Page 14 of Surrendering to her Highland Captor
Taryn debated her actions only for a minute before she shoved away from the window sill and dove into her wardrobe. With most of her things already packed in cases by the door, she only had to dig through a few drawers before finding everything she needed. Luckily, the maids had left the warmest outfit for her to travel in—riding breeches, a skirt to cover them, a fur lined jacket, and a new cloak. Taryn dressed herself as quickly asher fingers could manage, slipping her feet into her sturdy riding boots.
Though she still wasn’t sure what Laura had planned, Taryn never stopped to question what she was doing. This was the first time all week that Taryn had any hope for her future. She wasn’t about to let reason or doubt get in the way of that.
Taking one last look around her room, Taryn grabbed a small leather pouch and shoved some of her biggest jewels inside. She contemplated writing a note for her parents but decided against it. They would never understand, no matter what she said.
Moving as quietly and quickly as she could, Taryn snuck through the castle down the familiar path that would take her to the kitchens. There, she grabbed some of the food the cook always left out for her after a day of not eating dinner. She shoved the apples, chunk of bread, and wedge of cheese in her leather pouch and tied it off at her hip. Grateful that Laura timed this so that none of the servants would be awake, Taryn walked outside, letting the cool night air wash over her fevered skin.
“Took ye long enough,” Laura hissed, clearly more antsy than she had ever been before.
“Ye did nae have to do this,” Taryn told her, her eyes already filling.
“Aye. I did. One look at ye and I could see how miserable ye are. We have always talked about ye escaping this life and creating another.” She held out the reins of the horse for Taryn to take. “This is yer chance. Do it now.”
There was a certain kind of awareness that came over Taryn then. She knew that if she took those reins, her life would never be the same. Nor would anyone else’s. Taryn hesitated for only a moment before she took the thin leather straps.
“Are ye sure? This is yer brother’s horse. Will he nae be angry?”
Even as she spoke, Taryn moved to scratch the horse on his nose in affection. She eyed the well-worn saddle, hoping it would be comfortable. It looked as though the saddlebags were packed with things too, and Taryn nearly cried out then for the thoughtfulness of her friend.
“He will be until I am able to explain why ye needed it. He has a soft spot for ye. I will make him understand. Besides, he is always going on and on about how this is a woman’s horse, nae a warrior’s.”
Taryn nodded, having noted the determined look in Laura’s eyes. She knew that expression well. There was nothing that would stop her friend from this now. Taryn moved quickly, wrapping Laura in a tight hug. Tears clogged her throat, but she managed to push out only two words, though they were not nearly enough to convey all that Taryn was feeling.
“Thank ye.”
Laura squeezed back, but then pushed Taryn away, shoving her towards James’ horse.
“Ye must go. The change of the guards will be over soon. Yer window of escape is nearly over.”
As Taryn climbed into the saddle, she was overcome with guilt and worry, unsure of what her future might hold. But she knew exactly what her life would be like if she stayed. So she wrapped the reins around her fingers and clicked her tongue, sending the horse moving.
She only made it a few steps before she turned in the saddle to look back at her dearest friend, knowing this would be the last time they saw each other. Taryn pressed her fingers to her lips, and that sent her hand into the air. Laura pretended to catch her kiss and place it on her heart.
After that, Taryn didn’t allow herself to look back again. She mustered up every ounce of bravery she had and snuck through a hidden passageway concealed by the older parts of the castleJames had once told her about. It took her by the guards’ quarters, but it was her best chance of getting away unseen. Every noise made her jump, every sound had her convinced her escape attempt had been thwarted. But she made it to the edge of the village without problem. Just as she let her shoulders start to relax, a voice shouted behind her.
“Ye there! Stop!”
Taryn didn’t need to turn to see who was behind her. Kicking the sides of the horse into a run, Taryn lowered herself over the neck of the horse, willing the beast to go faster and faster. She wasn’t sure how the guards had already discovered her missing; it would be hours still before the castle was awake. Perhaps they didn’t know who she was, only that she was a strange person sneaking through the village late at night. Either way, Taryn knew if she was caught, any chance of getting away was over.
“Faster, lass, faster,” she urged, her heart hammering.
The village was quickly disappearing behind her. In front of her were two paths—the first was a well-traveled road that would give her nowhere to hide, the second was the edge of the forest Laura and Taryn had explored many times before. Though she had been warned of the dangers of entering the forest after sunset, Taryn pulled the horse that direction. The hoof beats of the guard’s horses were too close. They would be sure to catch up to her on the road.
As soon as the pair entered the cover of the trees, the air grew cooler and any moonlight she had to guide her vanished. Taryn pushed on, trusting that the horse could see where he put his feet. She knew it was dangerous to ride this fast on unfamiliar ground, especially with so many fallen trees, but she didn’t have a choice.
“Get me out of here and ye will have all the apples ye want for the rest of yer life,” she promised the horse.
Her words seemed to spur the beast on as he leaped over a trunk that had stretched out on the forest floor in front of them.
“Aye, that is?—”
Before she could finish her encouragement, a burning sting ripped across her side, curling from her belly to the middle of her back. It stole all of her breath. Desperate, she merely pressed one hand to the spot, ignoring the building panic when something warm and wet oozed, soaking her gloves. Taryn lowered herself across the horse even more and listened.
The sound of the guards had faded until she could hear nothing. Still, she rode as if her life depended on it. In her mind, it did. It felt like hours before her horse slowed his pace to a trot. Nothing around her was recognizable, even as the sun crept through the thick limbs, turning them from an eerie black to a warm, rich brown.
To her relief, the guards had disappeared, as did any fear of prowling nighttime creatures. But as the day continued on and her side continued to burn with every breath, Taryn’s bones grew heavier and heavier. Her night of no sleep and nothing to eat caught up to her when the sun fell again. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a road that was so covered in grass and leaves that it seemed as if it had been abandoned long ago. Taryn nudged the horse that direction, slipping from the saddle to give him a break from carrying her weight.
“We will just rest here for a moment,” she told the horse as she slid down the wide trunk of an ancient oak tree.
Her eyes refused to stay open, hunger, and pain vanquishing any fear of being caught that might have remained. Even when two female voices drifted into her ears, Taryn couldn’t force herself to stay awake. Besides, the voices seemed so kind that Taryn didn’t think she was in any danger.
“Aila, she’s bleeding,” a worried voice spoke over Taryn.
“Dinnae fash,” someone said to her. “We will take care of ye.”
