46Note: I will review other author's stories if they review mine. This is my first one to post on Fictionpress and is a baby. But feel free to be harsh with your reviews if you must. Any criticism is appreciated.
Ps-I am revising this story currently. The characters and plot are the same, but hopefully the content and execution will improve.
Jamie and the War
Scotland had lived and breathed freely for most of the warm summer days. There was peace between the clans and love in the people's hearts. At Laird MacKendrick's keep, however, things were never very quiet for long. His daughters and one daughter in particular, Jamie, always found a way to stir up some sort of mischief.
"Jamie, get back here!" Aunt Laura called as her niece attempted to flee down the hill into the woods.
"Why?" Jamie whined. She looked over her shoulder at the retreating backs of her friends.
"Do not pretend that you do not know why you can na go into the woods at this hour, Jamie," said Aunt Laura. "The sun is just about ta set and you know well that your parents will na allow you to go running about the woods at night. Tis not safe."
Jamie grumbled to herself as she dragged herself back up the hill. She had been so close this time. Just a few more steps and she would have been hidden within the woods and could have been playing with the others. Her parents were too protective for her liking. Nothing bad had ever happened to her. She had never been eaten by wolves or lost in the woods. She was perfectly safe in her home and on her family's land.
Aunt Laura set down her basket full of laundry and clucked her tongue at the sight of her disheveled niece. She then proceeded to pick the random strands of grass and hay out of her niece's curly, brown hair before they returned to the keep. Her father was going to have a fit. Even if she didn't look like a wild animal any more, Jamie had still skipped her lessons and had neglected her work. Laura had expected as much from her niece. Jamie, like her sisters before her, had a knack for finding trouble and testing her father's patience.
"You must learn ta be more careful with your time, Jamie. You're almost seventeen summers and I will na always be able ta clean up your messes or save you from the thrashings you deserve. This is the last time I will let this kind of behavior go unnoticed."
"I know, Aunt Laura." Jamie agreed as they reached the entrance to the MacKenderick keep.
Jamie left Aunt Laura's side after they entered the bailey and snuck off to the stables, determined to at least have one last bit of fun.
"Do na be too long," Aunt Laura called after her in the all knowing tone she always used. "Supper will be ready soon."
Of course Jamie ignored Aunt Laura's warning and, once again, lost track of time in the stables as she coddled her horse and fed it some of the carrots she had stolen from the garden.
"Has Master Lindsay not fed you enough today?" Jamie cooed as the horse quickly ate the last carrot from her hand.
"That fat beast is always hungry." A deep voice said beside her ear. Jamie jumped a foot in the air and reeled around angrily.
"Fletcher!" She screamed. "Quit doing that!"
"Doing what?" Fletcher asked innocently.
"Sneaking up on me and being an arse." Jamie stuck out her tongue and reached for her horse's bridle, determined to ignore him.
However, ignoring Fletcher could be a very hard task sometimes. Fletcher Henson was one of the clan's newly trained warriors who stood proudly at a towering height of 5'9 with broad shoulders and unbounded energy.
Fletcher leaned against the stall door and watched as Jamie bridled and saddled her horse. She led the animal to the stall door and was about to exit when Fletcher gracefully stepped in front of the exit.
"Where are you goin'?" Fletcher asked already knowing full well where Jamie planned to go.
"Nowhere that concerns you," Jamie said as she tried unsuccessfully to walk around the obstacle in her way.
"Are you so sure about that? Last I remember, your wonderful father, our Laird, ordered that you not go outside tha keep without an escort after sunset. I would be shamed if I even considered goin' against my laird's wishes."
Jamie rolled her eyes. Fletcher didn't care about her father's meager wish as much as he cared about pestering her. He always found some way to annoy her and always got away with it too. That, Jamie vowed, would change. Jamie had tried numerous times before to tell other people about Fletcher's nuisances, but everyone just laughed and said that Fletcher was a sweet boy. Sure, she thought, sweet as bundle of prickly nettles.
"The sun has na set and I never said that I was leaving the keep." Jamie replied as she dropped the reigns and walked over to try to forcefully move Fletcher away from the door.
"But we both know that you are, and the sun will have set soon." Jamie did not argue with this so he continued. "And I, being a great warrior and the son of the laird's most trusted friend, am willing to escort you as you ride your fat, little horse about."
"My horse is not little or fat, you-you oaf!"
Fletcher laughed. "So I am an oaf now? I thought you said I was an arse. Oh well, do you accept my gracious offer, fair Jamie, or do you not?"
Jamie scowled but thought over the offer. If it got him to move out of her way it just might be worth it. The longer she waited the less time she had to ride.
"Fine, you may escort me." Jamie conceded. "But only if you can keep up. I will na slow my pace for a-a thing like you."
Fletcher chuckled and stepped aside. "I am glad you agree. I would hate to have to inform your father that you disobeyed his orders…again."
Jamie seethed quietly and vowed to lose him as soon as they were out of the keep.
"Are you not forgettin' something, Fletcher?" Jamie asked as they exited the stables. "Like a horse perhaps?"
"Nay. My horse is saddled and ready by the gate." Fletcher replied with a devilish grin. "I had a feelin' that you would want someone ta accompany you on your ride and had him readied when I saw you comin' back with Miss Laura."
Jamie gasped. Why that little, presumptuous ogre!
Jamie waved at the guards and Fletcher asked them to open the gate as they mounted.
Jamie and Fletcher rode silently until the keep was out of sight. They stopped at the crest of a hill. A wide field lay before them and Jamie's mount was impatient. It pranced anxiously and shook its main restlessly, clearly impatient and ready to run. Jamie was just about to gallop away to freedom when someone grabbed her reigns.
"Jamie, I want you to understand something." Fletcher said very seriously. There was no glint of mischief in his eyes and his face was hard set. "I know that it may not seem very important or dangerous right now, but there is something you should know. Scotland is about to declare war with Ireland and your father's land, being so close to the north channel, will not be safe much longer. We are likely to be some of the first attacked. If you see anything suspicious do na take it lightly. If anythin' strikes you as odd head back to the keep."
Jamie nodded. She knew that many people did not think she could be serious or responsible because most of the time she enjoyed fooling around and neglecting her minor responsibilities, but she knew how and when to be serious. This information was not entirely new to her, but she respected the validity and gravity of it. Scotland and Ireland had been growing increasingly hostile towards one another over the past few summers. She had heard whispers about the things that had been done. Fletcher, however annoying he was at times, was right.
"I understand. But I think I need to say that just because you are fatter-"
"and stronger"
"-and-"
"more attractive"
"-older than I am, does na mean that I must listen to every thing you say."
Fletcher smiled mischievously again. "Of course. I do na expect you to listen to everything I say. I've heard that women often do na listen to anything because their long, ugly hair gets stuffed in their ears so they can na hear much of anything."
Jamie huffed and galloped down the hill and across the field, daring Fletcher to try to follow her. Fletcher sat atop the hill and watched as Jamie raced her mare about the field.
Little did Fletcher know that many pairs of eyes were watching her as well.
Author's note: As I said before this is just starting. I will be updating regularly and am going to try to update once every five days to a week, depending on demand. Thanks for reading this. PLEASE review so I will know if I should post more or not. I will return the favor of reviewing your stories or poems. Cookies and lots of chocolate to the first reviewer!
Katherine-the-greate