Highland Light (25 page)

Gideon had been coming home in a great hurry. Something had caused him to leave the army and take off on his own. Ailene came to a deep swale. The trail into it was fairly steep, it was the same going out. Toward the southern end of the swale was a trickle of water that crossed the track. There was no way around the small burn that crossed it. Ailene stopped and examined the mud. The animal that had been traveling down the middle of the trail had stumbled a little as it went through the mud.

She turned then carefully followed the tracks until she could see where the horse had reared and then taken off again. There were scuff marks at the side of the trail. She found a small pool of blood. Ailene knew this was the place where Gideon had dismounted. Along side the small pool of blood were the prints of someone kneeling in the dirt. Ailene lay down in the trail then looked at the brush on either side of her. She found the place where someone, Gideon, had pushed into and under the brush.

Rising, she ran her fingers over a place where a handful of moss had been scraped from the underside of a rock. He was hidden somewhere near. She followed what appeared to be indistinct boot tracks along the side of the trail.

The other men sat on their horses at the top of the ridge leading out of the swale to the north. They sat and waited as she puzzled out the signs that were trying to tell her where Gideon was. Swallowing hard she noted where he had fallen, handprints in the dirt told the story.

The place where the burn tumbled down the mountainside drew her. Before anyone could stop her, Ailene went sliding down the scree slope. She stopped short of sliding into the cold water.

"Gideon?"

Ailene called softly.

"Here." She heard a whisper from around the bulge of rock slightly below her.

She moved further down on the ledge then carefully pulled herself around the rock. There was barely room for Gideon on the small piece of dirt hugging the curve of the burn. He was lying on his back in the grass and flowers there. He had evidently cut off his shirt and had draped it over his body. He was holding his dagger in his right hand.

"Ah gradh! What did they do to ye?

He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Tried to kill me. You and Davie are well?"

Ailene nodded.

Gideon closed his eyes.

"It was all a lie then. They put an arrow in my right side. It is my turn love, I was horribly stupid, Sorry."

Ailene reached over to give Gideon a gentle kiss.

"Now we will gie ye out of here an home love."

She slipped back around the rock. Everyone was peering down the slide.

"He is here. Arrow wound, ken? How do we gie him up?"

Each man looked at the other. Dalziel pushed forward.

"I will need ta see ta wound. Tis there room for me doon there?"

Ailene slipped around the rock.

"Aye. If ye pull me up."

Once Ailene was on the trail, Dalziel was lowered down the slope. He disappeared around the rock. Those above heard Dalziel's deep rumble as the spoke with Gideon. There was a short laugh. Then Dalziel appeared back around the rock.

Dalziel was brought up and Seumas then went down. The big man slipped as far around the rock as he could get. He bent his head then spoke to Gideon.

"If ye wish I can carry ye out of here lad."

Gideon's reply was not heard but Seumas laughed.

"Nay lad." He responded to whatever Gideon had said.

It was decided that they would use the horses to get both Seumas and Gideon out of the bed of the stream then up onto the trail. Seumas used Gideon's plaid to cushion Gideon's upper body, put both arms around his chest, lifted him up and around the rock. Gideon stood feet wide apart close to the edge of the burn, Seumas stood behind him, ready to brace him if necessary. Seumas tied the long rope so as to make two loops that he helped Gideon put his legs into. Then Seumas took the second long rope and got behind Gideon.

"Lean on me lad an we will have ye out of this shortly."

Gideon did as Seumas told him, clinging to the rope that was looped around his legs. Seumas held on to the second rope as the horse was led slowly up the trail. With one arm around Gideon, Seumas walked up the scree slope trying to keep Gideon from falling face forward against the lose rocks. Gideon was able to push off from the rocks with one hand when rocks slipped from under Seumas feet and they both hit the slope. The second time Gideon hit the rocks, Ailene heard him groan.

Ailene was face down on the trail reaching out with both hands as his head came even with the trail. She grabbed his shoulder then turned his head to the side away from the rocky edge. As soon as Gideon's hands came up over the edge of the trail, Cadell and Iver each took hold of an arm and hoisted him up on to the trail.

Seumas scrambled up over the edge. He immediately reached for Gideon. The big highlander picked Gideon up into his arms. The rope was removed from his body and Seumas gently set him on his feet. Dalziel and Cadell supported him as Seumas mounted his horse.

"Hand him up ta me."

Seumas reached for Gideon. They shifted him carefully onto the horse then into Seumas' arms.

"Well now lad, home for ye."

They set off as quickly as they could. Gideon passed out again as soon as the jarring of the horse's hooves on the trail made the pain unbearable. Seumas pushed the horse into a trot then. The sooner Gideon was home the better.

By mid day Gideon was home in his own bed. Ailene had spoken for some time with Dalziel. He was confident that the measures Gideon had taken had cleansed the wound.

"Well, lass he wa planning on walking home, ye ken? So he took steps ta ward off any infection. The salt water is ah great cleanser but tis ah if the fires of hades are burnin ye alive. Tis ah hard one to do ye self."

Ailene cocked her head to one side.

"Could he ha walked home?"

"I think in ah day or so, aye."

Dalziel scratched his beard with one hand.

"Tis better some times to rest when ye have been greviously hurt. Breaking ta shaft an pulling out ta other half, caused a wee bit more injury as he culdna pull it straight out. Ta angle, mind?"

Ailene clenched her fist as she wished to cause 'grevious injury' to someone, she was not sure who. She had asked Fenella to watch Davie. She would feed the child on the usual schedule during the day but she wanted to be able to concentrate on Gideon while not feeding the bairn.

Ailene had just finished the forenoon feeding. She was on her way from the kitchen after having warmed a cup of broth for Gideon. Dalziel had been waiting in the hall for her.

Ailene considered the situation. It was unfathomable. Somehow it did not have a MacNab ring to it. Ailene could have believed that he had been set upon by thieves except for Gideon's question regarding Davie's health and her own. She was looking forward to questioning Gideon further. This was a puzzle she dearly wished the answer to.

She took the cup of broth up to Gideon. He still appeared to be sleeping or unconscious, it was difficult to determine which. Ailene laid a hand on his forehead. He was cool. She peeled back the bed covers and noted that as raw as the wound looked it was not red nor was oozing pus. Dalziel had advised laying a light linen cloth over the wound without a binding. If there were any drainage, it would be better if they knew about it as soon as possible.

As she moved the covering back over the injury, then went to cover him back up, Gideon woke.

His eyes opened. His right hand reached out for her hand, the one holding the covers.

"I fear I must now ask pardon for being a fool. I will never live it down, that Seumas carried me home before him like a silly girl."

Ailene sat carefully on the edge of the bed so as not to cause him pain.

"I am only glad that ye thought as quickly as ye did Gideon."

He said nothing. Gideon only shook his head slightly.

"I read the sign Gideon."

Ailene smiled at him.

"They shot ye before ye entered the swale. Ye rode into the swale an tumbled off the animal just past were ta burn crosses the tail. Ye struck the horse hard on the rump, before it galloped off it reared. Ye fell on ye knees, broke the arrow, pulled it from ye and crawled under the bush."

As she continued Gideon began to smile broadly.

"They dinna see that the horse had no rider until well after ye had wrapped the wound so ta wouldna be ah blood trail to find ye by. Then ye went down the scree slope where ye hid behind the rock bulge. Do I ha it correctly?"

Gideon chuckled at her as he rubbed her fingers against his cheek.

"Oh, aye. Woman, if you had been looking for me I would have been dead."

Ailene smiled smugly at Gideon.

"I wa looking for ye. An I found ye that is why ye no had to walk home half dead."

"Thank you love for finding me. Embarrasing as it was, riding home was preferrable to walking. Now, who taught you to track that well?"

"Years ago, Parlan showed me the basics, ken? I learned tha rest on my own. I enjoyed seeing wa stories were told by ta tracks left by man and beast."

She removed her hand from his and stared at him.

"What I need to ken now is how ye happened to find ye self in that mess."

Gideon lifted one hand.

"In a moment. First I need to relieve myself. So I need you to move for a moment so I may rise."

"I think I will no let ye Gideon."

Ailene rose then went to the far corner of the room to return with a wooden bucket. Ye are not to go down the stairs for a wee while and ye are to use this bucket. No argument husband."

Gideon closed his eyes then shook his head.

"Woman!"

"Nay, man! I will ha no argument on this. Sit on the edge of the bed if ye can, an I will gie ye the bucket."

Gideon sat up then turned to sit on the edge of the bed. The movement made him slightly lightheaded but he refused to let Ailene know that.

"Give me the miserable bucket Ailene. I will not be treated as an invalid."

He growled at her.  ith a slight smile, Ailene put the bucket between his feet and moved backward a bit. He would be fine. Nothing like a bit of anger to put a man to rights.

"I will take the thing down for ye. Gie back into the bed and tell me this tale. I have been puzzling it all night an near all morn. It makes no sense."

Gideon slipped back into the bed. Ailene took the cloth, which had slipped off his wound then draped it back in place.

"It is a puzzle. I do not think MacNab is behind this. The MacNabs are too busy trying to save their own skins what with the King ready to wipe them out. I have thought about it and it makes no sense to me either."

She sat on the edge of the bed. Ailene listened as he outlined the circumstances that had brought him into the ambush on his own. When he was finished, Ailene looked at him then shook her head.

"This must never happen again. We need ah code word, something tha will tell the other the message is true."

Gideon took her hand again. He nodded in agreement before he began to kiss each of her fingers.

"Easily done love. Our code word is 'Liora'. It is a Hebrew name and means 'light'. Without that word spoken or written, any message I receive or send is to be disregarded. Agreed?"

"Aye, but ye will have to help me remember it. An stop kissing my fingers Gideon MacGrough. Ye willna get around me with yer charm. Ye are no getting out o tha bed for a day or so at least."

Ailene watched his eyes flutter closed. He was no where near as capable as he would like her to believe. Her heart flooded with love for Gideon. She wanted to gather him to her. Ailene just wanted to hold him. Ailene sat in one of the chairs then took up her sewing. He would need a new shirt to replace the one, which had been destroyed.

His ability to think and quickly process information amazed her. Another man might not have found such a secure hiding place. Had she not known how his mind worked. Had she not been able to read the sign, she might not have found him. Ailene lay her sewing in her lap she silently thanked God that she had found him. In her heart she doubted that he would have been capable of walking home in his condition. Though God knew he would have tried.

As he was asleep and could not see what she was doing, Ailene opened the chest where his clothing was stored. To make sure that Gideon stayed where she wished Ailene took his trews then hid them all in the chest under her things. If he wanted to wander around the room naked, she could not stop it. But she knew his inate shyness would keep him in the room until he could clothe his nether regions. Eventually he would look in the chest, as weak as he was it might take a day or so before he located his clothing.

In the evening Ailene got Gideon to slide over to her side of the bed.

"If ye no move over, I willna sleep with ye. I have nae wish to bump yer injury."

Ailene removed the covers from the bed then watched him slide over. She moved the slop bucket over to the side of the bed for him then gently spread the covers over Gideon. She went to find Fenella and collect Davie. With the child cradled in one arm, Ailene entered her bedroom. Gideon had waited up for her.

"Let me have him Ailene."

Gideon had flipped the covers away he was turned slightly on his good side. She heard the need in his voice. Ailene leaned over to place the sleeping child next to him. Gideon's right hand curled around his son's dark head. In the flickering candle light Ailene watched as Gideon carefully curled his body around the babe.

"They knew where to hurt me Ailene. I am not able to think clearly if either of you are threatened. It might not have been Alec MacNab but it could have been someone who was there the day I took you back."

Ailene took off the dress then slipped into the bed. Drawing up her legs, Ailene slid over to lay her head next to Davie. Gideon moved his hand. She felt his fingers touch the side of her head. Careful to avoid the area of his wound, she put her arm over his hip.

"I am nay better gradh. Fayther had to stop me from running out alone to search for ye."

His response was to reach over to kiss her forehead.