Page 21 of The Burden of a Scottish Chieftain
Derric said, “Diamond, we must move along. Godspeed on your journey, wherever you go, MacVey.”
He waved to them and led his horse to the small port, glad to see few people around, because he needed time to think on what Dyna had said. As much as he’d tried to forget everything that happened to him, perhaps it was time to allow the memories to return. More and more memories resurfaced, and the puzzle of all that happened was finally making sense to him. It was time to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Once he settled on the ship headed toward Oban, toward the fool who stole him away, he allowed the memories in.
This had to stop.
Fifteen years ago
Lennox woke with a pounding ache in his head. He was being dragged across the path in a forest, one he’d never seen before. He had to get away. He kicked and fought, doing his best to be free of two fools, one who held his arms and the other his legs, but they held tight.
“Stop fighting, lad. We are not going to hurt you. You’re going to work, that’s all. You get a pallet to sleep on this eve, then on the morrow, we’ll take you to the new castle far away. They need big, strapping lads to muck their stalls and carry stones to make their curtain wall. You’ll see. It’s not so bad.”
“When my sire finds you, he’ll kill you.”
“I might worry, but your father will never find me. Will he, Egan?”
The other man laughed and said, “We’re making good coin for the big lads, but tell him the next one must be smaller. I cannot carry them up the hill.”
“Where am I? Where are you taking me?”
“Nowhere that matters. The lord wants a new castle and a new wall. So, you’ll be building it.”
Lennox fought for all he was worth. He finally freed one foot and kicked up, catching the man who’d been talking rightin his jaw. He let out a screeching bellow, dropped Lennox for a second, but then grabbed him and landed a punch square to his jaw.
Lennox punched him back.
“The blow to your head wasn’t enough for you? Well, I know exactly how to fix you, laddie. Fingal, you know where we’re putting him, do you not?”
“Aye, in the cottage.”
“Nay. This one is going in the cellars.”
He grabbed Lennox’s legs and tied them together, then laughed when he picked him up again. “You’ll not be kicking me anymore, you spoiled brat.”
“In the cellar? That’s not nice, Egan.”
“It’s where he goes.”
The two didn’t say anything, as dark was nearly upon them and the trees were thinning. They entered through a back gate, then carried Lennox over to the rear door of a dilapidated building. Lennox stared at everything, doing his best to memorize his surroundings in case he was able to break free.
If he had the chance, he’d run, but he had to know where to go.
Once inside, they carried him down the stairs into the castle cellars, into a dark room where they tossed him on an old cot.
“See how you like this. You can sleep with the rats. When you wake up, they’ll be nibbling on your toes and your nose.”
The two men left, and the mean one named Egan laughed through the small window in the door. “I can’t wait to see how hungry you are on the morrow. See how many places the rats have nibbled you.”
Lennox said nothing, looking around the chamber for any means to escape, but he found naught useful. The door was locked and solid, and the cot was filthy, but the floor wasworse. A dim torch far down the passageway provided the only light through the small window, and an urn sat in the corner, probably one to pish in.
He’d never been so frightened and angry in his life.
He stood at the door and screamed until his voice was raw. He remembered something his father had told him about being captured, that the most important thing was to maintain your strength. If you had your strength, you could wait for the right moment to escape, but the best way was to outmaneuver the bastards.
When Lennox had no voice left, he moved over and sat on the cot, the smell horrible, but it was better than the floor. He didn’t see any rats, so he put his head down and cried, eventually falling asleep.
Something awakened him in the middle of the night. He opened his eyes and peered into the darkness, and when his eyes adjusted, he found himself staring into the eyes of a mouse. He screamed and screamed. In his desperation, he finally came up with his solution.
