Page 97 of Intrigued By A Highlander

“I’m not leaving you,” she said in a firm whisper.

“If necessary, you will,” he demanded and didn’t give her a chance to argue. “You must. We need to consider you may be with child and above all else our child must live.”

Dru had given no thought to that since Knox had last mentioned it, and she had forgotten to speak with Mave about preventing it. So, there was a chance he was right.

“He or she is part of us. We can’t lose that,” he whispered. “Protect yourself for our child’s sake.”

“Please don’t make it necessary for me to do so,” she murmured.

Knox wished he could glance in her eyes, see her face if this should be—he drove the condemning thought from his mind. He never entered a fight with doubt, and he wouldn’t start now.

“So, be quick about it,” she said and stepped away from him.

“I will make it swift and painless for you,” the man said, then looked to Dru. “Not so for her.”

That was all Knox needed to hear. His anger surged. “And not so for you.”

The man grinned and with a roar charged at him.

The man might be large, but he was no skilled warrior, Knox avoided every swing easily, not so his opponent. It made him wonder if it was lack of skills or an unrevealed injury. After several slices that were meant to disable, and kill slowly, the man stumbled and fell to the ground, blood soaking his garment, rendering him helpless.

“You are a great warrior,” the man said, lying on his back, his sword in his hand but too weak to lift it.

“Tell me what I want to know, and I will end your life swiftly, otherwise I will leave you for the animals to feed on,” Knox threatened.

“I will gladly be fodder for the animals, rather than offer you any help,” the man said.

Dru approached him. “Why suffer?”

The man nodded at Knox. “He understands.” He stared at her, tenderness in his eyes. “You look just like your grandmother. Petite. Pretty. Honorable. Too bad your mother hadn’t been more like her.”

“Why does my mother’s people want me dead?” Dru asked, surprised she had a family she knew nothing about. “I know nothing about them. I have done nothing to them. I want nothing from them.”

“Yet your mother took everything from them.” He shut his eyes for a moment. “Do what you will. I will say no more.”

“Whatever my mum did, she had to have done it long before I was born. It must be a burden to carry such revenge for so many years. I refuse to be part of such long-standing hatred.” She turned to Knox. “I will not see him suffer.”

Knox nodded and Dru walked away, turning her back on the scene.

Knox looked down at the man, his face troubled. “You hold your tongue out of honor, yet she speaks and acts with honor. Now you die a dishonorable death.”

The man raised his chin. “Her mother left us no choice.”

Knox drove his sword into his chest, bringing a swift death.

He went to Dru, got them both mounted on his mare and rode away.

“Do you think more will follow?” she asked, peering past his shoulder to keep watch.

“Nay. I think he is the one who tumbled down with his horse into the ravine. He was left injured, and he no doubt raced to reach us, worsening his injury and the reason why he fought so poorly and why he had no horse with him. When the others saw him get to his feet, they probably figured he would eliminate us. We are safe for now.” He hugged her with one arm. “One other thing, he spoke of honor, and he wore fur skins. The clans further to the north pride themselves on honor and wear fur skins more than any other clan in the Highlands.”

Dru hated to admit it, but what recourse did they have? “I don’t think we have much choice. I think the safest place for us is with Lord Torrance.”

“Aye, he has enough warriors to see that you’re kept safe,” Knox agreed.

“There is someone I’d like to stop and speak with first, Albert. He came from a clan in the north, a marriage bringing him here years ago.”

“That would work perfectly. I was told Lord Torrance stays at a small clan that is about a day’s ride from Albert. We can speak with him first, then head to Lord Torrance. But we will need to be careful. We don’t want anyone to learn we survived the attack. We’ll head that way now and find shelter before dusk.”

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