Thread: Laird of the Land (buttefly0408/kolath)

Everyday of her life, Blair Ross wished that her family's could have a simple, boring existence. Maybe it was just to much to ask for and she did suppose that all their problems were deserved. The patch of land that was granted to her father was the root of all their troubles. It had not exactly proven to be blessing granted upon them. The Ross clan held a fair amount of land, though it was nothing compared to the size and strength of the bordering clans. Her father, Fergus Ross, had been the youngest son of his father's second wife and the patch of land he had been given reflected that. It was not the size of the land that was the problem, even though it was pitifully small, but more so the location. Fergus's lands lay right where the Ross lands met those of not one but two of their mighty neighbors, the Sutherland and MacKenzie clans. Both claimed that Fergus Ross's holdings actually belonged to them. It was a dispute that had lasted for generations and left tensions high at all times. It was Fergus Ross's belief that the first sign of weakness would bring one or both clans pounding at his door trying to take what they thought was rightfully theirs. So he did only what he only thought was for the best. He reigned over his lands with a strong yet harsh hand, practically forcing every man to train for an inevitable fight which could come any day. It was a foolish move, for he could only see the fight before him and never the things that truly matter in he moment. With so many sturdy men training to fight, there were hardly enough to work on farming the land. Every year the crops proved to become less and less fruitful. Many people had to choose between selling their crops for the money they needed or keeping them just to have enough to eat. None of this seemed to bother Fergus Ross nor did it bother his son Shawe, his eldest and heir. From the day Shawe was born, Fergus made sure that his son would grow to be as strong a man as he thought himself to be. He passed along every scrap of knowledge and every belief to his son until you could hardly tell one of them from the other. There were the same mind within two different bodies. The same could not be said for Fergus's other children and perhaps that was for the better. Blair Ross was Fergus's second child and only daughter, a fact he was very vocal about. Many times he would comment about how a daughter was nothing more then a mouth to feed until she was of an age to be pass along to her husband. A daughter's worth was based solely upon the strength of the alliance her husband brings with him to the alter. Even with her father's views upon her role as a woman, Blair found herself to be blessed. Fergus stayed out of her life and in his place were others who loved her more then enough to full the void where his affection should have been. First was her beautiful mother, Iona. Even though Blair had only been granted seven short years with her mother before Iona's passing, there were more then enough memories to last Blair years to come. The greatest gift her mother had given her was her little brother. Blair adored Flynn and in return he felt the same. He to knew the scorn of their father's indifference. To Fergus, Flynn had not mattered. He was just a boy while Shawe was a man and a true warrior. It was that mistake in viewing and raising Flynn that left them all in the situation they now faced. As dawn broke over the distant horizon, it did not bring the peace of the morning with it. No sooner had the first rays of the sun hit the highest point of the keep, an alarm range out from the watchtower. Warriors! A small army of them! Riding hard and fast for the keep! Even though an attack was somewhat expected, it was not expected this soon. The Fergus had only been placed in the ground three days ago, right next to Shawe whom have been placed there only a month before. The two untimely deaths now left 15 year old Flynn as the laird of the keep. The poor boy had no idea what to do at all. Leaving his son so ill prepared to lead was only one of the mistakes that Fergus Ross left behind on this earth. Another was making his people so dependent upon the laird's leadership that now, as the attack was imminent there was nothing but chaos. No one could seem to think for themselves. People just waking in the village ran for the safety of the keep's walls but in the rush the guard shut the gates, leaving half the village outside, banging upon the gates to be let in. Flynn Ross had no idea what to do, so Blair Ross made the choice for him. We flee. I have already ordered a small guard and horses be prepared. Blair was rushing about, a saddle bag in her hand as she tried to throw into it any items from her home she did not want to be without. Mainly trinkets that reminded her of her mother. She had known the moment her father died that this place was lost to them. Her uncle, the clan laird, did not seem to care for this patch of land and would not be coming to aid them so it was inevitable they would fall to either the MacKenzie or the Sutherland. It did not pain her to leave here. She was taking with her the only things that held any comfort for her. The things in her saddle bag and her brother. Come! We must be off before the realize we are gone! Blair and Flynn donned their cloaks and rushed to the back stables of the keep. With the attack coming from the front, slipping out the back was their only hope now. As Blair threw her bag over her horse's back, she mounted herself and looked around. Flynn was climbing atop his own horse. Six other men were mounted around them, ready to flee. There was one face missing and Blair's heart slammed within her, Where is Myrna? I told her she was to come with us. The woman she worried over what her nanny. After her mother's death, Myrna had promised Inoa to take her youngest children and love them like a mother. The kind hearted woman had and now Blair was faced with the horrible choose to flee now and save her brother or delay and save the woman like a mother to her. Lady Blair this is no time left! The Sutherland's are too near! The guard to her side proclaim, We must go now or we will surely be captured! It was Flynn that spoke up, for a moment taking his power as the laird into his hands, Blair, we leave now. I am sure that Myrna will be fine. Come! He kicked his horse into action and the rest followed, even Blair. She knew her brother was right still, her heart was pained to have to make this choice. As they exited out the back of the keep, they made their way across and open plain, hoping to not have been spotted in the chaos that was happen, they rode hard and heavy towards the woods that would lead them to safety... they hoped.