Page 119 of Highlander Lord Of Vengeance

“If not Quint than who will lead Clan MacLeish?” Esme asked as the snow fell softly around them.

“I thought of Nug, my good friend since I’ve been young, but losing Brack to Clan Purdom, I will need Nug, and I believe he would be pleased to join me here. Quint mentioned someone he thought deserved to be chieftain and I agree with him… Caleb. It was because of Caleb that I came across Torrance.”

“The badly wounded warrior of yours who you carried off the battlefield?” Esme asked, recalling Ryland mentioning him.

“Aye, that’s him. He is a fine warrior, and his wife Ula is a fine healer. She learned the skill from Shade. I believe they both will serve Clan MacLeish well. And if any clan members wish to follow me here they are welcome to do so.”

“It is finally done and over, isn’t it?” She stopped abruptly. “But what of Chieftains Stuart and Eagan. What will their fate be?”

“You needn’t worry about them. They are gone.”

“Gone? Do you mean dead?”

Ryland shook his head. “Nay, a much worse fate. I gave them to Hakon. They are already on their way north with Hakon’s warriors. They will never bother us again and they will forever rue the day they did.”

Esme smiled. “I just realized something Ida had said to me about Clan Purdom being cursed and how it’s believed Claire is the woman heard weeping in the keep. With her daughter returning home, raising a family in the keep, Claire should weep no more and happiness will return to the clan and the curse broken.”

Ryland nodded slowly. “Aye, my mum will finally rest in peace.”

Esme sighed with relief and eased herself against Ryland. “I never thought that Torrance could do anything good in his life, but he did good when he asked you to assume his identity and you did good accepting his offer.”

“There was no way I could refuse when he was offering me the one thing I wanted so badly in my life… you. And when I told him I wouldn’t get rid of you as he demanded but instead, I would keep you as my wife and we would have many bairns together, I could see the anger in his eyes as he took his last breath. He knew he died defeated.”

Tears shined in Esme’s eyes, happy tears. “Your love was strong enough to free me.”

“To free us both of the past, so we could build a strong and loving future together,” Ryland said and took her in his arms and kissed her.

THE END