Here is chapter two as I promised. Again, I will return the favor of reviewing to those who review my story. All criticism is appreciated and if anyone wants to make predictions about what will happen, be my guest. Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter one: tffny012, LetMYEgoBe, Lucy-the-bookworm, figmentation, scarletlady77, N.M.B., and Olivia Virgo

Jamie and the War

Chapter Two

Golden boy

Jamie's mount soared over the grassy slopes and ran with the wind at her back, urging her to run faster and faster. The forest's edge soon came upon them and Jamie wanted to explore them. Something seemed different, though. Jamie couldn't say what it was about the forest that made her uneasy, but she figured that it was just Fletcher's warning that had her spooked. Cautiously, she entered the woods despite her gut warning her to go the other way.

Five minutes came and went without event. Fletcher had moved closer to the wood so he could watch Jamie.

The sound of hoof beats came closer and closer toward him as he sat just outside the forest's edge. A black nose soon followed by the excited horse and its rider darted out of the trees and flew past him. Jamie laughed gaily with her hair streaming behind her.

"I bet you can na catch me, Fletcher." Jamie taunted as the turned and urged her horse in another direction.

"Your ridin' is na as good as your cookin'," Fletcher called as he took off after her.

The pair chased each other around the field for a short time until Fletcher cornered Jamie in a small, circular clearing at the forest's boarder.

Jamie knew that she should not have entered the clearing. She had hoped that there would be a path through the woods from the small clearing, but her hopes were dashed as she realized that the only way out was through the wagon wide space she had come through. That same space was currently occupied by a very content and smug looking Fletcher.

Fletcher looked invincible with the setting sun casting a majestic glow about him as he looked at his prey. Ha, Jamie thought, majestic and Fletcher did not belong in the same sentence.

"Well, Jamie MacKendrick, it seems I've won." Fletcher gloated as he basked in his own self-satisfaction.

Normally, Jamie would have come back with a hot retort but shadowy movements behind Fletcher stopped her.

Jamie pulled out her bow and notched an arrow into place. Fletcher paled slightly, thinking that the arrow was meant for him.

"Fletcher, will you come here? My bow string seems stiff. Will ya pull it for me? I think I see a deer." Jamie said calmly as she pretended to struggle with her bow.

Fletcher's brows furrowed as he moved his horse alongside Jamie's mount. He knew that Jamie was more than capable of shooting her bow without assistance. Something had to be wrong.

Fletcher reached around Jamie and helped her pull the arrow back in order to appear as normal as possible.

"See? 'Tis not very hard ta do." Fletcher encouraged as if speaking to a pupil.

Seconds later two battle clad men appeared at the clearing's entrance. They both appeared to be quite proud of themselves for cornering their prey and rushed the pair without reserve.

Jamie let loose her arrow and it seated itself deep in one of the attacker's shoulders. The man dropped his sword and fell to the ground with a hiss. His horse then reared and galloped out of the clearing.

The second warrior was fast approaching when Fletcher drew his sword and bravely rode out to meet him. Jamie watched in awe as they battled one another from atop their shifty mounts. She had seen her father battle like this before and watched the men as they practiced on the lists, but this was real. The men's grunts and the clang of their metal swords as they danced about the clearing echoed around them.

Fletcher struck the man's leg after a short time, causing him to cry out in pain and nearly fall from his horse. The man cursed as he regained his balance, and attacked Fletcher with twice the force and vigor. Fletcher's attacker sliced across Fletcher's arm, causing a small stream of blood to run down his arm, and managed to toss a dagger into Fletcher's side before Fletcher took the advantage of his opponent's unguarded position and struck him across the head with the flat side of his blade. Finally, the man slumped down to the ground and landed with a thud.

Jamie looked up from the unconscious man on the ground to Fletcher, who had dismounted and was now walking over to her horse. Jamie gasped as she saw the blood running down Fletcher's side and arm. It looked horrible, but upon closer inspection, which she instantly demanded, neither of his wounds looked deep and for that she was thankful.

"Is he movin'?" Jamie asked as she pointed at the fallen man.

Fletcher looked angrily back at the man before gasping as waves of pain radiated from his side.

"There. All done." Jamie said contently as she laid the bloody dagger aside. Her little ruse had successfully distracted Fletcher as she pulled the dagger from his side and now the worst was over.

Fletcher scowled deeply, angrier with himself for allowing himself to be tricked, than with Jamie. Jamie ignored Fletcher's obvious discontent and went about seeing to his wounds.

"Aunt Laura is going to be angry with me. This is the second dress I have destroyed today." Jamie predicted as she tore her skirt into strips that she would later use to tie around his wounds.

Fletcher winced and bit back an oath as Jamie cleaned the cut on his arm.

"Second? I thought it was your third. You wore a blue one this morning which you covered with your brown one in the afternoon, and then after you covered that one in flour you took it off and played in your green one which you are now wearing."

"I guess this is tha third. Wait, how did ya know that I changed that many times? You were spying on me, weren't you?" Jamie swatted Fletcher on his uninjured arm. "I aught ta make you walk back to the keep just for that."

Fletcher just laughed, knowing that Jamie was too kind hearted to do any such thing, and let her finish dressing his wounds.

The sun had finally set and the sky was almost black. If the sun had been shining, though, a tall shadow would have fallen over the pair.

Hello again readers. I know this is a short chapter, but I wanted to get something to you. Thanks for reading, now PLEASE REVIEW. I will return the favor happily(just leave a note in the review) and be eternally grateful for any criticism.