Lindsay cried out as she was tossed unceremoniously into a cell. Her hands were still bound painfully in front of her and she winced as the thick leather restraints began to cut into the flesh of her wrists. Working herself up onto her elbow and then her knees, she was just about to ask the guard where Melanie was being kept when the other woman was shoved into the cell, landing in a heap at Lindsay's feet.

"Melanie?" she shrieked, panic seizing her as she noticed the small drop of blood in the corner of her mouth. "What has happened?"

Blinking, Melanie grimaced as she tentatively raised a hand to her scarlet tinted cheek. "Almost...got away. Kicked one of the men and...ran."

"Oh dear!"

"He caught me. Just before I could reach the gate."

"And they...beat you?" Lindsay asked, sounding horrified at the very idea. Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to gather Melanie into her arms and protect and comfort her in any way she could. Yet, she made no move to touch her, thinking that her offer would likely be rebuffed.

So much had happened to them in the span of a day. Only hours before they had been safe in her chamber. Melanie had brought her a bit of broth to calm her stomach and had no sooner received a polite dismissal from Lindsay when she had turned on her furiously. "You, milady, are an evil, bitter...lonely woman," she had ranted. "Your husband is a brilliant man. Handsome, strong...and you reject him. Why?" Before Lindsay could react, Melanie pressed on. "You...offer your help and friendship to me, and then you turn against me in the bat of an eyelash, looking at me like one might a...a stain on one of their precious dresses." Lindsay had wanted to refute this, but felt the truth of the words in her heart, breaking it slowly but surely and remained silent.

At the exact moment that she thought she could feel no worse, Melanie had teared up and sighed, sounding rather defeated. "You knew I cared a great deal for him, Lindsay. You knew this." Lindsay did not even bother trying to pretend she knew not of what Melanie spoke. She knew. "And still...you set out to seduce him away from me."

"I...I didn't," she had replied, but even to her own ears, her voice sounded shaky and hollow. She had. She had done just that. And at some point she had forgotten herself and who she was. Namely, not a woman that took pride in luring another woman's man away. Not just any woman, either. But her friend. She HAD betrayed Melanie. She had quite possibly ruined her friendship with Justin. She had, without a doubt, irrevocably changed her relationship with her own husband. Looking back, she couldn't for the life of her understand how it had all happened.

And then, like flashes of white light in a storm, scenes of her life had begun to replay in her mind. The day that her soon-to-be husband had arrived at her father's house bearing grand gifts that had included one beautiful but quiet ladies' maid. The first time Melanie had assisted her in bathing, the woman's warm, soap-slicked fingertips moving so slowly across her back. When the two had spoken at length as Melanie accompanied her on walks around the lands. When she had insisted that Melanie have one of her dresses and felt so much happiness at seeing Melanie's joy. Then the jealousy that had flowed coldly through her blood after seeing Justin and Melanie looking so...comfortable together. But it hadn't been Justin that had stoked the fires of her anger that day, it had been Melanie.

"No," she had breathed, not believing what her mind, as well as her aching heart, was now confirming. Melanie had looked questioningly at her but before she could ask and before Lindsay could say anything foolish in reply, several burly men had burst through the large door of her chamber and had captured both of them. Neither woman had been given a chance to so much as loosen a scream from their fear-frozen throats.

Now, only a little more than a day later, Lindsay looked around the dank dark cell that, though appearing to be very large, was actually very bare and with only a few chains strung along the wall and a hole in the center of the floor where they might relieve themselves. Never had she seen such a place. And never had she been so in fear for her life. But amidst it all, she felt a calming presence in the woman still lying before her and knew that somehow they would make it together. They had to.

***

"Dammit! What's taking so damn long? We should have covered half the distance by now," Brian railed, pacing back and forth along the back wall of the stables. Ben watched him closely, worrying for his friend's health.

For nearly two days, since the woman had been abducted, Brian had refused to eat or sleep. Nor had he spoken more than a dozen words that weren't commands. The man was distressed with the length of time it was taking to restock the weaponry, ready the men and horses, and plan the basic strategies of the attack. Brian, though usually so very diplomatic, was convinced that the situation called for a more hasty reaction. The eldest Winterberry had declared war the moment he had taken one of the few things that Brian marked as undeniably his. His family.

"You should get some rest, milord," Ben suggested evenly, not wanting to push the man too hard.

"Please refrain from telling me what I should or should not do, Benjamin. I am quiet capable of making my own decisions regarding my well being."

"Of course." Ben nodded his head slightly in concession, though he was now even more convinced that Brian did need need someone to see to his health since he himself didn't seem overly concerned over it. "The men are eating now," he reported casually, "We will ride out at dawn."

After receiving a grunt of acknowledgment, Benjamin walked away, slipping around the side of the stables, intent on keeping a watchful eye on his weary friend.

He couldn't help but understand Brian's position. If anything were ever to happen to his own wife, Michaela, he was sure he would react in very much the same fashion. McKinnon might have wanted to worry in peace, but Benjamin knew that the man shouldn't be alone. Not at such a time. And he was bound by their friendship and his own honor to see that his lord did not do anything rash in the wake of his grief.

For several minutes, Benjamin sat upon the ground, his back pressed against the stone building, listening for any sounds of distress. Quite suddenly and without warning, a new voice rang out through the stillness, jolting him out of his quiet thoughts.

"I brought you...something to eat. I didn't see you at the table so I figured you probably would not bother."

Immediately, Ben recognized the voice as belonging to Justin Winterberry and he tensed, wondering if the boy was going to do or say something foolish. What with the men readying to battle his father once again, he would not have been surprised to hear that the younger man wanted to back out of joining them. And Benjamin resolved to back the boy's decision if he chose not to go. A boy should never have to fight his father on the battlefield. Much less twice.

Instead of hearing the biting reply from Brian, he heard a simple, "I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are," Justin insisted, sounding very confident that he knew Brian was indeed starving.

After a moment's silence, Brian sighed heavily. "Yes, I am." Ben could hear him quietly begin to consume the gift and for a brief second wondered if Justin could possibly be poisoning him. But that was ridiculous. It wasn't as if Justin was helping his father in secret. He seemed to loathe the man as much as any of them. But Brian trusted him which meant that Benjamin too must trust him implicitly.

"Thank you," he heard Brian say after he had completed his meal. "I...needed that." Justin must have nodded, because no voiced reply was forthcoming. "Are you going to be alright? Your father..."

"My father has taken the coward's way out and has involved two innocent women so that he might gain control of more land! I feel no remorse about anything we might be forced to do."

"You lie," Brian said, though the words did not seem harsh, nor did they seem negative in any manner. Simply a statement of fact. "It is only right that you should still care for your father. Even if you don't approve of his actions. But...I must admit after seeing you with your sword, I am happy that you are on my side."

Justin's voice dropped to a husky whisper and even Benjamin shivered at the purely sensual sound of it. "Always on your side, Brian."

He wasn't sure if it was the way it was said or the fact that Justin had addressed their lord so informally, but Benjamin was drawn forward, now needing to see for himself the scene, to which he had been bearing witness.

Leaning carefully and slowly towards the corner of the stables, he held himself to the wall and peered around the side, taking in the scene before him with more than a small amount of shock.

Justin's lips were all but devouring Brian's. The blonde's hands cupped McKinnon's face gently and Brian's own hands were on the back of Justin's head and back, drawing the younger man closer.

Benjamin knew of Brian's escapades with men and women alike. His friend had always been quite the rogue. But it had always been restricted to a select few that Brian knew could keep their mouths shut and their legs spread at the same time. Never one of their own.

The kiss ended, they never broke contact as they pressed their forehead's together. Eyes closed, Justin moved his head slightly from side to side, rubbing his nose gently against Brian's. It was a simple gesture that Ben immediately recognized as belonging to lovers.

But that couldn't be. Could it?

"Brian," Justin whispered. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"It's...about my father..."

"Yes?"

"He... I..." Justin looked away for a moment and then trained his eyes on Brian's chest. "I don't think he'll hurt them. He knows that he'll need them to bargain with."

Brian nodded. "Thank you. I had figured, but you do know the man better than I."

Justin smiled tightly and reached down to take Brian's hands into his own. "I am sorry. About all of this."

"Justin," Brian began, the name a gentle caress. "You had nothing to do with it. You couldn't have known that your father was going to do this. You can't keep holding yourself responsible for his actions."

The blonde nodded silently and Ben noted a tear had escaped down the boy's face. "It's just that..." Justin's words trailed off and the silence stretched out before them. Brian pulled the boy into his arms and Justin fit himself snugly against the other man's body. There was no way to tell who was now comforting whom.

Benjamin nodded, pulling back and moving to the opposite side of the building which faced the village and main holdings. He would see to the men's privacy for as long as they needed.

***

Pacing back and forth, Joseph clasped his hands behind his back and absently wondered when the battle would begin. It had been several days and he had received not a word about the matter. Not that he had even the slightest doubt that McKinnon and his men would soon be knocking down his door. He had no doubt that the man was going to give him a challenge.

But none of that mattered. Joseph was ready for whatever threat the Highland barbarian could pose. He'd seen to that. He was fully in control and he would make sure that things stayed that way. But first, he had one more detail to see to. A letter to one Lord Brian McKinnon.

"Read that back, Holland," he called out to his assistant. The tubby little man set his quill aside, looked down his nose at the sheet of parchment in his hands and nodded.

Clearing his throat, he began to recite stiffly, the contents of the message. "Lord McKinnon. Please accept my apologies as I do realize that our positions are less than amiable at the moment. I can assure you that your wife and her lady are indeed alive and well and will remain so as long as they are in my care. The reason I write to you today, is in hopes of negotiating a trade."

***

Melanie knew that something was out of sorts the moment she opened her eyes. Though sleep had evaded both Lindsay and her for the past few days, it seemed that they had both finally succumbed to the pull of slumber on the night of the second day. Now the third day dawned, and she recognized the chill that went through her as being the lack of a second person in the room. Lindsay was gone.

Pulling herself up with some difficulty, Melanie worked to hold her hands absolutely still so that the cords that still bound them together would not cut into her any more than they already had. She and Lindsay had tried to undo the knots but it had been to no avail. Now she crossed the floor of her prison and screamed for the guard through the small metal grating of the door.

"What do you want?" the guard asked, his burly English voice making him an imposing figure even through the cover of the thick paneled door.

Melanie swallowed her initial fear and pressed on. "What have you done with my lady?"

"She's with Lord Winterberry."

"What? Why?" Horrifying ideas began to take shape in her mind. What would Winterberry want with Lindsay? They knew one another, she remembered that much. Justin's father had been Lord Rushworth's second in command and much like family to Lindsay. And yet, this same man had killed her father, turned his back on his family and had thrown she and Lindsay in the dungeon without a second thought. There was no way to know what the man was planning. "What is he going to do to her?"

"Calm down, girl. She will be returned to you soon enough."

This was all she would get out of the guard. For hours it seemed, Melanie paced the dark room, her thin slippers giving little protection against the damp cold of the stone floors. Just as she was about to rouse the guard once again, a key sounded in the lock and Lindsay was escorted inside by a well-dressed man that bore a striking resemblance to his son with his fair complection and shining blue eyes.

"Lady Lindsay, I am sorry it took me so long to check on you and I hope you enjoyed our walk. Now, please forgive me for leaving you in these conditions once again. I shall fetch you both at dawn."

Lindsay smiled politely at the man bowed and waited until he had turned and began to exit the room before she scowled and held her hands up as if to throttle him from behind. Melanie reached out and gripped Lindsay's arm loosely, knowing there was no real danger, but wanting to make certain that the woman did nothing rash to endanger them both.

"He killed him. The bastard killed my father!" Lindsay hissed after the door had firmly been closed and locked. She didn't cry, but her body shook with dry sobs, that all but broke Melanie's heart. Without a second thought, she moved to Lindsay's side and nudged the woman's head onto her shoulder.

Later, after Lindsay had managed to free Melanie's restraints - Joseph having cut her own ties earlier - the two women sat huddled in a corner, their arms wrapped around each other as if it were the most natural position in the world. "He was once a great man. He stood beside my father proudly and with honor," the blonde explained later, after Melanie had managed to calm her anger.

"What happened to change him in such a way?"

Lindsay shrugged delicately, "I couldn't say. Though I would be willing to wager that it was with the passing of his wife that he finally lost himself. She was a lovely woman and he had always been so kind and gentle with her. When she got sick, he withdrew from everyone. Even...Justin. I think that perhaps his heart died along with her."

"That's very sad. That someone would be hurt so badly that they would do something so radical and unlike themselves."

"I believe that I might...understand it a bit. When you become afraid of losing the person that seems to be the other half of you," Lindsay said breathlessly, her eyes suddenly burning into Melanie's. It was not difficult to see that the woman was speaking of her own deeds within the past few weeks and Melanie's breath caught in her throat.

Melanie bit the flesh of her full bottom lip and glanced up to return Lindsay's steady stare. Their eyes meeting and holding, the connection that passed between them would keep them warm and safe throughout the night.

***

Seated on the outskirts of the camp, Justin watched the men around him, singing and telling stories, eating and drinking. It was their usual way to have something akin to a celebration the night before they were to go into battle, but Justin preferred to sit in silence, cradled by the trunk of a tree and pray for the souls of the men whose lives he would take as well as for his own soul and that of his men.

He also thought about what he might be doing if he wasn't there at that moment. Perhaps he would be lying beneath one of the trees that surrounded the pond, Brian hovering over him, kissing and running his warm tongue up and down Justin's naked body.

How he wished he could have had one last night with Brian before they left. Surrounded by little more than one hundred men did not seem an ideal place for a late night tryst with his lover. Also, Brian had quite enough on his mind as it was. Though he might have appreciated the chance to have a moment of peace, Justin knew that Brian would not truly rest until he saw Lindsay and Melanie safely returned.

Justin too was worried beyond reason over the abduction of the two women. Mostly because he was so very close to both of them, but also because he knew he was to blame for it all.

At that moment, Justin looked up from where his fingers were tangled in the bright green blades of grass to see Luther, his father's man, striding purposefully towards Benjamin, who stood in wait for the man outside of the tent that served as Brian's quarters. With a quick nod from each man, they disappeared into the canvas shelter.

For reasons unknown, fear began to eat away at Justin's mind like a plague.

The night before he had come so close to telling Brian the truht. That he had all but made a pact with the Devil and it was because of his refusal to comply with his father's commands that had gotten Lindsay and Melanie captured. It was his fault. And yet, he had kneeled at Brian's side, watching him devour a small loaf of bread and leg of fowl and the words had died upon his tongue.

Brian had been upset, he had convinced himself. It wouldn't have done to upset him further and make things worse. But in reality, the only thing that had stopped him from telling Brian everything was his own pathetic cowardice. His fear of losing the only person that had ever made him feel beautiful and truly loved. The man that he loved with all that he was. He knew that Brian would never trust him again if he knew the truth.

But...if he didn't confess, he knew he would never be truly happy with Brian. Not when he would know that he had betrayed the man by not telling him everything.

A while later, after Luther had long since ridden away, Justin stood, brushed the dirt and debris from his breeches and made his way ever so slowly towards the tent. "I need to speak with Lord McKinnon," he announced to Laurence, the guard that currently blocked the entrance.

"He is not to be disturbed," Laurence declared firmly.

"Laurence, I need to speak with McKinnon," Justin replied, knowing that the man had served under him once upon a time and taking advantage of the fact. Such loyalties did not vanish as easily as the power itself had shifted. Laurence looked down at him as if he were already in the midst of battle. Only this fight was within his mind. Finally, with great reluctance, the larger man nodded and ducked into the tent.

"Justin Winterberry to see you sir," Justin heard him announce. The guard exited and held the flab open so that Justin might enter.

Justin could see that his lover was under a great deal of strain and longed to ease the man's pain. "Yes?" Brian asked distractedly as soon as Justin stood before him.

His voice was devoid of real emotion. It had been quite a while since Justin had heard the man's voice when it didn't at least ring with a hint of his true feelings for Justin. Now hearing Brian's cool tone, his courage began to dissipate. "Did you need something?" Brian asked, aware now that Justin was staring at him blankly.

Justin quickly glanced at Benjamin, who had been standing quietly to Brian's right. "I...should probably make certain that the men are not doing themselves a mischief," Benjamin said suddenly, passing Justin on his way out and giving him an indiscernible glance. Something made Justin think that perhaps Brian's second knew a little more than he let on, but he put the thought aside and focused once again on the man in front of him.

Now alone, Justin longed to move forward and melt into Brian's arms, to make things better in truth, but everything seemed too out of sorts. Brian paced back and forth in front of him, clutching a sheet of parchment tightly in his fingers, looking quite distressed and Justin wondered if wasn't making a complete mistake.

But no. It had to be done. He had to tell him. There were simply too many half-truths and lies between them and the longer he let those lies build, the greater the chance was that he would lose Brian completely. Not that he harbored any illusions that Brian would accept his words happily at that moment. Still, there was nowhere else to go but forward.

"I...I need to tell you something my lord."

Brian stopped pacing and looked at Justin squarely in the eyes before nodding. "Go ahead."

"I must warn you. You may hate me once I have said my piece. But I owe it to you...and Lindsay and Melanie, to tell you the whole truth about the matter at hand." Brian simply held his gaze blankly, waiting for him to continue. "My father..." Justin cleared his throat, suddenly feeling it tighten. "I should probably begin with his betrayal...OUR betrayal of lord Rushworth." Though Brian raised an eyebrow in confused disbelief, Justin never saw it, knowing that he could not hold Brian's gaze if he were going to make it through the entire explanation. "I knew that my father had spoken to lord Hildebrand's second before the battle. I simply assumed it was a meeting of gentlemen. I never questioned that my father would be doing something wrong. I definitely couldn't have imagined that he was planning to overthrow Rushworth before taking Hildebrand's land for his own."

Taking a deep breath, he stood up straighter. "I don't know what but...in the heat of battle, my father did something, said something and Rushworth saw his true colors. Long before I could, I'm afraid." His mind was no longer with Brian in that moment. Now he was there, on the field of battle, seeing his father about to be run through. "I saw my father unarmed and being attacked and without sparing a glance at his assailant, I tossed him a sword."

His hand instinctively went to the steel at his hip and withdrew the blade, holding it up and inspecting it closely as though it might still hold stains as proof of the murder. "This sword...slaughtered Lindsay's father." Taking another deep breath, Justin shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts. "My father said...he told me that he would make everything right again. I had only to trust him and everything would be fine. I believed him. What else could I do? We mourned Rushworth's death with the others that night, without a word about what had happened and the next day my father was gone. My first thoughts were ‘what would my father do?'. I knew above all that couldn't continue mourning Rushworth and allow Hildebrand to take our land away, so I rallied the men and led them to the battlefield myself. The first thing I saw was my father aligned with the men on the other side. He ordered me to surrender. But...the same man had been the one to teach me that a true man must stand for what he believes in. The warring had begun with the theft of Rushworth land and I believed that was wrong. So I pressed on trying to forget that it was my own father that had caused all the death that had surrounded us. We lost so many good men..." He swallowed with great difficulty and his tongue swept across his lips, wetting them. "After one battle and before you had been able to send Benjamin and your own men to assist us, my father sent word that he wanted to meet privately with me.

"He told me that you were now the lord of the land and Lindsay's husband. I admit I was a bit jealous. After all, Lindsay had always been...mine. My friend, my teacher, my ideal... He told me that you were going to destroy our way of life and drive out those loyal to Rushworth. I was sure you would be the downfall of life as we knew it. So..." Though he had been glancing occasionally at McKinnon, Justin looked up to meet and hold Brian's eyes, knowing what he was about to do to the man he loved. "I made a deal with him. I was supposed to weaken you. By undermining your authority or...by killing you in your sleep. The means were of little concern, but I was to get rid of you so that my father would be free to take control of everything."

The hurt he saw flashing in Brian's eyes might have been imagined, but he knew by Brian's sudden tightening of his jaw and his eyes which were now little more than slits, told him that Brian had definitely been effected. "But Brian," he rushed to reassure the man, "from the moment I first set my eyes upon you, I knew..." Justin moved forward, wanting to touch and comfort his lover. Seeing Brian recoil, he clasped his hands behind his back and tried to make things better instead of worse. "I knew I would never do it. Could never do it. And then...you moved me, entered me and became part of me, made me love you." He thought he saw a small smile in Brian's eyes, but then again it was probably just a trick of the light. "My father...discovered that we had become lovers and..."

"Took my wife and her lady in retaliation?" Brian finally spoke up, his voice vibrating with barely controlled emotion.

Justin nodded, feeling such shame for all he had done. Perhaps much of it was done indirectly, but he felt each action as if it had been by his own hand. "I realize that you must hate me very much right now. I am sorry I betrayed you Brain. But I hope...one day, you will be able to forgive me."

Grunting his ambiguous reply, Brian held up the paper he had been gripping before and shook it. As if the man had heard not a word that Justin had said, he scowled and stared at the top of Justin's head to avoid looking into his eyes. "It would seem that your father wants you back."

Before Justin knew what was happening, Brian had called out and two guards had him in their custody, his hands bound behind his back. Justin knew this was the beginning of the end.

To Be Continued...