Chapter Three: Into the Forest
~Someone, anyone, can you hear me?~
After hours of searching for Adrianne, James told the men that they should leave her.
"No, we shouldna leave the lass in tha forest, Jamie." John whined. James was shocked by how much the girl had affected his great uncle. John MacDougal was NOT a whiner. Hell, John scowled Jamie for whining when he wasn't allowed to have a treat at the age of seven.
"She isna coming back, Uncle. If she dinna want ta leave, she woulda scream fer us." James exclaimed. He, first of all, didn't want to take in the girl, second, if Adrianne was leaving her uncle, she would know better than to leave silently in the middle of the night.
"But she is alone, and I will stay here fer her." his uncle sat down and refused to move. James sighed in annoyment and looked at the others, "Well, ya comin'?"
"No, Jamie. We agree with ya Uncle. Adrianne wouldna left if she was actually running from her uncle or leave 'er horse behind." Alexander said. James looked at the men and said, "Fine, but donna look fer me as I 'ead 'ome." he took his horse and sent him at a gallop.
"John, do ya think Adrianne 'eft fer a reason?" Duncan asked.
"Mere like she was taken frem 'er beddin'." he sighed.
OoO
Adrianne was lost, she was for sure thinking of being eaten by wolves or those wildcats that lived in the forest, but she kept walking towards where she thought the men were.
Branches hanging low upon their supports pulled at her hair, Adrianne crying from the tugs. When a low, hauntingly howl began to rise from behind her, she ran. Terror shook her as she panically ran into a ravine, twisting her ankle and she yelled out, "Someone, anyone, help me!"
Just then, she heard the low growl of a predator and froze, not knowing what to do. Then all went quiet. For ten to fifteen minutes, felt longer to Adrianne, she kept her breathing shallow and low so that she could hear in the dense night time world of sounds. All of a sudden, a rider rode passed when she realized it was James. "James, help!" she cried, her voice no louder than a hoarse cough while he kept riding passed. Watching him ride pass, a heart-wrenching sob escaped her as she kept her eyes trained on the man riding away. Finding a way out of the ravine, she gingerly began walking, favoring her left ankle from falling into it.
"But, but wouldna Jamie be a'looking fer 'er?" Alexander asked and then turned around when he heard a horse whinny to something. "And look ta a beautiful sight, Adrienne, ya alright, lass?" John walked over and held onto her sobbing body.
"James left me there, he didn't hear me call out to him." the tearing English lass choked out while crying into John's shoulder.
"Och, i'm sure he didna mean it, Lass. 'Tis only he was a'lookin' fer ya and ya didna show." the elderly held her close before calling the men to clear the campsite and get ready to ride off after James.
OoO
Finding a spot to rest with his tired mount, Jamie took out his wine flask and began to take sips, trying to block out the confusing cry he heard while riding. It was like he heard it, but it was most likely the wind.
"James!" He swore he could hear that woman-child calling out to him and when he turned around, no one was there. Where could Adrienne have gone? A cry after he passed by, he turned around again and thought he saw Adrienne looking out of the ravine.
"Adrienne!" Bolting up, Jamie looked around and tried to remember where he was when he heard a herd of something, a group of horses coming towards him as he pulled out his claymore.
"Jamie, that aint a way ta greet yer uncle." John rode through and in his arms was the English lass.
"Whe- how.. Where did you find her?" Jamie walked over and watched his uncle dismount from the horse and carried Adrienne. "She found us, sobbing that she saw you and you didn't look for her."
Anger raged from him when the girl looked at him with those eyes. "You weren't loud enough."
"I was kidnapped and I killed a man.... You're a bloody man who doesn't want anything to do with me!" She shouted at him before giving into a fit of tears. Tears he couldn't deal with.
"We leave now. and make sure, Alexander, that you get home. Tell them that the Laird is coming home with a woman, a woman needing shelter."
"Yes, Jamie," Alex nodded and sent his horse off towards Dunollie Castle.
OoO
"Jamie, what is wrong?" Richard asked as they took the front. "You seem like ya hadn't slept fer a day at ta most."
"I.. I believe that I shoulda turned an' saved 'er meself. I knew she was there, but doona knew where she was." hanging his head, he looked back at Richard. "Doona tell anyone o' 'his. Got it?"
"Aye, Laird." he lightly mocked, but got a smile from Jamie. "The lass told us on the way here that she was taken from her bedroll."
"Know who did that?" He asked, knowing that he had to keep Adrienne close if things got-
"Jamie, English riders behind us." He heard John call and Adrienne gave a shout when she recognized the uniforms.
"Get 'er over ta me," he called and came up with a quick plan, "Adrienne and I take one way and ya three go another. We meet at Dunollie." Taking her horse's reins, James led them away from the group and knew the others will be safe.
"Jamie, I can help them. Let's go back." Adrienne tried to gain control, but he stopped both animals and glared at her, "Do ya want ta get caught? No, then doona test me agin."
