she saw Adam and Millie come out and then Millie run back in. Adam picked up a pitch fork lying against the back wall of the keep and came running towards Sara’s pursuer. Sara fell, wrenching the muscles in her stomach; she felt as if her torso were on fire. Pulling herself up past the pain, she stood and continued to run. Adam passed her.
“They have Hannah,” Sara gasped out. “Please, get Hannah!”
Adam kept running. Sara turned to see that the man who chased her turned tail back to his accomplice. Sara looked towards the keep and saw the reason. Gavin dashed past, sword in hand.
Sara ran back into the kitchen and grabbed her largest knife. “Come, Millie, we must help the men to save Hannah!” Millie grabbed the fire poker and followed Sara from the kitchen at a run.
By the time the two women made it back to the creek, Adam and Gavin had climbed halfway down the slope, after their pursuers. Sara slid the butcher knife in her belt and turned to climb after them.
“No, ye won’t! They would just as like to get their ‘ands on ye as the girl. Stay here!” Millie ordered. “Give me the knife!” Millie handed Sara the poker and placed the knife in her belt to follow the men. Quick as a cat, she descended the rocky slope, gaining on Adam and Gavin. Just as the three made it down to the boat, the small craft set sail, speeding down the tributary, towards the ocean.
“Do something!” Adam screamed. “If they get to the ocean, all is lost!”
Gavin pulled a knife from his boot and aimed it at the back of Sara’s pursuer. With a quick flick of his wrist, he directed the knife into the neck of the closest man. The man grasped at his neck, making the fatal mistake of pulling the object from his artery. Blood spurted everywhere. Hannah, temporarily freed from her captor’s grasp, jumped into the gushing river. Adam had anticipated the move of his young mistress. Tied to the tree at his feet, lay a thick rope the villains had used to pull their small craft up stream. Tying the loose end about his waste, he dove into the water and allowed the current to carry him to Hannah. Hannah worked hard to swim against the current but could do little more than maintain her position.
Gavin, meanwhile, kept close watch on the boat. It continued down the river, so he stopped and called to Millie. “Help me pull them back to shore!” Together, Millie and Gavin heaved the burden of the two sodden bodies. Inch by inch, the rope gathered at their feet. Inch by precious inch, Sara's daughter came closer to shore. Finally, Adam and Hannah lay in an exhausted heap before them. Gavin kneeled to remove the gauze in Hannah’s mouth. Coughing and spurting water, Hannah lay on her side and sucked in wet rasps of air.
“She’ll catch her death out here,” Millie clucked. “Let’s get her inside and warm.” Gavin scooped his child in his arms, shaking from the fright he had just been given. Walking back towards the slope, his mind repeated the litany over and over, “Thank God, Thank God, Thank thee, God.”
Strangely, his relief had nothing to do with the fact that his competitor nearly stole the title from beneath his nose. His relief came from the fact that Hannah would be fine. Looking down at her shivering form, he worried that she might have swallowed too much water.
“I-I can walk,” came Hannah’s timid voice as they reached the foot of the slope. Gavin’s heart ached as he set her on her feet. The long, red scrapes that cut across her arms and face screamed of her struggle down the slope just minutes earlier.
“Allow Adam and me to help ye,” Sir Gavin returned. Each man climbed the slope, offering a hand where needed and Millie followed, pushing her dear mistress from behind. Finally, they made it to the top, only to discover Sara, white and writhing on the creek bed.
“Art thou injured?” Gavin asked in alarm.
“I m-must have twisted something when I fell earlier,” Sara gasped out. “My stomach is on
“They have Hannah,” Sara gasped out. “Please, get Hannah!”
Adam kept running. Sara turned to see that the man who chased her turned tail back to his accomplice. Sara looked towards the keep and saw the reason. Gavin dashed past, sword in hand.
Sara ran back into the kitchen and grabbed her largest knife. “Come, Millie, we must help the men to save Hannah!” Millie grabbed the fire poker and followed Sara from the kitchen at a run.
By the time the two women made it back to the creek, Adam and Gavin had climbed halfway down the slope, after their pursuers. Sara slid the butcher knife in her belt and turned to climb after them.
“No, ye won’t! They would just as like to get their ‘ands on ye as the girl. Stay here!” Millie ordered. “Give me the knife!” Millie handed Sara the poker and placed the knife in her belt to follow the men. Quick as a cat, she descended the rocky slope, gaining on Adam and Gavin. Just as the three made it down to the boat, the small craft set sail, speeding down the tributary, towards the ocean.
“Do something!” Adam screamed. “If they get to the ocean, all is lost!”
Gavin pulled a knife from his boot and aimed it at the back of Sara’s pursuer. With a quick flick of his wrist, he directed the knife into the neck of the closest man. The man grasped at his neck, making the fatal mistake of pulling the object from his artery. Blood spurted everywhere. Hannah, temporarily freed from her captor’s grasp, jumped into the gushing river. Adam had anticipated the move of his young mistress. Tied to the tree at his feet, lay a thick rope the villains had used to pull their small craft up stream. Tying the loose end about his waste, he dove into the water and allowed the current to carry him to Hannah. Hannah worked hard to swim against the current but could do little more than maintain her position.
Gavin, meanwhile, kept close watch on the boat. It continued down the river, so he stopped and called to Millie. “Help me pull them back to shore!” Together, Millie and Gavin heaved the burden of the two sodden bodies. Inch by inch, the rope gathered at their feet. Inch by precious inch, Sara's daughter came closer to shore. Finally, Adam and Hannah lay in an exhausted heap before them. Gavin kneeled to remove the gauze in Hannah’s mouth. Coughing and spurting water, Hannah lay on her side and sucked in wet rasps of air.
“She’ll catch her death out here,” Millie clucked. “Let’s get her inside and warm.” Gavin scooped his child in his arms, shaking from the fright he had just been given. Walking back towards the slope, his mind repeated the litany over and over, “Thank God, Thank God, Thank thee, God.”
Strangely, his relief had nothing to do with the fact that his competitor nearly stole the title from beneath his nose. His relief came from the fact that Hannah would be fine. Looking down at her shivering form, he worried that she might have swallowed too much water.
“I-I can walk,” came Hannah’s timid voice as they reached the foot of the slope. Gavin’s heart ached as he set her on her feet. The long, red scrapes that cut across her arms and face screamed of her struggle down the slope just minutes earlier.
“Allow Adam and me to help ye,” Sir Gavin returned. Each man climbed the slope, offering a hand where needed and Millie followed, pushing her dear mistress from behind. Finally, they made it to the top, only to discover Sara, white and writhing on the creek bed.
“Art thou injured?” Gavin asked in alarm.
“I m-must have twisted something when I fell earlier,” Sara gasped out. “My stomach is on
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