He waved the banner before the bull that now stood still as it watched the motion he made. It stamped twice, put its head down and charged.
Sin spun about and ran for the woods as fast as he could.
“Sin!” Callie shouted as her husband and the bull disappeared. She scrambled from the rooftop down to where a group of people surrounded Fraser.
With the danger past, people flooded the streets.
“That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen,” Old Angus said as he and several others helped Fraser to his feet and inspected his injured leg.
“We have to go help him,” Callie said.
Fraser’s brother, Gerald, grabbed a bow from his waiting wagon. “English or not, I owe him for my brother’s life.”
Six others came forward to help. When Callie started off with them, they refused to let her join them.
Angus stopped her. “He didn’t risk his life to see you harmed, lass. Now stay here and let the men handle it.”
Though it went against her nature to stand by and do nothing, she didn’t argue. It would only cause them to delay their rescue when they needed to be finding Sin as quickly as possible.
Consumed by terror, Callie watched as the men left the village and she prayed for her resourceful husband to have found some way to outmaneuver the bull.
Time seemed to move on the back of a snail as she waited with the women. Fraser’s leg had been sewn and bandaged and there was still no sign of the men.
Callie prayed and prayed, hoping he was all right.
At long last, she heard a cheering roar from the people of the village. Turning around, she saw the group of men coming toward them.
And in their midst...
Nay. It couldn’t be.
Callie frowned, then blinked, trying to see if her eyes were deceiving her.
Angus was the first to reach the village. “I’ll beat the first one of you who laughs,” he said in warning. “No mon who fights like that for our women and children will be mocked. You hear me?”
“We wouldn’t dream of it, Angus MacDougal,” Peg said.
Choking on her laugher and filled with tremendous relief that he was unhurt, Callie ran to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. Her heart pounded at the feel of his strong arms holding her close. Och, how she loved this wonderful man. She kissed his cheek, then pulled away to look him over one more time and make sure he really was unharmed.
Again, she had to purse her lips to keep from smiling.
In truth, she had no idea how the village refrained from laughing at the sight of her proud husband. He only had one boot on and his breeches were shredded. The kirtle he’d wrapped around the swatter was now wrapped around his body in a poor, ill-fitting state. He was covered in mud and looked like some half-formed fey beastie.
Sin looked at her with humor dancing in his midnight eyes. “Go ahead and laugh, dove. I promise I won’t be offended.” He draped an arm over her shoulders, drawing her close to him again, and looked around the people gathered to welcome him back. “By the way, methinks I owe someone a new dress.”
Several snickers broke out and were silenced as Angus turned a feral glare to the crowd.
“Where’s the bull?” Callie asked.
“Tied to a tree, eating my boot. I’m just glad my leg is no longer in it.”
That succeeded in making everyone laugh.
Angus shook his head as he drew near. “Lad, how did you manage it?”
“I run fast when chased by large bulls.”
Several of the men clapped him on the back and Peg came forward with a tankard of ale.
