Highland Blessings (32 page)

She pulled a handful of green grass from its roots and gripped it in her fingers.

“’Tis amazing how simple some things may seem and how heavenly they can be when we miss them.”

“What?” Sim leaned toward her from where he leisurely lay on his side.

Akira realized she had spoken without looking at him. She sat up and held out her hand for him to inspect, repeating her words once more. She let the dirt and grass slip through her fingers, watching it fall to the earth where it belonged.

“I suppose I should thank ye for today.” Akira looked directly at him so he could not mistake her words.

To her surprise Sim blushed. “Ye g-gave … my … v-voice.”

She shook her head. “Nay, God gave ye yer voice. I only helped ye find and use it.” Akira stood and wrung out the excess water from her skirt and then her hair.

The day already proved to be warm as the sun started to rise and touch her skin. They had slipped into summer a couple of months ago, and with the quick passage of time, only had a few more warm weeks left that they could enjoy.

The scent of pine and sycamore trees thickened around them as the morning came alive, the birds and insects stirring. The loch was nestled between two rolling moors of heather and daisies. Mountains painted the distant sky in hues of purple, dark blue, and gray in uneven peaks and round hills.

Today she would meet with Elliot. Akira knew she would dry before she reached the castle and actually regretted having to leave their peaceful surroundings. It was the first time she’d ever felt comfortable in water and could appreciate the beauty by reveling in it, rather than watching it from afar.

“I’m glad we didn’t ride today. I would rather walk.” She bent to put her shoes back on her feet.

“Whaaat?” Sim’s tone held a hint of frustration.

She had forgotten to look at him before speaking again. “Ye’ve become more natural to converse with, and I forget to face ye. Think of it as a compliment.”

Sim gave her an uncertain glance and then a smile crawled over his face. “Aye,” he announced proudly, straightening his shoulders and puffing out his broadening chest.

“Ye’re not allowed to let yer ego become conceited, no matter how much ye wish to join the ranks of other men. I insist ye remain different.” Akira winked at him with an affectionate grin.

“Al-wayz … dif-ent.” Sim pointed to his mouth, frowning and shaking his head. He pulled his sword from its sheath and threw Akira’s to her with his other hand. “Fight!”

Off balance, she had to jump high enough to reach it. She nearly fell with the weight of it. Even though Bryce had them design it smaller for her, it was still quite heavy. Glancing at Sim, she noticed the protruding muscle in his arm as he swung his sword in a wide arc, waiting for her attack.

“Not today, Sim.” Akira shook her head. “I’ve other plans.”

He looked insulted as he tilted his head, and his lips puckered in a frown. “Al-ways fight … af-ta … ye nearly … drown.”

“But today is different. I didn’t nearly drown. Ye saw me yerself. I was an excellent swimmer.”

“Ye twead-ed … w-wat-er.” Sim twisted his mouth in response to her dry humor. He leaped toward her with one fist on his hip and the other swinging his sword.

Deciding that she didn’t want to lose her head, Akira brought her sword up, and the sound of steel rang in the air.

“I don’t have time to fight,” she shouted at him, but he ignored her as he waved his sword and forced her to duck and lunge sideways to miss his swing-back attack. Sim’s sword clashed with Akira’s once again. “I have things to do.”

“Fight.” Sim went in for a side attack. Akira longed to just stand there, but she knew better. He wouldn’t expect it of her, and he might not have enough time to pull back from his attack. She would have no choice but to fight him and be quick about it, or she would be late meeting Elliot.

Akira had kept her word and told no one about their meeting. If she didn’t hurry, Sim would still be here fighting her when her brother arrived, and Elliot would think she deliberately set him up. She fought with all her might, but fatique from treading water and Sim’s excellent stamina wore her out. He fought well. Too well, she thought as she barely held onto her sword in a deadlock. Sim broke away, and their swords clashed again.

Deep into the fight now, Akira was taken by surprise when her brother emerged from the woods. He must have thought she and Sim were really fighting for he ran at them with his sword raised and a beastly yell that heightened her senses and fell on Sim’s deaf ears, unnoticed. He raced up to Sim from behind.

“Elliot, stop!” Akira screamed.

Elliot’s eyes were fixed on his target. He kept his sword raised, ready to strike and kill. Akira knew that look in Elliot’s eyes and nothing would stop him. He intended to finish his foe. Flashes of Sim’s bleeding head against a rock crossed her mind. With no time to spare, she did the only thing she could to protect the lad. She lunged at Elliot.

Sim paused, a confused frown marring his features as his gaze switched from hers to something behind her. An expression of horror claimed his features as his eyes widened, and he yelled a warning, charging around her.

Her breath caught in her throat as Elliot threw his sword a scarce inch by her head. She had meant to knock his sword out of his hand, but she had not correctly anticipated Elliot’s intent. At the last minute, he had moved the wrong way, tripped over her foot and fell into her sword.

The world stood still. Her heart beat like thunder in her ears, as his eyes flew to hers, a look of betrayal stinging so deep that the sword might as well have passed through her own body. She looked at Elliot’s blood on the tip of her sword and threw it to the ground, screaming and running toward him. Elliot made no sound as he slowly slid to his knees, gripping his side and falling forward against Akira’s skirts.

“Elliot? Oh, Elliot, I didn’t mean it.” Akira wrapped her arms around him, carrying his weight upon her as she helped him to the ground. She
must
make him understand that she didn’t mean it. She could feel her own blood storming through her temples; she could hardly think coherently.

His head sank onto her lap. She rubbed his dark hair from his forehead, her hands trembling so violently she could hardly accomplish the task. “I only intended to knock yer sword from yer hand, but ye threw it instead. What in the world possessed ye, Elliot?” She wiped at the tears streaming down her face; her hands were stained with his blood. “Elliot, please don’t die. I canna bear it if ye die.”

Stop the bleeding,
a voice chanted in her mind. In obedience, she ripped a part of her skirt and tore his clothes to assess the wound. Elliot winced as blood poured from his side. She mopped at it and pressed her garment against the opening. Elliot groaned, wincing in pain.

Once she had done all she could, Akira gathered him close. How could fate be so cruel? “Elliot, I love ye. Please, don’t die.” She would plead, beg, give anything to save him. He rolled to his unhurt side, and she leaned over his body to make sure the garment was still pressed tight against him.

Elliot groaned, jerking from her. “Don’t put yer hand there, lass. Don’t ye know that a man hurts where he’s bleedin?”

His Scottish burr was an imitation of their grandfather, and when she was younger, it would make Akira laugh and forget whatever ailed her. The tender thought that he would make an effort to try and comfort her now when he lay dying, made her burst into tears. She bent to hug him.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered again. “I never meant it.”

“Shush. I know, lass. Ye didn’t see the demon behind ye.” He reached up and rubbed the back of her head. “Go take care of the lad. He needs ye more than I.” Elliot nodded in the direction behind her.

“Demon? Who was behind me?” She raised her head and looked her brother in the eyes. She saw the raw pain in them and almost flinched, but he squeezed her arm to gain her attention.

“He wore a mask. He must be the traitor I warned ye about. Listen to me, lass.” He clenched his jaw tightly, and she knew it was an effort for him to talk, but he seemed determined to have his way. “Only my side is wounded. I don’t believe any of my organs are punctured. I’m just a little weak from a loss of blood.” She began to protest, but he placed a finger against her lips.

“Akira, the lad has a severe head wound. Ye must take him home to yer husband and send someone back for me. Ye canna carry the both of us.”

The words “head wound” caught her attention and without further prompting she jumped to her feet and turned to see Sim lying in the grass beside a huge rock where they had often sat and talked. Akira could clearly see the blood splashed across the front of the large rock where he had struck his head. Sim’s face looked ashen beneath the blood covering most of his body. Her dream re-played before her.

Cold chills slid up her spine. Akira ran to him. “Sim? Sim!” She knelt at his side, but he lay as limp as a blade of grass. “Oh, dear God in heaven. Why let me see it if there is naught I can do to stop it?” Angered, scared, and frustrated, Akira turned to Elliot, who watched from where he still lay. She wondered what to do, as she chewed her bottom lip.

As if reading her thoughts, Elliot nodded. “Save him, Akira. I will still be here when ye come back for me.”

Elliot’s voice sounded weaker, and she knew he would fight her on the matter. He closed his eyes and his face wrinkled in pain. Akira’s guilty heart went out to him once more as she stepped toward him.

“Akira, I meant every word in my letter. I want ye to know how sorry I am for the way I acted, and that I’ll always love ye no matter what.”

Akira started toward Elliot again, but he stopped her. “Save him! Ye’re taking the last of my strength to argue with ye.”

She choked down her sobs as she backed away from him.

“I’ve a horse tied to a tree on the other side of the field. Go get him and put the lad on his back.”

Akira ran to do his bidding. She rode the horse back and slid down his side to the ground. Akira struggled to lift Sim over her shoulders as she hoisted him with all her might onto the animal’s back. She worked to situate Sim’s body just right, hoping she wouldn’t jar his head wound worse. He had grown heavy with muscle because of his training over the past few months.

Once she felt comfortable with Sim’s position, she turned back to her brother. “I love ye, Elliot. I’ll be back before ye know it.” She mounted up in front of Sim. Akira listened to the stillness, sparing only a few precious moments to see if he responded, but there was no reply. She prayed he’d only fallen asleep or was too stubborn to answer.

Her muscles ached and she felt weary to the bone, but she kept going. She couldn’t stop just because of fatigue. Elliot lay alone in the wilderness with God only knew what animals to prey upon him without the strength to protect himself. And she would forever be partly responsible. The thought of her own folly caused a lump to rise in her throat, but she forced it down and concentrated on what she had to do.

By the time she reached the castle she looked a mess and the guards didn’t recognize her. They shouted for her to give her name. Akira tried to answer them as best she could, but her throat felt dry. She ended up sounding more like a croaking frog.

“Lady MacPhearson?” One of them recognized her after all.

Her energy drained from the summer heat and the morning’s events, Akira nodded as fresh tears stung her eyes. She took a deep breath, thankful she was almost there. She glanced behind her, but couldn’t tell if Sim still breathed.
Please let him live, Lord. And keep Elliot safe and alive.
The gate slowly opened.

They sounded the MacPhearson alarm. She urged Elliot’s horse forward. Bryce’s men rushed to meet her. The ranking warrior ordered someone to find Bryce, Angus, and Father Forbes. Someone lifted Sim from the horse. She fought with a warrior who tried to lift her up.

“Nay! Nay!” she shouted, but her cries were muffled and hardly heard. “Bryce!” She kept calling his name over and over.

“What happened?”

Akira barely recognized Balloch as she lifted her tired eyes in the direction of his voice. She held her arms out to him, and tears of relief flowed so incoherently, he couldn’t understand a word she said. Balloch lifted her into his strong arms and carried her off.

“My brother,” she whispered.

“What?” Balloch bent his head closer to her, trying to understand. When she didn’t repeat herself he continued rushing toward the castle. “There will be war over this, and if Bryce doesn’t kill the one who did this, then I surely will.”

The mention of killing sent her into hysterics as she struggled against him. Balloch almost dropped her. “I’ve got to go back to my brother.” Akira jerked from him and searched wildly around her. “Sim?”

“Akira, they carried him upstairs. Angus is looking after him. He must also see ye as well.”

“Nay. There’s no time.” She backed out of reach, shoving her tangled mass of curls out of her face. “I must go to Elliot. I won’t rest until I do.”

“Akira!” Bryce called to her. She looked to the stairs leading into the castle, waiting for him to show himself. He ran out the double doors and stopped in his tracks when he saw her. “Akira?” Bryce looked uncertain.

“Aye, Bryce.” She nodded. “’Tis me.”