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Chapter 5

Idalia awoke to Bran gently shaking her. "What is it?" she asked drowsily, her vision blurred with sleep.

"We have arrived," he murmured softly.

Idalia instantly came awake, her muscles stiffening, her heart racing in terror. "Is he here?"

Bran shook his head. "Nae, we still have a ways tae ride on horseback 'afore we reach the encampment."

"Please, Bran," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "Is there no way that you could let me go and we could return to Orkney together? Please."

Bran shook his head. "There is nae way, lass. I am truly sorry."

Sobbing, Idalia turned away from him but after a second, Bran pulled her into his arms and lifted her up onto his lap. She tried to escape at first, but the warmth of his body soothed her in a way she couldn't understand. She gave up and laid her head on his shoulder, weeping all of the tears she had been holding back. She wept until she had no more tears to shed, then she laid in silence, unable to move for fear of what would come next. She was angry with herself for seeking comfort in the arms of the man who had taken her prisoner and was about to turn her over to her mortal enemy. But in spite of all he was doing, deep inside of her heart he was still the man who had risked everything to save her and her sister.

"Why did ye seek out the seer?" Bran was the first to break the silence.

"I wanted to know if August Raymond was dead or if he still posed a danger to me and my family." The irony was not lost on Idalia, and she inwardly chastised herself for her foolish actions.

"It is unfortunate that ye did." His tone held no judgement, just simple fact.

"Indeed, it is," she agreed. "I have been quite foolish."

"What is done cannae be undone."

"I wish with all my might that it could be."

Bran laid his chin on the top of her head in an intimate gesture. She could feel his breath upon her hair, and it caused a stirring inside of her. She sat up and moved away from him.

She noticed that her moving around had startled a tiny mouse who was nibbling on the bannock she had refused to eat the evening before. Bran laid a hand on her shoulder. "Dinnae fash. I will kill it for ye."

Idalia shook her head. "Leave the creature be. It is causing no harm to anyone."

Bran gave her a curious look but said no more on the matter. Together they arose and prepared for their departure in silence. When they left the boat, Bran handed the captain a small bag of coins in payment for his services and another bag of coins to buy his silence. The men took Bran's horse from the boat as well, and Bran placed Idalia upon the horse's back before settling in behind her. He turned the horse inland, leaving the coast behind.

They rode for a time in silence. Idalia searched the trees but saw no one. "Are you certain that August has had you followed? I do not see anyone following us."

"They are there. They are always there, even when ye cannae see them."

"How do you know?"

"Try tae run away and ye will discover for yourself." The warning in his tone told her that she would not make it very far if she did.

"You believe he's been having you followed this entire time?"

"Aye," Bran replied, his tone sure but filled with annoyance at the knowledge.

"He does not trust you to do as he has asked?"

"Would ye were ye he?"

Idalia thought on his words for a moment. "I would trust that you would wish to save your own life."

"Aye, but would ye trust me?"

Idalia had to admit she would not if she were in August's place. Thankfully, she was not August Raymond. "I would not, but even spies must sleep at some time in the day or night."

Bran shook his head. "The risk is too high."

"The risk is greater if we do nothing," she argued. She refused to give up on convincing him that he should let her go.

"The decision is made. Ye will nae convince me tae do other than that which I must do. I am done discussing this with ye. Now, ride in silence or I shall have tae take measures tae silence ye." He pulled the bag that had been over her head out of somewhere, she knew not where, and dangled it in front of her as a warning.

"You would not do such a thing," she argued with him, even though she knew it was futile.

"I would, and I will."

Idalia fell silent. She was uncomfortable enough without having a bag placed back over her head. He had not untied her bindings, which had forced her to sit with her legs hanging together off to one side. She could no longer feel her feet. With her hands still tied, she was entirely dependent upon him to keep her steady on the horse. His arms were around her torso as he guided the hose forward, brushing against her in a manner that caused strange reactions in her. She did not understand her feelings, and it made her even angrier at him.

That evening they made camp by the side of a loch. When they dismounted, Bran sat her down upon the ground, and she collapsed. Her bound feet and legs were unable to hold her upright after having been unused for so long. "Och, lass," Bran murmured as he bent down to pick her up off of the ground. He carried her over to a fallen tree and sat her down upon the trunk. "If I unbind yer legs, do ye swear upon yer sister's life that ye will nae run?"

Idalia wished to refuse, to tell him that she would run no matter what, but in that moment, she knew that she could not. "I swear."

Nodding, Bran untied her feet. The blood rushed back with painful speed. Her feet and legs felt as if someone were poking them with needles all over. She tried to reach down and rub them, but her bound hands would not allow it. Bran reached out and untied them, allowing her to remove her shoes. She rubbed vigorously at her feet until the pain subsided.

"I need to..." she could not quite bring herself to say the words.

Bran nodded in understanding. "Ye may go behind a tree."

"But they are out there watching." She searched the woods with her eyes. She could not see them, but he had reassured her that they were there.

Nodding in understanding, Bran stood and called out to the men in the trees. "Come out. We ken ye are there. The lass needs tae relieve herself and she does nae need ye taking a peek up her skirts."

As if by magic, three men emerged from the trees and entered their camp. "MacLeod," the eldest of them greeted him as they approached. "When did you discover us following you?"

"Ye were waiting for us when we disembarked the birlinn. Before that, Raymond had other men following us."

The man laughed. "He did, indeed. You never cease to surprise me, MacLeod."

Bran said nothing in reply. It was clear to Idalia that Bran knew these men, but it was also clear he did not like them or trust them. He turned to her. "Go behind the tree. I will keep watch."

Idalia nodded in acceptance. She walked over to where he had pointed to and quickly relieved herself. She searched the woods the entire time, to make certain there were not anymore men in the trees. She personally thought that sending three men to follow them was a bit extreme, but apparently, they believed Bran to be a very dangerous man. Idalia observed him quietly from behind the tree. His tall muscular form exuded strength with every move he made. The way he held himself around the other men spoke of caution, his jaw and eyes set in a serious cast.

Dangerous indeed. Her heartbeat picked up every time she was near him. It was irritating. I do not want him or any other man in my life. I wish to be free in every aspect of the word.

"Idalia," Bran's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she focused back on the men in front of her. They were all standing around, staring at her as she stood leaning against the tree. "Are ye well, lass? Have ye finished?"

Idalia blushed but nodded. "I am done."

"Let us prepare supper," Bran recommended. "I will go and find us something to eat."

The other men nodded and set about making a fire and a roasting spit out of sticks. "What of the lass?" the eldest of their guards asked.

"She does nae leave my side," Bran replied.The eldest nodded. "Then I shall accompany you." He stood and took up his weapons once more.

Bran did not answer he but turned and walked into the woods. Idalia followed him. She was not about to be left alone with August Raymond's men. The three of them moved quietly around the loch until they came to a place with fresh tracks. It was clear by the signs that deer frequented the place on a regular basis. Bran motioned for the guard to go one way, while he and Idalia went the other. They followed the trail to a place where they could be afforded some shielding from view and crouched down to wait in silence.

Each man was armed with a bow and arrow. Nobles tended to hunt more as a pastime than a method of survival and would often do so in force, with a group of other lords, as a social outing. Bran and their guard were neither of noble birth nor had qualms about using what the nobles considered to be more mundane methods. Technically, what they were doing was considered poaching, as neither of them owned the land upon which they stood, an offense punishable by extreme measures.

"Who owns this land?" Idalia whispered, somewhat concerned about being caught for Bran's sake, but another part of her hoping they were so she could explain her situation to a magistrate.

Bran shrugged, "I dinnae ken." He did not seem to care either way.

"Will we not be arrested for poaching? I would be very happy to be arrested in this moment, but it would not be good for you."

Bran's frown deepened at her words. He sat thinking on the matter for a moment, as if formulating a plan in his mind. "What if we use this moment to our advantage?" he whispered.

"How so?" Idalia's excitement at the idea of escape caused her to grab his sleeve in earnest.

"What if we pretended an attack and in the doing o' it, ye are lost tae me?"

"Explain," Idalia turned her full attention to him.

"We are poaching."

"Correct."

"Aye, what if we pretended tae be caught and ye were arrested in the attack?" Bran suggested; he held his body tensely with reserve as if he was afraid his own idea would fail.

"Would they believe ye?"

Bran shook his head. "They would never believe I would let ye go without a fight. Ye would have tae fight me, lass, and make it look like more than one man attacked us. August Raymond would have tae believe every word or..."

"Or what?" she asked him. "I am certain that if we play it right, we could leave here together, and you could come home with me to your family, to Andrew."

"My daughter will be the one tae pay for yer escape. August Raymond holds her life in his hands," he blurted out. "I could never just leave, not when my daughter remains here."

"Your daughter?"

"Aye, I... August's sister Kezia and I were together and a child was born from it. Her mother died and left Mahala with August."

"Would he truly harm his own niece?" she replied, trying not to show her surprise at the news.

"He would." His tone was certain.

"She is why you took me. She is what he has over you. She is why you did not return home to Orkney. Now I understand everything..." His daughter was why he had been so cold and ruthless and was willing to give up the very reason for saving her, his humanity. She did not speak any of this out loud for fear of hurting him. He was hurting more than enough already.

He nodded. "She is." The pain in his eyes was heartbreaking.

Idalia nodded her head slowly. "We can do this. I can hit you hard enough to make it bruise."

"Ye will have tae do more than that, lass. Ye will have tae knock me unconscious."

Idalia's brows rose in alarm. "I am not strong enough to do that."

"Ye are if ye use a rock or a tree limb."

"I could kill you!" Idalia pointed out in alarm.

"Better I than my daughter. If I dinnae make it through this, ye must tell my brother Andrew about Mahala. He must come and save her." Bran held her eyes in earnest.

"Will this plan cause harm to your daughter?"

"Nae if we are careful. There can be nay chance of August discovering the truth." Bran bent down and picked up a rock of decent size. "Hit me," he commanded.

Idalia shook her head. "I do not want to kill you," she breathed.

"Then dinnae kill me, just hit me." Taking out his knife, he cut his clothes in various places to make it look like he had been in a fight. He cut some small minor places on his skin. "Now hit me, then run. Run as if yer life depended upon it because it does."

Taking a deep breath, Idalia raised the rock over his head and brought it down with a resounding thud. Bran fell to the ground at her feet. "I am sorry," she whispered, then dropped the rock and ran.

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