Chapter 9

Idalia awoke in the morning to the feel of a warm, beating heart beneath her cheek. Confused, she opened her eyes, to find she was laying half across the sleeping form of Bran. She looked up into his face and found him looking down at her. Before she could react, he bent his head and kissed her. Idalia found herself responding, wrapping her fingers in his chest hair.

In one swift motion, he pulled her the rest of the way on top of him. Idalia's body responded to his touch with lighting fury. Desire coursed through her being and she moaned against his lips as his hands roved over her back and hips. His hand ventured further down, cupping her behind. Idalia pressed against him in her desire for him. When she felt his hardness against her, she was suddenly alarmed by her own wanton actions. She scurried off of him as quickly as she could manage.

"I am sorry," she whispered, trying to straighten her attire and smooth hair into some semblance of order.

"I am nae sorry, nor should ye be."

She shook her head. "It should not have happened, nor will it happen ever again."

"As ye wish," Bran acquiesced, rising from the pallet in one smooth motion. His muscles rippled with every move he made. Idalia averted her eyes.

They descended the ladder to the main floor below. The family was gathered around the table, breaking the fast. "Come, sit, eat," their host encouraged them with a smile.

"How is your son?" Idalia asked as she came to join them at the table.

"He is doing much better this morning after a night o' yer remedies. We cannae thank ye enough for yer helping our son. We would like tae repay ye for yer kindness."

Idalia shook her head. "There is no need. You provided Bran and I with shelter for the night. That is enough."

The man shook his head. "That is nae enough. Ye have done us the greatest kindness in saving our son. Please, allow me tae loan ye my horse. Ye will be able tae travel faster with two horses rather than two o' ye on one horse."

Idalia's brows rose in surprise. "That is most generous of you, but we cannot leave you without your horse."

"I have another. Ye may arrange the return o' the horse when ye are nae longer in need o' it."

"Are you certain?"

"I am."

Idalia nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."

He shook his head, a tear in his eye. "Nae, lass, it is ye that is owed our gratitude."

"I will have the horse returned tae ye meself," Bran promised. The man nodded his consent. Bran looked at Idalia. "We should leave before..." He let the words hang between them.

Idalia nodded.

"I will prepare the horses for departure," their host replied.

"I will go with ye," Bran replied, and the two men left the cottage.

Idalia turned to the mother. "May I look in on your son one last time?"

"Aye, o' course." The woman arose and led the way to the room at the back of the house.

The boy lay sleeping, his breathing now regular and peaceful. She laid her hand on his forehead. The fever was gone. His struggle for breath was over. Idalia nodded in satisfaction; she could leave, and the boy would survive. "Remember to use the herbs the way I showed you when he has any sign of difficulty breathing."

His mother nodded. "Aye, I will."

Idalia smiled and followed her back out into the main room, where Bran awaited her. "The horses are ready. It is time tae leave."

Idalia nodded and bid their hosts farewell. She followed Bran outside, to find two horses waiting with bags of food hanging over their backs. Bran lifted her up and placed her on the back of the borrowed horse. It was a gentle brown mare who accepted her weight with grace. Idalia instantly liked her. She appreciated the distance between herself and Bran after their kiss. The last thing she wanted was to be held in his arms all the way to Strathnaver. She feared she would not be able to restrain herself if he kissed her again. She had embarrassed herself enough upon waking.

They rode away from the cottage together, keeping a careful eye out for August Raymond's men. Idalia could not escape the feeling they were being watched. The fact they had been followed when Bran had taken her from the seer's cottage, and she had not suspected a thing, made her doubt everything about her own sense of perception. She suspected that every tree held behind it an undesirable secret waiting to cause them harm. Bran was nearly as tense. His back was erect and his eyes alert. His free hand rested on the hilt of his blade.

They rode until the horses needed to drink and rest. Bran stopped them by the edge of a small stream and allowed them a moment of reprieve. He kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. They took a moment to drink and eat. Barely a word was exchanged as the awkwardness from their morning kiss still hung in the air between them. Idalia avoided his eyes as she ate her handful of dried fruit.

A twig snapped in the woods behind them. They both turned to see what was there. "Get on the horse," Bran commanded. "If I tell ye tae run, ye run. Dinnae argue with me, dinnae return for me, just run."

"Bran?" Idalia questioned.

"Get on yer horse, lass, now."

Hearing the steel in his voice, Idalia obeyed. She climbed back onto her horse and prepared to run. As she turned to make certain that Bran had mounted his own horse, the sound of an arrow whistled through the air and landed, sinking its head into Bran's shoulder. "Bran!"

"Run, Idalia! Run and dinnae look back!"

Idalia did not know what to do. She did not want to leave Bran wounded. "I cannot leave you."

Bran held her eyes, his sword in his hand. "For the sake o' me daughter, Idalia, run." Armed men came running towards them out of the woods. "Run!"

Idalia did as instructed, kicking her horse into action. The mare leapt forward in fear as they were rushed by armed men. The horse jumped free over the stream and plunged into the woods on the other side. Idalia looked over her shoulder to see Bran fighting off his attackers as best he could. She knew there was nothing that she could do to help him. They were outnumbered and out armed. August Raymond had sent his best fighters after them and they had no intentions of failing to bring back their escaped prisoners.

Idalia rode until she reached a safe distance, then hid herself to make certain no one was following her. After several minutes of silence, she remounted her horse and doubled back to make certain that Bran was still alive. She found their spot beside the stream abandoned. There were signs of a scuffle, but no one was in sight. Idalia followed the trail leading away from the stream, back in the direction they had come from. Bran had taught her how to track during their short time together. He had shown her how to track game when they were hunting. Idalia applied the same principles of hunting animals to hunting people.

She followed the trail until she heard voices ahead of her. She crept along until she saw the backs of the men who had attacked Bran. She saw Bran, with his hands tied in front of him, being dragged along behind the horses. He staggered forward on unsteady feet, the rope pulling him with undeniable force. Idalia wished to cry out for them to stop. It was a terrible sight to see such a strong masculine figure being dragged behind a horse bloodied and bruised. She crouched low against her horse and followed behind them slowly, being certain to keep a good distance between herself and August's men.

She followed them until darkness fell and they stopped at an inn in a small village. Idalia watched as they stabled their horses and entered the inn, taking Bran with them. Idalia waited outside of the inn to see if they would reemerge. When they did not, she crept over to the window of the main bar of the tavern. Her eyes scanned the room but found no sign of Bran or August's men. Moving around to the back of the inn, she knocked on the door to the kitchen.

A young man answered and his eyes widened in interest. Idalia gave him her most brilliant smile. The lad blushed and smiled back. "How may I be o' service?" he asked, eyeing her with curiosity.

"I am looking for my brother," she lied. "He was ahead of me on the road, and I was supposed to meet with him here. He was with a group of men."

The lad nodded. "Aye, a group o' men arrived nae long ago. Would ye like me tae show ye tae yer brother's room?"

"I do not wish to cause you any difficulty. If you could just tell me which room it is, I will go and find him myself."

The lad nodded. He stepped out onto the path and turned around to face the back of the inn. He pointed to a window at the corner of the building. "They are in that room there."

Idalia nodded. "I thank you."

"Are ye certain that ye dinnae wish for me tae accompany ye?" The bellows of men sounded in the kitchen, all demanding service. The lad frowned through the doorway in frustration.

Idalia smiled sweetly. "I am certain you have more important things to do."

The lad sighed, nodding grudgingly. "Aye, I have much tae do, but should ye need anything at all during yer stay, please come and find me. I will see tae yer needs myself." He walked back toward the kitchen door. "Would ye like tae come through this way?"

Idalia shook her head. "I need to see to my horse first."

The lad nodded. "My brother is in the stables and will see tae yer horse. Come tae me when ye have settled in, and I will bring ye something tae eat."

Little did the lad know that Idalia had no intentions of staying or taking her horse to the stables. Idalia smiled at him once more, nodding her head in farewell. "I thank you for your kindness."

The lad smiled back at her, then disappeared into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Left alone in the darkness, Idalia moved to stand under the window that he had pointed to. It was up on the second floor and beyond her reach. She looked around her and studied the tree that stood at the corner of the inn. Some of the sturdier branches reached out toward the window. Idalia gauged whether she could make it up the trunk and out onto one of the branches without falling and hurting herself or being seen.

Walking her horse over to the tree, she climbed up onto the mare's back and stood up as carefully as she could. She reached up and was able to grab onto one of the lower branches. Hefting herself up onto the branch, she climbed up into the tree. Careful not to catch her skirts in the climbing, she made her way up the tree and out onto the branch nearest the window.

The shutters were closed, but not locked. Idalia moved the shutter enough tae provide a small slit of light from within for her to peer into the room. Light from the fireplace filtered through the crack in the shutters and she could see men moving about inside of the room. There was a figure lying on the bed beneath the window. The smell of blood and sweat filtered up from the body beneath her, and she knew it had to be Bran.

Idalia sat on the branch thinking of what to do. There were only two men in the room with Bran. She was not certain where the other men were, but while there were only two would be the best time to act. How am I going to defeat two men in a fight? Idalia had the small blade that she kept hidden under her skirts. She withdrew it and weighed it in her hand. I fear this is not enough. I am only one person. She peered down at the dark form on the bed. Can I cut his bindings without the other men noticing?

Idalia pushed the shutters open enough to fit her hand and arm through, then waited to see if either of the men noticed. When they did not, she reached her hand in and felt about on the bed until she found his hands. Bran stiffened at the contact but did not say a word.

Idalia squeezed his hand in reassurance, then ran her fingers along the ties that bound his hands together until she found the best place to begin cutting. She retrieved her knife and carefully slid the blade between the ties. She moved the blade with as much force as she dared. The bindings gave way, and his hands were free.