In a new attempt, and despite the insistent pain, I managed to release one of my wrists. When I brought my hands forward I saw that they were both bloody as I had predicted. There was a red band around each wrist, caused by the time I was stuck in shackles in the Inverness dungeon. Containing the feeling of fainting, I looked around in an attempt to find something that could be used as a weapon. There were some pieces of wood wrapped in bags in a corner of the carriage. Surely they would be used to make a good fire. I dragged myself into one of the bags and picked up the biggest I could find. It was thick, but not so heavy. Rising slowly, I went to the door and looked through the bars. Luckily there was no lock, perhaps because they thought I was too wounded to try to escape. Slowly I opened the door. The carriage was at a reasonable speed, since we were on the edge of a cliff. Putting the wood on top of the carriage, I pushed with both hands to stand up. I automatically felt hooked on my back and moaned low. The two men who were responsible for the driving seemed oblivious and did not listen when I approached them slowly. I hit one of them hard and he fell off the carriage on the road. The man hit hard between rocks and the dirt floor. The other man got scared. With the sudden movement he made with the reins, he frightened the horses, which they pushed up. The rear wheel hit a rock causing a jolt that made me fall on the ceiling and hit my head against the wood. The driver couldn't keep the carriage in line and she hit the rock again breaking the right rear wheel. The leaning caused me to roll over the roof of the carriage. I ended up hanging on the edge. I could feel the earth beating against my barefoot feet, which were barely covered by an old skirt, which I was forced to wear. Realizing that the carriage was running out of direction and that the horses were out of control, I decided to risk a jump on the road. I hit the thick earth and the rocks in the path as soon as I rolled on the ground. The carriage left the road a few meters further ahead and fell on the cliff. I took a deep breath containing vertigo. I had to get off the road so they wouldn't find me. I don't know how I managed to find strength, but I decided to climb the slope. If I remembered correctly, there was a forest above where I was. I'd try to find a clearing to spend that night. In the morning, if I didn't feel so much pain, I'd get shelter in Dunhill.
I knew very well that the king did not like my father, as well as his sons, especially Alistair, who hated him for being a coward. I went up using the exposed roots of the trees as a support. The rain fell thin and soon began to disturb my vision, but I continued to climb. It took me a long time to get to the top and crawled under a tree. I was too weak to try to move again and the body started to fall asleep. I don't know how long it took, but I fainted due to the pains in the body and the fatigue caused by the effort.
- Hey? Are you all right?
A male voice whispered followed by light slaps on my face. My eyes were too heavy to keep them open. I only semi-founded them for a few moments and saw the serene but worried face of what seemed to me to be a warrior. A heavy hand pushed the hair away from my face and I could see his forehead frowning.
- Oh, my God! Oh, my God! - he said amazed. - What happened to you?
Panic took over my guts and all I could do was whisper, because my throat was dry.
- Don't hurt me!
- No, of course not! - he nodded. - But what happened? Who did this?
- My father beat me up and sent me to a convent after finding out I was dating the stable boy. - I lied by swallowing my spittle. - The carriage I was in went off the road and fell on the cliff. Luckily I managed to escape.
- Good heavens! What do they call you, miss?
I didn't think it was a good idea to say my name to him, as concerned and zealous as he might seem. Besides, at that moment, all I didn't want was to be a MacBride.
- Breanna, but you can call me Bree. - I said with a voice embargoed.
- What about your family?
- They don't care about me. - I fired. - My father kicked me out of the house and I don't intend to come back. I have nowhere else to go.
Forgetting my strength and courage, I collapsed into a weeping that led me to weep copiously like a damsel in danger.
- Shii! Calm down! - the man whispered. - Come with me and we'll take care of these wounds. Then, when it's okay, we'll see where to install it.
I nodded with a sigh of relief and hugged him when the man held me in his arms.
- By the way, my name is Keilan. - he said smiling. - Keilan Sinclair.
- Nice to meet you, Lord Sinclair! Thank you so much for your kindness!
- Go ahead!
I put my arms around his neck and leaned my head against his shoulder. I was exhausted and scared for the first
