Highland Daydreams Read Free Page A

sleeping men. That was her first mistake. Stepping on a twig, she gasped and felt her heart drop in her chest. Lara froze in place. She was no longer able to quiet her breathing as she imagined all sort of terrible things the men would do to them once they discovered their presence. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think; her head began to spin. The warrior calmly walked back towards Lara and took her by the hand. Together they walked to the other side of the camp. Lara took a sigh of relief when they safely made it across. Grabbing onto her waist, he carefully lifted Lara on top of one of the horses. The horse grunted loudly.
    “What is that?” a man grumbled as he looked in Lara’s and the warrior’s direction. “Wake up ye eejits, they are stealing our horses!” he hollered.
    With lightning speed, the warrior untied the ropes, freeing the other two horses. Swinging up behind her and wrapping one arm around her waist, he grabbed onto the reigns. After a loud slap to the horse’s rump, the horse bolted into a fast sprint. The men’s voices from behind them began to fade as the distance between them and the camp increased.
    After riding several hours, Lara could smell the distinct aroma of food being carried on the wind. The delectable smell made her stomach growl and mouth water. The warrior slowed the horse and stilled its movement as they came upon a small dwelling.
    The croft was made of stone and looked as if it had been abandoned. Several stones had crumbled showing signs of erosion and the ill-thatched roof was in desperate need of repair. Along the back side of the croft was a small barn that housed two horses and throughout the yard a dozen chickens pecked the ground.
    At first, her instinct was to tell him to keep going for she did not know if they were on English soil or Scotland’s. However, the smell of the food and the idea of a warm pallet were far too tempting. As they drew closer towards the barn, the chickens became startled by the horse and began to cluck loudly.
    “Who goes there?” a woman croaked.
    “I apologize, my lady, I dinna mean to disturb ye,” the warrior replied.
    Once the woman came into view, the warrior dismounted and walked closer to her but remained in the shadows. The woman was old with a round mid-section and stood half as tall as him. Her clothes were tattered and worn and her silvery hair was partially covered by a white linen head-rail.
    “Are ye the mon, McGregor sent lookin’ fer work? I was told that ye would no’ be here fer a few days.”
    “Nay, my lady. I am no’ McGregor. We are passing through and happened to come across yer lands. We are seeking food and shelter.”
    Lara watched as the old woman looked the warrior up and down. Tilting her head to the side, she looked behind him to Lara who was still perched on top of the horse. Pursing her lips, the woman looked at the two of them very carefully.
    “Have ye any coin?” she rudely asked.
    “Nay, my lady,” the warrior replied.
    “Well, if ye cannae pay me then ye will work fer yer meal.”
    “Of course, my lady,” the warrior said, and slightly bowed his head to her.
    “And who is that there wit ye?” she asked.
    “Only an acquaintance, my lady.”
    “Well, come here so I can have a look at ye,” she insisted.
    Lara slid down the side of the horse and slowly came out of the shadow and stood within the light of the moon. With her hands balled tightly against her sides, she readied herself to run if instinct told her to. Her stomach clenched when the old woman gazed down at her with beady eyes. The woman expressed a look of astonishment as if she was utterly appalled by Lara’s appearance.
    Keeping her arms close to her sides, Lara kept her head lowered. Ashamed of her ragged dress and nappy hair, Lara bit her bottom lip hoping not to be ridiculed by the woman.
    “Good God lass, what happened to ye?
    Lara did not know how to respond. She knew nothing of this woman nor whether she could be