Outlander Fanfic Relay #9
Hello everyone, this is @akb723 with part #9 of the Outlander Fanfic Relay! I apologize for using almost the entire week, but I hope you enjoy it.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8
They had stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for who knows how long, just breathing each other in. Claire had fallen asleep on his shoulder and the solid weight of her slowly relaxed him. The knowledge that she seemed to trust him enough to sleep near him struck him so cleanly it was like a bolt of lightning to the heart and, with that impact, his eyelids began to fall and his grip on her waist tightened just a bit as their breathing synced and evened out.
------- Everything smelt wet.
Looking around, he couldn’t place where he was. It was lush and green, but like nowhere he thought he had ever been. He slowly looked around, trying to take everything in. It was stunning. This was different than before. There was sun filtering through to where he stood and shadows were cast around him from the tall trees. There was no all-encompassing darkness here. All around him was beauty and life. Every tree and flower seemed to be in full bloom. Birds chippered and splashed as they took off and landed in what he could only assume was some body of water nearby. At the end of a fully made circle to try and take in everything, he noticed a clearing several meters away and a carriage off to the side.
He moved in the direction of the clearing and with each step voices could be heard more clearly. The absolute hatred and malice in the voices made his blood run cold and then boil. He couldn’t understand it, but he was suddenly furious and needed to get closer.
He began to run, weaving in between the trees and as he got closer, the people. He hadn’t noticed, the only things registering as he ran was the sudden, all-consuming blood rage and the squelching sound of the ground beneath his boots as he moved forward. The serenity and beauty of his surroundings was gone. He could faintly hear grunting and yelling, as well as the sound of blades clashing over his pulse that hammered hard in his ears. The closer he got; the more a rage clouded his mind. He needed to get there.
As suddenly as his rage had started, it vanished. A bone-deep terror filled him so quickly he almost kept running as all sound around him was replaced with a scream filled with equal parts agony and desperation.
Sound came back as the crowd around him rushed forward and men in the distance yelled, but he was no longer running, in fact he was frozen. Because as the crowd moved the source of that scream was revealed and the world stopped.
“Claire!” He screamed as loud as he could, though he doubted she would hear him over everything else. He tried to move towards her, but each foot seemed to sink deeper into the wet earth beneath him.
“Claire!” He tried again, and this time she looked up. She was pale and terrified, she opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
Holding out a hand to him, she managed two words as pain visibly ripped through her body and she crumpled to the ground.
“Jamie, Help!”
With that final plea, the crowd surrounded her, and he could see to no more.
-------
Jamie woke with a start, not fully aware of where he was until the pleasant weight of Claire, who was now laying on his chest brought him back to the present.
He smiled, closed his eyes again, and took a deep breath.
The bitter taste of adrenaline filled his mouth.
His eyes stayed closed, delaying the recognition of why his clothes felt wet.
All he could smell was blood.
@caitbalfes you’re up!!!
