Page 40 of A Bridge Through Time (The Bridge Through Time #1)
“It’s still early, so not all Sir Richard’s men are awake yet. Half a dozen watching the perimeter, and nae very well, ye ken. I was able to get verra close without them noticing I was there.”
“Did you see Lady Irene and Lady Ashley?” Robert asked.
Donall shook his head. “Nae, Laird Robert, nae sign of them.”
Armed with this information, Robert had his men encircle the camp and slowly, stealthily they crept as close as they possibly could, without being discovered.
Cailin, Robert, Cormac and Dougall huddled together in the cover created by the low bushes surrounding the camp and Cailin took stock of their surroundings.
Sir Richard’s men were preparing for the day and stumbled around, still half-asleep and apparently completely oblivious to their surroundings.
Cailin thought this inefficiency would definitely work in their favor.
A commotion outside of the largest shelter caught Cailin’s attention and much to his dismay, Ashley was at the center of it.
Robert and Cormac had to hold Cailin down, to keep him from breaking their cover in his desperation to reach her.
Cailin reluctantly remained hidden and watched as a great fat man grabbed Ashley by the arm, attempting to drag her to another shelter directly across from their hiding spot.
“Don’t touch me,” Ashley shrieked at the big man, but he merely laughed and continued to drag her across the ground.
“I said, don’t touch me !” This time, Ashley swung around with her free arm and hit the big man solidly in the nose. This attracted the attention of the other men who were milling around the camp, and they laughed and cheered at the chaotic scene unfolding before them.
The big brute did nae take kindly to being made the fool by Ashley, and Cailin watched furiously when he lifted her off the ground, holding her easily as she kicked and screamed and called him some choice names.
Cailin struggled to escape from Robert and Cormac’s grip, but Robert stopped him with a few quiet words.
“Patience, Cailin. Ashley is a fine brave lass. Look! She’s creating the perfect distraction for us. Our men are creeping closer and no one in Sir Richard’s camp is any the wiser. The lass is giving him a good fight and in turn, providing us a better chance.”
Cailin grunted acknowledgement of Robert’s words and continued to watch as Ashley was carried into the second shelter by the big man.
The commotion continued, and he could hear Ashley shrieking and cursing, using some words Cailin had nae heard before.
All eyes were focused on the shelter when Ashley shrieked.
“Get out of here, you ass!” The overweight guard came bolting out of the tent, holding his head and with blood pouring from his nose.
“Cailin, I wouldnae make Ashley angry, if I were ye. I’d hate to see ye come to any lasting harm, and I believe Ashley may be capable of it,” Cormac chuckled. Cailin merely glared at him.
“Cormac, you come with me,” Robert ordered quietly. The big shelter must belong to Richard. Irene will be in there. We will signal our men to attack when we have rescued her and Cailin, you get Ashley.”
“Dougall; ye’ll come with me,” Cailin ordered.
As Robert and Cormac wound their way through the trees towards Richard’s shelter, Cailin was unhappy to see Thomas approach and enter the shelter Ashley had been taken into. He signaled Dougall, who acknowledged he was aware of the situation, and they swiftly began to move closer.
***
“Ah, horse thief! I have taken your suggestion to heart and decided to bathe,” Thomas announced as he entered his shelter.
“Thank goodness. Your stench precedes your arrival.” Ashley wrinkled her nose in disgust, stepping away from him warily.
“You will be joining me.”
“No. I don’t think so. Not happening,” Ashley was adamant, shaking her head.
“You have no choice. Come. Now. ” He withdrew his sword from the sheath and motioned it towards her.
“Where are we going?” Ashley asked nervously.
“There’s a stream behind the encampment. A little chilly perhaps, but as you are so insistent I be clean before I have you, you’ll be bathing me to ensure you are satisfied.”
He grabbed Ashley by the arm and pulled her from the tent, forcing her through the woods.
How can I possibly get myself out of this one? Ashley thought worriedly, as she stumbled across the rough ground and felt the point of Thomas’s sword against her arm.
They continued to walk through the trees in silence for a few minutes before the sounds of the water in the stream became audible. Thomas seemed confident there was no escape for Ashley, because he resheathed his sword and released Ashley’s arm.
Ashley saw this as her only opportunity to escape and had to take the chance. She pretended to stumble over another root and as Thomas leaned forward to catch her she turned, kicked him in the shin and ran.
Unfortunately, Thomas caught her within seconds and threw her over his shoulder, smacking her bottom soundly as Ashley kicked and shrieked.
“And we were getting along so well,” he chided. “Don’t attempt to escape again, whore, or you will surely suffer the consequences. I find I grow tired of your nonsense.”
“You surprise me, Thomas,” Ashley stated coldly.
“How so?”
“Is this the way you treated your wife? It’s not much wonder she killed herself,” she goaded him, hoping to distract him.
Thomas aimed a punch at Ashley’s side, making the breath whoosh out of her lungs as he carried her roughly. “You will not deter me this time, woman! I know exactly what you are doing. Speak of my wife again and you’ll regret it, I assure you.”
Ashley sobbed quietly, certain she was doomed.
***
Thomas reached the stream and dumped Ashley onto the ground, before he started shrugging off his clothes.
“Undress,” he commanded roughly.
Ashley was losing the last shreds of control she had held onto, until this very moment. She stood stock-still, utterly terrified, and shaking with fear. Thomas reached out and grabbed the front of her gown, tearing it down the center.
“You will do as you’re told!” Thomas shouted furiously. “Take off your gown!”
Ashley backed away, clutching the torn front of her gown to her chest and found herself blocked from escaping by a huge tree. “Stay away from me! I’m warning you.”
“Warning me?” Thomas laughed and eyed her coldly, before the laughter died in his throat. “Now take the gown off, you whore, or I’ll do it for you.”
Ashley’s eyes flickered around her the surroundings, frantically searching for an escape route.
It didn’t look promising. She lifted the hem of her gown as though she was preparing to follow his orders and slipped her fingers into her boot, snatching up the Sgian Dubh. She pointed it in Thomas’s direction.
“I said, no !”
Thomas’s eyes fell on the Sgian Dubh, but he didn’t seem perturbed by the fact that Ashley had a weapon. In fact, he laughed, but it was all Ashley had to defend herself, and she was determined she wasn’t going to let him touch her, not ever again.
Thomas drew his sword and held it up in front of her, waving the tip menacingly in her direction.
Against his weapon, the Sgian Dubh looked pathetically small.
“You have a lot to learn if you are to serve me, whore.” He eyed her cruelly.
“Now, unless you want me to use that pitiful thing on your body when I take you, I suggest you drop the knife.”
Ashley sobbed with terror. This was the moment she had tried so hard to avoid, but there seemed now to be no escape, nowhere she could seek safety.
Thomas stepped towards her slowly, his intentions clearly written in his expression.
She held the knife out in front of her body, pointed directly at him.
“Stay away from me,” she whispered harshly. Her hands were shaking so badly, it was difficult to keep the knife steady. “I’ll use this! I swear it!”
Thomas laughed again and opened his mouth to speak, but he fell forward abruptly, a knife protruding from his back when he hit the ground. Ashley watched his fall, in disbelief and shrieked in terror when she was wrapped in a pair of strong arms.
“Ashley, love,” Cailin said in her ear, hugging her against him as she struggled to escape.
“Cailin? Cailin!” Ashley began to shake uncontrollably as she realized she was safe and she sobbed, letting the tears she’d been struggling to hold back flow freely. She nestled against his familiar chest, finally safe.
“Cailin, we must go,” Dougall announced, wrapping his hooded cloak around Ashley’s shoulders. Ashley offered him a weak smile of gratitude as she gripped the cloak around her body, to cover the torn gown.
“Come, love. We still have much to do if we wish to get away from here safely. Stay with me, and do as I say.” His gray eyes were serious as he stared down at her. “Do ye ken? ‘Tis important.”
Ashley nodded, too frightened to speak.
Cailin led the way, gripping Ashley in one hand, and his sword in the other, and Dougall followed closely behind Ashley.
As they approached the encampment, the noise of metal clanging again metal, and men yelling and shouting was deafening.
They arrived in the clearing to discover Robert was engaged in a heated battle with Sir Richard.
Cormac, who had hold of Irene, was fending off another attacker.
It seemed their plan to get the women to safety before the attack had failed.
Cailin and Dougall rushed into the fray, keeping Ashley securely sandwiched between them.
They hacked and slashed through man after man as they fought towards the center of the battle.
Ashley’s instincts screamed at her to run, to escape from this horror, but Cailin had told her to stick close to him and for once in her life she was going to do what she’d been told.
They reached Cormac and the men formed a ring of protection around the two women and fought off attacker after attacker. No one managed to breach the protective circle they had created around the women.