In the trashcan

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Word count: 1002

Summary: After your father had been killed and your brother had been taken by the Redcoats, you were left behind. A group of highlanders come across your ravaged house and decide to take you with them to Castle Leoch. Since you have lost the protection from your father and brother, it is decided that you should be married, in order to keep you protected from the Redcoats.

Warnings: None

Part 3

You did not remember much from the night before: Your attempts to calm your nerves with alcohol had turned into you getting slightly drunk. When dinner was over and everyone started to move through the hall – also drunk – you tried to make a run for it, but Claire had kept an eye on you during the whole evening and she was not about to let you get shot by one of the guards.

The tables were cleared of all of the food and there were only glasses and jugs of alcohol left. Some musicians had made their way to the front of the hall and now the festivities had really started. Men and women were dancing through the tables and some were already trying to move some of the tables to the side, creating a dancefloor. Claire had held you by your arm, in order to stop you from escaping, and the only thing you could do was watching everyone having a good time. “Here,” Claire handed you a cup, “drink some wine and stand with me for a while. You’ll feel better, I promise. And, with a bit of luck, Murtagh will get the courage to talk to you or maybe even ask you to dance,” she winked at you. “There is no reason to be afraid of him, you know. He is a sweet man once you really get to know him.” When I get to know him… That was the problem, you did not know this man at all. Claire had raised her glass to Murtagh, who raised his as well. “Oh look!” she nudged your shoulder. “He is standing up. Now, I am going to go over there, so he can see that you’re alone and available, but I will stay close to you, so don’t worry.” Claire walked away and Murtagh approached you. “Good evening,” he said and raised his glass, you followed his gesture. “To us, I guess,” he took a sip. “To us,” you said and took a sip as well. “How are ye? Are ye nervous about tomorrow?” You nodded, finding that nodding was not as bad as saying the actual words, afraid that you might hurt his feelings. “I understand,” he looked around the room and said nothing for a while. “Are you… eh, are you nervous, at all?” Murtagh chuckled lightly when you asked the question. “I might not look like it, but yes, I am, too.” You felt that the bricks of the wall you had built around you slowly started to fall down. He certainly did not look like it, indeed, but Claire had been right, you were starting to see that this man was a friendly one. “Isn’t it bad luck to see the bride so close before the wedding?” you asked him, in an attempt to break the ice even more. “Only if ye’re in yer weddin’ dress.” “Oh.” Right, my wedding dress. “Eh… about that, do you know where I can get a wedding dress?” “Everything is already being arranged, no need to worry about anything,” Murtagh started to smile, “Ned has got it covered.” You nodded, unsure what that smile meant.

You two had been standing in silence for a while, until Murtagh asked you something you had never thought he would ask. “Would ye like to dance?” he stretched out his hand towards you. “I am not sure if I know how.” “I will show ye.” You took his hand and he escorted you towards the dancefloor. You put your hand on his shoulder and he put his on the small of your back. “Ye’re going to need to be a little bit closer to me, is that okay?” You nodded and he gently pulled you closer to him. You had never been this close to him and it did not feel awful; on the contrary, it felt kind of safe. You even dared to look him in his eyes now. His eyes were ever so soft and friendly, like he was actively trying to put you at ease. “Just follow my lead,” he started to move very slowly and once he noticed that you followed him without difficulty, he started to pick up the pace, so that you were dancing to the rhythm of the music. When this had gone well for a while, he even spun you carefully around and, as you were spinning, you caught a glimpse of Claire, who was smiling at the scene.

Murtagh was an incredibly good dancer and you caught yourself enjoying the situation. You even caught Murtagh smiling and laughing a couple of times. You were more focused on not stepping on his feet than the wedding you would be having tomorrow. It was really nice to be having a good time for once. You were so focused on dancing with Murtagh, that when you looked around you, after having danced for a while, you saw that most of the people who attended the feast had retreated to their chambers already. Some people were still there, but most had gone to bed. “What time is it?” you asked. “Let’s just say I think we’re closer to the morning than we are to midnight,” he said with a grin. Your eyes widened. That meant that it was officially the day of the wedding! Murtagh noticed your shock and tried to ease your mind. “Don’t worry, the ceremony won’t start until late in the afternoon. I think most people will need ample time to recover from the festivities of the previous night.” You smiled at his attempt to calm your nerves. “Well, I guess it’s time for me to retire to my chambers, then.” Murtagh gave you a short nod in response. “Goodnight. I will see you at the wedding.” He gave a quick bow. “Yes, I will see you at the wedding.” You turned around and started to walk towards the corridor, trying to find the stairs to your room. This would be your last night of freedom.

Tag list:

@hobbitsesoftheshire

@mysticalsoups

@islayhawkin

@oneofthoseshoes

@bittersweet-ginger

@taetae-forever

Word Count: 1854

Summary: After your father had been killed and your brother had been taken by the Redcoats, you were left behind. A group of highlanders come across your ravaged house and decide to take you with them to Castle Leoch. Since you have lost the protection from your father and brother, it is decided that you should be married, in order to keep you protected from the Redcoats.

Warnings: None

Part 2

As soon as the door of Colum's office closed behind you, you panicked. Should you try to escape? No. No, that wasn't a good plan. You would get caught and likely get thrown into the dungeons. So you would get married. Would you, though? This could not be real, right? Absentmindedly, you started to wander through the castle thinking about how you would handle this situation. Did you want to marry either of those men? Who would be worse? Dougal had made it known that he found you quite... pleasant. But did you find him pleasant, too? Not in the least. And Murtagh was a grumpy man; how could you ever find a way to live with such a person?               Because you were so caught up in your own thoughts you hadn’t noticed that you had walked outside and were now strolling through the gardens. A voice made you snap out of it. “Hello, Y/N,” Claire said, “I am surprised to see you here.” “Yes, well, I just came from…” you motioned towards the castle and Claire nodded. “Yes, I wondered when they would break the news to you. Have they… Do you know who you are going to marry?” “No. Colum said he will announce it tonight,” you looked down at your feet, “during a great feast, for all to hear.” When you looked back up at Claire, your eyes had welled up. “Hey,” she stepped towards you and put her warm hand on your arm, “I was once in your position, and, yes, I was scared, too, but now I can’t imagine a life without Jamie. Any man would be lucky to have you and I am sure that you will be treated with love and respect.” “But I don’t want to marry either of them,” you whispered, afraid to cry. “Of whom?” “Dougal or Murtagh.” “Oh.” Claire paused for a moment. “Dougal might be a little bit much in the beginning, but he is a strong man and he will protect you with his life, so you will always be safe when you’re with him.” “And Murtagh?” “Murtagh is… well, I think he will be the most loving husband you will ever meet.” “But he does not look friendly at all.” Claire laughed. “I know, but, trust me, he has a heart of gold. Don’t let his surly expression fool you, my dear.” You nodded. “Do you want to help me sort the herbs in my practice? It will help you get your mind off things. Maybe you could help me more often? I could really use some help with all of the patients; I do hope you’re not scared of blood?” You shook your head. “No,” you smiled at Claire, “and I would love to help, thank you.”

              You had never been in Claire’s practice before and your eyes widened when you walked down the stairs, into the big room. There were hundreds of jars filled with herbs of which you had never heard the name. “I don’t know how good I am at any of this.” Claire smiled lovingly at you. “Don’t worry, I will teach you everything you need to know, it won’t be that hard.” She handed you some jars after she had set down her basket with herbs and started explaining the various uses and how to prepare them. It took you two the whole afternoon to organize everything and you even helped Claire with a patient: one of the young boys at the castle had hurt himself on the fire in the kitchen and Claire had showed you how to dress his wounds. It was a very educational afternoon and you were relieved that it had taken your mind off things.               After a while, mistress Fitzgibbons came down the stairs to fetch you. “Hello, my dear, I came to fetch ye to get ye ready for the evening.” You looked at Claire who gave you an encouraging look. You followed mistress Fitzgibbons to your room where, unbeknownst to you, a beautiful dress was waiting for you. The fabric was sprawled out on your bed and it looked very expensive. You looked questioningly at mistress Fitzgibbons. “It’s a special dress, for a special occasion,” she winked at you, but you couldn’t feel happy about this so-called ‘special’ occasion. You felt like there were rocks in your stomach and you thought about how you could escape, but Claire had already explained that escaping would be impossible, since there were guards everywhere. “Trust me,” she had said, “I have tried.” Mistress Fitz had set you down on a chair in front of the mirror and started brushing your hair. You looked at her in the mirror and she looked at you, giving you a warm smile; she could probably see the fear in your eyes and she wanted you to feel safe. You smiled back at her, but your eyes did not smile. “Dinna fash, lass, you will be in good hands.” You wanted to believe her, but the truth was that you did not know any of those men and now you were expected to marry and, eventually – and sooner than later – share the bed with one of them. You knew that the consummation of a marriage was very important and none of these people would rest before they were sure that it had happened. You could already see them sitting, drinking downstairs, waiting for the moment that you and your husband – whoever that may be – went to bed.              You had been sitting in silence for a moment and Mistress Fitz was almost done with your hair. "Do you know when the wedding will be taking place?" you asked, hopeful that she would be able to have an answer to one of your many questions. "Not exactly, but I expect it will happen tomorrow, or the day after." "And..." you hardly dared to ask the question, "do you know to whom...?" The old lady shook her head. "No, I am sorry, dear, but you should not worry too much. These men may bark, but they don't bite, I can tell you that much." You smiled at her, glad for her attempts to put your mind at ease.        After she had put the last hand to your hair, she put her hands on your shoulders. "There, such a pretty lass." You looked at yourself in the mirror and she was right, you did look very pretty. "Up you get, let's get you in that dress." You stood up and started to undress yourself with the help of Mistress Fitz. You stepped into the beautiful green dress and the fabric had not only looked expensive, it felt really expensive, too. It was of the loveliest colour green and it suited you very well. You were laced up and as you glanced at yourself in the mirror, you could not believe that the woman staring back at you was really you. Mistress Fitz put a string of pearls around your neck to really finish the look. She handed you a pair of shoes and you knew that this was the last step before you had to go downstairs. Your heart was beating aggressively in your chest and you were afraid that it would jump out.

By the time your shoes were put on by Mistress Fitz, you felt really lightheaded and you grabbed the woman’s arm to steady yourself. “Come on, lass, I willna let ye go. Let us head downstairs.” You nodded, unable to speak, and the two of you started making your way to the great hall.

Once in the hall, you could see that it was greatly decorated and the long tables were filled with enormous amounts of food; it certainly looked like a special occasion. “Now, my dear, I am going to have to let ye go now, since you will be seated at the table in the front.” Still not able to speak you nodded that you had understood what she had said. She carefully let go of your arm, testing to see if your own legs could carry you. Fortunately, your legs had gotten their strength back; at least, enough to carry yourself towards your seat. Colum stood up as you approached the table. “Ah, there she is! Have a seat, Y/N.” “Thank you,” you said, sitting down next to him. Colum started to speak to everyone who was seated in the hall. “Welcome to this special evening, everyone. We are all here to celebrate the marriage that will take place tomorrow. A marriage between this lovely lady here,” he motioned towards you, “and the man who is waiting to reveal himself as her future husband.” You scanned the room. The chair on the other side of Colum was still empty. There was no sight of Dougal; was he to be your husband? You looked for Murtagh but he was not present either. They were both probably waiting outside the hall, and one of them would walk in when Colum would ask for your husband to reveal himself. “So, we have come to the point where it is only fair to this lady to know who her husband will be.” Here we go. “May I ask for the husband-to-be of Y/N to step into the hall?” Everyone had gone quiet and you could hear footsteps approaching. You closed your eyes, not daring to look at who it would be. The footsteps got closer until they stopped. “It will be hard to see who I am when ye’ve got yer eyes closed, lass,” someone said. You did not recognize the voice to be Dougal’s and when you opened your eyes, you were greeted by the friendly, brown eyes of Murtagh. Were you relieved? Murtagh took your hand and placed a soft kiss on your knuckles, followed by a small wink; so small that you were sure only you could see it. Were those small butterflies in your stomach? You could feel your cheeks starting to get red and you quickly looked down. “It is an honour to marry ye, Y/N.” You looked up and smiled at him, not sure what to say. Murtagh had let go of your hand and made his way to his seat. You noticed that Dougal had made his way into the hall as well and a slight hint of jealousy could be detected on his face, though you were unsure why. “A toast,” Colum started, raising his glass and you and everyone else followed him, “to the bride and groom to be.” Everyone raised their glasses higher and took a sip. You took a big sip of the strong – stronger than you expected – wine. “As I mentioned, the wedding will take place tomorrow and I promise that it will be an even bigger feast than tonight and you’re all invited!” This announcement was followed by a lot of people shouting and raising their glasses. You looked at Murtagh and even he was smiling slightly. You would be married to this man tomorrow…

Tag list:

@hobbitsesoftheshire

Word Count: 2176

Summary: After your father had been killed and your brother had been taken by the Redcoats, you were left behind. A group of highlanders come across your ravaged house and decide to take you with them to Castle Leoch. Since you have lost the protection from your father and brother, it is decided that you should be married, in order to keep you protected from the Redcoats.

Part 1

You woke up in the morning from the sound of multiple men moving around the house. You opened your eyes, but quickly shut them again, shielding them from the sunlight. “Finally, she’s awake,” you heard one of the men say. “Oh shut up, Angus. She has been through enough, clearly she doesn’t need to deal with your moody self, too,” Claire said. Suddenly it dawned on you what had happened the day before and your eyes welled up with tears within seconds. When you finally opened again, you were greeted by Claire’s friendly face. “Good morning,” she said, “I figured you could use some extra sleep, so don’t mind Angus.” You smiled at her, grateful for her presence; for the presence of another woman. “I am afraid we are all out of breakfast, but I am  sure we will find something along the way. I did manage to save some water for you, though.” She handed you a flask and you eagerly took it, being thirsty from the night before. Claire stood up and you tried to sit up straight, but you quickly noticed a throbbing feeling in your head. You sighed and took a few sips of water, hoping it would ease your headache a bit, to no avail. You figured you couldn’t do anything else than standing up and trying to man up. Murtagh’s coat slipped from your shoulders and you had forgotten that he had handed you his coat. You felt your cheeks starting to redden and you picked it up. After a quick look around, you noticed that he wasn’t in the living room. He was probably already outside.              “All right, lass,” Dougal approached you, “anything you wish to take with you to Castle Leoch?” You reached into the pocket of your dress and you shook your head when you felt your fingers close around the silver brooch. “Great, let’s go.” Dougal walked outside and  you followed him towards the horses. You started to worry a little bit, because there were not enough horses, meaning that you would have to ride with someone else. Clearly, Dougal wasn’t worried about the matter at all, because he patted a horse and beckoned you towards the horse. Dougal didn’t waste a second: as soon as you were close to the horse he grabbed you by the waist. “Up you go, lass.” He lifted you up, placing you on the back of the horse and he soon followed, sitting down behind you with a soft thud. He grabbed the reins, locking you in-between his arms and you slightly tensed up. You weren’t exactly used to being this close to a man. The others had mounted their horses as well and when Dougal steered his horse towards the path, they all followed.              It was a quiet journey for the first couple of hours; no one said anything and the only thing that could be heard was singing birds, the rustling of the leaves of the trees, and the soft sounds of hooves on muddy grounds. You liked the silence; you didn’t feel like talking a whole lot anyway. You feared that you might cry once you opened your mouth to try to say anything. The events of the previous day kept repeating themselves over and over again in your head.              Jamie eventually broke the silence. “Do you know why the Redcoats came to your house, Y/N?” You nodded. “Yes. I often heard my father speak to my brother about money; how we did not have much and probably needed to leave our house soon. I guess he owed the Redcoats a pretty significant sum, but I did not expect they would come to collect their debt so soon.” You swallowed the big lump that had started to form in your throat. “And do the Redcoats know about your existence?” Dougal joined the conversation. “I don’t know, they might.” “If they didn’t already, they might torture your brother into telling them about you,” Jamie said, more to himself than to anyone else; he knew like no other how the Redcoats could torture a man. Claire turned her head around to face Jamie. She had a worried, but soft expression on her face. Of course, she had heard Jamie’s stories about these evil man, but she, too, knew just how evil the Redcoats could be. You remember Jamie saying yesterday that your brother would barely be alive if he wasn’t dead already. You turned your head around, facing Dougal. “Do you think I’m in danger?” “Well, lass, everyone is always in danger as long as the Redcoats are around.” Your eyes widened with fear. “But I think it would take at least a couple of days before ye’re in real danger.” You turned around, not reassured at all. Dougal laughed and you could feel the vibrations from his chest against your back. “Dinna worry yerself, lass, ye’re safe as long as ye’re wi’ us,” he whispered in your ear.

You had been riding in silence for the remainder of the journey and it had gotten dark hours before you finally reached Castle Leoch. The beautiful castle lay peaceful in the distance and the prospect of being inside made you feel relieved. “Welcome to Castle Leoch,” Dougal said. “Home sweet home.”              As you approached the castle, you nervously started to tug at your dress. It was dirty and there were some tears in the fabric from hiding in the forest. Claire noticed it and quickly told you not to worry. “We will have some time to clean up before the feast starts.” “Feast?” you asked. “Och aye, a great feast,” Angus said with a twinkle in his eyes. “What’s the occasion?” you asked. “You are,” Dougal said. “Early this morning I sent Willie and Geordie ahead, to announce our arrival tonight, and that we would be bringing a guest wi’ us.” Until now, you hadn’t noticed that two of the men were missing. You had been too wrapped up in your own mind. Dougal lightly kicked his horse in its sides, making it gallop, causing Castle Leoch to appear closer and closer.

When you all arrived on castle grounds, Dougal dismounted his horse and grabbed you by your waist again, planting you firmly on the ground. You were still tightly gripping Murtagh’s coat, but you only noticed it until now. You hadn’t had any time to give it to him before Dougal had lifted you onto his horse this morning. You walked over to him, once he had dismounted his horse, and shyly held out his coat to him. “I still have your coat, Murtagh. I forgot to give it to you this morning.” He took it from you. “That’s a’right, lass. It wasna cold anyway.” You smiled at him and you weren’t sure, but it seemed like his expression had become softer, too. It was probably your imagination, though.              Once inside the castle, you were taken to your room by a very sweet, older lady. She undressed you as soon as she closed the door, muttering all kinds of things about making you look pretty. She bathed you, combed your hair and dressed you in the most beautiful dress and you wondered where it came from. “There, you look beautiful, lass,” she said, after she had tied the last bow on your dress. You looked at yourself in the mirror and your reflection nearly made you cry; your father would never be able to see you like this. The woman put her hand on your shoulder and softly squeezed it. You smiled at her in the mirror, grateful that someone was here with you. “I think it is time for ye to go downstairs, they’ll be waitin’ for ye,” she said and you nodded. She guided you towards the great hall where the feast would be held and as soon as you entered the grand room, Dougal stood up to guide you towards the table at the front. “My dear brother, this is Y/N,” he presented you to the man who was sitting at the table, “Y/N, this is Colum Mackenzie, Laird of the Mackenzie clan and my brother.” You held out your hand towards the man and he took it, placing a kiss on top of it. “Welcome to Castle Leoch, Y/N. This is my wife Letitia,” he motioned towards the woman who was sitting next to him and you curtsied. “Please, take a seat at our table and dine with us,” she said. You sat down in the empty seat and Colum made a small speech. Soon after, everyone started eating and, for a while, cutlery meeting the plates was the only sound that could be heard.              After the wonderful dinner, you went to your room and let yourself fall down onto the soft bed. It didn’t take long before you closed your eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

The next morning, you were woken up by voices outside your door. You couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but the voices came from men and they sounded concerned. The mumbling was shortly followed by a few quick knocks on your door. “Come in,” you said. The door opened and three man walked into your room: Dougal, Jamie and Murtagh, who was standing mostly in the hallway than in your room. “Morning, lass,” Dougal said. “Ye need to get yerself dressed, my brother wants to see you in fifteen minutes. “Why?” you asked. “It is normal for you to want answers, but it is best if you save your questions for later,” Jamie said. You nodded. Though, you were still confused, you understood that it was better for you to just to as you were told. The men left with a quick nod of their heads, leaving you in your bed.

Fifteen minutes later you walked up to the door of Colum’s office and one of the guards opened the door for you. “Ah, Y/N, welcome,” Colum said as soon as you walked through the door. He wasn’t alone in his office. Dougal, Jamie and Murtagh were present, too, but there was another, unfamiliar man as well. “Y/N, this is Ned Gowan. He is the best lawyer I know and has been the legal advisor of Clan Mackenzie for many years,” Colum said, introducing you to Ned. A lawyer? you thought. Why would there be a lawyer? “Am I…?” you hesitated, “did I do something wrong?” “No, my dear lass, but we do have some concerns.” “Yes,” Ned Gowan began, “I have heard about what has happened to you and your family. The fact of the matter is that you are without a guardian. Your father is dead and your brother is in prison, that is, if he is still alive. The Redcoats will likely go looking for you, since we believe your father was in debt to them and these men will not stop until your father has paid his debt; a debt which will likely be paid by you and your body and we will not let the redcoats have you,” Ned Gowan paused for a moment, looking at you to see if you understand where he is going with this. You were not quite sure yet. Ned continued: “Young Jamie here has saved a lady from the redcoats, too. I believe you have met Claire already?” You nodded. “If Jamie hadn’t married Claire, she likely would have fallen into the hands of the Redcoats.” Your eyes widened. Married? Did he want you to get married? Jamie stepped into the conversation: “Dinna fash lass, Claire was scared as well, but it was for her, and now for your own safety.” Dougal nodded in agreement. “We cannot let the Redcoats have ye.” “But… to whom…?” you did not even dare ask the question in full. “We have discussed the matter at length and since Jamie is already married, he cannot marry you, too; this leaves Dougal and Murtagh. There are a lot of other men who were willing, believe me, Rupert and Angus were really eager,” Ned winked at you, “but I am sure that either Dougal or Murtagh would be a great candidate; they are respected men and will be able to provide for you.” Your mind was racing. You couldn’t possibly get married to either of these men, right? You barely knew them, only their names. “Do you expect me to choose?” you asked. “Well, not really, no. Now that you are aware of the fact, we will have to make some further decisions. I just thought you would appreciate knowing about it beforehand, instead of having to marry all of a sudden,” Ned placed a hand on your shoulder and you looked at him. He had a friendly face and you believed he wanted what was best for you, but it did not make the situation any less difficult. “When…?” you looked at both Dougal and Murtagh. “We will share our decision tonight, during a great feast,” Colum announced cheerfully, but you were sure you wouldn’t be able to eat anything.

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Tag list:

Word count: 1688

Summary: After your father had been killed and your brother had been taken by the Redcoats, you were left behind. A group of highlanders come across your ravaged house and decide to take you with them to Castle Leoch. Since you have lost the protection from your father and brother, it is decided that you should be married, in order to keep you protected from the Redcoats.

Warnings: Murder, assault, some drinking. 

 The Redcoats had really proven their point. Your eyes filled with tears as you slowly walked through the remains of your home. You had watched them nearly burn the whole place to the ground, killing everyone in it, hidden behind trees and bushes.

             When your father noticed red blotches in the distance, he quickly rushed you outside, telling you to hide in the forest. The forest near your house was dark and it would have been hard for the Redcoats to find you. You had quickly run towards one of the bigger bushes and crouched down, closing your eyes, praying the Redcoats wouldn’t do any great harm. You were able to peak through the branches and saw that the Redcoats had approached your house. Your father had walked outside, followed by your older brother. The captain of the Redcoats, Jonathan Wolverton Randall, a.k.a. Black Jack Randall, said something to your father. Your brother took a step towards Randall, but he was quickly stopped by two other Redcoats. One of them aggressively grabbed him and hit him over the head with the back of his rifle, knocking him out. You wanted to run towards them and yell for them to stop, but you couldn’t, it would be your death. Your father yelled something and reached for his gun; one which was always safely tucked between his belt ever since the Redcoats regularly made their rounds through the villages. Before your father could point his gun at Randall, however, the Captain had already pointed his gun at your father, his finger tightly on the trigger. Your father held his hands up in the air and said something, but that did not satisfy Randall at all and, without hesitation, he had shot your father. You covered your mouth with your hand to stop yourself from screaming; your cheeks warm and wet from the endless stream of tears. Randall turned around, motioned to his men and walked towards his horse. Two of his men grabbed your father; two others your brother. Four others entered the house and started taking everything that might be of value, destroying all other things. After they were done they all mounted their horses, taking your brother and father with them.

             After you had seen your brother and father being taken away by the Redcoats, you had closed your eyes and laid on the ground behind the bush for God knows how long. It had gotten dark by the time you finally opened your eyes. Afraid that the Redcoats might come back, you did not dare to move at first. After a while, without any sign of the Redcoats, you decided to get up and return to your house, what was left of it, that is.

Your house was located on the outskirts of the village, near the woods. Chances were that nobody had heard anything about what had happened. Even if you had screamed, nobody in the village would have noticed a thing.

             A single tear rolled down your cheek as you inspected the ruins that used to be your house. Walking through every room made you realize how much they had taken. Not a single silver item was left behind, or was it? Something shimmering in the moonlight caught your attention. It was covered in ashes from the wooden furniture. You carefully picked it up and dusted it off: it was a brooch of your family crest. Looking at the familiar object, you burst into tears.

             You had been sitting on the floor for a long time, staring into nothingness, stroking the brooch with your fingers, when you heard the soft sound of hooves on grass. Scared of more horrible Englishmen, you crouched down beside the windowsill, carefully looking out the window. To your surprise the men on the horses were not dressed in red, instead, they were dressed in kilts. The bearded men approached your house and you could hear them speaking to each other in hushed voices; their accent being the last clue that they were indeed Scotsmen. Still wary you did not dare to reveal your presence yet, so you waited instead. You saw the men dismount their horses and you saw that there was a woman among them as well. You hadn’t noticed her before, probably due to the fact that she was covered by the kilt of the man who was sitting behind her on the horse. The men quickly exchanged some words and two of them took the lead. The tallest of them, a broad-shouldered, bald man with a grey beard, kicked in the door, or what was left of it, making it fall off its hinges. You were sitting by the window on the left side of the house and because of the darkness, it was impossible for them to see you straight away. You made yourself even smaller and tried to hold your breath so you would not produce any sound.

             The men made their way further through the house, walking straight past you. You heard their muffled voiced coming from the back of the house. “Right, I think we’re clear,” you heard one of them say, “there’s nobody in the house.”Footsteps were nearing your hiding spot. “Er, Dougal, I think ye’re wrong. There’s a lass here.” More footsteps approached and the one who discovered you crouched down next to you. You did not dare to look at him, so you kept your eyes glued to the ground. He placed a hand on your shoulder, making you startle. “Claire!” the young lad, who had shared his horse with the lady, shouted and ran outside. He came back with the woman, who was, apparently, named Claire. She rushed towards you, nudging the man, who was crouched next to you, out of the way. “Please, Rupert, give her some space.” Her accent was soft, unlike that of the Scotsmen; she was English. Her eyes were friendly, but she had a worried expression on her face. “Are you hurt? Is that blood by the entrance your blood?” You shook your head. “What’s your name?” Claire asked. “Y/N,” you said softly. “Okay, Y/N, do you think you can stand?” You nodded and slowly stood up, supported by Claire and the chubby man named Rupert. “Is this your house?” the tall man with the grey beard asked. “Yes.” “Do you live here all by yourself?” “No sir. I used to live here with my father, mother, and brother. But after my mother passed away it was just my father, brother, and me. Until the Redcoats came this morning. They shot my father, hit my brother and took both of them with them.” The expression on the man’s face had changed. “The Redcoats you say?” You nodded. He turned to his man and they whispered something to each other. The man turned himself to you again. “Ye’re coming wi’ us, lass. We’ve still got a long way to go to Castle Leoch, so I suggest we stay here for the night and leave early in the morning.” “But what if my brother returns?” The young, red-haired lad scraped his throat. “I’m sorry lass, but I don’t think yer brother will still be alive. If he is, he will be hanging on by a thread.” You buried your face in your hands at the thought. Claire put a hand on your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you. You quickly dried your tears and tried to man up. “I think there is still some bread and cheese in the kitchen, maybe some wine, too,” you said, walking towards the remains of the kitchen.

             A quick search through the kitchen resulted in a fair amount of food. You returned to the living room area, content with the items you carried in your arms: two hole loafs of bread, a block of cheese and even a full bottle of wine. You put the food on the ground, but kept hold of the bottle of wine, pulling out the cork and taking a big sip. “Careful, lass,” the grey-bearded man laughed. “Just leave her be, Dougal. The lass has just lost her family, for Christ’s sake,” a brown-haired man said. He had a grumpy expression on his face, but he did not seem unfriendly. “I think she might need some stronger stuff, then,” Dougal said, pulling a flask from his belt and handing it to you. You took off the cap and sniffed it; a strong smell penetrated your nostrils. You took a sip and grimaced, but swallowed anyway. The men all laughed and even Claire chuckled. “You’ll get used to it,” she said, winking at you. You could not help but laugh, grateful for the light mood after having witnessed such a horrible scene before, however, you were still anxious about tomorrow, when you would join these strangers to Castle Leoch.

             After having finished the bread, cheese, and wine, everyone in the room felt tired but satisfied. “Right, we’ve got a long day tomorrow. Better get some sleep in,” Dougal said as he stood up and walked to a corner of the room, sitting down in it. “Angus, you’re the first to keep watch tonight. As for the rest of ye… figure it out amongst yerselves.” The short, brown-haired man called Angus grumpily stood up and walked outside. Claire and the red-haired lad moved to another corner of the room. Rupert stood up. “Come on, Willie,” he said to another young lad, who stood up as well and followed Rupert as he walked outside to join Angus. You looked around the room, trying to find a sport comfortable enough to lay down for a whole night. “Here lass,” the grumpy looking man held out his coat to you. You thankfully took it from him. “Thank you, er…” “Murtagh,” he said. You smiled at him. “Thank you, Murtagh.” You watched him turn around and walk towards another corner and you picked your own spot as well. After you laid down, you pulled Murtagh’s coat over you and when your head touched the ground, you realised how tired you were. After you closed your eyes, you quickly fell asleep.

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This is just the beginning! Please be patient lol

Word count: 1075

Summary: Imagine having to stay in Sawyer’s tent because you broke your ankle and every other tent is full.

Warnings: none, I think

“No! You don’t have to carry me! I’ll be all right!” you said, but it was already too late. “You cannot walk all the way back to camp. Have you taken a good look at your ankle? It normally does not look like that”, Sayid said, as he lifted you over his shoulder. You sighed. Your ankle did hurt really bad, but now you felt like a burden. “I’m sorry, Sayid”, you said. “Don’t be, I’ll be fine. Your ankle on the other hand...” You winced as you tried to move your foot. “Stop that and just relax.” Thunder rumbled in the distance. “There’s a storm coming. I’m sorry, but we’re going to need to hurry a bit.” Sayid started to jog a little faster, causing your legs to bounce up and down a bit, making you slowly cry out in pain. “It’s not far anymore, I promise.” You nodded, trying to hold back tears at the same time.

“Jack!” Sayid yelled as he entered the camp. Jack hurried out of his tent. “What happened?” he asked. “Y/N accidentally stepped into a hole in the forest and, well... her ankle...” “Yeah that’s not looking good.” Jack got a worried look on his face. “I have two other patients in my tent, so I’ll have to treat you here. I’m sorry Y/N. It won’t be comfortable, but I have no other choice.” You groaned. “Just do it. Just make the pain go away.” Jack hurried to his tent to  grab some medical supplies and a sheet for you to lay down on. “Now, I am going to have to set your ankle. This will hurt, but only for a few seconds, okay?” You nodded, signifying that you understood and that he could continu. “Here, you might want to bite down on this.” He gave you a wooden stick. “Really?” you asked, annoyed. “This is so medieval.” “Trust me, okay?” You sighed and put the stick in-between your teeth. Jack put his hands around your ankle, making you wince in pain. “On three. One... two...” and as he said ‘two’ he pushed your broken bones back into place with a loud ‘crack’. You bit the stick as hard as you could and cried out in pain. “That was it! The worst is over!” Jack tried to comfort you,but you thought you were going to faint from the pain. “Y/N? Stay with me!” Jack shouted. “I’m okay”, you managed to mumble. Jack returned to his work. He had managed to make a pretty decent splint. “Normally, I would have asked you what colour cast you wanted, but since there’s not much choice, I’m afraid you’ll have to do with white”, he said, motioning to the white sheets he used to bind your ankle. You chuckled. “Thanks doc.” Big drops of water started to fall from the sky and the thunder started to get closer. Jack looked up at the sky. “There’s a storm coming. Where is your tent?” “I haven’t got a tent. I have just been sleeping outside.” “Shit. Sayid! Can you help me carry Y/N? We need to find her a tent to stay in.” “But the only tent where there’s still some room is...” “Yeah I know,” Jack interrupted Sayid, “but we haven’t got a choice. He doesn’t have a choice.” “He?” you thought. Who were they talking about?  Jack and Sawyer carried you to one of the tents. “Sawyer?” Jack asked. Your eyes widened. “Oh no,” you thought to yourself. You have had a crush on Sawyer from the moment you had met him on the first day after the crash. It was pointless, however. You knew he had feelings for Kate, or so you thought, at least. “No,” Sawyer said from inside his tent. Sayid angrily pulled back the plastic blue tarp. “This is not a time for jokes, Sawyer. You’re going to agree to this whether you like it or not.” “Exactly to what do you want me to agree?” Sawyer asked, annoyed. “To let Y/N stay in your tent,” Jack stepped in. “I know you don’t particularly like company, but Y/N doesn’t have a tent to stay in and every other tent is taken.” “Why can’t she just sleep outside? It’s a lovely beach,” Sawyer said, without looking up from his book. “Because I had to reset the bones in her ankle just minutes ago and there’s a huge storm coming straigh towards us.” Sawyer sighed. “Fine. But you owe me,” he pointed towards Jack. Jack nodded and motioned to Sayid to get you from outside. “Congratulations on your new home, Y/N,” Sayid said and he carried you inside. 

It took some time for you to get comfortable, since there wasn’t really any soft surface for you to lay down on. “I love what you did with the place,” you said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Thank you. Lucky for me, my favourite colour is blue,” Sawyer said, motioning to the blue tarp. You chuckled. He continued reading. “I like your glasses,” you said. “Hm?” “Your glasses, I like them.” “Thank you. Do they make me look smart?” “Very. What are you reading.” Sawyer held his book up to you so you could read the title: ‘Braveheart’. “Is it any good?” “It’s all right. Do you want a book?” “Yes please! I am bored out of my mind!” “Let me see what I’ve got for you.” Sawyer started rummaging through his collection of books. “Robinson Crusoe? Lord of the Flies?” “How fitting,” you said, sarcastically. Sawyer let out a small chuckle. “Aha, maybe this one?” He held up ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’. “Yeah I’ll take it.” Sawyer moved towards you to hand you the book. “Oh wait!” you slapped your head in a dramatic manner. “How stupid of me! I’m so sorry but I don’t have my librarycard with me.” Sawyer looked confused at first, but then he smiled. “You’re a funny one. But it’s all right. Only this once, though.” “Thank you.” You stretched out your arm to take the book. “It’s all right if you take off your shirt.” You immediately retracted your arm. “What?” “I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” He urged you to take the book and you did. “You can make it up to me once that leg of yours has healed,” he said with a wink. You could feel your cheeks starting to turn red and you quickly opened your book, hiding your face behind it.

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But I am cooking up some fun ones in my juicy brain, so when I've handed in my thesis, I will have a lot of time to write fun things for you!

And for any of you who are interested: my thesis is on cutting hair and shaving beards in medieval Welsh and Irish literature! (My major is in Celtic languages and culture, with a specialisation in medieval literature) and my supervisor says I'm doing great! (I had a meeting with her yesterday and she's just wonderful)

Other things I've been up to: crying! Because these are the last weeks of my Bachelor and I really started to enjoy it (probably because it's sunny as well). But all things end :( (remember when I made a post saying I hated studying and university? Yeah now I feel stupid lol, but it has been stressful at times)

But fun things are coming! There's a Celtic Congress at my university in July and I will be working there for the duration of the whole week, so I'm really looking forward to that <3