Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan in Outlander
Neil Davidson/Starz
Her bodyguards ask her to return to the castle so that they can enjoy the night's festivities. While they walk back, Claire attempts to figure out a distraction so that she can escape them later in the evening. She does away with her first bodyguard by introducing him to a buxom lady, but she still needs to take care of the second …
In the castle, Claire is prepping for her escape when she's interrupting by Geillis (Lotte Verbeek), who suspects Claire is plotting to leave. "The highlands are no place for a woman to be alone," Geillis cryptically warns her.
Claire hopes to sneak out while everyone's at the Gathering, but Mrs. Fitz insists she attends. Claire watches one man pledge himself to Colum and Clan MacKenzie before attempting to make a run for it. She's stopped by one of her guards who begs her to stay "until he bags a lass for the evening." She agrees, pulling out a spiked bottle of wine and sharing it with the unsuspecting bodyguard.
The guard, now good and properly drunk, wanders off to share his booze with his fellow clansmen. Claire grabs her things and takes off through the castle corridors, almost immediately running into trouble. Some drunken revelers pin her against the wall, but she's saved by Dougal (Graham McTavish) – who then proceeds to try to have his way with her as well. Claire hits him over the head and runs for the stables.
There, it's Jamie (Sam Heughan) who catches her as she saddles up her horse. "How far do you think you'd get?" he asks, pointing out that there are extra guards in the woods around Castle Leoch tonight. He convinces Claire to abandon her foolish plan and accompanies her back to the castle.
On the way, they're confronted by group of men who knock Jamie out and drag him to the oath-swearing ceremony. There's a certain tension at his arrival. See, Jamie had been hiding all night because if he swears fealty to Colum, that would put him next in line to succeed him, which Jamie doesn't want, but if he doesn't swear loyalty, he risks his life by offending Colum.
Jamie, ever the diplomat, skirts the issue by offering Colum his goodwill and obedience instead. Colum accepts and all is well.
The next day, the boys head out on a boar hunt, bringing Claire as resident nurse. When one of the hunters is gored, Claire earns Dougal's respect by soothing the man as he dies. He "invites" (forces) her to join him on a trip he's taking about Scotland so she can heal the men should anything go amiss. Claire eagerly accepts, sensing yet another opportunity for escape. They ride out of the castle as Claire takes her "first full breath in weeks."
Outlander airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.
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