Posts by miscellaneyous

The opening of the wooden door woke Julia with an unpleasant groan, causing her to roll onto her right side to hide her face to try and go back to sleep. "David, you're making a racket. It's too early." She murmured, opening her eyes slowly to reveal the whole night wasn't just a dream. She uncomfortably rolled back onto her left side and sat up, hoping Uisdean didn't hear her words. Her whole body was sore; from the events of yesterday to the sleep she had on the cot, every muscle was yelling at her to lie back down. The brown eyed girl ignored their pleas and stood up while rubbing her eyes just in time to see the man enter the shack. She blushed. "Good morning." was all she could muster as a wave of awkwardness replaced the shiver in her chest.

Her small footsteps followed behind him towards the mare, watching her feet so she didn't step in or on anything unwanted. She climbed on after him - for she needed his hand to help hoist her up - and tried her best not to lean too much into him as the horse walked off. His warmth emanated off of him once more, and she could feel his chest on her backside every time the horse moved. This was going to be a long ride. They sat mostly in silence for the whole ride; she offered little "yes's" and "no's" to his words, or making a small noise in response whenever he spoke. She felt somewhat bad, as she probably should try and converse with him more - but since she wouldn't be with him anymore after a few hours, she didn't see the point.

Hours passed by slowly as they went through the trees, and Julia kept her focus on the surrounding area. It was quite beautiful she thought, land untouched by modern civilization. Soon, trees would be cut down to make way for roads and homes. The thought saddened her, but she left the image behind her like the stones and the twigs on the path below. And then, like a submarine rising out of the sea, there it was. Castle Leod.

The castle, perched on a hill in the middle of a clearing in the forest, was anything but drab. The stone bricks sat atop each other with exquisite handiwork, and the windows that scattered themselves about the walls gave it a wonderful feeling of being somebody's home. It made her stomach churn fiercely.

To her surprise, the castle was buzzing with life. People walked to and fro, leading horses or carrying baskets. As the horse came to a stop and the two dismounted, she could hardly believe her eyes. Julia drew Uisdean's jacket closer to herself as she stood silently, gawking at everything around her. A plump, stout woman came rushing up to meet them, catching her off guard. "Uisdean, ma dear! Oh, ye're back safe! Oh, ma dear." The woman cooed, coming to give him a hug. "All the men came back yesterday but ye, and we were worri'd ye might've been caught." She pulled away, her hands grabbing his as she spoke up to him. "It's been a'while since I last saw ye. Ye must be starvin'! Plenty in the kitchen." The woman's eyes looked off to the side towards Julia, and her expression turned from worried-relief to surprise. "Who do we have here...?"

"Speech."

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"Speech."

Julia stepped forward reluctantly with a coy smile upon her face. She felt naked amongst everyone around her; the women wearing corsets and skirts apon skirts while the men wearing their kilts and jackets. "Hello." She answered, watching the older lady place her hands on her hips in front of her. A ball began to form in her throat as she was eyed over, and she knew because of her accent she was most likely going to be turned away. "Well, Julia." She started, having no indication of expression in her voice, "Come with me. We shall find ye somethin' to eat, and something to wear that's a bit more...well, a bit more." Mrs. MacLennan motioned for her to follow, and began turning - but stopped when Julia piped up. "Wait! What about him? He's been shot." She stated, looking at his arm. "I bandaged his arm and abdomen, but I wasn't able to clean or dress it properly. I must tend to it before it gets infected. I mean inflamed. You know, with fever and swelling." The English girl felt tiny once again as the woman was looking at her like she had two heads; like Uisdean had mere hours ago. She gulped. "Aye, I ken fine what ye mean. Does that mean ye know what to do, then? Are ye a Beaton?" Mrs. MacLennan questioned, her head cocked to the side slightly. Julia nodded, looking at Uisdean then back to her. She nodded once, then motioned them both to follow her. "Ye heard the lady. Come along now; afterwards we'll get ye both cleaned up and fed. "

Julia gently took off Uisdean's bandages in front of a glowing hearth in one of the many rooms of the castle. She finally had all the resources she needed to not only re-bandage his wounds, but to sew them up too so they could heal properly without major scarring. After triple-checking to see if she had everything, she walked around to his side and stopped. The man's back had clearly been flogged; long welts of scar tissue ran up and down his back like the stripes on a tiger. She placed her hand on his scars involuntarily, disbelief at how someone could've done this flushing her cheeks red with a gentle pity. Her mouth hung open to say something to him, but no words escaped her lips.

"Speech."

Marsali is open to plotting! She's a fierce adventurer with a love for people-watching and a fiery hate for her father. Click here for the link to her bio.

"Speech."

Julia's heart lurched at his words, an intense mix of emotions overcoming her like a wave. She had forgotten just how brutal the British were to the Scots in this era; and, actually seeing it firsthand, made her want to throw up. She stayed silent as he spoke, letting her hand linger on his back a moment more before moving it away. Yet again, words failed to escape her lips; she had never really beared witness to anyone that had been flogged before. The woman began to gingerly unwrap his shoulder, the only noise being the crackle of the wood in the fireplace. "Why did they lock you up?" A sudden realization of how forward she was being dawned over her, and she stopped unraveling the fabric to look at the ground in slight embarrassment. "Sorry, that was really forward of me. You don't have to answer that." She continued with her work, repeating the process of undressing and cleaning with alcohol before she grabbed the needle and thread. "This will hurt again." The young nurse did her best to sew as gentle and efficient as she could, trying not to hurt him too much - even though she knew it hurt.

About an hour passed as Julia cleaned him up and stitched his wounds, and the girl put down the blood-stained cloth she used for her hands and straightened her back and neck in a stretch. "There you go - good as new." She finished with a smile, running a hand through her soft, brunette hair. The girl was tired; but she knew she had more to do after she left the room. She examined her ring for a second, overlooking it to make sure it hadn't gotten blood on it. After standing for some time Julia had suggested they sat down, and she was now sitting across from him with the fire still warm on her right side. "I'll have to change the bandages a few more times until it's sufficiently healed, so don't go too far for the next few days until I find a ride to Inverness." She chuckled, her head tilted to the side slightly. The light from the window cast a cool gaze upon his back, outlining him with the colours of an afternoon sky. The fire illuminated his face and bare chest, making him look like his skin was bronzed and soft to the touch - but resisted the urge to reach out. She felt the hot blush rise up her chest and into her cheeks once more, and was thankful the fire had warmed her enough that it was hidden behind the heat of her face.

"Speech."

The words he spoke to Julia sent shivers up her spine. The talk of death and battle made her think about her own time and her own wars, and she realized she could relate to his pain. She stayed quiet through it all, though, letting him tell her the events of his past without breaking his train of thought.

A small laugh escaped the woman's lips as the feeling of accomplishment took hold. She was used to having her work congratulated and admired - but this time, it felt different. "It's nothing, really." She replied, looking down at the ground below them. "A day in the life's work." A part of her was glad she could've helped the man; he was wounded, and if she had left him to his own devices, the outcome could've been far worse.

The thoughts that swarmed her head were interrupted with questions she didn't exactly see coming: how she got here and where her husband was. Her smile faded into a frown as she moved her gaze from the ground to the fireplace, frantically thinking about how she was going to explain it to him. If she told him the truth, he would most likely cast her out as a witch and she would end up on a pyre; if she created a little white lie, she would feel terrible about it for he has been nothing but truthful to her. The second option in her eyes was, although disliked, a better option than being burned alive - plus, it wasn't like she would be around him much longer anyways. She chose the second option. "My husband..." She focused, the flames prancing about as her eyes welled up with tears. "...he's...not alive." The crack in her voice was at the same moment the tears fell, and she automatically looked back down a the ground to hide them. Her husband was, in fact, not alive, for his birth was nearly two-hundred years in the future. What was David going through? She imagined how he was feeling at this point in time, as his wife had just up and vanished into thin air. Perhaps he thought she was dead, or abducted; or, worst of all, perhaps she had ran off with another man. Tears were frantically wiped from her blotched face, her gaze studying the rough carpet below. She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "I was travelling through the countryside to visit distant relatives when I found myself attacked by highwaymen. They attempted to relieve me of my clothes, and I was forced to abandon my horse and property. I had fled and ended up running into that English officer, and that's when you saved me." Her words were as close to the truth as she could make them, obviously leaving out the parts of 'travelling through stone' and '1945'. A pitiful laugh escaped her lips as she looked at him briefly before casting her eyes back on the fire. "Sorry, I didn't mean to erupt into tears like that."

"Speech."

Julia was comforted greatly at his hug, his strong but smooth muscles enveloping hers made her relax a titch before composing herself as he pulled away. Her fingers tucked strands of loose hair behind her ears, and she looked up at him with eyes full of thankfulness. She was glad she could trust someone in the position she was in; even though, if he found out, she wasn't being very trustful. As he walked towards the door, the Englishwoman realized this was the first time in nearly a day she would be alone - and a twang of something bounced around in her chest. Fear? Worry? Excitement? She didn't know. A smile crossed her face as one crossed his. "I'll see you later." Was all she managed as he exited the room, leaving her to her own thoughts.

Julia stood up and leaned against the stone wall, looking out the window into the courtyard below. She wasn't sure how long she was in the room by herself; but it was long enough for her to get started as Mrs. MacLennan entered the room, making her heart nearly jump out of her chest. "Ach, sorry if I startled ye." she wasn't alone though; the older woman was accompanied by a younger one, carrying a pile of clothes that she set down on a chair by the hearth. Mrs. MacLennan carried a wooden bowl full of some sort of liquid, and waved the younger girl to leave. She did, closing the door behind her. "Here, mistress. I brought ye some hot broth. Eat up." Julia gratefully took the bowl from her, and ate slowly, savouring each sip. She only got a few tastes, though, as Mrs. MacLennan took it from her and placed it on the mantle of the fireplace. "Come along, now. Lets get you dressed for the feast."

The corset was tight on Julia's ribs as she walked down the hallway towards the dining hall, each step causing her great anxiety in her stomach. She had never been dressed in such attire before, and it ultimately felt like she was playing dress up. She didn't not like it; she just wasn't used to it was all.

Her outfit consisted of a soft, earthy brown wool skirt that reached the floor and a deep blue bodice and sleeves; complete with a tan-coloured stomacher and an uncomfortably thick petticoat. Her hair was tied up in a presentable bun, and strands of loose, curly hair that could not be pinned back framed her face neatly. She looked like she fit into the era completely; which gave her some consolation on getting a ride out of here. She would have to blend in and relate in order to buy her freedom. A sigh escaped her lips as she stopped before the entrance. What was she even doing?

Without any further hesitation, Julia entered the room, and immediately regretted it as everyone fell silent. All eyes were on her: the strange English woman in a place where that wasn't a pretty thing to be. She gulped, and began walking inside, her eyes scanning the room to look for any sort of familiar face. A smile cracked her lips as she spotted Uisdean, and she b-lined her way to him as gracefully as she could in the attire she was wearing. "Hello." She sat down in the empty chair across from the man, the thought of a proper meal making her stomach rumble. She felt shy in this room full of unknown faces: although they weren't looking at her anymore, she could still feel their gaze burning on her skin. “I hope your afternoon hasn’t been too rough. Anything interesting happen?” She questioned lightly, more than a small part of her excited to see her Scottish friend.

"Speech."

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"Speech."