By Donna
The riders headed
down the trail towards the river where the pier for the Dòchas had been built.
Methos and Duncan were side by side, with Sarah Jo riding double behind the
Highlander.
“When
did you get in?” she asked him.
“Late
last night,” he replied, very aware of the front of her body pressing against
his broad back. “You were already asleep, otherwise I would have popped in to
say hello. I didn’t find any trace of Katherine, but Faia is safe and sound.
It’s a very interesting town that she is living in, by the way.”
Methos
made a rude noise, earning him a sour look from Duncan. “Well it is. They
sleep during the day, and stay up all night. And there are three guys there that
I axed in my old life, alive and well and running a brothel!”
"If
I didn't know she was going to let me raise that child, I'd drag her back here
by the hair," said Methos grumbled, still sour.
Sarah
Jo looked over at him in surprise. "You're going to raise the child? That's
wonderful for you! If you need any help, I'll be more than willing. Heck, once
we get Kat back, I'm sure she will be too." She was doing her best to be
optimistic about Kat's disappearance. After all, Katherine had survived over 400
years in a world that over the centuries had not been know for treating women
very well.
Duncan
took hold of one of her hands that were resting on his belly and squeezed it in
support. "I won't give up, Sarah Jo. I'll keep looking until she is found.
How knows, maybe this mysterious captain of the Dòchas found her. Who is he
anyway, Methos? You are being very evasive about talking about him. Is it
someone else that I shortened along the way?"
"Y-es
as a matter of fact," Methos said, trying not to smile in anticipation.
Duncan
frowned as he tried to think of who that could be. There was the captain of the
one ship that Duncan had marooned on an island after a mutiny. He was about to
ask if it was him, but Methos squeezed his horse into a trot, and his own sped
up as well, making Sarah Jo tighten her hold around him.
Keeping
his horse behind Methos', Duncan took one of Sarah Jo's hands and raised it to
his mouth, kissing it tenderly, then slid it under his shirt. He half expected
to pull her hand out, but to his pleased surprise, she slid her other hand under
his shirt as well, running her hands lightly over the firm muscles of his belly
as she leaned against his back.
The
ship was sliding up to the berth, and the "Captain" was standing fore,
waving. Methos pulled Sangria up so
he gave a little rear in the air, and Duncan's view was momentarily blocked.
When the blood bay righted itself, the Highlander audibly gasped.
"Oh
my God," he said hoarsely. "Connor?" He kicked his legs out of
the stirrups and threw one of them over the horse’s neck and jumped off the
horse, handing the reins quickly to Sarah Jo before walking down the pier.
"Connor?
The Connor MacLeod?" Sarah Jo breathed in awe as she dismounted.
"Kat's Connor? He's alive?" Methos had kept the secret from her as
well. She stood holding the horse, her legs shaking as she looked at the people
on board. Had he found Katherine? All she saw was men.
Once
the ship was tied securely to its berth, Connor jumped over the side and walked
with long easy strides towards the shell shocked Duncan.
"Good
to see you again, cousin," he said cheerfully, pulling him into a hug.
Duncan let out a sob and returned the hug fiercely, tears streaming down his
face. It was as if a huge weight had been finally lifted off his shoulders.
Methos
smiled smugly. Sarah Jo, turning toward him, gave him a fierce look, but the
oldest Immortal simply shrugged. He
wouldn't have missed this for the world!
"It's
all right," Connor whispered to Duncan, who was unashamedly weeping on his
shoulder, clinging tightly to his older clansman. "Shush now. I have a
surprise for you."
Duncan
lifted his head, hope in his eyes.
"No,
not Kat," Connor said sadly. "But together we will find her. I have no
doubt about that." The last bit was said in a fierce tone of voice. Duncan
nodded and got his runaway emotions under control as Connor greeted Methos.
"Hey
old man," he said wryly. "I brought back four more castaways. Two of
them have my face. So you can start gloating now if you wish." Seeing Sarah
Jo, Connor nodded politely at her, waiting to be introduced.
Methos
raised an eyebrow, pointing to his chest as if to say, "Me?"
Then he grinned at Duncan, figuring he'd like the honor of introducing
Sarah Jo to his cousin.
Connor
elbowed Duncan hard. "Hey you, where's your manners? Who is the pretty
little gal who came riding in with you? A gal with very nice legs, from what I
saw. Shame she is hiding them under that long skirt."
As
Sarah Jo ducked her head and blushed as Duncan found his tongue. "Sarah Jo,
this is my cousin, Connor MacLeod. He was my first teacher. Connor, this is the
town's one and only nurse, Miss Sarah Jo McCants. Maybe you have heard Katherine
mention her."
"Indeed
I have," Connor said with a bright smile. "Miss Sarah Jo, it is an
honor to final meet you. Katherine told me that her years with you up in the
mountains were some of the happiest in her entire life."
While
Connor shook Sarah Jo’s hand, Methos caught sight of something that made his
jaw drop just slightly. There were four newcomers coming down the plank, three
of them in Japanese style robes and swords, and one of them wore Duncan's face!
Then
he chuckled. "Well,
well," he said. "Suddenly
we're getting all your rejects, eh?" He
indicated the Duncan look alike. "I thought mine were coming because I
'named' them all?"
Duncan
wheeled around to see who Methos was talking about. The look on both of their
faces was totally priceless. Connor chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
He then introduced everyone to Methos and Sarah Jo. The two Duncans were still
busy circling around each other like two roosters with their neck feathers all
ruffled out.
"How
many does this make with your face?" Sarah Jo asked him after all the
pleasantries had been observed. Connor just shrugged.
"I
have no idea. But at least they aren't *me*. At least not yet. This world seems
to have some cockeyed rules to it that I can't even begin to figure out the why
or the wherefore."
Sarah
Jo nodded. "Mr. Blackthorn, I think I better warn you. Another newcomer
found us today. He has your face. He is a priest by the way - Father Ralph.
There is also one with Connor's face - Father Alec."
The
pilot started to bristle. He had had some very bad experiences with the Spanish
priests who he had met in Japan after he had been shipwrecked there. Connor gave
him a warning look. He knew all too well the prejudice the English had against
those of the Catholic faith in the 1700's. Blackthorn started to say something,
but shut his mouth under Connor's intense glare. He had submitted to the
Captain's authority while on board, hoping to be allowed to be a permanent
member of his crew.
Methos
noticed and said, "I will have no unrest here, Mr. Blackthorn.
I heard we had a religious zealot at a neighboring town, out on a
witchhunt. It won't happen here,
understood?"
"Understood,"
he said, bowing slightly at the waist. "The Captain has been explaining
some of the changes that have taken place between my time and his. It is mind
boggling, that is for certain."
"With
his experience as a Pilot, he will be of invaluable help," Connor said,
nodding in approval at his attempt to control his feelings. "Oh, by the way
Methos, we now have another ship available to us. On our way back, we
encountered a sailing vessel beached in one of the coves. It is called The
Bounty, and a Mr. Fletcher Christian was at the helm. He and one crewman crossed
over with the ship, and they ran it aground trying to get into a safe harbor.
They elected to stay with his ship and will keep an eye out for Katherine there.
I told him that I would bring back extra crew to man his ship. I think Mr.
Blackthorn could guide it safely home to a closer harbor, perhaps with the
younger Duncan's help."
"We
can certainly use another ship. My
. . . land explorer will be laid up for some months yet."
He smiled secretively, pleased that Phoenix would eventually be working
for him, but happy, too, that she was not able to do so until she gave birth to
his child.
Once
the ship was unloaded, Connor left it with some of the crew to guard it while he
and the rest made there way with Methos, Duncan and Sarah Jo back to Edan. It
had been a day of immense surprises, and they all thought that nothing else
could happen that would top what had already taken place.
Little
did they know.