Chapter 2

I woke to the blazing sun shining down on my face. My eyes flew open, confusing by the daylight, and looked around. Unlike the forest before, I now lay in an open field. Most of the trees and shrubs were gone and in their place lay long, green grass that swayed in the cool breeze that flowed around me. My clothes were torn and covered in dirt and dust. I slowly got to my feet, noticing a figure out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I found Lucas lying on the ground, moving in a way I knew he was waking up as well. An unsettling feeling filled my body from head to toe as I began to run once more. I briefly looked back to see Lucas’s hand raised to his head and I started to move faster, afraid of what he might do if he were to see and chase after me. I looked back again to see him rise to his feet. I was terrified and didn’t take my eyes off Lucas, unaware of my surroundings in front of me, focusing only on Lucas. His eyes darted to me and he looked surprised at first, and then angry. A small gasp of fear escaped me and then a louder one as I collided into someone.

        The two of us went down, hard. Arms wrapped around me and I fought in protest but I had grown weak.

        “Let me go!” I pleaded with exhaustion. The arms stayed wrapped around me, regardless of my demand. The stranger held me from behind, keeping me from seeing who it was. I brought my elbow into their guy hard, heard a pained “oomph,” but the stranger still held on tight.

        “If you promise not to run,” a deep, soothing voice suddenly said. “I will let go of you. I am not going to hurt you.” For reasons unknown, I trust the voice was telling the truth and nodded. The arms let go of me slowly and I stayed where I was, keeping my promise. I turned and was slightly taken back by how handsome the man standing before me was. He appeared to be young, no older than his mid-twenties. He was tall, much taller than my own five and a half foot frame. Golden blonde hair lay in a wavy mop on his head. His sun-kissed skin caused his bright blue eyes to glow. They were the brightest blue I had ever seen, possibly its own shade of blue. A long, thin scar ran down the left side of his face and I stood for a moment, breathless. The stranger appeared to be looking me up and down in confused question and I folded my arms across my chest defensively.

        “Are you alright, madam?” he asked politely, obvious concern in his face. I turned to look for Lucas once more and found he was nowhere to be found. Panic jolted through me.

        “I…err…yes,” I stuttered. “But, please, I need to get somewhere safe. I was…attacked. I need to call someone to come get me.” The stranger looked even more confused.

        “I can call for your clan to retrieve you…miss, are you alright?” he asked with more concern. The blood drained from my face and my heart seemed to stop in the moment I truly took in my surroundings. The roads had disappeared, and the only other form of lie besides the man and myself was livestock grazing in the distance. The man before me wore a thin white tunic, black knee-pants, and long brown boots. Nothing of which appeared ordinary to me.

        “Um…what…year is it?” I whispered, barely audible as my head began to spin. Nothing in the moment made sense and I wondered if I was going crazy.

        “Err…it is seventeen-hundred and fifty-three, madam,” he answered simply and slowly. I barely had time to look up at him with panic before my knees buckled under me and I went down, slipping back into a dark sleep.

 

        I woke for a second time and discovered I was in a small room lit with candlelight. Someone had stripped me of my old clothes and I now wore a long, thin nightgown and thick floral robe. I was no longer covered in dirt and my wounds seemed to have been cleaned as well. I got up slowly, minding the pounding in my head, and made my way towards the door. I opened it, cringing at the loud creaking it made, to find a long hallway. A dim light appeared ahead at the end of the hallway. I walked towards the light and eventually found myself standing in a very large living room with four people, one of whom being the man that I had run into earlier. I crossed my arms in front of me, feeling exposed, as the four strangers stared at me. One of the four, an older yet beautiful woman, stood and made her way towards me. She wore a long, beautiful flowing gown of dark satin. Her dark hair flowed past her hips in ringlets and her green eyes glistened in the light. She reached for my hand and rubbed it soothingly.

        “Hello,” she said with a warm smile. “I am Aileen. Welcome to our home. What is your name?” I smiled nervously at her.

        “Kenna…” I paused, nervous about revealing my last name to them. If I had been told the truth about the year, my last name could very well be threatening towards them. No matter how crazy, though, there was a big part of me that believed it.

        “Kenna Nash,” I said finally, using my mother’s maiden name as my cover. A pang of grief hit me as I thought of my parents and how much I needed them in this moment. The woman holding my hand smiled again.

        “This is my husband, Baen,” she said, pronouncing the name “Bay-enn” and motioning towards the frowning older gentleman peering at me from across the room. Beckoning towards the third stranger, a young lady who also appeared to be frowning, Aileen said, “And this is Maisie.” I looked at the handsome young man from earlier and though I felt the slightest of butterflies as he gazed at me in what seemed like wonder.

        “And this,” Aileen stated at last. “Is my eldest son and Maisie’s fiancé, Griffin.” My heart sank slightly at the statement and I was immediately disappointed with myself for feeling so. I glanced over to Maisie and found her glaring at me with bitter brown eyes. Aileen guided me towards the couch she was sitting on before and said, “Please, sit with us.” I nodded and sat next to her, still letting the kind woman comfort me with her hand.

        “Kenna, may I ask kindly of what occurred earlier? My dear Griffin told us he…found you running through Morlea Field,” she said politely. Morlea Field, a large field that had once been used as meeting grounds for clans but had been destroyed in the early 1900’s. I frowned, unsure of what to say, and looked down at the ground.

        “I’m from Lochdell,” I said after a thought. It wasn’t a lie. “I was walking through the fields when a man from out of nowhere came and attacked me. I ran and ran into…Griffin, and he helped me escape after I must have fainted.” I looked up to see Griffin staring at me, something in his eyes telling me he knew more than what I was saying.

        “Her w***e clothing tell a different story,” Maisie murmured almost inaudibly. I turned to look at her, hurt my words of someone that didn’t know me, and I felt a ball of emotion form in my throat. I swallowed it, however, not letting myself become emotional in front of the family.

        “You will NOT speak such words, Maisie Abernethy,” Aileen snapped in a harsh tone. Maisie swallowed had and nodded but said nothing.  Aileen turned once more to look at me and smiled again.

        “I apologizes for the impoliteness of another guest. Now, dear Kenna, you may stay as long as you would like. Word will be sent to the Nash family in Lochdell. A doctor will be by in the morning to tend to you and your needs.” You may stay in the main house and share Maisie’s bedroom until your wounds have healed,” she explained to me. I thought deeply of those options and smiled at the generous woman, despite the feeling of fear. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

        “I very much appreciate that, thank you,” I responded, unsure of what else to do or say. I was panicking over the fact I had no idea what I was going to do next.

        “Now as for the matter with your dressing,” she said slowly. “Since you do not have any luggage with you, you may borrow some that is available her. My eldest daughter Ailsa serves as Lady of Clan Millen now in Raymere and has left many of her old gowns. You may make use of those until we can send for your luggage from home. The dresses shall be brought to your room in the morn.” Again, I panicked, unsure of what to do. It seemed as if I had dug myself a hole too large to climb out of.

        “Again, I appreciate the generous hospitality,” I said politely. We all stood then. I looked in Griffin’s direction one final time but quickly looked away as Maisie threw herself into his arms, giving him a dramatic kiss. Aileen put a hand on my shoulder as well as Maisie’s and led us both up the stairs into a large room with two beautifully made beds on opposite walls.

        “Sweet dreaming, ladies,” she said and walked away quietly. Maisie said nothing with a silent bitterness about her. She shut the door quietly and made her way to her bed, blowing out the candle and leaving me standing in the dark. Feeling the slightest bit of fear, I felt my way through the darkness towards my own bed. I found it harshly with my shin and bit my lip before I could say some not-so-nice things. I climbed under the soft sheets and tried to let myself relax. Although I had “slept” earlier, I must have been tired still, for as soon as my head hit the pillow, my feeling of uneasiness vanished and I had fallen asleep.

 

BANG!

I jolted awake to the sound of a dull sound coming from outside my room. I sat up, fearfully not remembering where I was for a moment, but the fear didn’t dissipate when I recalled the moments from earlier. I got up quietly, minding a sleeping Maisie, and slipped out the door. Another dull sound and I jumped but quickly recovered. Making my way down the stairs, I stumbled through the dark, using the loud noises as my guide, and eventually found myself standing in a kitchen. A figure leaned over what appeared to be a sword. He stood up quickly when I walked in, knocking over the sword. I giggled quietly as he bowed quickly.

“I…Hello,” he said nervously. “Did I wake you? I apologize.” I smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Hello, it’s alright. I was wondering if I’d be able to drink some water,” I said, realizing just how thirsty I was in that moment. In the ten days with Lucas, I hadn’t had much to eat or drink.

“Yes, of course,” he said and stumbled nervously through the kitchen to fetch me a glass of water. In that moment I realized Griffin wasn’t wearing a shirt and more butterflies fluttered in my stomach. When he turned to bring me the water, I noticed more thick scars on his chest and shoulders. I smiled quickly, recovering from staring, as he handed the water to me.

“Thank you,” I said and sipped the beverage generously. There was an awkward silence when suddenly, Griffin whispered, “I know.”

“Know what” I asked and sipped some more of my water.

“I know that you are lying about where you are from,” he said simply. I choked on my water and took a deep breath, panicking, and refused to look him in the eye. His face remained calm, however, not meaning to sound malicious or angry.

“You can trust me Kenna,” he said quietly. “I do not ask you to tell me now of where you are from, but I know you are not from here, no matter how impractical that may sound. I watched you appear. One moment, I was alone in the field, and I blinked and you were lying there unconscious. You woke before I could get to you.” I felt numb as he spoke to me. I didn’t know what to say or do. I wanted to run, but I felt compelled to stay. I felt compelled to trust him.

“All I may ask of you,” he went on. “Is that you speak only the truth. I wish to be friends, but with friendship there must be honesty.” I looked down again.

        “Let’s sit down,” I said, afraid that I may faint again. We sat at the table and I sipped at my water again before setting the glass on the table. Neither of us said anything as we sat in a long moment of complete silence. I had no idea what I should say to this man. For whatever unreasonable cause, I trusted him whole heartedly. Although I wouldn’t allow myself, I felt I could tell him anything and everything and he would trust me no matter what.

        “I feel like I’m going crazy,” I said finally. He looked at me with a faint smile and nodded. “I don’t know what to do.”

        “Are you truly a Nash?” he asked. “You do not need to answer if you do not wish to.”

        “Technically, yes,” I responded. “It is my mother’s name.”

        “Ah, I see,” he said. “My mother’s name is truly Carner.” I looked at him with surprise.

        “As in the Carner clan?”

        “Yes.”

        “And what might her name be now?”

        “My mother serves as the sixteen Lady of Clan Montgomery.” My eyes grew wide with fascination.

        “The Carner’s and Montgomery’s are enemies,” I stated. Griffin nodded simply.

        “That is true. Our rivalry grew stronger once my mother married my father. She is banished from Westwall, where the Carner clan resides. There was war between us.”

        I listened in wonder and fascination as he told me of his family. His scars on his face and chest resided from the war between the Carner’s and Montgomery’s, which would later be known as Leea Battle, named after the state in which it took place. Griffin had been seventeen at the time and had earned the title of Combat General of Clan Montgomery from his father. He told me of the rest of his family, his older sister Ailsa and her union with clan Millen, and of his younger siblings Deirdre and Kade. I listened to him tell me of his father’s disapproval in everything he did. His union to Maisie was part of a peace offering to clan Abernethy and I was curious towards his friend-only feeling towards Maisie, who was only seventeen, a total of seven years younger than Griffin. At some point throughout our conversation, I placed my hand on his in comfort. I in turn told him a little of myself, about my parents Leslie and Samuel, and how I had been an only child. I gave no hints as to where I was from, not wanting to open up completely just yet. He in turn placed his own hand on mine and I felt the warm comfort from him and relaxed for the first time since arriving to this place.

        We continued to discuss Griffin’s hopes and dreams throughout the night and before we knew it, sunlight peaked through the windows of the room. At that moment, Maisie walked into the kitchen. Griffin quickly removed his hands from mine and stood, bowing in his fiancée’s direction. Maisie, who had obviously seen, frowned but said nothing. She walked back out of the room and Griffin smiles at me, the promise of trust glistening in his eyes, and follows her out of the room.

        I walked back to my own quarters, only feeling energized from the long night of conversation. I nearly run over a servant who appeared to be trying to carry three large trunks of clothing.

        “Oh, let me help,” I said and without even thinking, I grab one of the trunks, stumbling a little at its heaviness. The servant looked horrified but said nothing as we finished the walk back to my room. Once inside, the servant puts the two trunks down and shuts the door gently. She opens one of the trunks and pulls out a beautiful floral gown, lays it on the bed, and then starts undressing me. Shocked, I did my best to ignore the discomfort I felt with being nude in front of someone, and tried to make casual conversation.

        “What is your name?” I asked politely.

        “I am Dell, madam,” she answered quietly and said nothing more as she picked up the corset and underskirt. She paused briefly with the slightest look of horror while peering at my heavily bruised body, but immediately gets back to work and apologizes for the delay. Dell started to put the corset on me, pulling the strings in the back. Expecting the dress to be extremely tight, I was surprised when the girl kept it loose yet firm.

        “I shall keep it loose, milady. To prevent further damage to yourself,” she explained to me quickly. I nodded and thanked her for the generous thought, continuing to wait patiently as she finished dressing me.

        I walked back into the living room to find Aileen and Baen as well as two unknown children, one a boy no older than sixteen and the other a girl who appeared to be at least twelve years old.

        “Good morn, dear Kenna,” Aileen said happily upon my arrival. “How did you sleep?”

        “I slept well, thank you,” I said softly, realizing Maisie had said nothing of the scene she had walked in on earlier. Regardless of the fact it was harmless handholding, I still felt terrible. Aileen smiled and put her hands on the two children’s shoulders.

        “This is my youngest boy Kade,” she said of the boy. His hair hung similarly to his brothers: long and wavy, but it was darker than Griffin’s. His eyes glowed a color of green that was identical to his mother and I felt slightly self-conscious compared to the family’s beauty. Aileen motioned toward the girl and said, “And this is my youngest daughter Deirdre. We are all so very pleased with your staying with us. The physician shall be by any moment now.” The girl had long, dark, and curly hair, very similar to her mother, but had the blue eyes of Griffin and their father. She too, although still young, was beautiful beyond compare.

        “Thank you, Lady Montgomery,” I said and gave a quick curtsey. Griffin walked in then, followed closely by Maisie who grabbed Griffin’s hand when her eyes fell on me. She grimaced in my direction, further making me question why she disliked me so much. Following Maisie and Griffin was a servant who curtsied when she entered the room.

        “Lady Montgomery, the physician has arrived,” she said shyly.

        “Thank you, my dear. Please set up one of the rooms upstairs for the physician’s liking,” she said and the servant scurried off. The rest of the room cleared as well, leaving me alone for a moment with Aileen.

        “How are you feeling, dear?” she asked me.

        “I’m feeling well, thank you,” I told her, unsure of what else to say. There was so much I truly wanted to tell her but knew I couldn’t and shouldn’t. I felt stuck in my own mind, keeping everything about myself hidden away.

        “You have not been here long, but I do wish you to know that this house cares for your wellbeing. I hope it has been nothing but pleasant here,” she explained to me and I could tell she truly meant it. There was something about Aileen and her motherly protection that she had given to me that made me feel welcome and appreciated in her home. I smiled and nodded.  

        “I really do appreciate it, thank you,” I told her and she grinned with true happiness. The servant entered the room then to advice Aileen and I that the doctor was ready to see me. Aileen led me upstairs to a back room and opened the large oak door. Inside was an older woman with grey hair facing the other wall. She turns when she hears the door open.

        “Hello,” she says with a warm smile. “I am Verena Rose, the medical physician for clan Montgomery. It is very lovely to meet a guest of such a wonderful family.” She curtsies in mine and Aileen’s direction and I couldn’t help but feel essential for a moment.

        “Hello, my name is Kenna Nash,” I respond. There was a brief moment of silence before Aileen dismissed herself and Verena began her assessment immediately.

        “Ms. Nash may I ask what happened before I doctor you?” she asks patiently.

        “I was walking through the field when I was attacked by a man. I got away and ran into Griffin and he helped me escape,” I said, repeating what I had told the Montgomery’s the night before. Verena said nothing, though I could read the disbelief on her face, and nodded her head. She asked me to please undress and again I felt uncomfortable but did as I was asked. After slowly trying to take the dress off, both from awkwardness and confusion around the works of the dress, Verena stepped in to help strip me of the heavy dress. She poked and prodded at me at first, asking me what hurt and what didn’t. She then moved on to cleaning and dressing my scrapes and bruises. She tells me at the end of the procedure, after having redressed me, that I very well had a bruised rib or two, and a badly sprained left wrist. I was to keep off my wrist for four weeks. Although Verena didn’t say anything, there was silent doubt that she doubted my attack story. Being a medical expert, I knew she could tell that my oldest wounds were almost two weeks old and that I had some other wounds of different ages. However, Verena said nothing nor questioned me about it and I felt relief with her silence. Verena dismissed herself and after a moment of recollection, I too ventured out of the room to find Lady Aileen to update her on my diagnosis.

        On my way, I ran into Maisie in the hallway. I tried to slide past her but Maisie stood in my way.

        “Poor child is sick, is she?” she sneered at me, speaking to me for the first time since my arrival. Staring at her confused, she continued on with taunting me.

        “I hope you truly understand my distaste for you. The moment Griffin brought you here I knew you were an absolute disastrous person, if not a w***e,” she said flatly. Her words stung and I again tried to push past her but she grabbed my left wrist. I cried out in pain and my knees hit the floor. Loud footsteps came running up the stairs and Griffin was there. Maisie had let go of my wrist before he showed.

        “Oh, she tripped and fell right in front of me! I do hope you’re alright, Ken,” she said politely and pretended to help me get up. Hearing the nickname that my friends from home used to call me hit me like a wall and the room started to spin. I said nothing as tears began to roll down my face. I tore my arm away from Maisie and ran. Griffin called after me as ran and so did Aileen as I ran past her through the front door. I didn’t know where I was going but I knew I didn’t want to stop.

        I seemed to run for hours but I knew it had only been a few minutes. I had made my way deep into the forest that lay diagonal to the Montgomery residence and was surely lost in the thick brush of bushes and trees. Panicking over the fact I was lost and that I had no idea what I was going to do next, I stopped in the middle of a small clearing in the trees. My head was spinning over the events of the past two weeks and I wasn’t sure if I was going crazy or if these things were actually happening to me. I felt stuck in my own head without a verbal source of expressing how I felt. I wondered if I would be stuck in this time zone for the rest of my life and the thought of never returning home terrified me.

        Suddenly, there was a rustling in the trees behind me. I whirled around and looked to my sides.

        “Hello?” I called out. “Griffin, is that you?” I hoped my guess was true and that Griffin had found me to bring me back. More rustling of the trees and a man walked into the clearing. But, too my complete surprise, instead of Griffin, I was face to face again with none other than Lucas himself.