Page 121 of Sighs of the Highland Wind
After a moment, there was a reluctant murmur of agreement. “But we cannae go without a plan,” he said firmly. “Now, here is what I suggest. First, we send out a scout.” He looked around them all. “These bloody redcoats are so full of themselves that they willnae even bother to hide their camp.” He paused and looked around them for a moment. “Once we find out where they are, we can see what weapons they have.”
“And see how Tearlach is,” Norah put in.
“Aye, hen, that goes without sayin’,” Tommy said kindly. “Then we can work out a plan to get him back, an’ deal wi’ the redcoats.”
Norah could not sleep, but then she had not expected to. The combination of the hard ground, the cold, and the anxiety about Tearlach were all conspiring to keep her awake, and the more she tried to concentrate on anything else, the more difficult it became.
She tried to recall good memories with him, and there were plenty that she could have chosen from, but her mind kept recalling the bad ones, like the day he had fallen off the big Shirehorse they used for pulling their cart. The horse was called Hero and was not used to being ridden, but, like most boys of that age, Tearlach had wanted to impress the girls, particularly Norah. One day, when his father was busy at his anvil, he had sneaked into the field where the huge horse was grazing peacefully and leapt onto his back without a bridle or a saddle.
Hero was a placid horse, as were most horses of his breed, but he was startled by the sudden weight that had landed onto his back, and reared up slightly on his hind legs. He did not raise his front feet very high in the air, but without a saddle, Tearlach had nothing to stop himself from sliding over Hero’s back and onto the ground. He slid over the big horse’s rump, fell with a thump and lay motionless for what seemed like an eternity to Norah. Her heart was racing with fear until eventually he rose to his feet, dusted himself off and rubbed his head, grimacing, and she breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
That had been, without a doubt, the worst moment of her life, until now. There were other painful memories too, but she managed to push them to the back of her mind.
She thought about what Tearlach had said about looking for her, about having some sort of idea where she was, and knew that she should be comforted that he cared for her so much, but their last words to each other had been said in anger and desperation.
What if they were the last words they ever said to each other? She cursed herself inwardly. Those last words should have been,‘I love you,’or‘I will never forget you.’
There was a stone sticking into Norah’s back, and pine needles were tangled in her hair. Her blanket and cloak were tangled around her body from all the tossing and turning she had done.Yet her physical discomfort was not half as bad as the ache in her heart that would give her no peace.
Alec, who had been elected to go scouting, crept back just as dawn was breaking. He looked tired, but was in high spirits.
“They are movin’ very slowly,” he informed them. “We are no’ very far away fae them. There are only three of them in the camp, since the rest have all gone out lookin’ for us. We must be very careful, but we know the land much better than they dae, an’ we should be able to keep out o’ their way without much trouble.”
“Did you see Tearlach?” Norah asked anxiously.
“Aye, hen,” Alec answered. “He was tied to a tree an’ he looked very tired. That rough tree bark is obviously no’ daein’ his back much good, but when I saw him they were feedin’ him soup, so at least he is no’ starvin’.”
Norah was relieved, but she was still not satisfied. “Does he look as if he is in pain?” she asked. She knew she would not like the answer, but she had to know.
Alec sighed, and squirmed uncomfortably. “He looked as if he was in a bit o’ pain,” he admitted. “But he is a strong lad, Norah. Ye know that already, an’ he never gives up.”
“What are we going to do now, then?” she demanded. “I am not a soldier, so I have no idea what to do in situations like this. Does any of you have an idea?” She looked around them all, and almost screamed with frustration at the blank faces she saw.
However, just as she was about to yell at them, Alec spoke up. “I have an idea,” he said grimly. “Tearlach is only tied by his hands. His feet are still free, so as soon as we untie his bonds he can run, but the first thing we need tae dae is create a diversion. We need to make sure they are no’ lookin’ at him, but at somethin’ else.”
“Me,” Norah said at once. “I can be the diversion. I know how weak men like that are, and I think I can keep their eyes averted from Tearlach long enough to cut him loose from his bonds.”
All the men looked at each other doubtfully.
“Are ye sure, hen?” Tommy asked, frowning. “These men are very dangerous, well-trained an’ well-armed. They will no’ just be distracted by the sight o’ a pretty woman.”
Norah sat and thought for a moment. “Then the pretty woman will have to have some help,” she said thoughtfully. “And I know just the kind of help she needs.”
18
Soldiers were not gentle people, Tearlach reminded himself, or they would not have become soldiers in the first place. When the redcoats burst through the trees towards him, he had no defense. They snatched his dagger and sword away from him before he could make a move to use either of them, and pushed him onto the ground so that he was absolutely helpless. He fell on his injured shoulder and cried out in agony.
“Now, young man,” the officer in command, a lieutenant, came to stand over him as he lay, vulnerable and terrified, on the hard ground. He gave Tearlach a casual kick on his thigh, then knelt down on one knee beside him and stared into his eyes. Even in the dying light Tearlach could see that his eyes were a pale, almost colorless grey. Under his tricorn hat the man’s hair was white, even though he looked to be quite young. He was tall and very skinny, and his voice was reedy and high-pitched. Tearlach thought he resembled a snake, and he shuddered.
“Now, you will tell me where your friends are.” The officer said firmly. He stared into Tearlach’s face with his dagger in his hand, waiting for an answer.
Tearlach spat on the ground and arranged his face into a vicious glare. “Friends?” he snarled. “They are no’ my friends! They just left me here so that I could be found by you lot! What kind o’ friends dae that? If I knew where they were goin’ I would tell ye, but I dinnae know.”
“What is your name?” the lieutenant demanded. “If you do not tell me I may have to beat it out of you.” His eyes glinted as though he relished the idea, and Tearlach had no doubt that he did. He shuddered in revulsion.
For a moment, Tearlach looked as if he was about to refuse to tell the Englishman anything, but it was only to buy himself time to think of another name. “Duncan McMaster,” he replied sullenly.
The Lieutenant looked at him suspiciously, then grinned slyly. “And where do you live, McMaster?” the lieutenant asked.
