The Clan MacDougall Series Read Online Free PDF

sprouting wings and flying to the moon than someday having a husband and children of her own.
    Her mind wandered back and forth from future to present making it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Now was the time for focus, not silly daydreams. She had to keep her mind and wits sharp about her.
    Aishlinn had slowed her mare to walking pace again. It would do no good to have the mare collapse dead from exhaustion and leave her stranded on foot.
    As her thoughts turned to a soft pallet and a warm meal, she thought she heard the sound of voices. She pulled the mare to a stop in a band of tall trees and strained her ears to listen. It was men’s voices she heard coming from behind her.
    Fearful that the voices belonged to English soldiers sent to find her, her mind raced while her heart pounded. For a fleeting moment she thought of simply giving herself over to them. But the thought of being hung, disemboweled and tortured to death was far too terrifying.
    She grabbed tightly onto the reins, kicked the mare’s flanks and flew into a full run. As she went crashing through the trees, the branches and limbs re-opened the cuts that had only begun to heal. As fast as the mare ran, Aishlinn prayed.
    Had God merely been tempting her with freedom? Was He now ready to punish her for taking a man’s life? Surely He had not let her come this far simply to have her caught now. She kicked the horse again and held tightly to the reins.
    The moment she caught sight of the men standing in the clearing she knew it was over. The soldiers were not behind her but in front of her. Instinct told her to run and to run quickly. She kicked at her horse again and prayed that the mare would somehow sprout wings and fly her away to safety.
    She had paid no attention to the ground under the horse’s feet. Her only thought was of escape. She was horrified when she felt the horse stumble, and then rear its head. Unsuccessfully she tried to settle the mare, holding on as long as she could. When the horse reared again, Aishlinn knew instantly that all was lost. She was sent flying from the horse’s back. Agonizing pain enveloped her the moment she hit the ground and bright dots of light flickered in front of her eyes before everything went black.
    Duncan and his men had heard the rider coming toward them at a full run. They barely had time to draw swords and step out of the way before the rider came crashing through the trees. They caught only a glimpse of a lass atop a gray horse as she raced toward them.
    Before Duncan could warn her that she was running too fast on the rocks, the mare stumbled and reared. He could see the lass was holding on for dear life as she tried to settle the spooked animal. Before she could gain control, the horse reared a second time, pitching its rider. The lass fell and fell hard. Momentum worked against her as she rolled a few times before coming to a stop face down in the frigid water of the stream.
    Duncan reached the stream first and hurried in after the lass. The icy water rose above his ankles. He scooped her limp body into his arms and was surprised at how slight she felt. As he carried her to a small clearing, Tall Thomas and Rowan pulled plaids from their packs. The men moved on instinct for there was no time to do much thinking on the matter. Duncan held the lass in his arms while his men covered her with the plaids and blankets.
    Her clothes were soaked and clung to her skin and her hair was plastered to her face. When Duncan brushed aside her hair, each man gasped with surprise. Swollen black eyes and bruises covered most of her face and there were many small cuts on her swollen cheeks and lips. Duncan wondered who could have done such a thing to someone so young and small. It set his teeth on edge as anger and disgust blended together deep in his gut. He’d seen soldiers wounded in battle that had looked better than this wee lass lying limp in his arms.
    Aishlinn dreamt she was covered in deep snow, hiding from