Timeless Tales of Honor Read Online Free PDF Page A

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.
----
    D uncan 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.
----
    A ishlinn dreamt she was covered in deep snow, hiding from the earl and her brothers. She could not remember ever being so cold or frightened. The earl cursed while he made promises that once he found her he would have what he had wanted. Then he would kill her. Her brothers urged him on, cursing, mocking, and making threats of their own.
    The cold snow and fear of the earl brought violent shivers to her body. She wished her mum and Moirra would come and take her away to somewhere safe and warm. Her heart broke when they did not answer her pleas for help.
    Suddenly there were hundreds of soldiers surrounding her. They pulled her from her hiding place. She tried to explain to them that she had only been defending herself; she had not meant to kill the earl, only to frighten him. Her pleas went unanswered as they lifted her from the snow and began stabbing her with their swords. The earl and her brothers were laughing. The more the soldiers stabbed her, the more they laughed. Bile rose in her stomach but she could not retch; she could only beg and plead for mercy.
----
    D uncan gently rubbed her arms and legs in an attempt to warm the battered young girl while he looked for signs of broken bones. After several long and tense moments, her small body began to shiver fiercely. He could not make out the mumbled words that were coming through her chattering teeth and was relieved that she