Highland Light (24 page)

Gideon woke to the insistent tug of the reins on his wrist. The horse had grazed as far as it could. It was tugging on his arm to get at a clump of grass just out of reach. Gideon rose and readjusted his plaid. He drank from the burn, relieved himself and resaddled the horse. A quick bite of the dried meat and he was again on the trail. It would still be several hours to daylight. He groaned as he considered the distance they needed to travel to reach the ford at Glasgow.

There was the older ford, the one Cadell had told him about. It was a gamble. Gideon decided he was willing to take the chance. It would cut off several miles, as a bonus he would be able to avoid Glasgow entirely. It was an older, more difficult crossing but it was still used by some. Gideon turned his horse. He hoped he would not need to swim the animal across.

Alternately rising in the saddle to take some weight off the horse, Gideon varied between a fast walk and a trot. Occasionally he kicked the animal into a canter but did not keep that up for long.

The sun was barely up when Gideon sat on the far bank of the Clyde. He and the horse had needed to swim only a very short distance across the river. Gideon was drying his sword and dagger on his plaid. After resheathing the sword and dagger, he took a small bite of the dried meat.

The horse was cropping grass as if it would have no further chance to eat. He allowed the animal to eat and relax for a bit. Gideon wanted to be up and galloping toward home but knew that he could not do so and still have the horse carry him home. It was difficult to restrain his urge to remount. Gideon paced the bank as he chewed the meat. When he could contain his impatience no longer he caught up the horse then remounted.

The two men who were waiting for Gideon at the base of the western trace up Loch Lomond were still sleeping. They slept as Gideon slipped past them where they lay in hiding. Gideon would have gotten past them entirely if one of their horses had not sensed the other animal passing.

The whinny of the horse alerted them. By the time the two men were able to break camp and mount up, Gideon was well past on his way up Loch Lomond. By the way his horse acted, Gideon knew someone was behind him. As this was a well traveled route to the northwest, Gideon did not immediately do more than note that he was not alone on the track.

The day was well spent it was getting near evening. Gideon knew that he must rest the horse. He had passed the track to Loch Sloy and the MacFarlane's home. He had missed the possibility of exchanging his tired animal for a fresh one. He stopped to allow the horse to graze for a few minutes. The horse was not winded but it was worn. Gideon walked it a bit before remounting. The horse lifted it head and whinnied.

Gideon heard the clatter. He urged his mount into a canter. Suddenly something felt wrong. The horsemen behind him topped the ridge he had recently crossed. Gideon turned to look over his shoulder and saw them.

When they caught sight of him they spurred their mounts. Gideon knew he had made a grave mistake by not stopping at Loch Sloy to exchange mounts. The sun would soon drop behind Ben Vorlich. Twilight would make it more difficult for them to keep up the pace they were setting behind him. Gideon did not understand why they were after him but he was sure they were hunting him.

His pursuers must have realized that they might lose him after the sun went down. He heard them getting closer. An arrow flashed by him. Gideon pictured the trail before him. There was a swale ahead of him where the trail descended deep into the hollow before it topped the next ridge. The MacGrough glen and a sentry were only a few miles ahead of him. It might be best to send the horse ahead and make a stand.

Gideon topped the ridge and was almost knocked from the saddle as an arrow embedded itself into his left side just before the trail dropped down out of sight. Now he must send the horse on ahead.

The pain threatened to cause him to lose consciousness. He refused to give up. He pulled the horse up then quickly tumbled from the saddle. Gideon slapped the horse's rump hard. He hoped it could get over the far side of the swale before the others noticed he was no longer on its back. The animal reared then galloped off with a squeal of terror.

Gideon dropped to his knees, pulled the arrow forward then snapped the shaft off. Blackness threatened to turn off his mind. He struggled to stay conscious. Thankful for the darkness in the swale, he pulled the arrow out of his back with one hand. He was panting as he scrabbled to the side of the trail then pushed himself into and under the brush.

There were two men. They spurred their mounts forward as they realized their quarry was not in the swale. As soon as they disappeared over the edge of the hollow in pursuit of his horse, Gideon scrambled to his feet. He loosened his plaid before scraped a handful of moss from the base of a large rock. Gideon steadied one chunk of moss against the wound in front then wound his plaid tightly against it. He was breathing through clenched teeth as he repeated the procedure with the entry wound in his back. If he left a blood trail they would be able to find him easily.

He struggled back up the trail to the large rock where a tiny steam trickled across the track. Where the burn flowed down beyond the trail was a scree slope that went down the right side of the burn. Gideon stumbled to the side of the trail then let himself down the scree slope. Glad that he wore the leather trews he slid down the scree to land on a small ledge next to the burn.

He pulled himself around a bulge of rock then found a flat grassy spot almost big enough to hold his length. Gideon was on his back. He managed to wiggle himself further onto the grass. The bulge of rock would hide him from view. It was as far as he could go. The blackness he had been holding off slid over him.

He woke to find it near dawn. Gideon realized he had been unconscious for the entire night. If the men were still hunting him he would need to be still. But he was thirsty and needed a drink. The burn was not far away, perhaps at arm's length away from where he lay. He knew that if he tried to roll onto his side he probably would lose consciousness again. He could not afford to pass out again. There were things he must do if he intended to live.

With the tip of his dagger he carefully ripped a horizontal slit in the sleeve of his shirt. Twisting the cloth around he was able to cut most of the cloth away. Gideon ripped the shirtsleeve free. He carefully slid over to the edge of the small grassy spot where he lay. Holding tightly onto the cuff of the sleeve he dangled the cloth into the cold water of the burn. When he felt the cloth had absorbed some water, he turned his head to the side and pushed the wet cloth into his open mouth. The water was cold. He gratefully sucked up the moisture. He again moistened the cloth then sucked the water from it.

Gideon knew he had to somehow care for the wound. As he thought about how to go about cleaning it without bringing oblivion on once again, Gideon checked his pouch. He had a little dried meat left. There was a flint in the pouch and a small packet of salt. He could make a fire with the flint and his dagger. The salt struck a chord in his memory.

On the voyage he had watched a sailor deliberately bathe a hand wound with salt water. When Gideon had asked the sailor what he was doing, the man had replied that salt cleansed and cauterized wounds. The sailor had also commented that it hurt like the fires of hell. Considering what else he might use to clean the wound, Gideon kept coming back to the salt.

He looked around him. There were several spider webs hanging in bushes nearby. He could use those to seal the wound if necessary. First he had to make sure the wound was clean. Had it taken any of the fibers from his shirt into his body? Gideon carefully slit the shirt up the front. He could manage to close it somehow if he needed to do so later. Gideon lifted up on one elbow he shrugged out of one side of the shirt. He tugged the cloth off his body then lay still for a moment, panting.

He held up the shirt and carefully inspected the entry hole. Thankfully they had used a sharp point and it appeared to have penetrated the cloth of the shirt without tearing any fibers loose on the way into his body. The plaid was under him and provided a pad between his body and the grass he was lying on. Hopefully nothing of a foreign nature would get into his back. There was no hope for it; the only way he could cleanse the wound was with the salt.

Gideon fingered the small packet of salt. It was clear to him that he would pass out before he was able to force enough of the dry salt into the wound to properly cleanse it. There was one other manner in which he could clean it. He would need to flood the wound with salt water.

He closed his eyes as he silently recited the 23rd Psalm. Gideon prayed for the strength to do what was necessary. He turned the sleeve inside out. Near the cuff where it was damp he coated the wet cloth with the salt. He allowed the other end of the sleeve to dangle into the water. That done, he took a deep breath then brought the sleeve up out of the water. Gathering the sleeve cuff together he pushed it down over the wound and steeled himself against the pain. Gideon squeezed the water down toward the cuff. He almost screamed when the salt water flooded into his torn flesh.

His body quaked from the pain. Grinding his teeth together, Gideon held on to consciousness as long as he could. Finally he could bear it no longer, blackness washed over him again.

Chapter 22

Sim raised the alarm. In the twilight the horse came galloping down the trail into the glen. He saw the two riders pull up then quickly turn their animals back the way they had come when they realized they had been seen. Putting both hands around his mouth, Sim yelled out the MacGrough war cry. The sentry at the head of the glen took up the cry. Hearing the call to arms, all the MacGrough warriors ran from their homes into the growing darkness.

Sim ran after the terrified animal down into the glen. It finally came to a halt at the stable door. Boyd hurried to the animal. He stripped the saddle and pack from its trembling back.

Cadell threw open the door to the hall a sword in hand. Ailene had thrust Davie into Fenella's arms and taken up her bow and quiver.

"It's Gideon's horse."

Boyd called out. Seeing a dark stain on the leather, he carried the saddle to the door of the hall where he pointed out the stain to Cadell and Ailene.

"Here! Blood, ye see it?"

Ailene bent down to look. She groaned when she saw the stain on the saddle. Cadell cursed.

"What might he be doin here?"

Cadell asked not expecting a reply.

"I dinna ken. This is his, mind."

She scrubbed the stain with her fingers. Some of the blood came off on her fingertips.

"Tis fresh blood."

She stood and watched Sim trot up.

He stopped to take a breath.

"Twa men. Went back the wa they came."

Ailene looked down the glen.

"He is close."

She went back inside.

"Fenella, will ye look after Davie?"

Fenella nodded. Ailene started up the stairs.

"Ailene! Wait!"

Her father called out to her.

"We must plan. Ye canna go off alone in the dark."

Ailene turned and lifted her chin.

"What if tha are searching for him? If tha had taken him, they wa have the horse. They no have him."

Cadell went over to her.

"Aye. But we need ah plan. Ye need three men at least. Ye are no leaving me here. We will go an take Dalziel, Iver and Seumas. Ye ken, Seumas is the strongest man we ha. We need several plaids an rope."

"Aye. I will get ready."

As she dashed up the stairs, Ailene heard her father issuing orders. She took a pair of Gideon's leather trews then drew them on, She had to wiggle to get them barely laced up. A shirt and plaid were next. Ailene pulled on her riding boots then put on her belt and sporran. Ailene checked the contents of the pouch. She noted that everything was in it. She put on her sword and checked the dagger. Ailene slammed the dagger into its sheath then went back down to the hall.

The horses were being readied. Boyd brought her horse out. Ailene went into the stable. She found several ropes. Not knowing what they would find she took two short and two long ropes from their pegs on the wall.

From the chest in the hall she took two waulked plaids then tied all onto her saddle. The last man to mount was Seumas. All the men carried swords and spears. Ailene was also armed with her bow and quiver of arrows. They trotted down the trail toward the south and Loch Lomond, Cadell in the lead.

When they reached the top of the farthest ridge, Cadell called a halt. They could vaguely see the trail stretched out before them. He had a fire built in the middle of the trail as a beacon for Gideon and a warning to anyone watching that the MacGroughs were there and ready to protect their own.

They camped there in the middle of the trail. Until Gideon was found no one could travel the west trail in either direction without approval of the MacGrough. Ailene knew that they could do no more until the morning. She made herself as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. She did not sleep. There would be time enough for that later when they found Gideon.

As soon as it was light enough to see, They started their search. Ailene went first. She walked her horse. All dropped back to allow her to walk slowly along the trail.

Ailene saw places where the two men had evidently ridden side by side. The trail was wide enough for two horses to pass one another on the trail but there were places where the brush on either side of the well defined trail was badly damaged. That told her that the men had ridden down the trail in the dark. In places they had veered into the brush at the side of the trail.

Gideon's horse had stayed to the middle of the trace. She leaned down to examine the tracks there. The animal that made those tracks was well acquainted with the trail. At that point the horse was traveling fairly fast. As his horse had reached the stable exhausted, she felt it had come a long way in a very short time. He had ridden the animal without much rest.