Claire and Jamie reunite with the Lallybroch and MacKenzie men as they train. Jamie’s power struggle and Claire’s personal battle weigh upon them, but new information comes when an Englishman pays a visit to their camp.
Je Suis Prest opens Jamie and Claire arrive finally rendezvous with Murtagh and the Lallybroch men. They come with Lovat’s men but have lost 100 men on the way. The men Jamie brought are not fighters and Murtagh and Jamie now have the task of training them. Fergus peeks out of his abode and sees “Milady and Milord!” and rushes to greet them which brings a huge smile to Claire’s face and then Jamie’s when Fergus informs them Murtagh has enslaved him mending the man’s socks.
The next day Claire and Jamie are just out and about when they hear a voice they know and Rupert and Angus step into view. Angus seems rather happy to see Claire and she grudgingly gives him a kiss on the cheek. Claire wonders about the whereabouts of Willie and is told in a somber and melancholy tone that Willie got himself hitched and moved to America with his Irish bride.
Dougal appears and Jamie genuinely looks pleased to see him but Claire isn’t so enthusiastic about it. Apparently, Colum doesn’t want them there but Dougal, Rupert and Angus have come of their own accord. Jamie informs Dougal the men he’s brought need training but Dougal thinks they are worth 10 redcoats because they have conviction on their side.
Murtagh is drilling the men and Jamie realizes just how untrained they are though Dougal still seems optimistic. Claire, on the other hand, is having flashbacks of watching the WWII soldiers being drilled in the 1940s.
Claire turns sees Fergus playing shinty with some men and recalls soldiers playing baseball in her own time. She’s so shaken up she pulls Fergus from the game to get Jamie water.
Back on the field; Jamie, Murtagh and Dougal all teach the men moves and have them stick dummies with dirks (much like Claire did).
Later that night, Dougal talks to Jamie about going to join the Prince already but Jamie isn’t willing to take the men into war when they are not ready.
Claire spies Angus spitting out his food and flashes back to two American soldiers complaining about their rations. They have been separated from their Airborne division and are traveling now with British forces. Claire discusses how the British believe American’s eat verses what they eat and they educate each other on different foods.
Later Claire is clearly upset but tells Jamie she’s find. As Jamie unpins his plaid his broach falls to the ground and Claire retrieves it. It is a stag and says “Je Suis Prest” which reminds her of the Airborne patch on the American soldiers from the war. Jamie apologizes for bringing her to battle with him and assures her he will keep her safe but Claire continues to pretend she’s fine.
The next morning at training Jamie talks to the men about what war is like and how some things seems silly but it isn’t until there are shots coming at you and people are dying that you understand what the training is for. Jamie tries to press how important it is to move and fight as one like the British if they have any hope of defeating them. Jamie just about has all the men focused when Dougal and his men comes screeching down the hill bare chested with their swords. The men scatter much to Jamie’s annoyance and Dougal tells them all the way to beat the English is with a Highland charge which clearly isn’t the way. Jamie isn’t pleased by Dougal undermining his authority and takes him aside. Dougal patronizes Jamie telling him he knows what Jamie’s goal is but he knows this stuff better to which Jamie tells him in no uncertain terms that he has no idea what they will face and he does.
Jamie then informs Dougal if he wishes to fight with Clan Fraser then he will respect Jamie’s orders without objection. And if not Dougal can take his men and leave.
And Dougal runs to tell Claire claiming Jamie is being stubborn and needs his help because he’s clearly in over his head. He goes so far as to try to blackmail her with their arrangement when she was scrambling to free Jamie from Wentworth. Claire informs Dougal that Jamie knows everything and he understands she was doing everything in her power to free him. She then goes on to tell him what a narcissistic ass he is and everything he does is for his ego and self-gratification. Dougal admits he loves his own reflection but he loves Scotland more and would do and give anything to put a Stuart back on the throne.
Now we see Dougal helping to train the men which Jamie and Murtagh discuss Claire’s odd behavior.
Later Angus is poke and his disgusting fee which reminds Claire of lecturing the WWII soldiers on preventing trench foot which can lead to amputation. Claire comes out of her flashback asking Angus, “Did you hear what I fucking said?!” Angus replies he did but Rupert is surprised by her outburst and Claire leave taking deep breaths to try and steady herself.
That nigh Dougal comes to the campfire with ten men in tow. He informs Jamie they are new recruits and Murtagh is sent to get Kincaid and Ross who were the sentries. Jamie then tells these new men if they aren’t there of their own free with they are to leave with no harm to come to them. Jamie then informs Dougal he is in command and Dougal says there were no orders about conscripting men. Jamie doesn’t believe in forcing people to fight for something they don’t believe in. Jamie then orders Dougal and his men to sentry duty which Dougal agrees to. When Kincaid and Ross arrive, Jamie places them under arrest for letting strangers into camp and orders a punishment of six lashes each which is carried out by Murtagh the following morning.
Later that day Claire is walking past the men who are practicing their marksmanship when the gunfire triggers another flashback which is more disturbing.
Claire is traveling to her field hospital with the American soldiers when they are shot at and blown off the road. She wakes in a ditch with Grant who warns her to keep quite. Somewhere out in the field Lucas is pleading for help but there are German tanks approaching. Grant tells Claire to stay put and goes after Lucas only to be killed. Claire huddles in the trench with her ears covered. She is found the next day and this is how Jame finds her by the wagons. Jamie holds her and Claire tells him about her repressed memory of that incident.
Jamie tells her he should send her home but Claire isn’t willing to be powerless and alone again. Jamie promises her no matter what happens she won’t be alone again and we can tell he means more than himself.
Jamie is making water when a small English lad tries to cut his throat. Thankfully Jamie is canny and fights the boy off by breaks his arm. Murtagh finds a letter to a British officer on the boy and thinks him a spy. The boy says he isn’t a spy and was drawn by Jamie’s fire and recognized Jamie as Red Jamie. The boy won’t give any other information and Jamie goes so far as to heat his dirk for torture. Claire arrives and saves the boy this fate by pretending to be a captured English Lady who has resisted Red Jamie’s advances but will give into him should he let the boy go. Jamie turns the tables informing the boy if he won’t give up the information for his own welfare maybe he will for the lady’s. The boy confesses he is William Grey, the second son of Viscount Melton. He then gives up the 200 infantry traveling to Dunbar to join Cope going so far as to warn Jamie about the heavy artillery 16 carriage-mounted cannons, mortars, muskets and a company of 30 Calvary.
Jamie makes a display of making advances on Claire who struggles and gets him in the family jewels before Grey tells him the location of the British. Jamie has Grey taken with the men and if the boy speaks the truth he’s to be tied to a tree where the British will find him and if not he’s to die. Before Grey leaves he tells Jamie he owns him a debt of honor which he doesn’t wish to owe him but he will repay him and then kill him. Jamie says he hopes they never meet again.
Jamie announces there is to be another punishment and while Dougal’s men were on sentry his unguarded fire drew the boy. Murtagh lashes Jamie while the men watch. Afterwards, the men assemble to raid the British camp but Dougal and his men are left out because they have orders.
Jamie and his men steal into the British camp, killing sentries and stealing the wheels off the cannons. They burn the wheels and back at camp Jamie gives Claire the trophy of the iron cotter pins which hold the wheels on. He tells her he’s been on Commando raid then wonders if that is what you call it. Jamie wishes to make love to Claire but they have to move on before the English awake and realize what happened.
We watch as Jamie, Claire, Murtagh, Dougal and everyone else arrives in Perth to join the Stuart army. Jamie calls up Dougal and tells him to inform the Prince they have arrived which he does happily.
Claire knows there is no going back and announces, “Je Suis Prest.”
