Highland Magic Ch 16

The water felt cool and fresh against my feet, making me sigh. Who would have thought, I wondered as I kicked up water, that I would travel back in time and put my toes into Loch Ness? I giggled and opened my eyes. All of the soldiers were staring at me. I stopped and looked at them with curiosity.

"What? Have I done something wrong?" They continued to stare at me as I stood ankle deep in the loch. I took each one of their faces in and noticed some were a bit white. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I was so busy staring at the soldiers I didn't notice Tilda rise and point over my shoulder at the loch. I turned around wondering what they were looking at, and gasped. Right before I screamed and scrambled back onto the shore.

There was a long neck slowly rising out of the loch a goodly distance from us. It rose slowly and from where I sat shaking and shrieking on the sand it looked enormous. The head was small, and for some reason that surprised me. I don't know if I had expected Nessie to have a big head or what, but the smallness of it shocked me. It was hardly wider than the neck and the only reason I knew it was the head, was because it was angled abruptly from the neck and flat.

It seemed to look about itself once its head and neck were fully out of the water. I watched in morbid fascination, my mouth hanging open. It turned is small yet massive head and looked directly at us. "Milady, you must quit yer screaming!" The hushed whisper came from one of the soldiers at my back.

I shut my mouth quickly and squeezed my lips shut to if only for me to know I wasn't screaming anymore. Thoughts raced through my mind. I tried to grasp them, but they fleeted before I could fully understand what they were. Is it real? I thought it was a legend. The thoughts came slowly to realization and held.

Was it going to eat us?

The thought made me want to start screaming again. Fortunately, it looked off toward the eastern portion of the lake and dove beneath it. I was shaking uncontrollably and could not take my eyes from the loch.

Had that been real? Was Nessie real?

"Saints above, your shaking!" I hardly felt Tilda's ministrations before I was lifted up by one of the soldiers and placed on a horse.

"This place is unholy." He declared in his deep rumbling voice. "We're leaving." I knew, although my thoughts were flowing a bit wildly, that I was in shock and needed to calm down. I forced a deep breath and tried to center my thoughts.

I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay...

I glanced up at the soldier and gave my best half hearted smile. "I am all right now." He gave me a skeptical look and didn't move. "I am all right now." I said forcing myself to believe it so he would believe it as well. He still looked a bit skeptical but only nodded.

He left me on the horse and went to help Tilda clean up the picnic. She'd had it almost completely cleaned up when he started to help. Tilda glanced up, a surprised look on her face, and then she blushed and looked back at the mess.

I smiled my first genuine smile. So this is the guy, I thought. He was handsome I supposed. Tall, his nose slightly crooked, as if it had been broken numerous times. Dark and rich chestnut hair and brown eyes. I grinned at Tilda. She could have made worse choices. I tried vainly to remember his name and failed. Damn.

When everything was finally packed up, the soldiers mounted and the mystery soldier that obviously liked Tilda, helped her to mount. I grinned at her, and when she caught my look, she blushed and looked away.

We turned around and headed back toward the keep. I was not looking forward to the ride. I was suddenly very much missing cars with comfortable leather seats. The horse bounced me along, and I held on as best I could. Damn horses. Someone should start inventing a car right now.

We entered the wood without speaking. One of the soldiers a head of me in the line was whistling a wonderful Highland ballad. I knew it was that, because Cien hummed it himself and Tilda said it was his favorite song.

I was suddenly tired, and I had no idea why. I yawned into my hand and shook my head, trying to make my drooping eyelids stop drooping. I was half asleep when they attacked.

The mystery soldier was knocked from his horse by one of the enemy. I looked about wildly, trying to discern what I should do. There were men in muted colored kilts running all over. Attacking. They stabbed a soldier's horse in front of me, as the soldier tried to hack them to pieces from atop it. He'd gotten a few, but they pulled him down.

I realized slowly that the other soldiers had surrounded Tilda's horse and my own, fighting off the enemy. There were only five men protecting us and at least thirty attacking. Tilda jumped from her horse to mine and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Ride!" She screamed. I kicked the horse into action, nearly trampling one of our own soldiers, and held on for dear life. The horse thundered through the forest, running at what seemed to be the speed of light.

I realized I was screaming again when my throat began to hurt. I closed my mouth and held on tighter. Another small kick and the horse was flying throughout the woods. Part of me was suddenly very happy. This is life, I thought. The speed, the wind. Another part of me said this is going to be your death, stupid.

I could see light ahead of us in the woods. We were coming out of them! I let out a shout of victory, that was quickly vanquished. A lone rider stepped out in front of me casually. I pulled up on the horse to make him slow, less we plow the man down. I couldn't make his face out, but he was wearing the Fraser plaid. I sighed in relief.

"There are soldiers attacking our men!" I screamed at him, but he didn't move. "Sir, did you hear me?" Again no movement. I pushed the horse forward enough to see him.

Oh dear God.

"Hello, cousin." He bade to Tilda. "I find it hard to believe you to be in the company of a witch." He shook his head as if disappointed in her and sighed. "I suppose your a party to the devil himself now as well?"

"Yer daft, Alex!" Tilda declared boldly. I tried to bolt around him, but he dismounted and yanked me down before we could get around him.

"Get down here Tilda or I'll kill her." Tilda looked at me and began to climb down.

"Tilda don't!" I cried. "He's going to kill me anyway! Ride back to the keep! Get reinforcements for the soldiers!" She looked as if she may just do it, when Alex produced a knife and put it against my throat.

"I am sorry, Rose. Truly." She dismounted and stood before Alex. "What would you have of me?" Alex laughed and threw his head back.

"Get the rope out of my satchel."

He tied me up and flung me over his horse like a bag of grain or something.

"Your crazy." I said as he climbed up next to me.

"And your a witch."

I glanced behind the horse and saw Tilda bound and gagged. He was going to drag her behind him. I started screaming and trying to throw myself off of the horse. He slapped me hard.

The world began to go grey around the edges.

And then the blackness surrounded me.