Chapter 3
Finn could only hope that his death was painless. He came forward with a buildup of adrenaline that made him a force to be reckoned with. He had Ian at a disadvantage. Ian had dropped his sword and was now kneeling at his mercy.
Caitlin had caused the avalanche, but the outcome was not exactly what she had hoped it was going to be. Her main purpose of causing the avalanche was to bring this fight to an end. Unfortunately, she did not take into consideration that Finn was a man that did not recognize defeat. Both Finn and Ian came from the same kind of warrior breeding.
She moved down the hillside, conscious of the fact that her feet were a little unsteady after the avalanche. The dust that had settled around the area had obscured her vision from what was happening between the two fighters. She should’ve known that their highlander code would not allow them to run away to fight for another day.
She heard the anguished scream, as she shielded her eyes and tried to make out who was coming out on top. “I don’t want either man to die, but I have this need of seeing Ian at his best. I shouldn’t feel this way. I’ve only met the man in passing during times of peace amongst my people. I’d never tried to hide the fact that I was interested in him, but he gravitated to those that were more comely and available.” Caitlin slipped a couple of times, but she was able to hold her own. The worst of her wounds was a deep gash in her hand. She had to stop momentarily to attend to the wound. She found exactly what she needed in nature itself. She applied what most would consider a poultice.
“This is not over…you will pay for this… AHHHHH.” The voice was that of Finn, as he looked up at the man that had finally gotten the better of him. He thought that he had him, his sword driven through to the bone in Ian’s shoulder. That feeling of victory superseded everything, so he did not notice the small knife that Ian had pulled and stabbed forth into his chest. It did not kill him, but he did know what it was like to be on the receiving end of defeat. It was not a pleasant taste in his mouth.
“You’ve gotten complacent. I should kill you, but I’m not going to do that. You deserve to fight against me again. I know that it is foolish and if the reversal of fortune was in your favor, you would not hesitate to bring me down to my knees.” Ian was standing, but the blood loss was making him woozy. He watched Finn’s eyes flutter closed and instinctively knew that he was no longer alone. He spun around with that same knife showing the signs of being plunged into Finn along the blade.
The sun streaming from behind the figure made it appear that he was walking towards an angel. “It’s not your time.” the words made him smile, but if it wasn’t his time, then why per chance was an angel here to greet him. She had flaxen hair that had fallen from her scarf and the kind of body that he would want to explore with his tongue from the top to the bottom. He licked his lips with anticipation, even though his death was very much near. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” He saw the angular shape of her face, but did not recognize the woman in front of him.
“I am ready to join my ancestors. Take me to them and let me rest finally.” He was practically begging for the relief of death. The pain was undeniable and those wounds that he had been inflicted with were seeping through his clothing. He walked shakily, holding the sword against the ground, as a form of a crutch to keep himself from collapsing altogether. “You are here to guide me to the afterlife. Take my hand and let vanquish the pain that I’m in.” He lost his balance, fell to his knees and then stood up defiantly. His breath was short and raspy. He felt the blackness envelope him. He knew that this was the end. He also knew that his soon to be love, Kathleen was going to be disappointed.
Caitlin tried to break his fall, but instead fell with him with his dead weight lying on top of her. She struggled to get out from underneath him, but it was an effort, just to breathe. “He is very heavy, but if I don’t get out from underneath them, then I will perish from lack of oxygen. I can feel that he is a man that knows the meaning of a healthy living. His muscles are impressive. I can feel that the one between his legs is not exactly asleep. Even unconscious, his male anatomy has taken an interest in me. I should be appalled, but I’m more flattered than anything.” “You have to get off of me. I can help you, but you need to help yourself.” He groaned and then turned slightly, giving her a moment of reprieve.
Using her hands, she pushed him away, but it was not an easy feat by any means. She got up and looked around. Dragging his dead weight by the arms, she brought him over to the horse and was able to heave him over the side of it. She stopped, put her hands on her knees and tried to get her breathing back to normal.
“I have no idea what I’m going to do with you. I can’t take you back to my clan. I can’t take you back to yours, because it’s too far away. I do know of a place, but it’s miles races away from the real world. I’m hesitant to take him there, but he is in really no shape to know where he’s going.” Caitlin jumped on the horse, looking at the prone form of Ian and not being able to help herself by looking underneath the kilt. She lifted it with hesitation and gasped our loud at the rock hard formation of his half moons. She touched them and there was no give. She saucily envisioned what it would be like to be underneath him in the throes of passion.
“I will vanquish all enemies. I will kill with no mercy and my name will be on everyone’s lips.” He was delirious with an infection raging through his body. That was the warrior mantra that he had lived by all of his life. It came spilling from his lips. He still had his eyes closed, but he was vaguely aware that they were moving. “I will never give up and I will never surrender. You may as well kill me right now. If you don’t, then I will find a way to kill you.” He had no idea who he was talking to, only that he was alive and that would have to be enough.
Caitlin listened to his outburst, knowing full well that he probably didn’t have any idea of what he was saying. “Ian Mackenzie, you are in good hands. I promise that I will not let anything happen to you. You can rest knowing that somebody is taking care of you for a change.” While they were riding to her own personal oasis, she took a moment to attend to his medical needs. She still held some of those herbs and roots. She used them accordingly, to make him more comfortable and not moaning in agony.
“Ian Mackenzie is the one man that nobody has been able to tie down with a commitment. For him to volunteer to join in a union with a rival clan chief’s daughter can only mean that it was meant to rally the forces. I’m hoping that I’m not doing my own people a disservice by keeping him alive. His intention is to fight and to bring the full armament of the highland warriors to bear. It remains to be seen if his target is my people or that of another clan. I guess I’m going to have to take that one step at a time. Even sleeping, he looks like a giant amongst men.”
There was no way that she could find every one of his wounds. The motion of the horse made it almost impossible to keep him from bleeding out. She found the path and she jumped down to break through the foliage that had grown over the entrance. Nobody knew that it was there. She only found out from her grandfather. His final Decree on his deathbed was to share the secret with his granddaughter Caitlin. She did not believe that the hot springs held any magical benefits, but it was a calming influence.
Going back to Ian, she lifted his head by his hair. He was completely out of it, his eyes glazed over and barely conscious after a battle that would’ve see most men dead at the end of it. She looked at his eyes and there was the spirit of a warrior lurking behind them. He may have not been in any shape to fight back at the moment, but that was not going to last.
Jumping on the horse, she easily navigated the wild stallion into the path. It took almost an hour to get there. The raging water of those falls made her breathe a sigh of relief. She took it all in. It was one of those places that had been untouched by civilization. It was pure and there something strangely exciting about stepping onto territory that not many had found their way to. She looked towards Ian and she had no idea how she was going to get him down from the horse without hurting him.
Fighting her natural instincts, as a woman, she finally was able to get him back onto the hard packed ground by the springs. The steam rising to the surface was a product of Mother Nature at its best. She cupped her hand into the water and then brought it over to his mouth that was slightly parted and showing signs of thirst