A/N: I should have mentioned in the first chapter that I put in little "quotes" for how Adrianne feels. I love reviews, lets me know how I'm protraying the story and if I'm getting the point across alright.
Chapter Two: Out of Sight
~How can you hate me? You barely know me!~
It was late, but early for James to get up and begin tacking his horse, a big Clydesdale with a brown body and a white nose. In the stall next to his stallion, a black mare, a Thoroughbred if he knew the name for the English horse, stood and looked at him.
"Hello, little lass," he cooed and touched her muzzle, which she threw her head up and whinnied as Adrianne walked into the barn, her saddlebag already.
"Oh, Mr. MacDougal. I didn't know you were in here." she said, walking up to the mare. "Hush, Black. Be lucky he didn't take you as my fare for going into hiding."
"You still owe me something, lass." he relaxed against the gate and the stallion hoisted his head onto his shoulders.
"I will give it to you when I am truly hidden." she said and put the saddle on the mare's back. James, after she was going for the bridal, cornered her and said, "I donna like the English verra well. Watch yer back, little lass." before walking out of the livery stables to deal with his little band.
"What did I do to warrent that behaviour?" she sunk to the ground and the mare walked to her.
Dawn came and the band took off, Adrianne keeping quiet and to herself as they rode at a brisk trot. John stood behind the others to talk to her.
"Jamie doesn't like the English that well, Adrianne." he mentioned. Adrianne looked up at the man who was leading them on and risked asking, "Why would he hate or don't like the English very well?"
"It was a raid from a few years ago. Killed someone close to him and he hasn't had any patience to forgive them."
"Oh," she went silent. That night, they halted the horses, leaving Adrianne to bring her mare to the water to drink and she began untacking her.
"Adrianne, how do you feel about John?" her father asked.
"He scares me." she hid into his chest.
"Do you want to not see him anymore?"
"Yes, please send him away!" she cried. Adrianne was scared and her father sighed, "I will let him know not to come here anymore."
After she cringed, James stood nearby and asked, "Is the water funny?"
"OH! I- uh, no, it isn't funny." she hid her face in the shadow to see how disturbed she was.
"Alright." he walked away, but the sound of men not apart of the group yelled and James said, "Hide yerselves!" he grabbed Adrianne and hid her in a brush.
"Ow, James!" he silenced her and listened to the Englishmen talking.
"I heard that Lord Melbrook was betrothed to the girl." one man said.
"Heard she ran after she knew he was coming." another noted. James held her to him and they were silent, out of sight, before they saw the fire and noticed that there were native men of the area eating around it.
"I'd better get outta 'ere if I were ye," Uncle John boomed and frightened the men away. James kept him and Adrianne hidden as the men raced their horses away. When she began to protest, he whispered, "I will shut ye up with a kiss, lass if ya donna stop movin'."
"Jamie, lad. It's safe fer ye and Adrianne te come out." John called. Adrianne elbowed him in the ribs, then she ran to John and sat beside him.
"The lass will be the talk of the country if Melbrook is really searching for her." James held his side and walked off into the darkness. John looked at her and said, "What did ya do to Jamie?"
"I elbowed him after the men were long gone and he would not let me go." she pouted. John shook his head. "Lass, he was only lookin' fer yer safety. Go say yer sorry te 'im." he ushered Adrianne after James.
James stood a few hundred feet from the campfire as he tried to think about what possessed him to tell Adrianne that he would kiss her if she didn't stop protesting him. Could it just be those days since he had a woman? Or was it true that sometimes, a Highlander would fall for the English because they were witches? He didn't know what he could tell Adrianne that wouldn't disturb her too deeply, before she touched him on his arm.
"Mr. MacDougal, I am terribly sorry for hurting you like that." she sincerely said.
"Ya didna hurt me." he snapped, making her jump from him and stare. Tears brimmed her eyes.
"I did hurt you, even you snapping at me proved that much," she snapped back, James nearly startled by how powerful her voice could be, almost like a queen or a princess...
"Just get back to 'he men. Imma gonna take a swim." he winked and then left her standing there, Adrianne's jaw was dropped. After stripping of his kilt and shirt and whatever else he had on, James walked into the water and Alexander came over. "Ya hurt 'he lass. John 'old 'er ta say sorry ta ya."
"She dinna hurt me, Alex, now butt out or I will." James went under the water and stayed under until he needed air. Alex left and John was singing at the camp, teaching Adrianne their songs.
"That lass will cause them to fall and beg for her mercy when she decides to kill them all." he cursed and got dressed and after getting to the fire, rolled out his blanket and fell asleep. In the middle of the night, someone got into camp and covering Adrianne's mouth and took her away. James found out because the mare woke him up from being scared.
"Black, stop-"
"Adrianne's gone, Jamie." John said. James only reacted by jumping on his horse and sending both her mare and his stallion off to find her.
Adrianne was crying, the binding on her hands and her feet were tied tightly that her skin was raw. The man that took her sent his horse fast past the forest, but at a jump, the horse broke its leg and left the two stranded.
"Stupid bitch, now I have no horse." he punched a tree. "Why did Lord Melbrook have to-" he looked at her again. "A pretty thing running from Lord Melbrook, eh?" he touched her cheek. "Maybe I can bring you back to him, untouched, but a man does get lonely without a horse." the croonie of Lord Melbrook touched her ankles and then traveled up her skirt...
"Don't touch me," she lashed out. The man hit her across the face and then after cutting her bindings, jumped on her. Adrianne fought and then the man fell onto a stick, which impaled him and he died.
"Out of sight," she grunted as she pulled him into a brush and hid him well.
