Free Hunted (The Scottish Falconers Book 2) by Diane Wylie

fighting, regardless of which side you took.
    With one threat removed, he took up a position behind Fin. The two worked together as if they’d done this a million times before.
    Sweat streamed down his face, and the world coalesced to a grunting, shouting, struggling, and cursing mass of humanity.
    A loud, harsh braying sound split the night and drew his attention just as Derek pulled his blade out of an opponent’s belly. The man fell.
    “Hey, you bloody Scottish bastards, look what we have!”
    Two red-coated soldiers came up. The one who had spoken held Isobel by her long, thick braid.
    Another solider pushed Catriona and William in front of him.
    Roger brayed again, protesting the whole situation.
    Unexpectedly, one of the falconers whistled—three sharp, loud sounds. A second later, the other Grahams did the same.
    Screeches split the night, and a rush of moving air and beating wings brushed Derek’s head.
    In an instant, the redcoats had more than Scotsmen on their hands. Falcons flew fearlessly into the fray.
    When Isobel whistled, the man holding her captive backhanded her in the face.
    Derek’s blood boiled.
    In a fury, he dropped his sword, pulled his knife, and leaped for the dark-haired man. Derek yanked him away from Belle. Then, with his knife in hand, Derek drew back his arm to strike.
    “Sinclair!” the man yelled as he wiggled and fought against Derek’s hold. “Stop, Sinclair!”
    He didn’t stop. His blade went deep up under the man’s rib cage. Warm liquid covered Derek’s hands and spurted in his face. The man flailed about weakly before lying still.
    Claws suddenly pierced the flesh of Derek’s back. He arched backwards screaming and rolled away, only to have the hawk return and attack his face.
    Flinging his arms over his eyes, he battled the sharp talons.
    Another sharp whistle sounded.
    The bird disappeared from view.
    Grasping for breath, Derek sat up, looking frantically for Belle.
    She stood off to one side. Moonlight showed her red hair, wild and untamed around her pale face. A large brown-and-white falcon sat on her upheld forearm. Her eyes were accusing and her mouth pressed into a grim line.
    “He knew you! That Englishman knew you!”

Chapter 10
     
    “That man said your name. He knew you.” Isobel repeated the words, waiting and praying Derek would deny it.
    He reached toward her with one bloody hand. “Please, Belle, I can explain—“
    “Are you English? Are you an English soldier?”
    “Only partly … well, yes, but—”
    The pleading on his face only made it worse. She and Latharna turned away. Isobel loved him and he had lied.
    All fighting had stopped. Catriona stood beside her husband, who appeared to be untouched.
    A trickle of blood ran down Fin’s face, and he clutched his left arm.
    Da held his white gyrfalcon, Osgar, on his wrist and wiped his sweating face with his free hand.
    They all stared at Isobel and Derek.
    They had all heard.
    She jerked her arm upward, and Latharna lifted off to disappear into the night sky.
    Nothing made sense now, not love, not hate, not fighting, not peace.
    Unable to think of what to do next, she did nothing. On wooden legs, Isobel walked to a rock and sat down to stare at the road ahead.
    The surviving redcoats fled down that road. A few rode horses and the rest just ran.
    She knew without looking that her father found some rope and tied Derek’s hands and feet. The Englishman didn’t resist.
    Catriona and Rabbie helped Fin with his wounds. Then, as Isobel still sat on the hard, unyielding rock, her family went about burying the dead soldiers and starting a campfire for cooking. They left Derek sitting where he had killed the soldier who knew his name.
    Part of Isobel’s mind still worked as she watched her father’s happy reunion with Osgar, the white gyrfalcon he had lost in the siege on Dunnottar castle. He fed the hawk little bits of meat and stroked the snowy white breast. All of the falcons had now returned and sat