Read Online Captured Heart by Heather McCollum - Free Book Online
Authors: Heather McCollum
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aunt’s clan, where no one knew of her humiliation.
Donald held one finger against his lips. “Quiet now, lass,” he whispered. “Dangerous terrain here.” He pointed up to a line of trees above them. “Ambush territory.”
Meg glanced around her. She drew her bow across her lap and nocked an arrow. Her gaze moved between the narrow path and the tree line above. She hadn’t thought about enemies other than her father after they’d crossed into Scotland. Of course there were enemies even within one’s own country. She just hadn’t considered it so close to the Macbain border. Whose lands were they traversing?
After an eternity of watchful silence, the winding trail along the side of the mountain gave way to a moor filled with late blooming wildflowers and purple heather. The men pushed their mounts into a run across the sun-washed expanse.
Donald pulled back beside Meg. “We’re almost home, lass.” He pointed ahead. “Just past those boulders is Macbain land. No need to keep quiet now.”
He kicked his horse into a gallop.
Meg twisted around as the men raced past her on both sides, smiles cracking along their dirty, fuzzy faces. She tapped Pippen and raced after them. The relief of almost being at her aunt’s, the fresh wash of mountain air along her skin, the surge of her horse after days of sedate walking. The speed was more than her frown could take. She beamed widely. Halfway across, she glanced over one shoulder and her heart leapt high. Caden rode behind, restraining his charger to match Pippen’s pace.
The sun beat down. The wind tugged at her loose braid, pulling several locks free to fly behind like errant ribbons. Meg’s blood pumped under her skin, warming her as she bent forward along Pippen’s neck and kicked lightly, giving him freedom to run.
Caden’s mount surged up next to Pippen. He rode with the ease of someone raised on the back of a horse, much like herself. She narrowed her eyes and quirked the grin into a challenge.
“ Siuthad! ” she yelled to Pippen, urging him to stretch his legs against the speed of Caden’s charger. Pippen flew across the wildflowers, hooves tossing chunks of soft peat behind him. Meg laughed and lay low over Pippen’s neck. She glanced to the side. Caden leaned across his charger’s mane, his eyes sparked with appreciation and suppressed laughter.
“Slow down, lass!” he warned.
“Ha!” She laughed and steered Pippen around the boulders out into another meadow that led to the shores of a large lake.
“Ye’ll break yer bonny neck.”
Meg flew past the other Macbains who’d already reached the second meadow. Pippen reached the lake in a splashing of hooves and she pulled back on his reins. She laughed and stroked her hand along his sweating neck. Her horse pranced in the shallows and then lowered his head to drink.
Caden’s horse splashed to a halt next to her and she tried not to look at him. The world was too beautiful, the air too clear to frown with anger and justified embarrassment. Instead, she absorbed the wild glory of the landscape.
Mountains, some low and some soaring, encircled the valley basin where they stood. Snow-tipped green pines and trees of gold, red, and orange covered the mountain slopes. If God was the artist, He’d taken vegetable dye and delicately enhanced each tree up the hillside. The sun sparkled along the choppy waves in the lake and the wind blew fresh against Meg’s skin. She breathed in a full gulp, letting it cleanse her.
Caden maneuvered his charger next to Pippen.
“God lives here,” she said, her words edged with whispered awe.
Caden’s voice was also hushed. “Aye, ’tis more than just beauty in it. There’s spirit and courage and strength.” He dismounted into the knee-high water and led Pippen and his charger out to dry ground. “’Tis why men fight for her,” he said.
“You mean fight for it ,” she said and stared down into his eyes. Clear air and sunshine filled her. Alive! She
Donald held one finger against his lips. “Quiet now, lass,” he whispered. “Dangerous terrain here.” He pointed up to a line of trees above them. “Ambush territory.”
Meg glanced around her. She drew her bow across her lap and nocked an arrow. Her gaze moved between the narrow path and the tree line above. She hadn’t thought about enemies other than her father after they’d crossed into Scotland. Of course there were enemies even within one’s own country. She just hadn’t considered it so close to the Macbain border. Whose lands were they traversing?
After an eternity of watchful silence, the winding trail along the side of the mountain gave way to a moor filled with late blooming wildflowers and purple heather. The men pushed their mounts into a run across the sun-washed expanse.
Donald pulled back beside Meg. “We’re almost home, lass.” He pointed ahead. “Just past those boulders is Macbain land. No need to keep quiet now.”
He kicked his horse into a gallop.
Meg twisted around as the men raced past her on both sides, smiles cracking along their dirty, fuzzy faces. She tapped Pippen and raced after them. The relief of almost being at her aunt’s, the fresh wash of mountain air along her skin, the surge of her horse after days of sedate walking. The speed was more than her frown could take. She beamed widely. Halfway across, she glanced over one shoulder and her heart leapt high. Caden rode behind, restraining his charger to match Pippen’s pace.
The sun beat down. The wind tugged at her loose braid, pulling several locks free to fly behind like errant ribbons. Meg’s blood pumped under her skin, warming her as she bent forward along Pippen’s neck and kicked lightly, giving him freedom to run.
Caden’s mount surged up next to Pippen. He rode with the ease of someone raised on the back of a horse, much like herself. She narrowed her eyes and quirked the grin into a challenge.
“ Siuthad! ” she yelled to Pippen, urging him to stretch his legs against the speed of Caden’s charger. Pippen flew across the wildflowers, hooves tossing chunks of soft peat behind him. Meg laughed and lay low over Pippen’s neck. She glanced to the side. Caden leaned across his charger’s mane, his eyes sparked with appreciation and suppressed laughter.
“Slow down, lass!” he warned.
“Ha!” She laughed and steered Pippen around the boulders out into another meadow that led to the shores of a large lake.
“Ye’ll break yer bonny neck.”
Meg flew past the other Macbains who’d already reached the second meadow. Pippen reached the lake in a splashing of hooves and she pulled back on his reins. She laughed and stroked her hand along his sweating neck. Her horse pranced in the shallows and then lowered his head to drink.
Caden’s horse splashed to a halt next to her and she tried not to look at him. The world was too beautiful, the air too clear to frown with anger and justified embarrassment. Instead, she absorbed the wild glory of the landscape.
Mountains, some low and some soaring, encircled the valley basin where they stood. Snow-tipped green pines and trees of gold, red, and orange covered the mountain slopes. If God was the artist, He’d taken vegetable dye and delicately enhanced each tree up the hillside. The sun sparkled along the choppy waves in the lake and the wind blew fresh against Meg’s skin. She breathed in a full gulp, letting it cleanse her.
Caden maneuvered his charger next to Pippen.
“God lives here,” she said, her words edged with whispered awe.
Caden’s voice was also hushed. “Aye, ’tis more than just beauty in it. There’s spirit and courage and strength.” He dismounted into the knee-high water and led Pippen and his charger out to dry ground. “’Tis why men fight for her,” he said.
“You mean fight for it ,” she said and stared down into his eyes. Clear air and sunshine filled her. Alive! She
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