Page 35 of Highlander’s Sloth

“I see you’ve been able to make quite a good showing for yourselves, considering my spies tell me you had not so much as a sentry guard on duty six months ago. Well done.”

When there was still no reply, Baron Lloyd turned and pointed to the fierce old man on the horse beside him, saying, “I beg permission to make Laird Duncombe known to you. And I’m sure there’s no need to tell you what we want. Give it to us, and all this will go away.” Here, Baron Lloyd waved his hand to indicate the soldiers encamped on the hill behind him.

Kirsty could not hold herself back any longer. “Begone from here, ye dastardly rascal!” she shouted down at the baron. “There’s a special place in hell for those who mistreat their guests!”

The baron just gave her a greasy grin and said, “Tsk, tsk, that was very naughty of you, Mistress Macanroy, and you’re not even in a position to teach me a lesson, are you? Because of your rudeness, I don’t think I’ll tell the soldiers to treat you kindly.”

And on those words, Laird Duncombe made a sign with his hand, and the soldiers on the hill began to form attack lines.

Battle was to begin. The siege was over.

It seemed to Callum as though he was living in a never-ending nightmare. As the sun sank beneath the hills to the west, he knew his little band of makeshift soldiers would soon falter, and then the lodge would be lost.

As soon as one of Laird Duncombe’s men would fall behind the wall, either pierced by a sword thrust or wounded by a spear, another would spring up to take his place like a pantomime demon out of a trapdoor. Slowly but surely, the lodge defenders were being overwhelmed. Fatigue and despair would win the day, and then all Laird Duncombe’s soldiers would have to do was climb over.

The attackers had come well prepared. When they had failed to break through the barricaded gates, they had returned to their camp to fetch ladders. They pushed them up against parts of the walls where no defender was standing. And it was not long before Callum had to command half his men to leave off defending the walls and move into the courtyard to catch anyone trying to break through to the main house after scaling the ladders and sneaking over the walls.

This left large parts of the wall undefended of which Laird Duncombe’s men were quick to take advantage of. The lodge was being overrun, and yet, this was not the worst the attackers had to offer.

“Ware! Arrows!” the cry rang out.

And to Callum’s horror, a thicket of flaming arrows began to land in the courtyard and in between buildings. He had no choice; he could not risk his wife and parents burning alive.

“All men, leave yer posts! Form a chain with buckets from the well! Do it now!”

“But sir!” the captain screamed. “That will leave the gates and walls undefended!”

“It’s an order!” Callum bellowed.

And so every man dropped his weapon and ran to the well. It was either that or allowing Macanroy Lodge to be turned into a pyre of flame.

His face dripping with sweat and his chest heaving after running from one side of the lodge to the other, Callum watched and waited for the swarms of Duncombe soldiers to begin climbing over the walls.

None came.

Bewildered, Callum went to the gate palisade to look over at the road. He was greeted by the sight of Laird Duncombe’s soldiers running for their lives as Laird Gilbert MacGill’s well-trained troops chased them with fierce cries.