Free Ian by Elizabeth Rose Page B

sheltered like a helpless child, so she put her hands on his arms and just pushed away.
    “I’m fine,” she said, feeling a little queasy, but wanting to remain strong. She’d seen her brother and his friends kill deer or slit a rabbit’s throat before, and she’d even done it herself while hunting. As well as gutting their bodies afterwards. And she’d also seen battlefields of the dead, so it shouldn’t have shocked her. But she’d never seen Ian kill a man right in front of her before. Not like this. The men had often fought other clans and even went to war for the king himself. But she’d always been protected and never along when the killing took place. This was right in front of her, and if it wasn’t for Ian, she knew she could be dead right now as well.
    “He’s a MacGilliv ray,” said Ian, walking over to the man and nudging his body with his toe, looking at his plaid. “And he was set on rapin’ ye and probably killin’ ye as well.” He turned and looked into her eyes and she could see sincerity and care, but no regret. “I had te do it.”
    “I ken. ” She nodded her head. “Are there any more stragglers?”
    “Nay, I dinna see any. But jest the same, we need te get goin’.” He reached down and pilfered the man’s weapons, sticking them into his weaponbelt , then took the pouch with coins from his side. “Get his horse,” he told her. “We’ll be able te get back te camp faster, with both o’ us ridin’ on our own steed.”
    She rushed over and did as instructed. “Where do ye think they were headed so fast?” she asked.
    “I ken exactly where they were goin’, and I dinna like it in the least. They are headed straight fer the MacKeefe camp. And with our clan so small with e’eryone bein’ away right now, they’ll have no chance te fight off the MacGillivrays. There are too many o’ them.”
    “Then we need to hurry so we can help them,” said Kyla, getting on the dead man’s horse.
    “Nay, lassie, ye willna be killin’ anyone the way ye jest saw me do. I promised Aidan I’d keep ye safe and thet’s exactly what I’ll do. Ye’ll ride te camp with me, but if they’re there when we arrive, ye’ll ride away fast and find safety. Do ye understand me?”
    “I ken how te use weapons, Ian. Dinna ferge t thet ye, Onyx, and me brathair were the ones te teach me. I am goin’ te help in any way I can.”
    “ We taught ye te use them te hunt and defend yerself only. No’ te attack anyone nor te ride inte the middle o’ a raid. Now, if I have te gag ye and tie ye te a tree te keep ye from doin’ somethin’ stupid, then I will,” he said, mounting his own horse. “Aidan told ye te listen te me and do whate’er I say. So what’s yer choice? Are ye goin’ te follow me orders or am I goin’ te have te make ye?”
    Kyla thought about it for a moment. She had no doubt he would do just that, and she didn’t want to be left behind or tied to a tree. She was a part of the MacKeefe clan just the same as him. And she would fight if she had to, and no one was going to tell her not to. But she couldn’t let Ian know that. Not yet. So instead, she just smiled and nodded her head.
    “O’ course, me protective warrior. Yer wish is me command.” With that, she dug the heels into her horse and sped past him, leading the way back to camp.

    Chapter 9
     
     
    They would have made good time riding back to camp, but Ian saw his hound spot something in the thicket and he knew he needed to go back and investigate.
    “We’re stoppin’ ,” he called to Kyla who was up ahead. She heard him and doubled back on her horse.
    “Why?” she asked. “If we’re goin’ te get there in time te help, we need te keep movin’.”
    “Me hound spotted somethin’ in the thicket and I’m goin’ te go back and see what it was.”
    “Another straggler?” she asked with wide eyes.
    Ian had seen what he thought was an arm sticking out of the brush, and knew it had to be a body. He didn’t