The news shatters Jamie. He had fought the battle believing he had killed Jack Randall. Now, everything—Claire’s sacrifice, the entire war—seems meaningless. He collapses into despair. But as he stares at his ruined leg and the hopeless future, he pulls out his dirk. He does not intend to let the British take him.
Before he can act, Hugh stops him with a harsh truth: "You’ve a child, lad. Or don’t you remember?"
As he crawls from the carnage, he finds his godfather, Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, dying among the rocks. They share a final, heart-wrenching moment. "You've been like a father to me," Jamie whispers. Murtagh, with his last breath, absolves him: "I dinna think it was your fault, lad... not any of it." He dies, and Jamie is left utterly alone—except for the British soldiers now combing the dead.
But Hugh corrects him: "No, lad. Not a prisoner. The captain’s alive and well. In fact, he’s just been promoted."
