Teaser

1620: The Highlands of Scotland

"Fortis et Fidus, my fellow clansmen!" Corinth MacLachlan said, as he sat proud a top his horse as his clan waited. Over the horizon, he saw the MacLeod clan approaching. "Life or Death!"

Battle cries shot through the air as the two clans rushed towards each other. With weapons held high meeting blow for blow, the MacLachlans and the MacLeods who once fought side by side, were now fighting over a small piece of land.

Corinth, the MacLachlan Chieftain, watched proudly as his clan over took the MacLeods. He had fought beside many of them before in battle, and knew defeat was something that didn't come easy for them. Now, his clan was holding their own, especially his son, Jamie. The man may not have been Corinth's own blood, but none would have known if they judged by the MacLachlan ferocity with which he fought.

Even though he was small for his age of 26, Jamie was one of the clans best warriors, often coming out of a battle unscratched. He'd fought against the best and won against the best, and one day, he would take his fathers place and lead the best. For now, he was busy running through one of the best the MacLeods had to offer, another son of a Chieftain, not too much older than he was.

"Fortis et Fidus, Jamie!" Corinth called out.

"Aye!" he responded, not missing a beat.

It was the last thing Corinth heard his son say, as a MacLeod came up from behind and stuck his sgain dubh into his shoulder blade. Jamie heard his father moan and turned around in time to see his father fall. It was all his opponent needed. Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod took advantage of Jamie's distraction and sliced his chest.

Close to an hour later, the battle ended victorious for the MacLeods. The land was theirs as were the treasures they had taken from the fallen. They rode off shouting praises of "Hold Fast!" loud enough to wake the dead.

And from one of the pile of dead bodies, one did begin to wake. Corinth MacLachlan gasped for air as his eyes flew open. Dazed and confused, he tried sitting up, and a wave of pain crash over him. Closing his eyes again, he tried to remember where he was, only to recall the vision of his son ready to kill a MacLeod.

As the pain subsided, Corinth reopened his eyes and began to look around. Not far from where he was, his son lay dead. Horrified and unable to walk, Corinth crawled to his son and held his limp body in his arms, rocking back and forth. Not sure why he was alive instead of his son, he began to cry.

He looked up in time to see the MacLeods fade into the sunset and tried to yell. "'Tis not over MacLeod!" he croaked. "As long a I live, I will hunt down yer clan to avenge my son!" Moments later, whether it was from pain or sheer exhaustion, Corinth collapsed still proclaiming, "Life or death, MacLeods! Life or Death!"

Fortis et Fidus Strong and Faithful, the original MacLachlan Battle Cry. It was replaced in 1746, at the Battle of Culloden by "Life or Death" that was originally the Clans Motto.