Chapter 2

I was running, my heart racing, my pounding footsteps echoing off the walls. I recognised these walls, they were the lower corridors of my home, and I had just passed the passageway to the stables. Ahead of me was one last door, the door to the kitchen. I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't go in there. I turned to run back the way I came but a large dark figure stood in the way.

"Merida." It called in a sing song voice.

Chills shot down my spine, I had to get away. I backed up until my body collided with the solid wooden door into the kitchen. I heaved it open but before I could close it behind me the figure was there, filling the doorway with its enormous size.

"Merida."

"Please." I begged. "Just leave! Just go away! I don't want you!" The figure threw its head back at let out a deep laugh that echoed around the empty room.

"Media!"

The figure lunged at me and I screamed.

"Merida!"

Hands gripped my arms and shook my whole body.

"Merida, wake up!"

"No, please!"

"Merida!" My eyes snapped open and flicked to every corner of the cave searching for the hulking figure.

"Where is he?" I panted.

"Who?" Callan asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at me in confusion, one knee balanced on the edge of the cot.

"Baird. He was here...I saw him...he chased me." My face was wet with tears which continued to fall.

"No, Merida, there's no one here." Callan told me firmly. "There's no one here, just you and me." I peered around him; the shadows of the cave flickered in the dying embers of the fire. "It was just a nightmare." He said as he lowered himself to sit beside me and pulled me into him arms. I buried my face in his shoulder and allowed myself to be held.

"It was so real." I whispered. "He was right here." Callan pulled back and cupped my face with both hands bringing my eyes up to his.

"I won't let him hurt you. I swear." The conviction and fire in his eyes forced me to believe him.

He moved slowly but within a second his lips were on mine, soft but sure. My breath caught in my throat but instead of pulling away I pushed back, deepening the kiss. Time stood still as he tangled his fingers in my hair tugging gently on the curls.

He pulled away with a jolt all of a sudden, his face full of shame. "Oh, God. Merida, I... I'm sorry." He tried to get up from the cot, but I held onto him fast.

"Callan..."

"I let myself get carried away, Merida, I'm sorry." He pulled against my grip. "I should leave, I should go."

"No. Please Callan, don't go." I pleaded. "Don't leave, please, I don't..." Fresh tears began to fall. "I don't want to be alone anymore." The moment the words left my mouth it was like the flood gates opened. "I'm tired and I'm scared, and I don't want to be alone anymore."

I cried. I cried harder than I could remember, my body racked with sobs. I cried for my parents, my brothers, for every life lost in Baird's name. I laid myself down and curled into a ball desperate to shut out the dark and desperate world we were now faced with and but a moment later the mattress behind me shifted as Callan lay behind me. He pressed himself against my back and snaked an arm around my waist.

"You're not alone, Merida. Not anymore."

I let myself to be held as I cried into the night.

I drifted awake slowly to the first rays of daylight filtering in through to cave through the entrance tunnel and a rhythmic beating in my ear. I had turned in the night and my head now rested on Callan's chest, my head rising and falling with his breath as he snored. The pattern of his heartbeat was immensely comforting. I tilted my head up to regard his face, it had weathered over the years since we had last met, a short beard covered the lower half and there were scars dotted over the skin. He was handsome, there was no denying it, manly, with strength and power, it was no surprise he had survived this long.

When I thought back to the games when the three clans had competed for my hand, of the three suitors, MacIntosh had always been the more favourable. But my mind had been as far from marriage then as it was now.

As though he sensed me watching him, he began to stir, stretching his limbs, the bones, weary from war, cracking and popping as he moved. I looked away before he could catch me staring.

"Good morning." He said softly, his voice gravelly from sleep.

"We should clear out today," I said. "With Baird and his men so close we can't risk being discovered." Reluctantly, I moved away from his warmth and stood from the cot. I busied myself with gathering together my meagre number of possessions. Most of my treasured objects I had had to abandon when the castle had been overrun. My shoulder still hurt but I pushed through the pain, there wasn't time to wait for it to heal.

"Do you still plan to head south?" Callan asked.

"Aye, if it's as quiet as you say."

"There an old stone ruin, about two days ride south of Loch Linnhe, the lower chambers are vast and sprawling, if they are still intact, we should be safe there awhile."

"We?" I asked turning back to him.

"You, last night you said," He paused, his face full of confusion. "You said you didn't want to be alone anymore."

"I know, but maybe..."

"Maybe what, Merida?" He said as he stood and began to gather the furs from the bed. "You're injured, you cannot ride a full day and still be able to defend yourself if needed." He lashed the furs together before starting to load the cookware in his pack. "Besides," He said as he flashed me a smile. "I don't want to be alone anymore either."

"Fine," I said feeling begrudged. "But I'm in charge."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He winked at me as he strolled past me and out the cave. I smiled to myself, maybe it would be good to have some company other than a horse.

We reached the ruins of the old church just as the sun dropped behind the surrounding hills, the area was silent, still, and dark. After a few minutes of searching, we found the remains of the staircase down to the catacombs.

"The entrance is too narrow; I'm not sure Angus will fit." Callan whispered to me in the darkness.

"I'm not leaving him up here alone." I shot back. "We find a way, or we go somewhere else."

Callan sighed and looked around. "Ok, but let's check its clear first." I left Angus with a rare patch of still lush grass while Callan struck his flint to light a torch. I held my sword out to him.

"I still cannae lift it." I was embarrassed to admit. He smiled softly as he took it, our fingers brushing for a moment.

"You'll be wielding again it in no time. Ready?" I nodded and he turned and led the way down the steps.

The torchlight flooded the passageways, a few rats scurried away but there were no other signs of life. The first few champers we checked were empty yet held evidence the people had sheltered there. Fire pits, goblets, and blankets were strewn around the walls. In one makeshift bed lay a child's doll.

"Callan." I whispered. "Something's not right." I picked up the doll.

"You feel it too." He agreed.

"It's too clean." I remarked as I turned the doll over in my hands. "It cannae have been here long; no wee girl would leave without it."

"Do you think-" A noise further down the passageway silenced him. We looked at each other before Callan nodded ahead indicating his advance.

I could hear my heart beating in my throat as I silently followed, jerking to a holt as he suddenly stopped by a door to one of the catacombs and held a up a hand for me to stay put.

He adjusted his grip on the sword before raising a leg and thrusting it at the wooden door, kicking it hard. It flew open and screams erupted from inside the chamber beyond.

"Who hides here? Identify your clan!" Callan bellowed amidst the terrified pleas from the frightened inhabitants.

Abernethy, Campbell, Brown and Somerville were the few I was able to make out before I heard "Dunbroch!"

"Dunbroch!" I yelled as I charged into the room pushing past Callan. "Who? Who said Dunbroch?"

From the middle of the crowd three hands raised, as the bodies weaved their way to the front. All the breath left my body and my legs shook as my eyes landed on the three faces I thought I'd never see again.

"Hamish! Harris! Hubert!" I threw myself at them and was immediately engulfed in their collective embrace. The world around us disappeared as I cried in relief. My brothers. I had found my brothers.

"Merida! Where have you been?"

"We thought you'd escaped to England?"

"I thought we never see you again after we escaped the castle!"

"I heard that you were building an army."

"I'd heard you were in league with the witch."

"Dinnae be stupid, Merida's not a witch!"

"I didnae say she was a witch."

"Is that how you're going to stop Baird? By using magic?"

Their voices all overlapped each other as they fired question after question at me.

"By god, I missed your prattling." I laughed through my tears. "I cannae believe you're here, you're all here."

"Merida?" Came a small squeak from behind me and I turned to see a short, squat woman.

"Maudie!" Our old nursemaid stood before me, dishevelled and worn but alive.

"Oh hen, it's good to see you." She said as she embraced me with the same motherly tenderness she had when I was still growing.

I stepped back and took in the room properly for the first time. Twenty or so people had hidden themselves away amongst the tombs, mostly women and children. One little girl, no more than four, was eyeing the doll I was still holding. As I approached her, she retreated and hid behind her mother's leg. I crouched down and held out the doll.

"Is she yours?" I asked her softly. She nodded as she took the doll from me and held it tightly to her chest.

"I dropped her when we ran." She whispered.

"I'm sorry that our coming here scared you. This is Callan," I said gesturing to him. "He's my friend. I promise, we're not here to hurt you. What's your name?"

"Peigi."

"It's nice to meet you, Peigi. My name is Merida."

"Is he brave?" She asked, looking at Callan over my shoulder.

"Very." I looked back at him. "But don't tell him I told you so." I told her in a fake whisper.

"So, what now?" Asked Harris.

"Right now?" I stood and walked back to my brothers and Maudie. I suddenly felt exhausted after the two days of riding and the emotional reunion. "I need to rest, and I need to find a way to get Angus in here."

"You still have Angus?" Hubert asked excitedly.

"Leave it to us, Merida, we'll get him in here." Hamish assured me as all three of them took off down the passageway to the staircase.

"Watch out for his flank!" I shouted after them as they disappeared into the dark. "He's wounded."

"Speaking of hurt, Maudie?" Callan gently placed a hand on the nursemaid's shoulder. "Would you run your experienced eye over Merida's shoulder? I'm no surgeon but I did what I could."

"A blind man could have done a better job Laird MacIntosh." Maudie tutted as she inspected the dressing. "Come, lassie, we'll get you seen to."

She took me by the hand and led me out of the chamber and back into the corridor, lights sprung up around us as occupants of the various tomb's relit torches, candles and fires. Through the archways I saw more groups of people who had sought shelter from the war.

"How many people are here?" Callan asked as Maudie pulled us through the last door on the left, inside were a few makeshift cots on the ground, each one occupied by a poor soul riddled with illness or old age.

"A fair few now." Maudie clucked as she directed me to a chair by the fire pit, a young boy, no more than fourteen, was struggling to light the kindling. "It started out as just the boys and me, after we escaped the siege. We've collected a few stragglers over the years, there must be near a hundred of us now, these tunnels go on for miles."

"Here, laddie," Callan knelt down next to the boy, "Let me show you," he set about deconstructing the pile of wood. "There's not enough air to ignite the flames."

I watched as he schooled the boy on building a fire, how to space the branches and bunch the dry leaves. His words were constructive and never critical of his efforts. He spoke to the boy as if he were speaking to a much-loved younger brother.

"Well, it's not as bad as I feared." Maudie had removed the bandage and was inspecting Callan's handiwork. "The stitches aren't the neatest, mind you, but they've certainly done the job, I'm afraid you'll have a scar though."

I nodded and offered a smile of thanks to the older woman. My gaze then fell back upon the frail individuals around the room, most were asleep and wrapped in blankets to keep the cold at bay, the ones that were conscious were being comforted or spoon fed by a kind-hearted helper.

"Will they be ok?" I asked quietly.

"Aye, some." She fixed a new bandage in place before dipping her hands in a nearby bucket of water. "We do what we can." She dried her hands on her apron before striding back towards the door. "We're a wee tight on space but I shall find you both somewhere to bed down." She called back over her shoulder before she disappeared out of sight.

No more than a few minutes passed before my brothers returned, barrelling into the chamber pushing each other out of the way in their eagerness to reach me first.

"How's Angus?" I asked as they settled themselves around me. "Was he alright out there?"

"Och aye, he was grand." Hamish assured me.

"He'd found a nice patch of grass and was working his way through it." Harris added.

"We've set him down in the first chamber, we're nae set up for horses but we gave him a blanket to bed down on." Hubert said.

"Thank you, my lads." I touched them all in turn, a cheek, a shoulder, a curl, still in disbelief I had found them again. They were older, dirtier, and skinnier but with defined muscles I hadn't seen before. "I cannae believe you're all here." I said, my eyes stinging with fresh tears and emotions.

Now I had a moment to look them over more closely I noticed an array of wounds from battle. Hubert had a fresh pink scar stretching the length of his left cheek. Harris' nose looked to have been broken and reset several times.

"Hamish! Your ear!" I reached out and brushed his long curls back. Where his right ear should be there was a puckered gathering of skin, hastily sewn together.

"Ah, dinna fash, Merida." He batted my hand away. "A run in with a few of Baird's men, I happily sacrificed an ear to escape with my life, and Maudie's." He added. "She tended me well."

"The great walloper widnae let me take a look until well into the next day, didnae leave me much to work with." Maudie chastised as she returned with bundles of blankets piled in her arms, for a small woman her very presence could fill a room.

"What about mum and dad?" I asked hopefully, but my brother's faces fell almost in sync with each other. "They didnae make it, did they?" My voice cracked as I spoke the words.

"Dad," Hubert started, his own voice faltering. "He took on Baird himself when they invaded the castle."

"I've never seen a fight like it." Harris admitted. "Each of them took out the men around them even as they fought each other. But Baird, he got the upper hand."

"It was quick," Hamish said as he squeezed my hand. "That's the only comfort we can take from it. Dad didnae suffer."

"And mum?" I asked through tears.

"We didnae see it happen but we heard Baird telling dad, baiting him. So, we can only assume he got her too."

"I lost sight of everyone at the castle. I've spent so many years wondering what happened to everyone. At least I still have you, my boys." I opened my arms and pulled them into my embrace, burying my face in their hair.

We stayed there for a while holding each other, until Maudie cleared her throat. "As good as a hug is for healing the soul sleep is even better. Merida, you need rest, lass. I have some bedding for you and Laird MacIntosh."

"Thank you, Maudie." He said with a warm smile before turning to me. "I'll take these to Angus' chamber." He added before slipping out the door and I watched him disappear down the corridor. Curious faces watched him pass and he stopped every now and then to introduce himself to handfuls of refugees.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Callan MacIntosh would turn your head." Maudie chuckled behind me. I felt my face instantly flush as I tore my eyes from Callan's retreating back.

"My head disnae turn for anyone, Maudie." I insisted, but from the raised eyebrow I could tell she didn't believe me.

"No one would blame you, Merida." Her voice softened as she placed a hand on my arm. "We cannae stop out hearts from feeling."

"We have a war to win, Maudie, there's no time for feelings."

"All the more reason for feelings if you ask me." She informed me, her eyes twinkling. "Now, off with ye, you need to sleep."

I suddenly became aware of the sheer exhaustion in my bones and after a last hug from the woman I turned and headed back to the first chamber where Angus had been stowed. The sight that greeted me did nothing to aid my persistence of there being no feeling towards Callan. He had draped a blanket over Angus's back and was in the process of arranging a pile of blankets next to him.

"Right, lad, you tuck into this." He cooed as he opened a pack and tipped out a pile of grass. He stood and turned, startling slightly upon finding me watching him.

"He looks content." I said, nodding towards the horse. "Thank you for taking care of him, he's been my only friend for a long time."

Callan flashed what could only be described as a bashful smile. "He's a fine steed, deserves looking after." He shrugged. "I, uh…" He gestured a hand the nest of blankets next to Angus. "I made you a bed, of sorts."

Maudie was right, I couldn't stop my heart from feeling.

"Thank you." I whispered. "For everything. For getting us here safely, for reuniting me with my brothers."

"A lucky coincidence." He said, attempting to evade my compliment.

"Still, thank you." I repeated. He held my gaze for a moment before moving slowly past me, heading back out of the chamber.

"Goodnight, Merida."

"Stay." The words had left my mouth before I even realised. "Please. I…dinnae want to be alone."

"I told you, you're not alone anymore, Merida." He said as he wrapped his arms around me. "I'm here."

He took my hand and led me back to the nest of blankets, never letting go as we settled ourselves amongst them. Neither of us said a word as we lay down and a pressed myself against his side. He slipped an arm under my shoulders and pulled me closer until I laid my head on his chest and he flicked a blanket over us with his other hand.

My body craved the touch after so many years spent alone in the cold wilderness of the Scottish lands. His body was warm and solid, and I could feel his heartbeat beneath my cheek. I angled my head up to look at him and found his eyes already on me.

"Kiss me." I breathed.

He did.