Kahleena MacCarthy ~ To Meet a Highlander (16 page)

             
"She willnae die, lad. Ye ken I can see these things. Fear not, the MacKinnon's have always been great warriors. They shall defend their land and their clan as they always have. Since the two of you are not experienced in swords, follow us back to the keep." Argus did not wait for any reply as he grabbed Tsarina by the arm and led her toward the keep with the priest close at their heels. He knew his primary job was to keep her safe at all costs. He hoped that cost would not come down to her brother and his friend. The lass would never forgive him.

Chapter 10

              Caelan and Drostan ran into battle. They felt the warm blood touch their skin as they sliced opponent after opponent. Neither had their normal confidence in battle. They missed Zarik but knew they must fight better than ever since he was not there. Tor, especially on his wedding day, must be protected at all costs. They had all known they relied on Zarik all these years, but it had never been as evident as it was today.

             
Tor fought as if possessed. Drostan could see him over to the side of where he and Caelan fought. Perhaps this was a sign that the wedding was not meant to be.

             
They fought for what seemed like hours. As it wound down, they hoped that no one had gotten into the keep.

             
"Tor, are ye all right?" Caelan asked.

             
"Aye, I am well. And yerself? And you Drostan?"

             
"I am well." Caelan spoke while he searched around them for any further threats. Tor was not the leader in battle that Zarik had been.

             
"I am fine as well. However, this wedding concerns me." Drostan sat on a rock that was nearby and carefully wiped off his sword on part of his kilt as he spoke. “Is this a sign? Maybe Zarik and Tsarina are the ones that were to have been married. Fate is a thing ye cannae mess with. She has a way of getting her way."

             
"Tsarina and I will be married. This was nothing more than the MacLean´s causing trouble like they always have. It's nothing new and we ken it. We'll get back to the keep and check on things there. Then we'll clean up and get back to my wedding."

             
They quickly assessed any injuries and hurried back to the keep. Drostan couldn't keep himself from thinking that the fates had decided to intervene and stop the wedding. The MacKinnon's could have a black cloud over the clan for centuries to come if this wedding happened and was not meant to be.

****

              Tsarina tried her best to keep everyone calm. Between crying children, worried women, and her brother and Galen trying to get her to just leave, she was about to scream. If she had her own sword she may have considered running herself through just to get some silence.

             
"Lass, all will be well. Just keep your smile and continue moving forward. It will be over before ye ken it and everyone will be back at the keep. Yer wedding day, albeit with a little more excitement than planned, will still go on and be just as beautiful as it was always meant to be." Argus gently placed his arm around Tsarina´s shoulder. He could see her stress build as the minutes passed. With Tor's mother not being alive all the burdens of the clan fell on her shoulders. “Just think of all the stories ye'll have to tell yer bairns about this day.”

             
"I know. Tor will be back soon and all will go as planned." She shot a glare at both her brother and Galen. She knew they both meant well. In another time and another place, Galen might just about have been her perfect match. She thought back to how she had managed to arrive here. It was Galen's kiss and his closeness... No, she couldn't think about that right now. There were more important things – and her wedding to Tor.

             
As Tsarina locked her arm in Argus' they both turned and jumped at the sounding of a shriek.

             
The site before her was awful. It looked like at least fifteen of the McLean clansmen had managed to get into their keep. Several held women with daggers to their throats while several others had children in the same position. Still others were storming around grabbing at the few men that were with them who were unable to fight. Before she knew it, one of the warriors had grabbed Argus right from her arm. Galen and Trystan quickly shoved her behind them.

             
"On yer knees ye auld fool!" The fierce warrior did not wait for the elderly man to comply as he forced him to his knees on the ground in front of him.

             
"What is wrong with you? Leave them alone!" Tsarina couldn't stop herself from moving toward the man, only to be stopped again by Galen showing her back behind them once more.

             
"Stay where ye are, woman. I've not set me eyes upon yer death just yet. But I can change me mind."

             
"Tsarina, stay where ye are. It will all be fine." Argus tried to comfort her; however the look on his face did not lead her comfort. The old druid had not seen this coming, a splitting up of the MacLean warriors. They were getting smart – or desperate. That was the problem, always a problem. He never saw everything and sometimes it was the crucial stuff, such as this, that was omitted.

             
The next few minutes were nothing but a blur. The men that were unable to fight were being killed one by one, while their women and children were forced to watch. Tsarina had never seen such violence. Would they rape and kill the women too? What about the children? Tsarina was horrified. A loud war cry coming from the keep doors finally brought her back to reality and the devastation that surrounded her.

             
“The warriors must be back." It was little more than a whisper, Tsarina knew. But the MacKinnon's were back to help them. Lives had already been lost, but some might be saved. She just hoped they had fared better on the battlefield themselves.

             
The sounds of battle began to rage within the keep. Metal clashing against metal as sword struck sword. In what seemed like an eternity, though it had likely been no more than several minutes, there was a hand on Tsarina's shoulder.

             
"Tsarina, are ye all right? Have ye been hurt?"

             
The voice sounded familiar, but Tsarina couldn't seem to place it.

             
“'Tis over, I swear it. Now open yer eyes, Lass."

             
Tsarina allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. The hands were strong, warm, and soothing as they steadied her. Slowly, not wanting to really see anything, she opened her eyes.               The chest in front of her was broad and covered in blood. There were cuts and scrapes here and there. As she looked at the arms that held her up with their hands, she saw more blood. Holding her breath, she looked up."Oh my God! It's you! Where have you been? Why did you leave?" Tsarina beat on his chest severely with her fists. “If you hadn’t left... If you had been here this would never have happened."

             
"Calm yerself. Have ye been hurt?" Zarik was trying to look for injuries as she pounded him with her fists.

             
“They were killing them! All of them! Can you not see the blood that pools on the floor? They were elderly or injured, unable to defend themselves. They stood no chance. How can this happen?" Tsarina felt the tears running, they streamed down her face and she didn't care. She didn't feel like being strong. She was angry. She was hurt. Zarik had deserted them and they had been attacked. He was a strong warrior – the strongest - and everyone knew it. Zarik led the battles and kept everyone safe. Now harm had come to the MacKinnon clan all because Zarik had walked out on them. "THEY needed you! I needed you! Oh my God. This is all my fault. You left because of me. You weren't here to protect the clan and it's all my fault because you left because of me. You left because of me. It's all my fault!" Tsarina knew she was losing her grip. She was screaming and crying, hitting and yelling. Without looking around she knew everyone was staring at her.

             
"Tsarina, get ye a hold of yerself." Zarik found his patient slipping. He couldn't assess if she were hurt if she wouldn’t stop screaming, hitting, and kicking.

             
“Where is my brother? Trystan? Galen? They were in front of me a moment ago."

             
“They're fine. Look over there. They’re by the chair in the corner helping Argus."

             
“Argus? Oh my God, that's right. Has he been hurt?"

             
“He'll be fine. I need to see if yer hurt."

             
“I'm fine. No one touched me. The splatters are blood from others." Tsarina, at the thought, found herself overtaken by tears again as her brother moved toward her.

             
“Tsarina, you're all right?” Trystan looked worried, but held his composure as he'd always been so good at doing. It seemed throwing him hundreds of years into the past didn't throw him off his game.

             
“I'm fine." She looked back over toward Galen and then at her brother. "Have either of you been hurt?"

             
“No, we're both fine. Luckily the Maclean's that came at us weren't very good warriors." Trystan got that annoying little sparkle to his eyes before he continued. "Now, little sister, about Galen, the two of you are more than friends. Why not come back with us and get together with him? You can still have your Scotland, a much safer Scotland, and your Highlander in our time. It has to be safer than this. Honestly, I think World War two was safer. Besides, it would be a lot easier for us to visit one another.”

             
The overly large man that had been with Tsarina was now staring fiercely at Trystan. “Galen?” Zarik was confused, but furious. Tsarina was his woman. What business did this funny dressed man have with her? Wait a minute? Did she say brother a bit ago?

             
“Zarik, this is my brother, Trystan. Trystan, this is Zarik. The one I was sent  here by the witch to meet. Galen, by the way, is a friend I connected with when I got to Scotland in my time. He is the one that accompanied me to the standing stones and is one of the reasons I am here."

             
“You have an interest in him?" Zarik asked.

             
“This is Zarik?” Trystan couldn't hide his shock as he spoke. The man looked fierce. He was too tall and too wide. He had too many muscles and veins. Too many scars. His sister needed a gentle man that would understand her needs. Not a cold man that would return to her with a cold heart and a body covered in the blood of others. Yes, Galen was clearly the better choice for his sister. Plus he could see her on occasion that way.

             
“Galen and I are friends. He's a great guy and a great tour guide. That's all there is to it." She smiled as she spoke since Galen was now heading their way. “And yes, Trystan, this is Zarik. Not what you expected?” Tsarina didn't get her answer. The same doors burst open again amongst a bunch of chaos. The MacKinnon warriors were back, obviously victorious. Within a moment silence fell as they look to the state of their keep.

             
“What in God's name has happened here?" Tor sounded furious. "Where is Tsarina? Has she been hurt?"

             
“She's well, brother. She's right over here with me." A malicious grin swept across Zarik's face.

             
“What? Yer back? How convenient. Did ye ken the Maclean's were gonnae attack? And, if so, why were ye not here well in advance to help us? How did they get to the keep? We never saw them?"

             
“Evidently, little brother, they split their warriors. They sent some of their not so good ones here, to the keep, to try to wipe out yer elderly, injured, women and children. Now do ye see the reason I always left a handful of our best warriors here? Ye cannae leave those unable to defend themselves undefended. Where is father? Why did he not overrule ye on this? Lives were lost and the fault is on you. Are ye ready to be Laird? Are ye ready to take my place, brother? To have lives in yer hands? This was yer responsibility. It's all on you this time." Zarik's voice was filled with hate. His teeth clenched as he spoke. The pulse in his jaw was nearly an exploding force. Each visible muscle in his body tensed and pulsed. Zarik was furious.

             
“Is now really the time for this? Ye walk in here full of arrogance and point fingers at who messed up when the job was yers to begin with? Ye walked out. Ye ken?" Tor was not happy either.

             
“What I do ken is that I took out all the MacLean warriors at the keep on my own little brother.” Looking around, Zarik saw his father coming down the stairs of the keep. He was dressed exceptionally well for a normal day. "What is going on here? Besides the battle? Why is everyone so dressed up?"

             
“Tsarina and I, it is our wedding day. The ceremony will be continuing as soon as the injured are cared for and everyone is cleaned up. We are happy to have ye at our wedding, brother.” Tor found he gained some bit of satisfaction at being able to tell his brother that he was marrying the bride intended for him.