Prologue

 

The Mcleod clan is at war with the MacAlaster clan, and Si'leas, the cheif leader's daughter has been captured and is being held hostage in the MacAlaster clan's dungeon. The Scottish people are feirce warriors and in the Isle of the Skye, people are scared for their lives, so many leave the huge land mark and flee the country. While Si'leas is locked up in her cold and sunless cell, a lowlife sheep herder's daughter Ma'iri, loses her dad to war and her Mum is taken to be a war widow to help with the injuries and food rations. Ma'iri is now utterly alone with only her horse Bla'ir as company, what will happen now that she's all alone and in the middle of a war? And what will become of the leader's daughter Si'leas?

 

In the dark (Si'leas)

I woke to darkness, nothing at all like the rolling green Scottish countryside. Beneath me I could feel cold wet stone. Shivers ran up my aching spine. I groped around, trying to get my bearings when the memories from the day before came rushing at me. I remembered me and my mother and father, the clan leaders, were coming back from making a treaty with our distant friends the MacAdie's, we had promised them our protection in the means of war, and they in return would haul in the food nessicites that our country was low on, for our feilds had not grown that year, and we were in a slight famine. I had come with my parents, and we had not realized then that the long hated clan, MacAlaster, had in fact, started a war with us. We didn't know that they would start it by coming in by night with their huge warriors, and while our men were fending off their attack, I would be gagged and thrown carelessly onto one of their huge war horses. We scottish people take delight in huge horses for every day life, my horse back home, U'na, is one of the most massive mares one would ever see. But while I was being hammered in the gut from the horse's massive stride, and trying unsuccesfully to scream through the gag, I soon felt comforting darkness.

And now here I was, probably in some dungeon, awaiting some terrible death or torture, while my clan and country was at war. The rope that bound my wrists together was digging into my fair skin, and my dark red hair was falling in clumps around my face. But that pain was nothing compared to the pain I felt deep in my heart, where I longed for my family and the comforting, Scottland breezes, that blew all around me while riding U'na through the forested countryside. That night, or what I asumed was night I fell asleep crying, with longing for the life I no longer had access to.

All Alone (Ma'iri)

I was atop one of Scottland's massive boulders that dotted the countryside when I heard yelling from my cottage that was about a kilometer away. I hurried and scrambled down the boulder's ruff surface and whistled for my ever faithful horse, Blai'r, a tall and striking red gelding, he wasn't a very big horse compared to the huge clydesdales and shires and other massive horses that the Scottish people fantsied. He was sleek and nimble, and could outrun those big ofes any day. The other villagers, when they got a chance to see him would usually laugh and say, "What you got there? A little pony to haul your sack of feathers around?" Me and Blai'r didn't mind their taunts, but sometimes I'd like to have a little race with their big blocky pets, they call horses. But as I was admiring Blai'r's sleek grace, I was snapped back to reality when I heard another scream from my cottage. I hopped up on Blai'r's narrow back and rode fast to my cottage to find the horror that awaited me.

As I came into our little clearing with our cottage, I saw the Clan leader's men dragging my frizzled mother onto one of their horses. I let out a sort of choked scream, "No!" , I yelled feircly on my second attempt to make a decent scream. "Mom!" I screamed again, I ran over to them and started yanking my mother's arm frantically. "Let go!" The taller of the men said. "Where are you taking her!" I yelled at them. "She's being taken to be a helper with the war, we don't have men to spare, so she'll be coming with us to help drag the injured into the medic tents." Said the shorter gaurd, in an annoyingly calm voice. My mother spoke up as they started hauling her back onto the horse. " Ma'iri my darling, take care of the sheep and sell their wool for food, you understand?" She paused for my answer. I nodded and looked up at her through blurry eyes. " I love you, be safe!" She called as they started riding down the dirt path. I watched them go and stood there crying long after they dissapeared into the green hills.

Si'oltach (Si'leas)

I woke to the sound of footsteps drawing nearer. I quickly scrambled to pull myself into a sitting position. I heard a key turning a lock, and then a figure stepped in. I squinted through the torchlight to try to get a better view of the person's face. But it was lost in the darkness of his cowl. Then a rough and cold voice cut through the silence. "Si'leas, I'm suprised how long your parents and their armies have lasted, you have some feirce warriors on your side," he paused to pull back his cowl, " I'm Si'oltach, the leader of this clan and you are my hostage." I snorted, "Obviously", Like it was hard to notice that I was a hostage when I was tied here, in this dark, cold cell, facing our enemy clan leader. " Well, well, well, not the friendliest of Princesses are you?" I just glared daggers at him. " I'll take that as a yes," he continued, "Well your probably wondering what I'm going to do to you, right?" I continued to glare, at this shabby, dark, and disgusting man. He gave me a wry smile, " You don't talk much do you? Well we're going to have to change, that."

He leaned in close, and I shrank back from his foul breath. "I'm going to send a message to your pathetic kingdom, telling them, that you are being held hostage in my residence, and then I'll write that the only way to get you back is to send in gold and silver, until I say it is enough to let you go; if they do not agree you will be tortured for my pleasure until you tell me where your stockhold is." I closed my eyes tight and faught for oxegen in the close space between me and him. I thought about our newly made treaty with the MacAdie's and thought how much we needed the war help part now. I knew that if we stopped paying for armor to send to them, because they were having a war of their own, they would break the treaty, and our people would starve. We wouldn't be able to pay for anything for our kingdom if our stock hold was revealed and found just because of a selfish princess that only thought about her self. I knew I would never tell, even if it killed me. I straightened my shoulders, and lifted my eyes to his face, "No, I will never tell, and my people will never agree to the message contract." He narrowed his eyes at this and said, "Then your people are unfaithful, and you will come with me, to the torture chamber."

All up to me (Ma'iri)

I woke to the familiar smell of my horse Blai'r. I had fallen asleep in the hay barn with him, after crying my guts out all night. Yeserday's events still stung my aching heart, but at least I wasn't crying anymore. I got up and went over to grab the horse brush off its hook by the door. As I started brushing Blai'r I tryed to form a plan of what to do next. Of course I wasn't going to just stay at the house. I would look for my mother, though I had no idea where to find her.

I had packed a satchel full of traveling supplies and had brushed Blai'r until he gleamed. I had also asked a boy that lived down the road to watch over our livestock, and in return he could sell wool and eat mutton from them. I hated leaving the cottage, but I could'nt just stay here without knowing if my mother was okay or not. I regreted every time I thought about that evening that I hadn't hopped up on Blai'r and rode hard after them. But I know deep down that they would just get rid of me by taking me into the clan prison. For in times of war every one had to help in part if they were called to a war office, if it were a man, woman, or a child. They mostly used the children for spying, and sending messages, and helpers to the war nurses. The Scottish women that live on farms and are hard worker, are very strong and when theres a war, they are called to the dragging of bodies from the battlefield and to the medic tents, made of strong deer hide.

As I started down the rode I looked back one more time at my little cottage in the little clearing and sighed, not knowing if I would ever see it again. With my eyes a bit down cast I didn't notice as Blai'r almost tripped on our sheep dog, Lennox. He had a creamy coat and tan fur that ran down his chest kind of like a lion's, and I bushy tail that always wacked me when he came over to get his morning treat, which was a piece of fatty mutton. I told him to go home and that the neighbors would take care of him, but he just darted between Blai'r's legs until Blai'r finally had had enough and bolted down the dirt road. I hadn't expected the motion and almost fell off as I tried to get a hold of his silky mane. Lennox was right behind us. He was, in fact, very fast. I slowed Blai'r back down to a walk and quickly plaited my hair, so I wouldn't look like a complete rag muffin when I reached the Isle of Skye. I met a traveler on the way down the road and I asked him if anything interesting had happened in the Isle of Skye, latley. He said, " Well except the war, and the princess being held hostage-" I cut him off, " Wait, the Princess is being held hostage?" I asked in wonder. When had this happened? He gave me a funny look, " You don't hear much do you? Well the princess is what started this whole mess, on the way back from the treaty the Queen and King were surrounded in the night, and while their men were fending off the attack, the princess was kidnapped. And so the MacAlalaster's started a war with us, the McLeod's." My mind started reeling, how had I not even known how the war had even started? Was I really that blunt minded? But then again I lived quite a ways from the main part of Isle of the Skye, the huge castle the Clan leader's, or as most put them, the King and Queen, live in. I thanked him for telling me this, and went on my way toward Isle of Skye.

The torture chamber (Si'leas)

I was sitting on the cold, damp floor of my prison thinking about what might happen to me and my kingdom. I knew that when my parents got the letter from Si'oltach, they would not obey his wishes, because even though they loved me, they couldn't give away all their money and be left powerless and starving, then Si'oltach would probably cheet them anyways and the kingdom would have a princess but no food or supplies, and therefore it is useless to comply to the letter from Si'oltach.

These dark walls were always pressing in on me, and if I hadn't found a peice of charcoal stuck in the mortar, to draw on the walls, I probably would have gone crazy. I was drawing my huge mare, U'na when a key rattled at the lock of the door and light poured in, I squinted through the light and saw Si'oltach's vague features. There were two men behind him, and he gestured for them to haul me to my feet.

They walked me along the dark corridors of the dungeon and halted at a massive door with spikes jutting out of it. I gulped when I saw blood on some of the tips. My already weak legs began to weaken even more, and when Si'oltach opened the door, the men had to practically carry me into the room. What was in the room made my lip quiver with fear. There was a bed with straps that held you down on a cushion of rusty iron nails, which tips were covered in dry blood. Then at the far end of the room, there were three beams of wood that made you hang my your arms in a painful position, so your feet couldn't touch the floor and releive the stress that shot through your arms, and leaning against on of the wooden beams, there was a whip, with thorns and glass on it leering menacingly at me. There were other contraptions of torture too, but the one I found most menacing, was the pool of ice cold water, with straps to hold you down in the ice cold water, while they dump a small container of leeches, in the water with you. I'm shaking so bad, that one of the men swears under his breath, because I accidently hit him in the gut with my shaking elbow. It suddenly feels like I can't breathe because Si'oltach points to the one with the pool of cold water, and thats when my legs give out in unbelief.

 

 

Surrounded (Ma'iri)

I could see the huge castle in the distance and it's mass took my breath away. I had heard about it's massive structure, but seeing it in real life was even more breathtaking. I took out an apple from my satchel and munched on it's red juicy flesh. I was deep in thought about what exactly I would do when I reached the castle, that I didn't notice the group of five soldiers until one of them spoke.

"Aye mate," the soilder turned to one of his fellow mates, and said, " Do ya think this one is of resemblance?" The one he had spoken to looked me up and down and said, " Aye, we'll bring her back with us and see if she passes the king's inspection." That's when I turned beet red and said with a little veminence," whatcha all up to talking about me like that, I'm not a display case and your lot will not be taking the likes of me anywhere." My voice rose to a little at the end. The soldier that had spoken first, said, "Aye, what's this, a spirited lit'le gal?"  as he was speaking I didn't notice the others surronding me, and when one shouted, "Ai'ken! Put her on your horse!." I panicked and wheeled Blai'r around but there was no way out of the ring of soilders surrounding us. Blai'r whinnied a high pitched whinny, and the soldier called Ai'ken, paused for a moment and then kept advancing toward us. Bla'ir reared up as he tried to take hold of his mane. Ai'ken jumped back and told, I was guessing the commander of the group, that the animal I was on was a spirited fellow. I smirked with pleasure and pride that they were scared of my calm, sweet, little Blair. Lennox was making a growling sound at the pit of his throat and baring his teeth at all of the men and their horses.

The man, quickly this time sped up to Bla'ir's flank and grabbed my waist. I screamed and recklessy flung my arms and legs about, and mananged to elbow him in the gut. He grunted but held on and pulled me off Bla'ir and put my arms behind my back, even as Bla'ir lashed out with a hind hoof. One of the men flipped a rope over Blai'r's head, and Blai'r started his little heart out with anoyance to the rope for he hated ropes unless I put them on, though even then he disliked them. The soldier, though looking frightened held on tight to his end of the rope. The man holding me gagged me and tied my hands behind my back, then with muscles heavily built from carrying a sword and fighting over the years, lifted me up effortlessly onto his saddle. He swung up behind me, as I wiggled around in my bonds, thinking murderous thoughts about him and his group.

Lennox was barking and biting at their horses ankles, but the horses were well trained and ignored him mostly except when he landed a particularly mean bite, and lashed out at him with their hoofs. He gracefully dodged every hoof and continued to pester them. He had bit the man who had put me on his saddle, but the man must have had skin like rock, because he hadn't even cried out. Then my thoughts returned to why they were doing this, I hadn't done anything wrong! But then again they took my mother and she hadn't done anything wrong either. But they had had an explanation! They hadn't even told me anything about anything where we were going except something about the king's inspection, which must not be good. I sighed deeply through my gag as we rode along the dusty dirt rode ever closer to The Isle of Skye.

Pain (Si'leas)

I wake up to my usual chamber though now after my torture in the chamber I felt weak and my mind was sluggish, there was a nasty taste in my mouth and I almost gagged at the sight of the little inscisions the leeches had left in my arms and legs. The cold water had been unbearable, and when I had gone unconscious from the loss of blood I had had a last thought, and it had been, I am going to die. Suddenly my head was shot through with pain as I turned it and I slumped back into unconsciousness wishing that someone would come and save me and at the same time dreading that they would try.

The castle (Ma'iri)

The soldier, Ai'ken I remembered, was gentle but firm even when I tried to wriggle out of his grasp with a hopeless struggle to escape. In had no idea whatsoever why they were taking me to the king. I suspected they had mixed me up with some escape servant or something like that. I tried to talk to the soldier who held me onto the saddle even through yesterday's never stopping drizzle, he made sure that I stayed on even when I was so exhausted I slumped against him as there was no other way to possibly find a comfortable position in the shared saddle. He never replied to my questions except when I asked him when we would get there. He had replied in a smooth voice that carried an accent that indicated he was well learned,  " We will reach the castle in about two days time, and when we reach there you will be brought to the king for his investigation."  I didn't really want to think about what the king might think of me. It scared me enough that I would be brought before him though I didn't think much of him now that his soldiers had dragged my mother away and now me for that matter. 

Suddenly for what seemed like forever Ai'ken released his arm from my waist to dismount for a quick dinner and then we would rest for a bit before continuing. I could now see the castle rising up grandly from the craggy hills and lush green shrubbery and grasses and moss. The air smelled sweeter here and was thicker, and helped sooth my parched throat from the dusty trails we had followed. As Ai''ken helped me dismount I could feel the ache from the long ride even though I rode Blair every day. I noticed he was being carefully watched a few yards away by two soldiers. He had pretty much fought and worn them out the whole time and Ma'iri felt a satisfaction in his rebelliousness. 

She sat on the rock next to Ai'ken who seemed to be her personal guard now. He dished up some of the stew from the pot they had prepared and gave some to her along with a waterskin Made from thick stag hide. The water tasted slightly dusty and warm but she was so thirsty she drank it anyways. She looked to see that Ai'ken was peering at a hand written letter in fancy script that had lots of loops. She felt ashamed that she could only read little words and very slowly at that. Suddenly as if he felt her eyes on him, Ai'ken looked up at her and then said in a low voice so only she could hear, "Do you notice that you look like a hungry dog when you look at people like that without even blinking?" She hurriedly glanced away and why she blushed deep scarlet she didn't know because she never blushed even when she did something embarranging now and again. The man chuckled to himself quietly as he turned back to the letter and she tried not to look at him again. She noticed though out of the corner of her eye how handsome his face was and his strong hands even as they delicately held the paper. His dark features held a sort of authority and it was obvious he was in charge of the soldiers. She remembered how his blue eyes didn't even show any anger or contempt even when Blair had kicked out at him. 

Then remembering that she was his captive she shook her head in distaste and when she layed down on the woolen blanket he had given her, she wished that she was back at home watching the sheep graze lazily in the field and riding Blair through the tall trees of pine and that her mother was in the cottage cooking something that smelled like mutton and bread. Sighing she eventually drifted off into sleep. 

 

A cellmate (Si'leas)

I woke again for what seemed like the thousanth time to my dark and damp cell. My head still hurt and so I sat up slowly with quite a bit of effort. As I leaned back against the wall I was suddenly startled as voice probed the darkness and said, "Are you all right?" Suddenly aware of another presence in the cell I scooted even closer to the wall and let out a little sound between a shriek and a whimper. A shape I could barely make out started scooting closer to where I sat. The stranger spoke again and this time I discerned a warm distinctly male voice as he said, "You've been out quite a while; so when I got thrown in here I could've sworn you were dead." He cleared his throat as his beautiful voice cracked from lack of water. Clearing my throat, I said, " No I'm not dead yet but my head hurts something awful, probably from loss of blood." Suddenly the stranger was right beside me and I could feel his arm touching mine. In a voice suddenly concerned he said, "Oh are you hurt? I did not relize in this darkness, was it your captors that hurt you?" Shifting my body and taking taking a deep breath of dank air, I said, "I did not give them what they wanted and so in effect they tortured me in their torture chamber to try to change my mind but..." I trail off painfully aware of the extruciating experience only how many days ago? I wouldn't know since I couldnt tell if it was night or day. The Stranger sat quietly for a while and then softly replied, "I'm sorry for your pain, they havn't tortured me yet, but I guess they wouldn't really need anything from a Mc'Adie since their already almost overpowering the whole clan by shortaging their food rations which doesn't help the Mc'cleods since they have a deal with them in exchange for food and so..." He stopped suddenly and trailed off. "I'm sorry now I'm just blabbering and your most likely uncomfortable talking to someone you don't even know; lets start over, I'm Dalzell from McAdie clan, and you are?" A little taken aback I reply, "I'm Si'leas from McLeod clan." Taking in some breath he says, " Your from McLeod clan? Were you taken in terms from your war?" Sighing I said,"Yes and now Si'oltach the man holding me and you captive won't let me go until I agree to sign a note for release of our entire stockhold to him." He draws in another sharp breath and says, "Wait a minute, the name Si'leas, your the princess? And your the one I was supposed to rescue?" He stands ubruptly in the dark, and I hear him walk to the other side of the cell. Confused I say, "Wait, you were here to rescue me?" Stunned I try to take it in, why would he rescue me? He's from another clan, in fact the very clan we made a treaty with before I was captured, he's not a part of this so why rescue me? He lets out another sigh and says, " Yes I was sent here with 3 other men to come and rescue the Mcleod's princess because we can't keep our end of the bargain with sending food for your people, and so to pay our shortage we agreed to rescue the captured princess, which I just now learned was you, and since me and my men were caught we did not succeed in rescuing you and for that I'm sorry." I hear him scoot to the floor from his position against the wall. I felt bad for him, it wasn't his fault he got captured or maybe it was but at least he tried. "It's not your fault, its the McAlaster's fault they should be apologizing not you, but we'll get out of here some how." I said not believing my own words. He let out a breathy laugh and said, " Ha, not trying to dash out your ray of hope, but I have a hard time believing that. The McAlaster dungeons are well guarded and kept in orderly fashion. They are most likely by far the most powerful clan right now." "Besides my companions who came with me were imediately killed and I doubt they would show us any less than that if we tryed to escape and were caught." Frowning I said, "Why did they kill your companions but not you as well? I don't see why they would show mercy to just one man and slaughter the others." For a fraction of a second I thought I saw him hesitate before he said, "Well I'm not exactly sure but it might be because they decided you needed a cell mate to torment you further and I was just the lucky guy for the job." He came back over and sat by me and leaned back against the wall. I would have loved to see what he looked like right then, because for all I know he could be a hairy man with no teeth and greasy hair, with a long beard to go with the image. But from what I could hear of his golden voice I couldn't imagine someone that hideous with a voice that flowed like liquid gold from his mouth.

It was silent as we pondered all we had learned and as we waited for the day we might find another soul to appear in our lives by simply opening the cell door and flooding it with the golden light of a candle wax stick.

 

Entering the gates (Ma'iri)

As I peered up at the huge iron gates that connected to the large cobblestone wall on either side, I felt like the smallest being alive in that instant, impressed by its vast and noble setting. As we rode through them I had to crane my neck to see the top of the huge stone castle. It had ivy crawling up the walls and there were four turrets at the top on which Scottish warriors were looking out to the vast expanse of the Scotland moors and highlands. We arrived at the stables and after much argument and

Impressum

Bildmaterialien: All images are from bookrix pictures
Lektorat: Skye Jeppson
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 03.06.2013

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Widmung:
This book is to my Scottish ancestors whom I'll always admire, their way of life inspired me to write this book, and my ancestors were actually from a Scottish landmark called, "The Isle of the Skye", and from the McLeod clan. Also to my many friends who I am NOT going to list, because there are so many and I might forget someone, who are always cheerful and happy, and are usually on book rix, when I'm on it.