The Stranger (Outlander FanFic)

3. The Flight

As I made my way through the untamable Highland forest, I was beginning to realize what a bloody fool I was. I heard the barks of dogs behind me, and the angry voice of Officer Randall, who were chasing me through the woods. I had stuffed my leggings in my purse, and I had left my coat behind. I was sobbing silently, but I let out a shriek when I slid down. The mud splashed into my face and mouth when I was gasping for air. I stood back on my feet, and watched the men with torches, who were running on the path on the hilltop. My whole body was shivering, and I was coming to breathe, with my hands leaning on my knees, a hound appeared in front of me. He groaned at me, his teeth shone in the moonlight.

Fearfully I looked at the dog, and I started to run away. The dog was chasing me, but it wasn't as fast as I had expected him to be. I ran further and futher, into nothing. The darkness had totally consumed me, and I had to trust my on own intuition, which wasn't always very good. I heard the sound of water, quite loud, so there must be a creek nearby. I heard the dog again and anxiously I reached for my pocket knife and- the dog jumped up at me and I held the knife towards him as I feld the dog's weight had pushed me over and his teeth piercing my shouder. The dog was heavily breathing and with guilt I pulled my knife out of him.

"That's my dog you bitch!" I heard Randall and the started to shoot at me. He hit is dog in the head, who was now dead. I saw the light fading in his eyes, and I crawled back when Randall ran towards me, reloading his gun. I crawled up and ran again, my heart pumping between my ears. I saw the creek and I threw a few branches in it, so it made a loud splash. I ran back and I climbed into the hightree that was next to me. With pain and much effort I finally sat down at the top branch.

"Oi! Follow the water, then you'll find her!" I heard Randall yelling. I let my head fall back, so it would lean against the tree trunk. I closed my eyes and I tried not to scream, to resist the pain in my shoulder. The white fabric that was covering my shoulder was now torn and dark red. I torn it more open and touched the wound. I was utterly shocked when I felt a few teeth in it. "Okay Eve," I whispered to myself, "don't panic now." I was heavily breathing and I started to hyperventilate. I was sure the soldiers were gone, and I climbed down again. I stood on a branch 7 feet above the ground, and it broke when I put my full weight on it.

I fell down through a few little branches and I felt them cutting my face, legs and arms before I fell face-down in the mud. I spat a few leafs and mudlumps out and grossed myself out. I forgot to say one thing about my self: I am most clumsy. I was looking up the sky, and saw stripes of orange running through the blue sky. Dawn. I put my shoes off and started to undress myself. I was completely naked, when I put the dress back on. I laid my purse on the floor, and on top of my purse my underwear. I let myself slid into the water. "Ohhh, that's cold!" I said breathelessly and I submerged. I washed the mud off my body as much as I could. It felt nice to wash me. Comparing to Randall, the mud was not dirty at all. Carefully I pulled the dog's teeth out, six of them, if you want to know, and I put them in my purse. Nice souvernir isn't it? I felt terribly sorry about the dog though, I love animals. But i fit was a cat, i'd have let it scratch my eyes out before i'd actually hurt it. I climbed out of the creek and after a while I put my underwear on.

I grinned when I was thinking about it: who would have thought that I was actually walking through the Highland woods in my underwear after being attacked by a man and his dog in the 18th century? "This is insane..." I sat down on the soft grass under a tree and laid my dress some further away, spread out, so it could dry in the sun that was now shining through the trees. I was looking around and stood up carefully. I passed some bushes and I wished I could find something to eat. I was gone for half an hour, and all I could find was a handful of blackberries and a few marigold flowers. Marigold flowers have healing powers, so now they were very useful. (i don't know much about healing herbs and stuff, but last year at the Elfia Fantasy Fair, I bought soap made form the marigold flower, and that woman told me where the flowers are used for).