Chapter Eleven
Before her sisterswere awake the following morning, Fiona crept from the quiet of their room and through the keep. She took her bow and arrow with her, needing to focus on something other than her impending nuptials. Father had not yet arrived, and she had no idea where he could be. He’d promised to be there in time for the wedding, and the wedding was only a few hours away.
She went to the forested area near the loch, her bow and arrow at the ready. Perhaps she could do some hunting and share it with some of the village, as she did when she was home in McAfee land. She liked to help the orphans and widows, and this was the best way she’d found to do it. Mayhap the McClains would enjoy the same type of help.
She loosed an arrow and shot a rabbit, walking over to collect it. As she was best to pick up her bounty, she stopped for a moment, listening. She put her hand on her hip where she kept her dagger. She wasn’t nearly as good with knives as Ailis, but she was good enough to protect herself. When it wasn’t there, she reached over her shoulder to the quiver. Someone caught her hand as she moved to take an arrow from it.
The stillness of the forest was shattered by the sudden charge of men. Soon Fiona was surrounded by men in McAfee plaids, but she knew they couldn’t be her father’s men, for his men were trained to protect her and her sisters to the point of laying down their lives for them.
The one who had grabbed her hand, who appeared to be the leader, declared, “Yer father has commanded you come with us.”
Fiona struggled against his hands, knowing full well that none of her father’s men would put hands on her without her permission.
Betrayal seized her heart as she recognized the deceit in the garments of her assailants—men she didn’t recognize disguised in the familiar patterns of her own clan.
“Seize her,” came the steely command from amongst the intruders, and the men followed his orders exactly.
She was dragged away from the forest and toward the border of McClain land. She hesitated to scream, for that was a woman’s defense, calling for others to help her. Yet after a short time, she knew it was what she must do.
“Unhand me, ye cowards!” Fiona cried out. Her long braid whipped about her as she struggled against the sinewy arms that bound her. Yet, even as fear clawed at her insides, Fiona’s thoughts raced not to her plight but to the safety of her sisters. She hoped they would not follow and be taken captive as well.
Her captors were relentless, their grips tightening as they dragged her away from the McClain ancestral lands. Despite her warrior’s training, the sheer number overwhelmed her. The shock of the ambush, so deftly executed, left her reeling—their deception a bitter taste upon her tongue.
“Ye may take me, but ye’ll never break the spirit of the McAfees,” Fiona declared, her voice a mixture of defiance and dread.
As her feet stumbled over the uneven terrain, forced onward by her captors, Fiona’s mind raced with the possibilities, each more foreboding than the last.
In that anguished moment, caught between the duty to her kin and the stark reality of her capture, Fiona vowed that no matter the cost, she would not yield to fear, nor would she allow her personal desires to sway her from the path of sacrifice required by her noble station.
She screamed… one loud piercing cry, and she knew that Alisdair heard it… for he must.
“Quiet, lass,” grumbled one of the guards.
Another of the men took a piece of cloth and stuffed it into her mouth so she couldn’t cry out again.
*
Moira woke andrealized it was Fiona’s wedding day. She searched around for the sister in question, but she was nowhere to be seen. Moira frowned, realizing it was late in the day for them to not be readying themselves for the wedding that would take place at noon.
She shook Ailis awake. “Where has Fiona gone?”
Ailis frowned, rubbing her eyes and trying to focus. “Fiona? She must be with Lady Caitlin or mayhap she went for a walk.”
Moira rushed from the room, finding the lady in question. “Fiona, she’s not in her bed. Do ye know where she could be?”
Lady Caitlin shook her head slowly. “Nay, I haven’t seen her this morn.” Within moments, she had her sons out watching for Fiona, though she had yet to spot Alisdair.
Caitlin sent one of the servants to tell Alisdair Fiona was missing, though she had probably gone for a morning walk. But Alisdair knew better. He’d sensed the impending danger the night before, and his hunch was much stronger now.
Alisdair stood amid his brothers and loyal warriors, his face a mask of controlled fury. The very air stilled as he stepped forward. With an imperious gesture, he summoned his kin to gather close.
“Brothers,” Alisdair began, “a grievous wrong has been done this day. Fiona McAfee, daughter of our ally, and my affianced bride has been taken from our lands. She’s not merely hiding or wandering. I sense it.”
Lachlan exchanged glances with Brodie, each brother’s resolve mirroring the others. Brodie, ever the silent sentinel, nodded minutely, his every sense attuned to the unfolding strategy.
“We shall not suffer such affronts to go unanswered,” Alisdair declared. “We will marshal our forces and reclaim what has been unjustly seized.”
The warriors, bound by fealty and honor, murmured their agreement, the sound like the rustling of leaves before a storm. Alisdair cast his gaze upon the rugged expanse of highland terrain that lay beyond their gates.
