Chapter 15

For the second time that week, Tasgall burst into the war room.

"Oh, we have seen this afore," Keith chuckled.

Douglas was less amused. "Ye cannae dae this again, child!" he admonished.

"I am sorry, Faither, but Jane Marsh has been taken by an English soldier!"

Alistair, who had been sitting at the head of table, stood up. "What did ye say, Tasgall?"

"There, by the lake!" Tasgall continued. "He captured her and put her on a horse and sped away."

"Lead me tae the place," Alistair said, already at the door.

"Me laird, ye mean tae leave a meeting tae rescue the Englishwoman?"

"Her name is Jane!" Alistair snapped. "And she is important to any plan we may have against the English." This was not the main reason for which her rescue was important to him, of course, and a look at Keith confirmed that his best friend could see right through him. But he faced the young warrior who had spoken, who added, "But ye said only moments ago that we had tae devise a plan that didnae involve her."

There were murmurs among the warriors. "Dinnae question our laird!" Keith said suddenly. "He must retrieve the girl, for she is under his protection. We must not forget that she saved his life when any other captive might have let him die. She proved herself useful. In addition, we expended great energy and resourced to capture her in the first place. All that would go to waste if the English simply took her back. What would they call us, then? Frail weaklings, that's what! And what of Ramsay and exchanging her fer him?"

He went to Alistair's side. "I stand by yer command, me laird. Let us rescue Jane Marsh."

* * *

Finding Jane had not been easy. There was no trail to follow beyond the lake. Alistair and his men had spread out, their intention to comb the entire forest if need be.

And then it had begun to rain.

What might have been worrisome was, in this situation, a blessing in disguise, for the forest ground would no doubt bear the imprint of horse hooves when it was saturated with water. It was a short rain, which was advantageous as well, for a heavy rain might have washed away the very tracks that it had helped create. After the rain, Alistair had found marks in the ground, and his party had followed them at top speed.

He would rescue her… and he would kill the bastard that dared take her.

When, after several hours, Alistair spotted the horse from on top of a miniature hill, he nearly shouted for joy. It was some distance away, but he could see that there were two people on it. The horse had come to a stop. Perhaps they meant to camp here? He saw one figure carry the other off the horse, and this was his confirmation that it was indeed Jane and the soldier. He saw the scuffle, saw the soldier throw Jane on the floor and follow her down.

Rage boiled in his veins.

He urged his horse into breakneck speed.

* * *

Jane could weep for joy!

For Alistair had just grabbed her and enfolded her in his warmth. How had he known where to find her? How had he gotten here so quickly? She clung to him, her head against his chest.

"Aye, look at him go," she heard, and pulled away to see Keith smirking. He swung a metal-tipped spear into the distance and when Jane heard a groan, she gasped. Keith's horse galloped in the direction that Jane had just come from, and she turned back to Alistair. "How…? With your leg…?"

Alistair rained kisses all over her face, until she was left gasping and laughing at the same time. She was so relieved to be back in his arms.

"Tasgall saw the swine take ye and he raced tae tell us. We rushed here as soon as we could," Alistair said. "Jane, I was so worried about what might have happened tae ye. He pulled her back and examined her thoroughly. "Did he dae anything tae ye? Touch ye? I wish I had killed him meself-"

"No, no," Jane lied. "He was only interested in getting me back to Commander Pierce. Nothing else."

Alistair bent to kiss her again, and she kissed him back with all the relief and gratitude she felt.

A cough pulled them apart. Keith had returned, a bloodied spear in tow. "A right bastard," he commented. "Took him a while tae die. What dae we dae now?"

"We should return tae our meeting."

"Oh, Alistair," Jane said, "if he and the other soldiers got first to you and then to me, then it means that they may know exactly where the clan is. They may be preparing for a surprise attack as we speak."

"Very true," Keith said. "Loch Lomond is nae very far from here. We have an idea of their numbers, but dinnae ken fer sure."

"We shall attack," Alistair said. "But we need a distraction."

"I could be such a distraction," Jane said. "I could pretend to have escaped from you and forge my way to Loch Lomond. I could tell him that the clan that captured me came from a different direction. I know Commander Pierce. He hates slights. He will send his best men to go in the other direction, and you and your warriors can then attack from behind."

"'Tis a good plan," Keith said, and Jane sensed a hint of grudging admiration in his words. "Ye could lure him alone to the woods. I and a small group of warriors could hide in the woods, ready to strike. It just might work."

"Nay," Alistair said. "I will nae use ye as bait, Jane."

"I understand your reluctance, but-" Jane began.

"Me laird, wet must dae this," Keith said. "It is the best course of action open tae us right now."

Alistair seemed to struggle with this for several moments.

"Please," Jane said. "I want to help."

"But I ye willnae go alone," Alistair said, "and it is not honorable to attack a man -or an army- from behind. I dinnae like it."

Jane bit her lip. "Would it… be honorable if some of your soldiers attack from the front?" she asked. "Also, one of you could go with me."

"I will dae it," Alistair said. "I will come with ye."

"No!" Jane protested. "You are too weak to face Commander Pierce in battle. Your leg!"

Alistair took her hand. "I wouldnae be settled, having another warrior guard ye. I have tae dae it meself."

Jane said nothing. Alistair seemed to sense her unease, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. He turned to Keith. "Return tae the castle and tell the warriors of the plan. Jane and I will ride fer Loch Lomond taenight. We should get there by the morrow."

Keith nodded. "We shall see ye tomorrow, me laird," he said. Jane thought he dipped his head a little in a tiny salute to her, but she could not be sure. The warrior then steered his horse in a brisk trot.

"Well, then," Jane said with a smile that tried to mask her worry, "I suppose we must think about the essentials of this foray of ours."

Alistair chuckled. "Such as…?"

"Such as food," Jane said. "I hate tae say it, but I am rather hungry. I wish I had chosen another time tae go tae the lake fer the maiden's hope and eaten supper. Catrina said it was a huge deer. The thought of it has me stomach growling."

"Well, you are certainly nae going tae eat the deer," Alistair said, and then put on the affectations of a stuffy Englishman as he guided her to his horse and opened the leather bag which was hitched to a side of the beast, "but might I interest ye, Madam, in a supper of dried fruit and perhaps a few roots? ‘Tis modest fare, but I dae believe that it could be much, much worse?" So, saying, he flipped the bag open and brought out a specimen: a dried cherry.

Jane burst into laughter. "Oh, that is very clever," she said, "Having supplies in your pouch and your imitation of an Englishman. Alistair Fletcher, you are a man of many talents indeed."

He pulled her to himself. "And which of these talents dae ye like the most?" he asked.

"Ye ken which," Jane replied, blushing.

"I thought so," Alistair said, and kissed her hair. "We must be on the move; the sun has almost set.

Alistair helped Jane mount the horse and swung on after her. "Dae ye wish tae eat now?" he asked.

"A lady doesnae eat on horseback," Jane responded. Alistair chuckled. "Englishmen."

Jane swatted him on the thigh and froze. Slowly, she turned to face him. There was a look of utter amusement on his face. "'Tis me other thigh," he said, and Jane breathed a sigh of relief. They rode into the sunset, their bodies against each other, the rays of the dying sun on their skin. Jane would keep this memory forever, even though the circumstances surrounding it were not good. The moment had sentimental value to her. Alistair had come for her. He had saved her from a beastly brute. She would remember this moment as the freest she had been her entire life.

Right before the sun dipped beyond the horizon, Alistair guided the horse into a part in the grass that looked good for camping. He got off his horse and brought out camping materials from another pouch: a big sheet of leather, wooden beams, quilts. Jane watched in awe as he worked. She offered to help but he shook his head, "I'll let ye set up a Scottish tent when ye are Scottish enough, Miss."

He chuckled afterwards, but Jane mulled it over for a long time. When you become Scottish enough. As though they had a future together. Jane imagined herself living at the castle, waking up in Alistair's bed every morning, sharing his bathtub with him. She imagined walking through the halls and having the servants greet her with nearly as much reverence as they did Alistair. She imagined Catrina teaching her the local dances and the local dishes. She imagined pushing out a baby with the loveliest blue eyes. It was a sweet dream, but Jane did not know how much of it could ever become reality. There was a war ahead, and if there was anything she had learnt, it was that nothing was certain in war. The thought made her heart sink.

"Are ye alright?"

Jane snapped out of her musings. Alistair was looking at her, his eyebrow raised, a wooden beam in his hand. The tent was nearly done.

"Yes, of course," Jane replied. She cleared her throat and crossed her hands in front of her, primly. Alistair smiled and shook his head. With one move, the tent was ready. He carried her off the horse as though she weighed nothing. "I have gotten ye off the horse," he said, "so ye can eat."

A few minutes later there was a fire in front of them. Alistair sat behind Jane, his legs spread to accommodate her. She was reclined on him. She ate dried fruit while she watched the crackling fire. Occasionally, she would feed him. Every time she did, he kissed her fingers before letting them go. Alistair had raised her skirts past her knees despite her protests. He lazily stroked her thigh.

"Are you sore?" he asked suddenly. Jane turned to face him. "From the ride," Alistair continued. The concern in his eyes almost made her weep. "No, I am fine," Jane said. "Thank you."

Alistair brought her face to him with the crook of his index finger. "You dae nae need to lie tae me, Jane," he said. "Ever. About anything."

Her heart beat fast in her chest. Did he know about the English soldier? Is there any way he might have seen when the soldier pushed her to the ground and pulled up her skirts? Surely, he would not be touching her if he knew: if there was anything she had learned from Eleonor's world-wise friends in England, it was that men could not stand the thought of other men on the women they wanted. They punished the woman for it sometimes: by calling off engagements or letting it loose that she was tainted to ruin her reputation.

"About anything at all?" she said, her voice small.

"Anything," Alistair said, and kissed her hair.

"The soldier, he…" Jane trailed off, and then began again: "He threw me on the grass and intended to have his way with me. But he did not, I swear. He did not go far. He tried to…He tried to lift my skirts all the way up and…But I didn't let him. I kicked him in the nether regions and ran as fast as I could. That was when you found me."

For the longest time, Alistair was silent. Jane's heart sank. She gathered courage and turned to face him, but there was an unreadable expression on his face.

And then he burst into laughter.

It was so unexpected, Jane jumped.

"Kicked him in the bollocks, did you?" Alistair asked. "A feisty woman. Me feisty woman." He touched, first, one of her knees and then the other. "Was it this one? Or this one? Who would have thought dainty knees like this could inflict such damage?"

"Alistair!" Jane protested. "Are you really amused by it?"

"Nae amused," Alistair said, "impressed." Then his eyes turned steely. "I should have killed the bastard meself, fer daring tae touch what is mine." He pulled her closer, and she buried her face in his chest. "Nay one shall hurt ye like that again, I swear it," he said. "Not while I still draw breath. It is a solemn promise I make tae ye. Tonight. Under the stars. Upon the earth." He shifted so that she had to turn to look at him.

"Alistair-"

Alistair put a finger over her lips. "Nay matter what happens tomorrow, Jane, ken that ye

have touched me in ways I never thought possible."

"Stop!" Jane cried. "Nothing will happen tomorrow. Nothing that does not favor us. You will get Ramsay back, and your people will be free of Commander Pierce's presence…" She sat up straighter. "And I had never even considered the effect of a victory over Commander Pierce's forces on me, personally. If… if he were subdued, he could be forced to withdraw his claim over me, and I would be free. And he could be forced to swear not to reveal my sister's tenancy to the duke-"

"The duke?" Alistair said.

"Oh, Alistair, it was in the letter, did you not see it? My sister is engaged to the Duke of Lancaster. Commander Pierce eavesdropped on Eleonor and I when we were speaking of her pregnancy. He threatened to tell the duke and my father offered him my hand in marriage to buy his silence. Or he may have asked my father for it outright. I am not sure. But it does not matter. What matters is that my hand is the cost of his silence. I missed talking about this part when I showed you the letter. How remiss of me, but we were so surprised about the connection we had discovered and planning battle…"

In the dim light of the fire, Jane saw Alistair's face painted in rage. "Ye are marrying him only tae save the reputation of your sister… at yer faither's behest?"

"With his approval, at least," Jane said and smiled sadly. "Alas I am no better than a commodity on the market. Do you know that for days after the deal was negotiated, I dreamt I was a sacrificial lamb? An actual sacrificial lamb?" She chuckled, but Alistair was having none of it.

"I had thought that ye were marrying the commander because yer sister couldnae on account of her pregnancy. I thought she had been engaged to him first, and that the duty fell tae ye tae protect the family name, which is barbaric in itself. Scots dinnae have such customs. At least me clan doesnae. But the truth is even worse."

"Eleonor, engaged to Commander Pierce?" Jane laughed mirthlessly. "Faither would never have allowed it. The man is much too old and much too under-accomplished to be worth her hand."

"And ye think he is worth yours?" Alistair asked sharply.

"No," Jane said. "But that is what my father thinks." This conversation was not going in a direction that Jane was comfortable with. Tears welled in her eyes, but she turned her face and blinked them back. But Alistair saw it. He cradled her face between his palms and brought Jane up flush against his chest.

"I see that this upsets ye, so we shall nae talk about it today," Alistair said.

"Thank you."

"I kenned ye were the one fer me the first time I saw ye," Alistair said.

The switch in the subject of conversation surprised Jane. She cocked her head. Perhaps he only wanted to make her feel better? "Truly?"

"Aye," Alistair replied. "I looked upon ye and I kenned that I would never look at anyone else in that manner. I tried tae fight it, because things would have been much less complicated if…"

"If you had fallen in love with a Scottish woman," Jane supplied. "I understand."

"But there are some things a man cannae fight." He chuckled. "I am sorry fer kidnapping ye that day. I was a little rough."

Jane thought for a moment, "No, not quite. ‘Rough' does not aptly describe it. You carried on like a bull in rutting season!"

At that, Alistair burst into laughter. "Truly?"

"Yes. Your eyes might have undressed me several times over if they could." She sighed and nestled in his embrace. Her mind went back to the witch's cottage. It was as though she was hearing the witch's voice anew.

"Jane?"

"Yes, Alistair?"

"If things work in our favor tomorrow and ye are freed of yer vow tae Commander Pierce, will ye return tae England?"

Jane sighed. "That depends on whether ye have a better plan," she responded.

A small silence followed, and in that moment, Jane knew that she had hurt him to some degree. She was about to apologize, but he cut her short. "I have a plan," Alistair said, "fer tonight. Would ye like tae hear it?" His voice was gruff and tinged with arousal.

"Yes," Jane said.

Alistair turned and lifted her up, and then made her settle in his lap, facing him, her legs spread over his. "Perhaps it would be better tae show ye instead," he said. Slowly and methodically, he undid the laces at the front of her dress. After that, he freed her breasts from their restraints, so she sat bare-chested in his embrace. The soft night wind blew over her nipples and made them hard. Goosebumps appeared on her skin.

Alistair bent to kiss her breasts in turn. He suckled at them, the sounds of wet flesh erotic in the still night. Jane felt herself arch off Alistair, and she clung to his shoulders for balance. His mouth released her right breast with a pop.

"Jane, sweetling," he crooned.

"Yes, Alistair?"

"Ride me."

Her eyes, which were hooded before, flew open. His eyes fixed on hers, Alistair raised her skirts all the way up to her waist. She felt the cool breeze on her bare skin. Still looking at her, he undid his kilt so that he sprang free between them. She had seen him just that morning, and yet the sight still evoked a dark kind of awe in her. Carefully, he pulled he on top of him. He positioned himself at her entrance, and slowly pulled her down over his manhood. He watched her face for signs of discomfort. She winced, but when he made a move to withdraw, she clamped down on him. Tight. "It has passed," she assured him, although she did feel a little odd in that position. She had never known that a woman could be on top. Copulation between animals always had the male on top, dominating. From this angle, it felt as though it was she who should guide their rhythm, a scary thought for one as inexperienced at her. However, the fact that Alistair was willing to introduce her to new things created an excitement that trumped her apprehension.

When Jane was fully seated on him, Alistair stared at her, a challenge in his eyes. Jane seemed to flounder, at first. Alistair held her in place. He bit at her right breast and then her left. "I told ye what tae dae, sweetling."

Jane started to move up and down. Slowly, at first, her movements more circular than vertical. Alistair guided her with his hands on her behind. Soon, she was in fact riding him, her hands on his shoulders for support, her breath choppy. Alistair rose, carrying her with him, their bodies still connected. He set her down on a quilt and began to thrust into her. She clutched at his shoulders. Her legs locked behind his back. She moaned in utter satisfaction.

"Dae ye want tae leave me, Jane?" he asked as he stroked into her, his voice gruff, a sweet poison in her ear. "Dae ye want tae leave this?"

Jane turned her head away, but Alistair swiftly turned it back toward himself. He bit her ear and she yelped. He took her earlobe between his lips and tugged at it. A cry escaped Jane's throat. She clutched his shoulders tighter.

"Answer me," he prodded in her ear. "Answer me, Jane."

"No," she shrieked. "I swear, no, Alistair, please. Please." She did not know what she was begging for, but he did. He increased his pace. Jane's cries of pleasure were loud. When she reached her peak, she drew Alistair's head down and kissed him to muffle the sound of her moans. He held her tight and continued to plow into her. Right before his climax, he disengaged from her and turned away, his muscles in taut ribbons of pleasure.

When he returned to her, she clung to him. "I wish ye would stay with me tae the end," she whispered into his neck.

Still breathing hard, Alistair chuckled. "I wish that, too."