's voices echoed in the distance. Jocelyn grabbed the girls and pulled them down into a squat, hiding behind a large pile of hay. The guards meandered along, conversating, and paying no attention to the stables. When they finally passed, a voice whispered from behind them.

"Jocelyn, Aoife, Deirdre…over here, hurry."

The girls followed the sound, finding the stable hand with the door to the stables cracked open, waving his hand. Deirdre went first, then Aoife, with Jocelyn taking up the back. When they were finally in the stables, the stable hand closed the door. "I'm Edwin, friend of yer maid's. She told me ye needed tae get away quickly. I picked the best three horses I had. They are saddled, and there are bags that Maeve put some extra clothes and few other things in. Come on, let's get ye up and we can open the back stable doors."

The stablehand was tall and athletic, around the same age as Maeve, with short-cut bright red hair and a smooth baby face. In the back there were three horses ready to go. Deirdre, being the best rider that Jocelyn had ever met, immediately launched herself onto the horse, ignoring Edwin's attempts to help her. Jocelyn helped Aoife up and patted her leg. Aoife rolled her eyes. "I'm a terrible rider. I'm gonna end up left behind in the mud."

"Nay, ye're nae. I would never leave ye behind. Besides, I've seen ye ride when it really counts. Just control with yer legs, hold on and lean forward when the horse speeds up. I'll be behind ye," Jocelyn said, trying to lift her self confidence.

Aoife nodded and Jocelyn took the stable hand's help, pulling herself up onto the horse. She was a bit weaker than she thought since she hadn't really eaten much in the last few days. Edwin handed Jocelyn a small white satchel. "Maeve asked me tae give this tae ye. She said it's enough food fer three, maybe four days. I'm gonna open the back doors. I suggest ye walk slowly tae the edge of the field and then go as fast as ye can so ye can crest the hill and get out of sight."

Jocelyn put the bag of food in her saddle bag and nodded at Edwin. "Thank ye."

Edwin smiled and hurried up, opening the doors. The three girls rode side by side to the edge of the field. Jocelyn whispered to them as they approached, "When the tall grasses end, go as fast as ye can until yer out of sight. We have tae make it tae McFerguson land as fast as we can."

As they reached the edge, Aoife and Deirdre took off. Jocelyn paused for just a moment, looking back at the keep, the memories of her youth.

"Goodbye," she whispered.

Jocelyn flipped up her hood and clapped her heels to the side of the horse, taking off over the crest. Her eyes burned with tears in the dark as she rode, leaving behind the only home she had ever known. There was no place for any of them there anymore, and if they ever wanted a chance to survive they needed to go. She just hoped that wherever she was taking them, didn't prove to be just as dangerous. She couldn't lose her sisters, not after everything. They were all she had left.