The Highlander

Chapter Seventeen

Rosaline

I wanted to run a sword through Finn's chest. I wanted to watch as the blood poured out of the wound around the metal deep inside him. I wanted to watch the life drain out of his eyes as he fell to his knees and breathed his last breath.

Well, of course I didn't really want that. Of course I wanted to run back to the field and take him away from all this war, pain and blood but I couldn't do that.

Why?

Because he stuck my but with Mr. Pain in My Ass Alistair.

"Stop moving." Alistair's rough Scottish tone tore me from my murderous thoughts. Alistair's hand was wrapped to tightly around my waist, as if reminding me I was his for the day.

"I can move if I want to move!" I screamed in frustration like a child, yanking his arm from around my waist. Alistair tried to rewrap his arm around me but I squirmed out of the way, losing balance on the horse before I tumbled of the side.

The horse was running fast and hard meaning my fall was quick and agonizing. Pain exploded in my head and I had to fight hard to stay conscious. I longed to let the pain drift away in sleep. Just to close my eyes and forget it.

My ankle felt broken, my arm too but my head hurt the most. As if I had relentlessly pounded it with a hammer till it was nothing but brain goo and blood. I tried to move onto my side but more pain erupted in my body, sending me back on my back, moaning in pain.

I tried to fight the darkness attempting to absorb me. I knew I had to fight it, as much as I didn't want to. My eye lids felt heavy and started to droop, covering my eyes until there was nothing but darkness.

My breathing grew heavy as the pain increased in my head and I knew I was seconds from temporarily leaving this world. Darkness, one different from the dark cloth that shielded her eyes from the days light, was slowly creeping towards me. Getting closer and closer until the smoke started to slither over my legs, climbing up my body and towards my face.

The pounding of horse hooves was a distant whisper in my ears, getting louder and louder until the noise seemed too loud to bear. He pounding stopped and seconds later I felt arms wrap around me, pulling me to them.

In my pain filled haze I said softly, "Finn?"

"No," a rough voice spoke, "just me."

Alistair.

I didn't know whether or not to cry in frustration or in relief. He was my saviour and my torment. But right now I didn't care. I just wanted the pain to go away.

"Come on lass. Time to go." Alistair's tone held slight humour, as if he was mocking the situation he was in. The brave soldier saving the damsel in distress. God, wait till I feel better, I wanted to scream at him. I could imagine wrapping my hands around his neck, thrashing his head back and forth, listening to his petty little screams until-

Thinking hurt my head.

I groaned and turned my head to the side. It hit something soft and I moaned for a reason other than pain as I let my shoulders and neck relax, my head resting gently on the soft surface.

"Glad ye find my chest so comfortable princess." Alistair's cheeky voice came from above. I ignored him and closed my eyes, sinking my head further into his chest, the pain in my head slowly starting to seep away. Only slowly, however, like a leak in a drain that just drops gradually, whereas now I wanted it to all burst out into a waterfall, draining my head of all the pain.

I felt myself being twisted around so I was straddling Alistair's side, and I grappled to fix my hands around his neck so I didn't fall. Again. For a moment I felt like I was flying and I knew Alistair had swung us onto his horse so I just held onto him as he positioned us and kicked his horse, startling it, causing it to surge forwards in a gallop.