Highland Island (Book 6)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Breath gusted in and out of her lungs. Sawing through her throat gone raw with harsh breathing. Her feet seeming to find all the rabbit holes and roots that wanted to keep her from getting home unscathed and unseen. Her cloak becoming tangled on every clawing branch. She had already narrowly missed three of her clansmen and a torch bearing duo she had never seen before.

The scary thought was, that she did not actually know if she was going in the right direction. The darkness was still an oppressive blanket around her. She could only hope that if she kept going in the way she thought she had come in, then the forest would spit her back out where she had entered. Though whilst the forest was a home full of secret spaces in the dappled light of day. Here it was as if a looming axe was about to fall, she just did not know where it was, or where it would hit.

Hand out, palm scraping against the bark of the tree to her left, she bit back her cry of frustration and pain. Slowing enough to make a sharp turn to her right, back flattening against what had to be the smallest tree in the forest. She just hoped that as she could see only shadows in the darkness, then that was all the person coming towards her could see as well.

Clasping right hand over her mouth to try and dampen the sound of her sawing breath, the forest was almost silent for the moment as if it knew that she was in trouble. It wanted to know what was going to happen, but if it did not make noise, then she was more than likely going to be found.

"Argh, no, ugh," The voice was close, and surprisingly feminine. The sound of a body falling to the ground, breath whooshing out. "Why, in the name of the Lord above, did I think this was a good idea?"

"I would love to know the answer to that. As you managed to convince me into this foolish escaped." The whispered words were more hissed, a sibilant sound which whilst in itself quiet, echoed off the trees, amplifying as it went.

Isla tried to listen past the wild beating of her heart, needed to make sure that no one else was close enough to overhear the bumbling idiots just past her tree. Closing her eyes, as they were useless at this moment, she let herself relax against the bark, trying to sense if anyone else was close.

"How are we going to find her? What is they find us first?" Gilbarta really was taking her annoyance to another level now. Isla cursed her as she tried to hear past her friends echoing voice. "How did you convince me again?"

"First of all, it was you who said she should not be alone. One of your feelings, you said that the danger was real for Isla, and that she would need us. Well I used your own words against you." Moira hissed back this time. Both of them were in a mood with each other, and at this rate it was going to be difficult to keep the entire forest from coming this way. "And who do you mean by they? My father and his men, or the strange man that Isla is out here trying to warn?"

"Oh, enough." Isla spun into the small clearing her friends had tripped into. Or one of them whilst the other brought up the rear. "Will you both keep it down? There are two groups of men in this forest, who would kill us before asking questions right now. So if you don't mind, showing me the way out, which would be the best option if you are going to sit here, and argue until you tell them how to find you."

"Isla?"

"Where have you been?" Both voices combining at the same time.

"Aye, it's me. And I've been trying to find my way out of this godforsaken place before I am found by men who really would like nothing better than to shed blood right now." Isla stomped forward with her words, reaching down to grab hold of, as it turned out Moira. Pulling her friends shadow up until she stood taller than Isla. Gilbarta was the next to move, flashing forward, unseen but definitely heard. Her arms coming around Isla until she threatened to cut off her air supply.

"Gilbarta!" Hands coming up to tugged on her friend's wrists. "It's time to go." Released just as suddenly as she was engulfed, she staggered a little as her balance shifted.

"Aye, you are right, we need to get back, before any of us are missed." The urgency was back in her voice once more.

"Is that a feeling you have, or is it just now dawning on you that we are in the middle of a warrior infested forest?" Moira was cutting in her tone, but Isla heard the worry that was hidden beneath her gruffness.

"Can we argue about this after we are out of danger? And preferably when it is daylight and we have all survived?" Isla found herself joining the hissing competition of earlier. But to no one's surprise, she was agreed with wholeheartedly. "Now, who remembers the way out?"

The silence spoke volumes, before Gilbarta gasped, causing her two companions to jump at the startling sound.

"It's that way." Obviously there was pointing to go along with the words, but in the predicament they were in that was hardly useful.

Gilbarta waited as if wanting them to get moving, as the silence stretched the pin seemed to drop and she let out a startled exclamation. "Oh, sorry, this way." Grabbing for Isla's hand, she missed her hand and caught her cloak instead. Finding herself dragged along, Isla reached out and caught a hold of Moira. She in turn let out a rather unladylike growl.

Isla hissed back at Moira. "Do you want your father to catch you out here or not?" Isla could almost see Moira's petulant look as she marched along behind her. Isla holding onto Moira's wrist as Gilbarta still tugged at the edge of Isla's cloak. With two of the three hoping that they were in fact heading in the right direction.

****

Nessia raced out of the cottage, blood soaking the front of her smock as she fell to her knees beside Isla. Her hands reaching out, before pulling back hesitantly at the ruby colouring of them. The groggy moan from the very heart of their clan had Nessia throwing all propriety out the window. Her hands going to Isla's clammy, flushed face.

"Isla, can you hear me?" The command in her voice wavered, this was Isla. How could this happen to Isla? She was the strongest of them all. Had held together the clan through the most difficult of times, even as her own life had not been the greatest.

"Isla?" Aislinn's concern was crystal clear in her voice. Yet, it was as if the Laird's wife was a child, confusion a cloud of doubt over her face.

A wheezing, wracking cough overcame Isla's frame, as her eyes danced fitfully behind her eyelids. It was at that moment, without Isla's commanding presence, her energy, her very will that made her seem so tall. That Nessia noticed just how frail Isla was. How small she was, how thin her skin had become. The blue of her veins, prominent against the paleness of her flesh. The bloody handprints Nessia was leaving behind as she tried to examine Isla a stark contrast. It was not lost on Nessia that those handprints were the lifeblood of the granddaughter of the woman she just had to save.

She had lost one life already this day. Another would not be following. Yet as she thought this, it was as if Isla was not listening to her thoughts. She was fading before them. As if she was following a different path altogether.

Noticing the crowd appearing around them, she knew she had to think and act quickly.

"Aislinn?"

"Aye." The need to be useful front and centre. "What do you need, Nessia?" Looking down, she saw Isla's hand held tight between Aislinn's, her thumb creating a gentle rhythm back and forth across the back of Isla's hand.

"We need to move her somewhere warm and comfortable..." She was about to suggest inside the cottage, but in her condition, it was not wise to have Isla so near her granddaughter. If she was to wake and be so visually reminded of the truth, it may just be the end. And the clan could not take that right now.

A quick glance around showed that her son Iain was nodding his head towards his cottage next door. It was much smaller, but she had made sure he had some comforts within. Even if he could provide for himself now. And it was the closest option they had. Nodding back to him, he stepped forward. With the care one would give a new-born babe, he cradled the heart of their clan close.

As he moved past her at a clipped pace, she heard him whispering. "You hold on now Isla, this clan still has need of you."