HIGHLAND SONG BWWM

Chapter Thirty-Six

Author: I know, I know...before you all yell at me...here it is, enjoy!!

Chapter Thirty-six

"No!"

Ralph was awake, and he was angry. He'd been dragged back to the MacIver keep, and he was now glaring in defiance through the bars at Gavin. "I'll be damned if I take this barbarian back with us."

"Please, Ralph!" Ericka said, her eyes glassy as she stared at him. "If you don't lead us to your leaving point, Lyla will die."

He stiffened at that, his eyes narrowing as he pressed his lips together.

"Aberdeen whipped her and hung her by the arms above the ga..." She choked, covering her mouth as she felt her tears clog her throat. A hand laid on her shoulder, to find it was Gavin who was attempting to console her. Though she could feel him shaking, she turned her attention to Ralph. "We don't have time, she's struggling as we speak. You must take us back to it, Ralph. If you don't... i-it may be the last night for her."

Ralph moved his eyes away from Ericka's pleading eyes to Gavin's hard face. "Do I have a choice?"

"No," was Gavin's short answer, as he walked close to the bars, his hard eyes boring into Ralph. "I willnae leave her side."

Ralph muttered a curse, and finally, he stood, coming towards the bars, the bruising on his face clear. He glared at Gavin. "Don't blame me if something happens to the timeline when you cross."

"I won't."

**

As they packed up to leave, and the men who'd managed to survive the ambush by the Aberdeen men were released, Ericka watched from her window, her sister's breathing rattled. She tightened her hand on the windowsill. Everything would be okay. She had to be strong... for Lyla. She bit her lower lip in an effort to stop its shaking.

The door opened and a cloaked Gavin entered with Douglas and Ewan behind them. She could hear the children crying, the youngest seeming deathly afraid that Lyla wouldn't make it. Gavin's eyes met hers. "It is time."

Ericka nodded, briskly brushing her tears away and swallowing. "Okay, I'm ready." She walked over and started helping them so they could wrap Lyla's shivering form up and move her outside where they had a cart to carry her.

They wrapped her tightly with furs and Gavin lifted her easily while Ewan and Douglas gathered the chest that sat against the wall. Ericka gathered her cloak from the side chair and stepped from the room. Stopping before Mina, Ericka laid a hand on the pale girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll be fine." Mina nodded, pressing her lips together. "Take care of them till we return, okay?" Mina nodded again. Not saying anything, Ericka patted her once more on the shoulder. Deciding against hugging the girl as she didn't wish to cry anymore. Turning her back to the children, she followed the men below.

Morag was speaking with Gavin outside; she looked older and her eyes were red. Gavin leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her. Ericka felt a pang at the sight. Her sister meant this much to the people here and her father's meddling had led to this. She curled her fingers on the handle of the door.

"Let's go!" Ralph shouted once everyone was outside. Ericka, jerked out of her darker thoughts, quickly moved forward and a hand reached out and grabbed her arms. She turned her head, only to meet Alec's gaze. He slowly released her. "Will you return?"

She lowered her arm to her side and avoided his eyes. "No, I will most likely remain with my father." She chose to give him a smile. "My sister has Gavin, but I still must find my own place."

"Yer place could be beside me, Lass," Alec spoke lowly, his eyes capturing hers.

Her heart stopped, and for a second, the two of them stood alone in the door of the keep, assessing each other. She turned her eyes away from his. "I must go." Quickly, before he could stop her, she rushed down the steps to her horse. With the help of Douglas, she mounted and grabbed the reins.

Alec watched her go. Grimly, he tightened his gloves and followed her example and walked to his horse.

It took half day's ride to reach the site that Ralph and his men had used to arrive. It was a regular wooded area, covered with brush. Ralph dismounted and walked over to the center of the wooded area, and removing many branches, he pulled a short bar object from under his shirt and stabbed into something in the center of the ground.

Ericka, knowing it was the pod that had been in the plans to be put in certain areas known to remain absent of humans, dismounted and moved over to the cart where Gavin sat. "We will have to separate from your men here."

He gave a short nod and whistled. The men turned their attention to him and not Ralph.

"Hear ye, Laird." He pointed to where there was a clearing. "There you will make camp until my return."

They nodded, but Alec frowned. "Laird, you would have us leave you alone with..." He glanced at Ralph's men, who were dismounting and grabbing their bags, some wincing from their wounds. He didn't say anything after, but his meaning was clear.

"Aye, Alec, I do," Gavin said, getting down. He walked around to the back of the cart, and climbing up, he knelt by Lyla and lifted her up in his arms. She curled towards him, her body seeking his warmth. She seemed so weak, nothing like the passionate woman who'd come into his life. He swallowed the wealth of emotion that choked him. He was the laird, he couldn't break here.

He slowly came down and walked over to Ericka, who grabbed her bag from the horse. "Will it harm her to go through?"

Ericka shook her head, watching as her brother and his men prepared themselves for departure. "It should not." She reached out to brush her sister's hair from her face. "The faster we take her there, the faster she will be healed."

"It's time."

Both of them lifted their eyes to Ralph, who still wore a complicated expression. He turned his gaze to Gavin. "They may move for you first; remain calm and allow them to take you. That way, you can rejoin Lyla as soon as possible, okay?"

Gavin nodded. Though he had no intention of separating from Lyla, he would agree with anything to get his wife healed.

Giving a short nod, Ralph turned sharply and pointed at the space where his men were standing. "Move out!"

As if someone had sounded an alarm, the men started running towards the open space, only to be swallowed up. One of them carrying the historian, Lisa, rushed through without a sound. Gavin felt fear but stomped it down, and following Ralph and Ericka, he took a deep breath and walked towards the empty space, a feeling of chill brushing his arms before he walked into the darkness.

When Lyla opened her eyes, she winced at the brightness of the lights. Her whole body ached. She attempted to lift her arms, but she found it difficult as something was holding them in place. Slowly, her vision started to clear and she realized she wasn't in Gavin's chamber, but in a hospital room with its sterile white walls, and beeping machines.

The door opened and she turned her head to see who'd entered. She tensed when she saw the familiar grey eyes and stern expression.

"Father..."