Outlander: The Standing Stones

Home

We rode in gloomy silence, Geillis, Mac, and I the only ones who knew what this truly meant. It was spring, but there was no warmth to the air, Scottish springs were cold and cheerless, like our spirits.

We would spend one more night in an inn, then it would be hard riding to Inverness. So far we had met no one on the road, which I took to be a good omen, but any moment now things could change. We'd decided that the men from Leoch would leave us in the morning, and take the back roads back to their home. Jamie could not afford to be seen and Angus and Rufus were anxious to get back.

I hated the quiet we rode in, it reminded me too much of my flight from Colin Campbell. There was no singing or talking or laughing, just quiet watchful awareness. We listened for the sound of hoof beats, however faint, behind us and were grateful when we heard nothing.

My nerves were being stretched to their limit, I imagined that any moment I would hear the sound of horses behind us. I don't know if anyone else felt it too, but I could not shake the feeling that any moment we would find that we were not alone on the road.

Jamie, Angus, and Rufus have left us. They are taking the back ways home to Leoch to avoid running into the Campbells or any British soldiers who may be on the road. It is just us now and I feel vulnerable and scared.

Geillis rides in the back, keeping a sharp eye out for soldiers or anyone who may be a threat. So far nothing, but I am in terror of seeing Colin's blond head. He'll be riding at the head of the group, maybe with Randall at his side. There will be people I knew while I was living in Chateau La Mere whom I may have counted as friends—once.

I wish we knew the countryside so we could stay off the main road, but we don't. We can't chance getting lost, it's way too risky. And who knows who might find and "rescue" us. Under no circumstances do I want to be handed over to Colin Campbell. I'll kill myself and the baby before I let that happen.

I try to comfort myself with the fact that we are only a few miles from Inverness and the sacred grove. When we reach the path to the stones I will take the baby from Margaret and send her on her way. She's a smart girl, her wits and the gold I plan to give her will help her get away safely. She's fierce but she's also superstitious so she's not eager to approach the stone circle with us. It's better that way.

Then I hear the words I've been dreading. "They're coming," Geillis says and Mac helps Margaret down off the horse.

"Let me take the bairn, mistress, I can keep him safe." Her eyes are pleading with me but there is no way I will be separated from my son. I give her a handful of gold coins, more than she's ever dreamt of having and tell her, "No, I can't, I need to keep him here with me." She kisses my gloved hand and squeezes it.

"God keep you, ma'am," she says and gives the baby one last look, then runs off. She won't be caught, she knows this country. Though I'm not religious, I say a little prayer, asking her god to keep her safe and I know he will.

This is it, we spur our horses and urge them to run as fast as they can. It's only a short space to the entrance and then down the path that leads to the grove. The horses seem to sense our fear and respond to us almost of their own accord. We don't want to kill them, but these horses are hunters and are bred for endurance and speed so we press them as hard as we can.

They are a ways behind us, but we can hear them. Men's voices are co-mingled with the sounds of hooves. In the two or three minutes it would take to run a race we have found the entrance to the stone circle and the horses are now running on soft turf. Though their hoof beats are muffled, our tracks are there for all to see and they won't lose us, they will follow us to the end.

And they have. Are their horses fresher than ours? I don't know, all I know is that now I can hear yelling and the jingling of their bridles. I don't turn around because I don't want to see, but I know that Colin has instructed them to ignore the others and head straight for me.