Page 17 of Highland Spirit

“Finn?” he asked. “Ye are so . . . big.”

“Aye, it’s me,” he answered. “I’m three and ten years of age now.”

“What are ye doin’ out here in the storm?”

“I only want to get the sheep into the pen. I dinna have a weapon, Ethan. Please, dinna hurt me.”

Suddenly realizing he was still holding on to his sword, Ethan sheathed his sword to put the boy at ease.

“The sheep?” he asked, not even knowing there were any here. “How many are out in the storm?” He turned and glanced up the hill.

“There are three left. Alana came to help me.” The boy looked down to the ground. “Alana? Are ye all right?” Rushing forward, the boy threw himself to his knees at her side.

“Trapper, get the sheep to the barn,” Ethan commanded, sending his wolfhound up the rocks to round up the strays. He then bent down next to the boy and gently reached out to touch the blood at the back of Alana’s head. Her eyes were closed and he wasn’t really sure that she wasn’t dead.

Emotions surged through him. Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and protect her from everyone and everything, including nature. But another part of him wanted nothing to do with her ever again. Either way, he couldn’t leave her here when she was hurt and stranded in the midst of a bad snow storm.

He leaned closer, pushing his face up next to hers to feel her warm breath on his cheek. That told him she was still alive. He sighed in relief, having feared the worst. A chill ran through his body, making him wonder if it was from the cold or from being so close to the deceitful girl who left him stranded at the altar. Funny how now she was in a similar position, being stranded instead. No matter how he felt, it didn’t matter right now. He would help her, even if part of him could never forgive her for what she did.

“Is she dead?” asked Caleb, checking on his pine marten that was nestled in the canvas bag slung across his shoulder.

“Nay, but she is hurt. We need to get her back to the castle anon.” Ethan reached out for her, but the boy stopped him.

“Nay! I’ll take her,” he said, stepping in front of him, blocking him from Alana. “No one is allowed inside the castle walls.”

“Ye’ll take her?” Ethan raised a brow. The boy wasn’t still a child, but neither was he yet a man. He was so thin and that he didn’t look to have enough muscles to pick up a log let alone a woman, and get her back to the castle by himself. “Nay, I’ll do it. And dinna try to fight me, lad. The storm is gettin’ worse. Do ye have a horse we can ride?”

“I’ve got a horse in the barn,” Finn answered. The winds were getting so strong that it was going to be a chore just to get back to the castle.

Trapper barked and chased the sheep, sending them running.

“The dog did it!” cried Finn. “Let me open the gate and get them inside the barn.” He took off at a run to finish the chore.

“So ye really did see Alana here after all,” said Caleb, looking down at her.

“I told ye I wasna crazy,” said Ethan. “Caleb, take the boy with ye on the other horse. I’ll ride with Alana on this one. We need to get back to the castle and out of the storm. She’s hurt, so we need to move quickly.”

“But what are they doin’ here?” asked Caleb. “And where have they been for the past five years?”

“I dinna ken but I intend to find out. But right now, we have to get them out of the storm.”

“Aye,” said Caleb as Ethan lifted Alana in his arms. Caleb helped him get Alana atop the horse.

Several minutes later, they were all headed for the castle with Trapper leading the way. The snow and rain came down so heavily that they had to travel slowly or risk a horse breaking a leg since they could barely see where they were going.

“Open the gate!” shouted Finn as they approached the castle.

“Ye really live here?” asked Caleb from the horse he shared with the boy. “I wouldna live here if I were a ghost.” Caleb glanced over to Ethan when he said it. Ethan just moaned.

“Save yer breath,” he warned his friend, not in the mood for teasing.

Trapper barked, running ahead of them, sneaking under the gate before it was even raised.

“Finn? Who is with ye?” growled one of the guards hurrying down from the battlements to join them. Ethan recognized the man as the one who had threatened to shoot him with an arrow the last time he was here.

“Ye!” growled Ethan, drawing his sword at the same time the guard pulled his sword from the sheath.

“Alana! What happened?” A frantic woman ran out from the keep followed by the little girl that Ethan had seen atop the battlements. “Is she hurt?”