Blood of the Clans Ch. 48

Gordon recognized the voice and reached up blindly with his hand. Gleason saw the charred flesh clinging to his hand and let him hold onto his hand however he wanted.

"Ye'll get better, Gordon. Griffin is taking good care of ye, I see." he told him softly, then looked at Griffin.

Griffin shook his head to him, letting him know he didn't expect him to survive his injuries. Gleason looked back at Gordon and heard the ragged breathing coming from under the kelp strips, and looked at the charred flesh on his hands, knowing Gordon's face must be in the same state, or worse.

"God rest ye, son. I'll pray tae him tae make ye well again, so I will, I swear. Know in yer heart, that those bastards who did this tae ye, are dying wi' great suffering tae their souls and will spend eternity in hell." Gleason told him in strong, but soft words, his grip on Gordon's arm, assuring him it was so.

"Uncle, if the Great Father takes me, see that my boy is raised well. He's all that I ha'e in this world and all that I live fer." Gordon's voice rasped out in shredded words.

"It shall be so, Gordon, ye ha'e my word." Gleason assured him, not realizing his son, Daniel, had been killed already.

Gleason saw that assurance ease the state Gordon was in and patted his chest.

"I must away tae the men again, Gordon. Once the fighting is o'er. I'll be back tae see ye and hope God has granted ye an ease in yer pain."

Gordon laid his hand over Gleason's and held it tight to him, letting him know he felt peace in his words. Gleason let a moment pass between them, before he rose and looked at Griffin.

"Do yer best fer him, Griffin, see that he does'ne suffer the best ye can."

"Aye, I'll do what I can and hope God's hand is wi' me as well." Griffin replied, his face showing Gleason there was little else he could do.

Gleason walked back to Glendon and made their way back down.

"Gordon has asked that I take care of Daniel, if he does'ne make it through this." Gleason told Glendon, then saw his nephew halt at his words and look at him.

"Daniel's dead. He was killed trying tae escape, after ambushing the soldiers bringing the cannon up across from Donan. I could'ne tell Gordon, it would ha'e killed him fer sure, if he knew." he told his uncle sadly.

"He's dead? God save his soul. Yer right, Gordon can'ne know about it." Gleason agreed.

They made their way into the clearing again and walked to where the men were gathered,

"It's time tae see who can wield their dirk the best. Winner is the first tae be holding the heart in his hand. Fer this one, I challenge my nephew, Glendon in the best two out of three." Glendon shouted out, but didn't see Glendon halt at his words.

"I can'ne do that, Uncle. As much as I despise those men, it's no in my heart tae kill a man like that. I'm no against another man taking my stead, though. Archie MacLachlan, will ye do me the honour of taking my place?" Glendon asked him loudly, for everyone to hear,

"Aye Glendon. It'd be my honour tae stand in yer stead." Archie shouted out, as he walked over.

"My thanks tae ye, my friend." he said to him in relief, then whispered to him, as they walked towards Gleason. "My uncle is good wi' his blade, but I know yer better. Don't let him know how good ye are, till the second man. Use the wrong grip or something tae slow ye down on the first."

Archie laughed and nodded, as they approached Gleason, now showing his ability with his dirk. The blade spun around his fingers and then he twirled it into the air, before catching the handle squarely once again.

"Are ye ready, Archie?" Gleason asked him, seeing him holding his dirk in his hand.

"Aye, we're away then." he replied.

The two men approached the splayed victims tied to the trees and Archie winked at Glendon as he walked up to his man, going along with the plan. Gleason readied himself and they both looked to Glendon to start them. Glendon looked at the two victims with a despising glare, before he raised his hand and dropped it, shouting go as he did.

Gleason's blade was in the man's chest and carving a hole, while Archie used a sloppy method of hacks. It gave rise to Glendon's feelings once more, as he watched the two men die in agony and realized he felt nothing in their suffering.

Gleason had the man's heart out in his hand in a count of fifteen, while Archie troubled himself trying to pull the heart out and cut the arteries and veins attaching it.

Cheers rose from Gleason's men, a sure victory in the offering for them in this contest.

"How did ye do that so fast, Gleason? I barely had my blade in and ye were already pulling his heart out." Archie asked Gleason, making Glendon hold back a laugh at hearing it.

"Och, it's no hard, Archie. Ye just need tae change yer grip and the way ye cut at him. Try it more like this." Gleason told him and showed him his method of attack.

"Aye, I can try that." Archie responded, his face not even hinting at the set up he was doing.

"Bring two more." Gleason called out smiling and two more were lifted by the arms and dragged to their deaths.

Gleason spun his blade around, the droplets of blood arcing off the tip as he waited. Archie watched him intently and Gleason took a smug look at his opponent, feeling he was sure of a win. Once the men were readied, they went to stand before them. As Gleason approached, his man kicked out at him in an attempt to stave off the inevitable. Gleason jumped back in time and then rushed in and kneed the man in his groin, then in his midsection, quelling any more attempts to stop him. He shook his head in displeasure and then looked at Glendon and nodded he was ready. Glendon raised his arm and shouted ready, but a moment before he said go, Archie changed his grip in a blindingly fast move and drove the point in, before Gleason even reacted. In half a minute, Archie stood smiling happily, the beating heart of the man in his hand, draining its life force from it. Gleason finished shortly after and looked at Archie in wonderment, as he tossed the heart on the ground.

"That's one a piece. Next one wins. Two more men, if ye would." Glendon called out.

Gleason looked to his nephew and then to Archie again, feeling a trick was being played on him.

The dead were cut down and two more men were dragged to their places. No resistance was given by them, they knew their fates were sealed and death awaited them.

Cheers went up from the men to bolster their man, each side hoping for the win, as Gleason and Archie took their places. Gleason took a look at Archie's ability to wield a blade, as he watched Archie's blade spin faster and more intricately than he had done earlier, then looked at Glendon smiling happily.

"Ye cheated me, boy. Ye knew he could use a blade well and ye tricked me." Gleason accused his nephew, albeit with a smile of his own. "Does'ne matter, I'll best him this time." he boasted.

The two, tied men cursed and spat at their executioners, knowing it was their last act on earth. Laughter was the only response to their words, as they were approached. Eyes foretold of remorseless actions about to be committed, leaving the soon-to-be dead their last chance to pray for their souls. Glendon gave the condemned men a count of three, before he readied the men to start.

With the drop of his hand and go shouted, Archie and Gleason were upon their men, their hands quickly thrusting points in and twisting blades, despite the horrific screams of agony. Their actions were mirrored to each other, both reaching inside the chest cavity and extracting a heart. Archie boasted a win, but Glendon shouted over him it wasn't so.

"Gleason wins this one, Archie. I saw both hearts come out at the same time, so that makes it a tie, but Gleason's is still beating and yer's is'ne, so he's the winner. Well done, Uncle." Glendon told him, looking at the faint beating of the heart finally stop.

"Ye done well too, Archie. Ye would ha'e won, had it no been fer the soulless bastard ye had. He probably died of fright, before yer blade e'en touched him." Glendon acknowledged to his friend, as he put an arm on his shoulders and laughed.

"Aye, that's more tae what happened. Still, good blade work, Gleason." Archie said to him and shook wrists heartily.

"How do ye come tae work yer blade so well, Archie?" Gleason asked him.

"I cut out sheep's hearts, so this is no different." he joked back.

"Och, no wonder. Yer bloody good wi' it, is all I'll say." Gleason laughed back

The dead were cut down and piled on the others, no respect or decency to their bodies shown. Twenty four bodies in various states of death lay around the treeline, their stench permeating the air with the rawness of life force ended.

Gleason looked about at his men and held his bloodied dirk high for all to see, before wiping it off on the dead man and sheathing it again.

"Are there any men left?" he called out.

"Two left, Gleason." his men answered.

"Bring them tae me." he shouted back.

The two naked men were brought to Gleason and stood before him. He looked at the pathetic state they were in and knew great terror had taken them.

"Ye've seen great horrors this day, ones that will live in yer souls fer eternity. I will spare yer lives, so that ye can tell of this day tae others. Let it be known that none shall rise against us and win. Look down the glen and know it well in yer minds, fer it shall be yer last sight. Yer no fit tae look upon the beauty of the Highlands, so from this day hence, the sight of yer men dead, is the last ye's will know. Pluck out their eyes and let them wander down the glen, tae where'er God's hand guides them." Gleason told them and turned away, as men began using thumbs to pry the eyes from their sockets.

The screams of pain rang off the hills and echoed far up the loch, as the orbs now dangled loosely from their bloody sockets. The two were pushed in the direction to follow and began slowly plodding along in agony, holding hands with each other to keep contact.

"They make a grand couple, don't they?" Gleason jested, a raucous laughter and more jokes ensuing from the men.

Gleason turned to Glendon, his face loosing its mirth and turning sombre.

"We need tae return tae battle, son, but I want tae see Gordon before we go. I pray tae the Great Father, he'll grant him peace from his suffering. I saw his hands and I can only imagine that his face is as bad under that kelp."

"It is, Uncle. The blast tore the flesh away and left him bare of it. I did'ne recognize him at first. I thought the men had raised a ghoul from the loch, until he spoke tae me. I fear God will take him soon, but he'll be wi' Daniel at his side if he does. My heart is torn fer him, he's my brother, but it tears me more if he has tae live like that, than losing him. I feel damned fer wanting God tae take him and end his suffering." Glendon confessed quietly.

Gleason walked him away from the others, letting their thoughts remain private.

"I feel the same, son. The pain he'll be in will tear at his soul and drive him mad. No one will want tae look upon him and shun him, so they will. Ye know it in yer heart it'll be so. He'll need tae know his boy is dead as well and that will surely take him."

Glendon's head sank to his chest, knowing his uncle's words were true. Gleason wrapped his arm over his shoulders and hugged his nephew to him, as they began climbing the hill.

Before they had made it halfway, Griffin was coming down to them. The look on his face told them before his words did.

"He's gone. He passed in my arms just a moment ago. His last words were fer ye Glendon and his son. Yer tae raise him as yer own and he's tae grow intae the man his father raised him tae be. He said tae hold him in yer heart always, then he passed." Griffin said in comforting tones. "He's suffering no more and is wi' God in heaven, he's at rest now."

Glendon and Gleason thanked him for all he had done, then went to see him one last time. They saw him laying there, covered by a plaid, then knelt beside him. Glendon peeled back the wool blanket, giving Gleason a look at the damage done to his other nephew. Glendon heard the gasp and laid the blanket back over again, sparing his uncle any further agony.

"It's a blessing he's gone, Glendon. No man should ha'e tae live like that. How he survived it, is a miracle in itself." he said with shocked astonishment.

Glendon stood and crossed his hand over his heart, tears rolling down his cheeks, despite his desire to be strong. Gleason did the same, then laid his arm over his nephew's shoulder, leading him away. Glendon stopped and turned to Gillie, still standing quietly on guard.

"Watch o'er him, Gillie. If I don'ne return, see tae it Gordon and Daniel are buried together beside oor parents."

Gillie never spoke a word, instead, he just bowed his head slowly and crossed his large axe over his heart. Glendon knew his friend would die, before his words weren't obeyed. He bowed his head to him in return, crossing his heart and then left with Gleason to join the others.

***************************

"So, now ye ha'e a better idea of how they were back then. Honour and respect in battle between men, was'ne something they did in most cases. I know Tavish and Stuart will also attest that it happened that way, as Grayson wrote it in his diaries of the battle, how it sickened him tae learn of it happening. As I said before tae the other guests, it was a time when he who held the sword, held the land and the rule of it. If he was a brutal man, men died in brutal ways. Men no older than yerself, Sean, were in this battle. This was their first taste of blood and killing another man. It was a time when there was'ne any army tae come and defend ye. Ye picked up what ye had tae defend yerself wi' and went intae battle. Ye gained yer armour and weapons as ye went, in most cases. Was there anything like that in yer history lessons?" Argus asked the awestruck quartet.

"Not a chance." Tom said shaking his head still.

"Nope, not in mine." David replied.

"Mine either." Mark said next.

"That so has to go in the books. Why do they leave out the best parts? What an awesome game this would make. They could have a level where the player gets to decide what he wants to do to the guy, instead of having to do what they programmed. Then you could..." Sean stopped his enthusiasm suddenly, hearing his father.

"Sean, Sean, enough son. Save that for your friends on line, I'm sure they'd appreciate the dynamics of it better. For now, let's just hear the rest of the story. I'd like to know how this turns out. There's no more stuff like that though, is there, Argus?" Mark asked, hoping to spare his son anymore video game fodder and spare his mind any more vivid thoughts of what had happened already.

"Aye, I think we've had enough of that, Argus. Let's get us back tae Grayson coming across. There's some action ye don't want tae miss. Is everyone okay? Need a wee break or anything tae eat or drink?" Stuart asked, looking to everyone, then seeing they were fine, went on. "I guess the women are quite happy talking about whate'er it is they're talking about, so it's just us. If everyone's fine, we can go on then. Argus, bring us up the loch a few miles and what happened wi' Grayson."

"Uncle Stuart, are any of those swords out in the hall, any of the ones they used back then, or are they like, fake ones?" Sean asked him, hoping the former was true.

"Fake ones? No, none of they swords out there are fake. In fact, one of those swords was used in this battle. Garreth's Claymore is out there, along wi' his targe and I'll lay odds that a forensic test would still find blood on them, e'en though they've be cleaned." Stuart assured him.

"No kidding? Can I go see it?" Sean's enthusiasm was hitting fever pitch.

"Yes, I'd like to see it too." Mark added.

"Let's go then." Stuart said, before any further requests came and led them into the hall.

He led them to it and Sean's face was agog at the sight of it.

"It's huge! How did he swing that thing without falling over?" Sean exclaimed, his father and uncle both wondering the same.

"Then ye can imagine how big and strong he was. Wi' two hands, he could slice a man in two, any way he chose, as ye've just heard. I must say, ye do bring vivid clarity tae things, Argus, ye really do." Stuart told him in sincerity.

"I feel ye ha'e a tendency tae remember it more if it's told that way. Yer no going tae ferget what I just told ye's, are ye's?" Argus asked them.

"True enough, Argus. I know this will make very interesting water cooler conversation for days, once I go back. I know my manager will want all the details. He's a big history buff and loves this stuff." David responded.

"I know my guys will go crazy over this too. All they talk about is that damned wrestling crap and UFC. I want Gillian to get some pics of all this, so I can show them. They'll go nuts over it. When I tell them what they were doing back then, their stuff will seem tame and hopefully let up on how tough they think those TV fighters are." Mark told them,

As they were admiring more of the swords on display, the women returned from the garden, still enjoying a laugh about something.

"Ah, the men are finally finished talking about that horrid stuff, I see. What are we into now?" Roberta asked.

"We were just showing the men the swords and weapons they used o'er the ages. I know ye ladies are'ne interested in all of this, so after we finish up wi' the battle, I ha'e some things tae show ye's ye'll enjoy seeing, won't they, Deb?" Stuart told them, knowing Deb's excitement would confirm it was worth sitting through the battle talk.

"Oh yes. Roberta, Gillian, you are going to love what Uncle Stuart has to show you. It is worth sitting through all the gory stuff. Trust me when I tell you, you haven't heard half of the stuff they did to each other, so thank yourselves lucky this is all you have to know about. In all honesty though, for all the brutality they showed, I have been fascinated from the beginning about what happened and so has Tom. I'm so happy these wonderful men have taken the time to tell us it all. This whole trip has been magical from the moment we landed, it really has." she told them and saw the look of acceptance that it was worth listening to.

As the group made its way into the salon again, Gordon was approaching to announce that guests were at the door. Stuart asked who it was and upon hearing who they were, excused himself and went with Gordon to the front hall. Three ladies from the reunion had returned with material for Deb's dress and were eager to get it measured and pinned. Stuart welcomed them in and led them to the salon.

"Ladies, it looks like ye ha'e some business tae attend tae. Deb, the women ha'e the material fer yer dress and need tae fit ye fer it. I sure ye all want tae be in on that, so we'll talk battle, while ye's go and tend tae that." he told them and saw the excitement on their faces.

"Come on girls, let's go to my room and make a dress. I think that's much more exciting than battles, indeed." Deb announced and the women gave their respective others a quick kiss and excused themselves, before quickly making their way up the staircase to her room, the buzz of their talking fading as they made their way.

The men made themselves comfortable and sat back, waiting for the story to continue. Argus sat back in the oversized chair and crossed his legs, enjoying all the attention paid to him.

"Let me refresh yer memory of Grayson. Blair and his ten men were paddling their crippled birlinn across, wi' still a fair bit tae go, while Grayson had rounded the point and was bearing down on them. His men were straining the oars tae their limits as they rowed, the wind bringing their speed up tae battle ready. Grayson stood at the prow, his eyes keen on one man in the birlinn ahead."