A Tender Siege
Pontiac’s War, August
1763: “I beg Ye to take me.” Wounded in battle in the American wilderness,
Lachlan McRea of His Majesty’s 42nd Highlanders pleads with God, yearning to be
reunited with his lost wife and child. As death hovers near, he is discovered
by Wenonah, a native widow doing all she can to survive alone while avoiding
the attentions of a dangerous Shawnee warrior. In aiding one another, their
perils increase. If Lachlan can let go of the woman he once loved, he might
find healing for both body and soul.
Meet Highlander Hero Deven McLendon
 |
| Purchase Link |
MRW - May I say what an honor it is to speak with you again, Lachlan. Since revealing your story to me, I suspected I might not see you again.
Lachlan (rubbing his chin) - 'Tis a strange thing, this business of writing you partake in.
MRW - (Chuckling) Some say so. So for my friends who haven't read your story, tell them a little about yourself, where you come from, and how you found yourself in America.
Lachlan - (Stretches his legs and folds his arms) I lived my life in Scotland, all until a few years past. I married my childhood love, Moira, but...ya ken, I lost her givin' birth to our wee bairn. A bonny boy he was, but I laid him to rest wi' his maither. I was broken. I didn't ken what to do after that, until I found meself enlisting with His Majesty's Royal Highlanders. I was assigned to the 42nd and sent to many places. Lately we'd come up from the south seas and found ourselves in New York. 'Twasn't long before we were sent on this march with Colonel Bouquet's forces to relieve the Indians' siege of Fort Pitt.
MRW - And so we find you there at the beginning of this story.
Lachlan - Lost me, don't ye mean? Aye, I was lost. Wounded badly. I thought sure and certain I would meet my Moira again before long.
MRW - But God saw fit to spare you.
Lachlan - (nodding) Aye...though I begged Him to take me.
MRW - He sent help.
Lachlan - I wouldna believed it. Such a rescuer. Surrounded by on danger on every side I was, and no less so by this woman who found me.
MRW - You must have been relieved.
Lachlan - Ha! Relieved? She had a sharp knife and wasn't feared o' usin' it. I welcomed her to spill my blood, as ye ken. Instead...
MRW - Wasn't she in her own kind of danger?
Lachlan - So I come to ken. There are many kinds of danger in the wilderness. Many kinds o' danger just livin'.
MRW - Didn't she need your help as badly as you needed hers?
Lachlan - Wenonah was more than capable.
MRW - Aren't you being modest?
Lachlan - (clears his throat, seeming uncomfortable)
MRW - I notice you seem a bit tense. Is there more you'd like to share about that? Some Shawnee warrior you'd like to tell us about? Or about Wenonah's--"
Lachlan - Nae. (Visibly loosening his posture) I've already spilled my guts to ye. Let those who read the tale learn of it, for I'll not speak of those things again.
MRW - All right. If you've a mind to hold your peace, I'll not ask about that. Tell me, did Wenonah ever say what brought her to have compassion on ye?
Lachlan - Wenonah had been through enough of her own hardships. The kinds that make some turn hard...bitter. She did not. Things might have been very different.
WRW - When you met her, Lachlan, were you at the place of becoming hard and bitter yourself?
Lachlan - (shaking his head slowly) Nae. I'd not call it bitterness, nor hardness either. Sorrow had near swallowed me whole, that's all. My friend Nab saw it so. He saw also what I needed in my life to overcome those raw feelings. More so than I saw myself--or was willing to admit. Ye ken my friend Nab?
WRW - Yes, we've met.
Lachlan - Oh, aye, I'm supposin' ye have.
MRW - Any chance ye'll be returning soon with the 42nd?
Lachlan - (grinning) I'm hear now, ain't I? I reckon I'll leave that answer for yer readers to discover.
MRW - Yes, a good idea. Thank you for coming to visit me again, Lachlan. I've enjoyed it very much.
Lachlan - The same to ye. Now if ye don't mind, I've much needs tendin' too.
MRW - Farewell.
Lachlan - Aye. fare thee well.
Lachlan (rubbing his chin) - 'Tis a strange thing, this business of writing you partake in.
MRW - (Chuckling) Some say so. So for my friends who haven't read your story, tell them a little about yourself, where you come from, and how you found yourself in America.
Lachlan - (Stretches his legs and folds his arms) I lived my life in Scotland, all until a few years past. I married my childhood love, Moira, but...ya ken, I lost her givin' birth to our wee bairn. A bonny boy he was, but I laid him to rest wi' his maither. I was broken. I didn't ken what to do after that, until I found meself enlisting with His Majesty's Royal Highlanders. I was assigned to the 42nd and sent to many places. Lately we'd come up from the south seas and found ourselves in New York. 'Twasn't long before we were sent on this march with Colonel Bouquet's forces to relieve the Indians' siege of Fort Pitt.
MRW - And so we find you there at the beginning of this story.
Lachlan - Lost me, don't ye mean? Aye, I was lost. Wounded badly. I thought sure and certain I would meet my Moira again before long.
MRW - But God saw fit to spare you.
Lachlan - (nodding) Aye...though I begged Him to take me.
MRW - He sent help.
Lachlan - I wouldna believed it. Such a rescuer. Surrounded by on danger on every side I was, and no less so by this woman who found me.
MRW - You must have been relieved.
Lachlan - Ha! Relieved? She had a sharp knife and wasn't feared o' usin' it. I welcomed her to spill my blood, as ye ken. Instead...
MRW - Wasn't she in her own kind of danger?
Lachlan - So I come to ken. There are many kinds of danger in the wilderness. Many kinds o' danger just livin'.
MRW - Didn't she need your help as badly as you needed hers?
Lachlan - Wenonah was more than capable.
MRW - Aren't you being modest?
Lachlan - (clears his throat, seeming uncomfortable)
MRW - I notice you seem a bit tense. Is there more you'd like to share about that? Some Shawnee warrior you'd like to tell us about? Or about Wenonah's--"
Lachlan - Nae. (Visibly loosening his posture) I've already spilled my guts to ye. Let those who read the tale learn of it, for I'll not speak of those things again.
MRW - All right. If you've a mind to hold your peace, I'll not ask about that. Tell me, did Wenonah ever say what brought her to have compassion on ye?
Lachlan - Wenonah had been through enough of her own hardships. The kinds that make some turn hard...bitter. She did not. Things might have been very different.
WRW - When you met her, Lachlan, were you at the place of becoming hard and bitter yourself?
Lachlan - (shaking his head slowly) Nae. I'd not call it bitterness, nor hardness either. Sorrow had near swallowed me whole, that's all. My friend Nab saw it so. He saw also what I needed in my life to overcome those raw feelings. More so than I saw myself--or was willing to admit. Ye ken my friend Nab?
WRW - Yes, we've met.
Lachlan - Oh, aye, I'm supposin' ye have.
MRW - Any chance ye'll be returning soon with the 42nd?
Lachlan - (grinning) I'm hear now, ain't I? I reckon I'll leave that answer for yer readers to discover.
MRW - Yes, a good idea. Thank you for coming to visit me again, Lachlan. I've enjoyed it very much.
Lachlan - The same to ye. Now if ye don't mind, I've much needs tendin' too.
MRW - Farewell.
Lachlan - Aye. fare thee well.
Now Meet the Author
Hey, that's me!
I'm an award-winning author who crafts my stories from the pristine Lake Superior north woods, where I and my husband
Jeff live as epically as God allows near the families of our five adult
children. I'm a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the
Lake Superior Writers. Though I have written in a variety of venues on topics
ranging from homeschooling to homesteading, my great love is historical
fiction. I enjoy roaming around on the farm, snacking out of the garden,
relaxing in my vintage camper, and loving on my growing passel of grandchildren.
I would love to meet with and speak to your group. Let's connect around the web!
Naomi on Social Media
Twitter: @NMusch
Instagram: NaomiMusch
Goodreads: Naomi
Dawn Musch
Bookbub: Naomi Musch
Pinterest: Naomi Musch
No comments:
Post a Comment