Looking for a male writer to be a Highlander!

Hi I'm looking for a writer to take the male character of Ronin the Highlander. Just so you know it's more story then sex, although it will have sex. The sex is not kinky but can be erotic. Looking for the character to be....like in the old days, warrior/rogue type etc. Humor is would be a nice touch as we go along. Here is the first chapter to the story.

If your interested please leave me a message. Also feel free to leave some comments if you have any ideas as to what can improve the story. This chapter is mostly an intro, but Ronin's background can be inserted where it would enhance the intro. (And make it an rp). It could also be a formal story, just written by two writers instead of an rp. Take your pick or both can be done.

Just so you know, I want someone that takes the time to spell properly as well as put together a decent paragraph. But we don't have to be crazy, just be aware of doing our best and having fun. One other point, looking for someone who has the time to work on it at least once or twice a week.

Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you!
Iscaa


Taken by a Highlander

Chapter 1. Scotland

Donella, known as Ella since she was a wee lass had dreamed of this trip for as long as she could remember. The 22 year old woman was rather small, being only five feet two inches in her stocking feet. Even though she was on the small side she was proportioned in just the right places. She had slightly curly long dark almost black hair that she usually kept in a messy bun at the nap of her neck. Her eyes were a curious dark green that snapped when she was angry. Men usually took a second look when she walked by, but she was too busy to notice, what with all the ancient history she was usually mulling over in her mind.

Her friends knew how absent minded she could be when doing her research for the doctorate she was working towards. Her area of expertise was early medieval life in the highlands of Scotland mostly before the 10th century. She had even mastered the understanding of ancient Gaelic, well only the written form since present day Gaelic had changed substantially over hundreds of years. She could also speak four romance languages.

Donella's plan was to visit Scotland for a few weeks and fill in as many gaps in her knowledge as best she could. Going to the source for the best details to fill in the gapes in her thesis, was the main reason for her journey.

She sighed as the bus drew to a stop at the archaic village of Plockton on the north west highlands of Scotland. It was a tiny village that overlooked loch Carron. As the two other passengers took their leave thanking the driver, Ella got her overnight bag and purse from under her seat and made her way to the front of the bus. She smiled to herself as she remembered the lovely scenery that they had passed through. Photos never ever did justice to the real thing!

The driver was outside handing out the luggage from compartment underneath the bus. Ella adjusted her purse and made ready to take the large suitcase with small wheels. She thanked the driver saying, “ It's is so beautiful here, I'm know I have come to the right place to be making memories that I will always remember.” The man smiled in return as he closed the compartment door.

Just as he turned to walk towards the pub, Ella asked, “Where do I find the Hinde Inne?” She had booked a room in the old inn weeks ago. He pointed at the old stone building in front of them, one door to the far left of the building was the pub. It didn't have a sign as all the locals knew where the pub was. The fancy wooden door with a sign hanging over the top to the far right indicated an inn. The girl chuckled and thanked him again
.
She gazed at the wooden sign with a deer carved in it with the old English spelling of” “Hinde Inne.” Knowing it meant female deer she thought, “This is an ancient town, I know I'm just going to love it here!” Adjusting her luggage so she could pull it comfortably she headed for the door. Once inside she found the interior to be rather dark after the bright sunshine outside. She walked up to the desk and rang the small bell. Within a minute an older woman came out wiping her hands on a clean towel and said, “Good day to you.” She paused a few seconds before adding, “You wouldn't by any chance be Donella Smith would you?”

Ella sighed, “After this long day it is comforting to be expected.” She nodded her head replying, “Yes I am she, I am hoping my room is ready for me, I sure could use a rest about now. The older woman nodded her understanding as the girl continued. By the way please call me Ella, all my friends do.” Fiona the owner of the inn smiled warmly as she reached for the keys and indicated that Ella sign the guest book. Once done, the woman said, “My name is Fiona, just you follow me and we will have you in your room in no time. I there be anything you need I would be the one to talk too.” She called out to her son Tomas to help with Ella's big bag. As they walked up the stairs to the second floor she continued. “The pub is where you will have your meals, it's open at six am until the last of the men are booted out after dark.” Both woman laughed at that last remark.

Ella followed Fiona up the side stairs and down a rather dark hallway. Noticing the light bulb was out, Fiona asked Tomas if he would take care of it. He nodded his shaggy head and replied, “Yes Mum.”
They finally stopped at the end of the hall, where Fiona inserted the old fashioned key and swung the door open for Ella to enter. “It will be nice a quiet at this end of the hall.” Ella smiled as she entered, and was pleasantly surprised. The room was light and airy with beautiful furnishings from by gone eras. She was going to have an interesting time looking each piece carefully over. Once Tomas set the large bag beside the bed and Ella put her purse and overnight bag on the bed, Fiona and her son said their goodbyes and left.

Sitting down on the bed Ella flopped back and gave a small whoop! She was finally here and knew deep in her bones that this was a trip she wasn't going to forget. She planned to get the maximum information and maybe even do a little socializing. But most important was knowledge such as the old ways and customs. Maybe even discover some new facts. With the material she intended to uncover she would be able to finish her thesis. After all the years of study and research it would finally be complete. She sighed to herself in satisfaction, this was the last leg of a long journey to achieving her degree.

A few minutes later she got up opened here bags and unpacked her things. She hadn't brought a lot of clothes as she didn't intend to be very social. Therefore it didn't take her long to put all her things away in the antique chest of drawers and tiny closet. She took a shower in the small washroom provided finishing up with brushing her teeth. Taking a deep breath she felt one hundred percent better.

Not surprisingly she felt her stomach rumble loudly, reminding her that she had just a light lunch before getting on the bus late this morning. It had been a long trip over the ocean and then from the airport to the various buses she had to transfer to get here. She knew deep in her heart it had been worth every uncomfortable minute! Glancing at her wristwatch she was surprised how late it was. “No wonder my stomach is grumbling...it's way past seven pm!”

Throwing on a sweater and jeans she quickly readjusted her hair , grabbed her purse and headed downstairs to the pub. As Ella walked up to the bar, the patrons in the pub all stopped talking and watched the new comer. Feeling a bit uncomfortable Ella ordered a sandwich and the local ale before finding a small empty table near the door. When the people started talking again Ella relaxed as she waited for her food. Glancing around she found the pub to be a mixture of old and newer styles. The bar itself looked well, ancient. While the stools were more contemporary. A few minutes later a young waitress brought the food and waited while Ella dug in her purse for some money. Once the girl had gone Ella took a sip of the ale. She tried not to make a face at the bitterness of the drink. She never had been a fan of ales and beers but thought it better to blend in with the local people. She then took a bite of her sandwich. It was a bit dry but she was hungry so she dug right in.

When she was half way through it when she heard a chair scrap the floor. When she glanced around she noticed a rather wobbly man with a glass in his hand was getting up from the table he and his buds were sitting at and headed towards her. Ella watched as he swayed his way across the room and finally stopped beside her. When he kept looking down at her she asked, “Well sir? Can I do something for you?” His eyes widened for a few seconds indicating he was trying to get his thoughts together. Finally he mumbled, “ My name's Fin and I just wanted to tell you to be careful if you go out on the moors. Lasses have disappeared in these parts for as longs as anyone can remember.” Ella smiled up at him replying, “Thank you for the warning, I will certainly keep that in mind!” He stood for another few seconds nodding his head before taking another sip from his glass. Satisfied that he had done his duty he slowly stumbled his way back to his cronies. They laughed at as he sat down once more one saying something about, “Old wives tales.” Fin mumbled a few words Ella couldn't hear and they all looked at her again.

Ella tried to smile, “These local people ...where do they get these stores? I do have to admit it is part of their charm.” Trying to stifle a yawn she found she couldn't finish her food she was just too tired. It had been a very long day. She took another sip of her ale before standing up, she dug around in her purse and left a small tip on the table. As she left the pub she yawned again and grumbled to herself, “I just need a good night's sleep and will feel right as rain in the morning.” Once she was back in her room she quickly washed up shed her clothes and put on her favourite long t-shirt. Five minutes later she was fast asleep.

The next morning Ella was awake at the crack of dawn ready to face the day. She lay in bed for a while making her plans for the day. “I think I 'll just do some sight seeing today. Maybe take a picnic a book and find a quiet place on the moors. That way I can begin to soak up the atmosphere that is Scotland. Yes....that sounds like a plan to me!” With that thought she bounced out of bed and walked to the closet. It didn't take long to look at the few dresses she had brought with her. Most of her clothes were practical, but today she didn't want practical she wanted to feel and look like a lady of leisure. Ella reached for her green dress, the one that made her eyes pop. It hugged her figure then flared out at the waist plus at the same time it was comfortable. Mumbling happily to herself she said, “Yes, just the dress for a day of leisure!” After quickly dressing she put on some pretty sneakers. She looked and felt good all that needed doing was her hair. Within minutes her messy bun was in place at the nap of her neck. With one last look in the she left her room and headed for the front desk hoping to find Fiona.

Luck was with her, Fiona came out as soon as Ella's hand hit the desk bell. They chatted about the weather before Ella got down to business. Telling Fiona her plans the older woman nodded her head in understanding. As for a vehicle, Fiona said she would lend a grateful Ella her car for the day. Preparations were made while the girl went to the pub for a quick breakfast. The coffee and fresh bread with marmalade were delightful and before Ella was finished Fiona came in and said, “ When your ready your picnic lunch of fruit, sandwiches and ...what do you like to drink? ” Ella thanked her and added, “Just some water would be all I need.” Fiona replied, “All will be ready when you are.”

Tomas helped put the basket of food and a blanket into a small blue car that was parked in front of the hotel. Ella thanked him before asking directions to the moors where the heather was now blooming. He pointed in the direction for her to take while she started the car. She waved as she drove off in contentment.

Ella drove on the highway for a short while before sighting a side road that looked interesting. She turned onto the unpaved road and drove for at least forty-five minutes before she came to a place she thought would be perfect for her picnic. Purple blooming heather surrounded her on rolling hills. It took her breath away. Taking the basket, her book and the blanket she started to walk looking for a spot that would shelter her from the wind that had come up. She finally found a place that dipped down enough to escape the winds but still showed the glorious views of purple heather and rolling hills. Looking back the way she had come Ella estimated that she was close to half a mile from the car. Felling contented with life she then spread out the blanket setting the basket on one corner and unpacked her lunch. She settled down and took a sip of the water and began to eat her sandwich. She was surprised at how hungry she was and laughed out loud. “Well exercise will do that...make you hungry!” Continuing with her food, she reached for her book and settled down with it.

Not long after finishing her meal, Ella stretched out and continued to read her book, swatting at the occasional fly. It was on medieval customs. Not ten minutes later it fell to the side as Ella dozed off. Not knowing how long she had been asleep Ella suddenly woke up upon hearing the sound of a horse calling over the moors. Her eyes squinted as she woke up fully. Someone was watching her, she could feel it. She looked around only to find that all seemed quiet with the occasional bird calling out.

Still glancing around she finally spotted what looked like a horse and rider at the top of one of the distant hills. Ella blinked several times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The horse was dark and large, even at that distance it was still large. “What the hell? That is one big man sitting on a huge horse! I wonder what he is doing?” As she watched she saw him signal the horse. Horse and rider started down the hill picking up the pace as they neared the bottom.

Ella could only watch in fascination as horse and rider slowly galloped towards her. As he drew closer he reminded her of an ancient warlord, bare chested with what must have been an early tartan type cloth rapped around his upper body and something similar on the lower half. She could see he wore no leggings or foot ware, but it was a warm day. His hair was long and wild flying out behind him as he rode on. To her rising surprise he continued toward her she could now see a claymore and dirk attached at his waist. They were galloping much faster now and that is when she realized they were headed right for her...or more like over her if she didn't get out of the way. She didn't have time to gather her things. She jumped up and ran to the side while he turned the horse and followed. “What the Hell? She cried out as she tried to go in the direction of the car. This was not good, she knew she didn't have any hope in getting anywhere near it before the horseman was on her.

Looking back as she ran Ella could not believe she was going to be accosted by a madman on a horse!. She screamed and kept running. Once he was barely a few feet behind her he bent towards her and with one hand securely on the pommel of his saddle he reached for her with the other. She leaped to the side at the last moment falling as she did. She cursed as she quickly got back up and ran up onto a broad rocky hilltop. He came around cutting her off from the direction she was trying to run. She leaped to the left when he once again went to grab her. This time she was nearly trampled by the horse's hooves. She heard him curse as he reared his horse upwards barely missing her.

Cursing in annoyance he got off and was now coming after her on foot. Ella out of breath and very frightened backed away holding her hands up as if to ward the wild man off. He slowed down making his voice gentle, “ Ní gá cailín bogadh!”,(Lass don't move!) startled she recognized his words were ancient Gaelic but didn't have time to try and translate them.

Not heeding his voice she took another step back, some loose rocks rolled away from her foot. He reached out trying to get her to stop moving. It was too late. She slipped on more rocks and started to go down. Quickly glancing behind she saw she had backed onto a shelf of rock and there was at least a twenty foot drop to a bed of rocks at the bottom. She screamed as she went over the edge desperately trying to grab onto the shelf....her hands slipped and just as she was going down a huge hand grasped her wrist. Legs dangling with all her weight on her wrist Ella cried out in pain. He carefully began pulling her back up enough to then slid her front first back onto the shelf. Her dress caught as she came up ripping her skirt practically in half. He himself had been flat out at the moment he had caught her hand. He pulled her up to a sitting position shifting himself to his knees and looked angrily down at her.

Ella glared up at her captor and suddenly with her free hand walloped him across the face. Still holding onto the girl's wrist the Highlander's blue eyes widened in complete surprise. “Cén fáth tú Spitfire beag!” (Why you little spitfire!) He swore in Gaelic pulled her close and took her by the shoulders shaking her roughly. This only made Ella to try to hit him again shouting, “How dare you chase me all over the moors like game and nearly caused me to be killed! What kind of barbarian are you?” She then tried to escape his grasp before adding furiously, “Let go of me you big brute!”

Rónán stood up still holding onto the struggling girl, well woman. She was no girl that was for sure, but he did find her interesting non the less. Holding her wrists in one huge hand he hauled her to Bryce and took a small piece of rope from the saddle. Holding her hands out and the rest of her behind and under his arm he bound her hands together. She couldn't move much but that didn't stop her from yelling as loud as she possibly could. He cringed as his ears rang! Rónán didn't have a clue as to what she screaming, he'd find out later when they got back to his clan.

He whistled for Bryce his horse to come close again. As soon as the mighty animal drew near Logan swung up onto his back. Ella took that moment to make another run for it. Horse and rider swooped down on the running girl. The Highlander leaned down and grabbed her around the waist putting her struggling body in front of him on the saddle. Once he had her positioned securely between his thighs he noticed that her short dress had been ripped and showed him a good length of her thigh. He liked what he saw and leaned down and growled in Gaelic, “Creidim go mbeidh mé ag éilíonn tú dom féin cailín.”(I believe I will claim you for myself girl.) With that being said he signalled Bryce into a gallop , turning toward the direction he had come from. To Ella's dismay she could see they were headed for a dark area that looked like some kind of ancient forest miles away in the center of the rolling moors.

A frightened and angry Ella bounced around as she tried to pull away from the man and his heated body. He finally slid his big arm around her midriff and pulled her up against his broad chest. Whether she liked it or not his arm steadied her as they galloped across the rugged land.

Hello.....

No one even wanting to do a rp with this story? Or ask some questions??

This sounds like a lot of fun. I take it you based it on 'Outlander'.

Still I love the Highlands as well as I was brought up in a Scottish household (Mother is Scottish as is all her family) so I might know enough about the history and customs to keep up. However my Gaelic might not be up to scratch. .

Are you looking for Ronan to be a warrior, a member of the council or chief, a captain or indeed the chieftain of his own sept of the clan?

Hi...good to hear from you.
As a matter of fact, I haven't read or seen "The Outlander". I will have to go to U-Tube and find it. Might give me more ideas. This story is just a figment of my imagination...lol But I have read lots of Highlander stories and of course seen the movie.

Rowann was once again preparing to go into the forbidden forest. The big highlander dressed in his hunting Tartan and slung a shield on the saddle of his enormous stallion Bryce. Then grabbing his large claymore he mounted and rode out of the village. He had been the Chieftain of his tribe for several years now and this would be his third time venturing into the woods since learning it's secret. As he rode towards it his mind wandered back to his earlier years.
As a child growing up not many miles from the forest, he was told of the “Lost Ones.” The tale was that whoever went into the forbidden forest would never come out again. For as long as folks had lived in the area it was known that powerful gods lived deep in the forest and became angry if people trespassed into their domain. No one ever found out what became of them. These stories, passed down from generation to generation kept most of the young people from wandering into the forest.
But of course there were times young lads wanted to show their bravery. So every generation seemed to lose a young man or two to the forest. Girls were not lost as they never wandered far from the village. What with the raiding parties from other clans out and about. The men from the different clans made part of their living out of stealing cattle, goods and sometimes even women from rival clans. In those days, all clans were rivals. It was a way of life and a good form of entertainment. Strength and bravery was important as eating to the early Highlanders. It was what kept the clan thriving.

When Rowann was about sixteen in age he had already proven he was a man in battle, being rather larger then most. He secret dream was to go into the forbidden forest and come out again. Just because no one else had ever done it, didn't mean he couldn't! He decided he was old enough to fight anything that came at him. Next morning after packing some food he set out with his weapons telling the chieftain, his father he was going hunting. Not long after leaving the village and making sure no one saw him, he turned his horse in the direction of the forbidden forest. Two hours later he saw it come into sight. Once he came to the edge he stopped for a few minutes to listen and look around. He had always been one to first contemplate his actions if possible. His Da had always told him that doing so would make him a good chieftain one day.

All was quiet except for the occasional bird call. The interior was dark, the trees tall with most of the leaves many feet above his head. Some of the trees were very old, others much younger as well as smaller. That is when he noticed the large tree to his right. His sharp eyes caught the edge of some kind of mark carved into the base of the trunk. Giving his horse a slight nudge with his foot he signaled it to move forward. Slipping off Rowann bent closer and could now see more marks, in fact the whole base of the tree was marked with Runes. He didn't know what these marks meant as most of his people couldn't read including himself. He knew they must be important. He ran his hand over the magic marks regarding this was as a good sign. Making note of the kind of tree it was as well as it's location and shape he jumped back onto his horse and entered the forest on the right side of it. Luck was on his side he decided, the old gods were showing him that they approved of him. The runes were proof of that. He spent the better part of the morning exploring the forest until finding a place to take his lunch he slid off his horse and tied it close to a clump of grass. There wasn't much in the way of grass since most of the sun didn't reach the ground but he had found a rare clearing and some had managed to grow. Sitting against a tree he did notice there was plenty of wildlife from the sounds he heard. There had been plenty of the tracks on bare ground between deep piles of old leaf litter in the low areas blown by the wind.

As he finished his meal of hard bread and cheese he heard a person shout for help. Listening carefully he noted where the shout had came from. Packing up what was left of his meal he decided to investigate. Rowann was mindful of his surroundings. The last thing he needed was to lose his bearings or come across someone he couldn't handle. Taking his horse by the reigns he headed in the direction of the voice. Once he got close enough, he left his horse tied to a tree and cautiously moved forward. The voice had stopped minutes before, then suddenly he heard his horse snort. Cursing to himself he turned and ran back to the place he had left the animal. There was a short stocky man mounting his horse. Rowann quickly pulled his claymore off his back then thought better of it. Sliding it back he pulled his dirk out instead making ready to throw it. Just as the man and horse started to move he threw. It hit him straight in the ribs knocking him off the horse. Rowann ran over to the groaning man and crouched down laying his hand on his shoulder. When he saw that it was a fatal wound he asked, “Why didn't you just wait? I wouldn't have hurt you. I need to know more about this forest. Can you tell me anything useful?”

The bleeding man moaned again in pain before looking up at the young man. “All I can tell you is that your doomed, you will never get back home. I have tried again and again with no luck!” He paused and coughed before continuing, “When you leave the forest you somehow end up in another land, it's magic! The old gods have put a curse on the forest, you can't go back home...you will die in here....” With that last word his head fell to the side.

After a moment Rowann drew back retrieving his dirk and wiped it on some moss before putting it back in his belt. He pondered the dead man's words. “What could he mean, another land?” He decided he had been in the forest long enough. Mounting his horse he turned back the way he had come. He glanced up at the sky and noted where the sun was situated making sure it was at his back. He walked his horse carefully as he looked for signs that he had passed by earlier. When he saw bare ground, he saw his horse's hoof print, the right front hoof had been slightly deformed when he was born. At that print he nodded his head. He knew he must not waver, just keep backtracking to the part of the forest he had entered. He knew his luck was still with him, when he'd made it back to the same general area of the forest he had entered. Sliding off his horse and keeping in mind what the man had said, Rowann poked his head out of the edge of the forest.

To his amazement he found himself looking at a totally different landscape. He couldn't help but blink several times. What he was looking at made his heart thud rapidly. The land he knew was gone and in it's place were fields of grass and cattle. Many fat cattle from what he could see but they looked nothing like the shaggy haired cattle of the Highland's nor the shorter haired ones of the lowlands. He pulled his head back and with a frown said out loud, “How can this be? What that man told me is true. It is magic...by the gods! How am I to get back home?” He walked twenty yards to the left, which just happened to bring him closer to the tree with the Runes. He poked his head out again. Now he saw a landscape of small fields of some kind of crops he couldn't identify. Again he leaned back to think. “So let me think....where ever you go out of the forest, you end up in a different land. Therefore I must find that tree with the Runes, that is where I'll find my land again!” He cast his glance around the various tree trunks. Finally he saw with a great sigh of relief that very tree not ten feet away from him.
He took his horse by the reins and lead him out, careful to keep to the left side of the tree. Since he entered on the right, he reasoned that he must return on his left. To his great relief he found himself back in his own land. He knew his luck and canniness was what had saved him from the same fate of the dead man. On second thought it was more like luck and the will of the God's. Bowing his head slightly he thanked them for allowing him to come back home. Having completed his thanks he mounted his horse and rode back to the village vowing never to return.
Rowann shook his head as he was brought back to the present. He soon caught sight of the Forbidden Forest. Of course he had not been able to keep that promise. Several years after he had returned from it, the Lowland Clan called the Campbell's had begun a good natured raiding war with them. Things had gone well with youths on both sides stealing cows and other livestock, playing pranks and keeping things light. There were some injuries on both sides, but they were not serious and indeed the less damage done the more fame was heaped upon the victor.
Then something had happened. No one could say who had struck first. The MacGregor's claimed it was the Campbell's and of course they said it was the other way around, but over the course of several nights men on both sides were killed and others severely injured. What had been a bit of fun between clan's was rapidly escalating into a war. Luckily both chiefs were able to control there Clan's. Unfortunately from then on the raiding took on a more sinister tone. Before enough was always left for the homesteader to survive until the following raid brought their goods back. Now both sides almost picked the isolated farms clean.
Something had to be done and a meeting of the Clan's chiefs was called along with several impartial ones to try and solve it without further bloodshed. Lamentably his Da had died before he could attend and the gathering had never gone ahead. By the time Rowann had been made Chieftain and was ready to talk with the head of Clan Campbell they were no longer willing to. Of course he knew why. They must have thought with him being so young they would be able to take advantage of him and raid with impunity until he was ready to agree to anything they proposed. They had been wrong.
Over the next few months Rowann had concentrated his efforts on shoring up the clan's defences. The main village was fortified and a palisade built around it. A stone keep big enough for the whole village to shelter inside was constructed and a stockpile of food was gathered and placed in new underground storehouses. All of this took almost a year, during which they continued to raid each other. The MacGregor's concentrated on defending themselves with the occasional raid to recapture what had been taken from them. Happily they did not loose a single man and by the time everything was built Rowann was ready to take the fight to the Campbell's.
Then disaster struck. While on a raid a group of Campbell clansman attacked the new village, To their delight a small group of men came across some young women outside the palisade. They ran them down and carried off three. This was unheard of, women, slaves and children were always left out of the fighting. By doing this the Campbell's had sealed their fate. Backed by the entire clan Rowann declared war for all time on them. He vowed to see the clan wiped from existence.
However that did not help the grieving families of the captured women. Rowann fumed knowing he would have little chance of recapturing the women without major losses. Plus he was not willing to stoop to the level of his enemies. After much thought Rowann was able to come up with a plan. One that would work if he was careful and kept this to himself. He could only think of one way, the forest. If the gods were willing he could capture one girl from three different worlds . He would need to take separate trips for each one, but it would be worth it, to him and his clan. He knew it wasn't the same but he would place one girl in each family that had lost a daughter.
He had done just that, venturing in three times so far and returning with a young girl each time. So far he had managed with few problems although there had been a few difficulties understanding the women at first. Their Gaelic was different then theirs and even between each girl there was some differences. Fortunately after consulting his druid on the issue they had managed to brew up a concoction that had helped immensely.
Now it was the final time. None of his clan knew where he was getting these strange women from, they just thought them slaves from some distant land he had captured in a raid, and in a sense this was true. If they found out he knew the secret of the woods they might be tempted to try to raid in these lands themselves. He had no wish to tempt the gods' favour by allowing that. This girl would replace the last that had been stolen and he had promised himself that would be an end to it.
Rowann rode up to the well remembered tree and then along the path he himself had burned into his memory. Soon he approached the way out and he moved slightly more to his right from where he had exited before. He did not want to grab a girl from the same spot each time. He reasoned one girl from each place was fair enough.
Walking out of the woods he carefully dismounted and notched the nearest tree with his sword. He wanted to make sure he entered precisely where he had exited. Then he set off over the rolling hills. It surprised him a little that there were no farms or people around. This was good farming land and livestock could flourish here, yet none seemed to be in evidence. Indeed he rode for almost an hour only rarely sighting signs of life before he came across what he sought.
In the distance lying on a blanket in the purple heather, was a comely looking lass. He stopped Bryce and studied her. Like the others he had taken she was dressed strangely but that was neither here nor there. After searching the landscape, to his delight he found that she was alone. She appeared in good health, he made up his mind. She would do. He found himself impatient to return home. Nudging Bryce forward he set off after her.
As he got closer he saw her stand up and look at him. He smiled at her and stood up higher, bracing himself on his horse's back with his knees. He knew the figure he cut, he had already had many a wench come seeking his bed. At over six and a half feet tall he was one of the largest warriors around. Through years of fighting he had muscles like steel with hardly an ounce of fat on him. His chest was bare with the Tartan of his clan diagonally across it. With the handle of his great claymore waving above his head he was undeniably a sight to behold. Indeed many a solo lowland warrior had run upon seeing him.
His smile grew wider as the small lass ran up a hill. He calmly guided Bryce after her, urging him to a gallop. As he neared her he bent down with confidence to scoop her up when, glancing back she dived to the ground. Cursing he circled and tried again, this time she dodged almost under Bryce's hooves. From the back of his horse Rowann noticed the hill ended in a cliff. Cursing broadly now, he brought Bryce to a stop and slid off. Changing his expression from a scowl to one more friendly, he approached her. He saw that she was as scared of him as if he was Death himself. She kept on moving back while keeping her eyes on him. He slowed his approach and held out his hands to show he was unarmed. Then talking softly he tried to reassure her. “Lass don't move, I won't harm you.”
That seemed to startle her but since she didn't know what he was saying she continued to step back. With a startled cry she started to topple over. She had been too busy watching him to notice a cliff with a twenty foot drop onto rocks below. He cursed again as she started to fall. Rushing forward he grabbed for her out flung hand and managed to grab it. Grunting with the effort Rowann dragged her back up, wondering how someone so small could weigh so much. As she came over the edge he heard material ripping and noticed that her skirt ripped down the side, leaving one shapely leg bare. He couldn't help but think, (it could have been much worse then a ripped shirt.)
As he placed her back on her feet she slapped him hard across the face, as she shouted some gibberish at him. Surprise followed by anger, he looked at her as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close. “Why you little spitfire,” he roared as he turned for his horse dragging her with him. She pounded on him still shouting gibberish. He threw her across the saddle then mounted behind her. Digging into a bag he had secured behind the saddle he pulled out a small length of rope and then grabbing the wench's hands he tied them securely.
He was tempted to ride on with her draped over Bryce's neck to teach her a lesson, but he pulled her up into a seated position in front of him, slipped one powerful arm around her waist and then signalled his horse to head back the way they had come.
All the way back she yelled at him and tried to fight until he tightened his hold on her and growled. Still he did like the way her body felt and now that he could see her she was rather beautiful. “Perhaps I shall claim you as my own,” he told her as they galloped on.
Finally they arrived back at the forest, he searched until he found his mark and then plunged inside. Once surrounded by the trees he relaxed, half of the job was done and now he needed to just get her home. He headed quickly towards the exit looking for and noting all of his subtle marks he had made to guide his way back.