Free Heart of the Highlands: The Beast (Protectors of the Crown Book 1) by April Holthaus Page A

and damsels in distress.
    Though this was far from what she would call an adventure, the past two days had been the most extraordinary, yet scary, she had ever experienced.

Chapter 8
     
     
    Ian watched as the leaves on the bush began to rustle. Stealthily, he drew his dagger out of its sheath, firmly gripping the handle. Like a hawk, he watched his prey. Through the leaves, he could see the fine grey fur on its face as it hid in the branches. Only a twitch of its nose, and a twitch of its ears gave away its location as Ian took a step closer. The small animal buried its back paws into the earth, hunched down readying itself to flee. Now was Ian’s chance.
    Like a bird of prey, he swooped down, capturing the frightened hare, which began wriggling violently in Ian’s hands. Ian took his dagger and swiftly ended the poor creature’s life.
    One rabbit did not offer much meat but would at least make a small meal for the four of them. He only hoped Leland and Rylan had been more successful. He had sent Rylan on a mission to find a nearby creek or stream to fill their sporrans with water, and sent Leland out to gather more food. Between the three of them they should be able to gather enough game for the rest of the evening and the next morning.
    As the blood drained from the hare, Ian wrapped a leather strap around its hind legs and strung it to his horse’s saddle strap.
    Clouds waltzed across the sky, chasing the storm away. The rain lightened to just a few sprinkles before stopping completely. Opening his leather satchel, Ian pulled out a fresh, clean tunic and trews. He disrobed and donned the dry clothing, then using his plaid; he wiped the raindrops from his saddle. Placing his wet garb over the back of the horse to dry, he mounted and made his way back to where he left Keira near the cliff, believing Rylan and Leland were not too far behind.
    ~*~
    Keira sat on a rock and waited, resting her head on her hands. The rain had stopped and there was still no sign of Ian and his men. Her stomach ached with hunger, whenever she thought of the food Ian was gathering. She wished there was something she could do to help. She hated being waited on, and she did not want them to feel that they needed to care for her as if she were a child.
    Scanning the forest, she spotted several moss-covered oaks trees. At their base, an abundance of wild mushrooms were sticking out of the ground. Unraveling the plaid she held around her shoulders, she stood and headed over to where she saw the mushrooms. These would make a lovely meal , she thought.
    One by one, Keira picked a handful of the fungi. As she walked around the trunks of the trees, she spotted several other herbs such as parsley, thyme and wild ramson. Though the smell of the ramson was a bit potent, its onion-garlic taste was quite pleasing when served in a stew.
    Celia, the healer at Castle Sinclair, had taught Keira many great things. One of those, of course, was how to identify different herbs and the purpose of each. Her cooking skills, however, she’d learned from Brenna, the castle cook.
    Holding the skirt of her dress to form a sort of bowl, she placed her findings into its fold. There was a small part of her that hoped Ian and his men would be pleased. She no longer wanted them to view her as a burden. Leland and Rylan were obviously of that opinion, anyway. Ian was different. He was patient and at least showed her a small measure of kindness.
    Once her skirt was full, Keira started to head back to the shelter, when she heard footsteps behind her. Relief that Ian was returning eased her tension and melted away her fear and worry, but as Keira turned it was not Ian who stood in front of her.
    Keira swallowed. Dressed in a black tunic, blue and green tartan and a broad sword strapped to his side, the man was definitely not one of Ian’s men. It was his colors that gave him away. He was a Munro. She would have recognized that plaid anywhere. It was one of the few clan colors