Branded By a Warrior (38 page)

Soon enough, Kincaid’s lookouts would spot her, just as she intended.
She was the distraction so her men could surround the camp. She would ride upon Kincaid’s camp as if she was surrendering herself, just like he wanted.

Broderick sat motionless against the large pole next to his brother, he had not been able to sleep, but he did keep his eyes closed and listened. The sound he had been waiting for
ignited his
senses;
beside him
he could sense his brother feeling much the same.

The Douglas guard
blew loud on the horn, signaling movement in the
woods;
one by one
warrior after warrior
ran out of their tents, swords raised awaiting Kincaid’s order. Broderick noticed Kincaid’s tent door slowly pulled back, exiting
,
Kincaid had a wicked grin on his
evil face, like a cat that had just caught a fat mouse.

“My La
ird! A lone rider approaches!” T
he guard called, his voice echoed against the mountainous wall.

Immediately Broderick started to panic, did she really think Kincaid would offer a trade? Was she surrendering? They’d all be murdered.

Beside him, he heard his brother’s raspy voice, “Trust her Broderick. For once in your damn life
trust her
. You want to prove you deserve her?
Trust her
.
”

Clenching his jaw he knew his brother spoke nothing but the truth, shooting a prayer up to God, he nodded to his brother and watched the Douglas warriors assemble behind their Laird.
All around them Douglas warriors poured from their tents armed for battle.

Kincaid tossed his pla
id haphazardly across his chest
and ordered the fires stirr
ed as he took his place on the
throne before his tent, beside him Siobhan joined him, now holding
a drowsy
Isobel in front of her skirts.
Broderick kept his focus on Kincaid and Isobel who were directly before him. Beside him, Kendrix did the same.

Again, the guards beckoned as the rider came closer into view, “Tis the Warrior Queen my Laird, riding just as pretty as she pleases with her
wolfhounds
, the forest is free of her warriors, she be alone
!
”

Kincaid raked his eyes over the MacMillan brothers and laughed, “So easily she gives up, thinking I would let any of you live. Now she’ll get the joy of seeing you all die before her, just like her first family
.
”
His maniacal laugh echoed under the mountains.

Straining against his ropes
, Broderick’s muscles flexed in response to Kincaid’s sickening words, Isobel looked desperately at her father and him as she struggled under Siobhan’s tight grip.

Kincaid commanded
to his guards
, “Let her come, lower your weapons men and lets see what the lovely Warrior Queen of Scotland has to say!”

Broderick and Kendrix had their backs turned to
her;
unable to watch her entra
nce they instead watched Isobel
and the warriors before them as she quietly rode into camp.

***

As Elisabeth approached s
he felt as if her heart was going to escape her chest as she made the last de
s
cent into the now blazing bright camp ahead of her. In the forest she had seen guards alert camp of her arrival. Without walls, she could easily see their shadows against the fires, warriors assembled in the circular camp. Scanning the camp from afar, she spotted the two poles in the center of camp, assuming the men attached to them were Broderick and Kendrix.

Taking a bracing breath, she spurred her stallion into the ni
ght, her destiny was before her. S
he had a vow to fulfill and a family to save. With revenge in her heart, and courage running through her veins she set her horse into a full gallop as she pounded towards them.

Riding into camp, she saw
quickly assessed the situation at hand.
Kincaid
was
sitting arrogantly on a large wooden throne, beside him stood Siobhan and Isobel.
In the center of camp
Broderick and Kincaid were
latched to large poles, still alive.
All three of them were still
alive;
breathing a sigh of relief she focused on her next objective.

Entering the large circle behind Broderick and Kendrix, she brought her large
horse
to a
halt
as she kept her eyes on Kincaid. Dismounting
,
her feet hit the ground with little
sound;
her beautiful green gown flowed freely around her feet.

Hands ready, she slowly approached Kincaid,
choosing to walk
directly between Broderick and Kendrix’s poles. Pausing between them, she cast a gaze to each man, looking at her husband last, “I love you Broderick, please forgive me
.” S
he whispered, silently ordering the wolfhounds to stay beside the brothers, she continued forward, her attention solely on Kincaid, Siobhan, and Isobel.

Behind her, she heard Broderick shout, “Elisabeth, no!”

Ignoring his plea, she continued forward a
nd eyed the scar faced Douglas L
aird with contempt and hatr
ed. As she approached, she stopped
so Kendrix and Broderick were behind her and Kincaid was directly in front of her, she stood between the men.
Elisabeth
saw Isobel lurch towards her
t
rying to escape Siobhan’s hold to get to her.
Siobhan quickly pulled Isobel’s hair and drug her back over to Kinca
id, Isobel screamed in protest as she screamed for Elisabeth.

“Siobh
an, r
elease my niece at once!” S
he ordered
with authority
, her voice vibrated through the camp.

Pulling the child close, Siobhan smiled at her
as she twisted the child’s hair
, “Ye have no power here woman
!” P
ulling Isobel’s hair harder just to prove her point, she cackled in response to Elisabeth’s request.

Elisabeth’s movement was so quick, no one saw it coming, especially Siobhan. As the last words came out of Siobhan’s ruby lips, Elisabeth pulled her dagger gracefully from her waist and in one motion sent it flying straight into the base of Siobhan’s throat
.

Kincaid silently
watched
as Siobhan sunk to her knees gasping for air as she spurted blood from her neck.
Her
death did not come quickly.

Elisabeth
had not
come
to play.
Signaling Isobel to run
to her side as Siobhan lay dying
at her feet
. Seeing the
Douglas warriors
draw their blades
as Isobel ran over to her
Elisabeth
swung her bow
up
and strung
an
arrow
in seconds
, aiming it directly at Kincaid’s blackheart, stopping their advancement in one swift moment.

“Ah ah ah gentleman, move once more and your precious Laird dies right
now
!” H
er vow rich with truth stopped each man in his tracks as Isobel ran
to her side and hugged her waist.
Elisabeth felt Isobel
slowly pull her dirk from her belt she addressed
Kincaid;
she needed more time for her archers.

Broderick had never seen his wife in action until this very moment, the stories of her valor and dominance were grossly inaccurate, she was far
superior
to
any of the tales. In one swift movement, she secured Isobel to her side, and took control of the situation with the regal command of a queen. She wore a royal green gown, draped in his kilt and sable, armed to the hilt with her weapons and bracers, even the gold circlet she wore upon her head added to the vision that was she. Beside him, his wolfhounds sat at his feet, a small glint caught his eye on the hounds. Looking down, he saw attached to their backs, hidden deep within their scraggly fur, was a
shortsword
. Elisabeth had a
ttached a weapon on each ho
und and placed the dogs right at
their feet.

“If you kill me now Elisabeth, you will die soon afterward my dear
. I’m not sure if ye can count my love, but I’ve got you outnumbered
.
”

“Aye, but I can die knowing ye died at my hand Kincaid
.” S
he spat.

The flame haired warrior eyed her with growing irritation, he was unaccustomed to not being in control, grasping the handles of the throne, he challenged, “Did you come to surr
ender Elisabeth, surely even ye
do not believe you can take on my army alone
?” S
itting back in his chair he grinned at her.

Lowering her bow, “I will never surrender to you Kincaid.
I came to challenge you for their release
!” S
he snapped
, raising a brow as she spoke.

“A challenge, aye,
I accept your challenge woman, n
ame your terms
.” Kincaid growled
.
His dirty hands clawed the handles of the throne.

“I challenge
you
or your best warrior to a battle of swords. If I win,
I will take my family and leave, but allow you to live.” S
he bargained in a cool voice, the wind whipped across her face, behind her she could hear Broderick growling in discontent.

“When I, or my warrior wins?” Kincaid asked, leaning forward in his chair, he eyed her with his one good eye. The other marred by a vicious scar across his face,
an
injury Elisabeth had single handily dealt him years ago.

“Isob
el is to be set free with Kendrix, Broderick and I are yours
.” Enunciating
every word with regal aut
hority, she stood tall.

Kincaid smiled and stood up, looking behind her he
called to Broderick
, “Do you stand behind your woman’s word Broderick? Does the Laird of Clan MacMillan allow his woman to barter with his own life?”

Without turning around to see Broderick’s face, she heard his resounding immediate reply “Aye, I accept the terms of her challenge Kincaid
,
however
, you will allow me to speak with her one last time, that is my only request
.” H
e added in a chilling tone.

Keeping her eyes on Kincaid, hearing Broderick’s response sent her confidence soaring, he did not reject, he did not beg her to stop, he, without hesitation agreed.

“Agreed
,
” Kincaid mused as a grin crept upon his scared face, “seek counsel with yer wife Broderick, for soon enough she shall be
mine
.
” Kincaid taunted, shouting for his best warrior, “bring forth Ivan, he sh
all be the arm that
challenges and
defeats T
he Warrior Queen
!” T
urning to look directly at Elisabeth, he sneered, “he had no issues laying yer brother Duncan low, I’m sure he’ll have no problems with a wee woman
.
”

“Watch your tongue Kincaid, I would hate to cut your other eye out like I did the first one
,
” she seethed, turning to face Broderick and Kendrix, the ice in her heart melted as soon as she looked upon her beloved husband. He stood straight and proud, tied to the large post, their eyes locked and her soul reached out to him as she slowly made her way to him, holding hands with little Isobel along the way.

Keeping her eyes on him, she stopped before him and squeezed Isobel’s trembling hand, the clouds shifted allowing the bright moon to illuminate the makeshift courtyard of the camp.

Sliding off her quiver, she quickly adjusted it, kneeling down beside Isobel she attached it to the lass as she spoke, “Remember what I taught you Isobel, I need you to focus and
remember
, stand between your Da and Uncle Broderick, I know you have my dirk, use it wisely my love
.” L
eaning forward she placed her hands upon Isobel’s cheeks and kissed her forehead, whispering
,
“I
love you” as she stood back up and handed the small child her trust
y
bow.

Turning to Broderick, she knew her time was limited, taking a bracing breath she straighten herself to her full height and looked upon her seething husband.

“Do nae do this Elisabeth,
ye sword arm is
injured. If Duncan could not best him, you will surely fall, please my love, cut me loose, let
me
fight him
.
The man is a goliath, he is larger than me Lis, please…don’t do this.
” H
e pleaded as he looked down at her.