Chapter Twenty-four
"Islaen,” Iain cried and tried to sit up only to be held in place by one strong hand upon his chest. For one panicked moment he had feared to find himself still in the wood and MacLennon still alive, still threatening him and Islaen.
"Where is Islaen?” he rasped. “I must see Islaen."
"Islaen lives. Now, drink this."
After painfully swallowing the soothing herbal potion Alexander helped him drink, Iain demanded, “Where is she?"
"In her chambers with Meg and Storm holding court over her. She hasnae woken up yet,” he said softly.
"How long?"
"Since yesterday.” Alexander held Iain still again when he tried to rise.
"I must see her."
“Ye must stay in this bed, friend. Ye would only fall flat on your face if ye tried to rise and I have toted ye about enough."
Iain knew Alexander was right. He could feel the weakness of his body. So too had he suffered some dizziness simply raising himself slightly with Alexander's help. To stand up would get him nowhere but sprawled upon the floor. He ached to see Islaen, however, and cursed his helplessness viciously.
"Come, she lives. Let that be enough for now."
"Would ye?"
"Nay, but ye have e'er had more sense."
"I have had no sense at all since I set eyes on her. MacLennon?"
"Dead. Do ye recall bashing his head in?"
"Nay, for t'was not I that did so but Islaen."
"Islaen?” Alexander gasped.
"Aye, she..."
"Wait. Let me fetch your kin. They have awaited your great awakening. If ye had but waited an hour, t'would have been Tavis setting here."
"Ere ye fetch them get me a chamberpot,” Iain said with a sigh, disgusted to be needing help with even that.
Alexander helped him as he emptied his bladder, then hurried away to find the MacLagans. Iain found that he needed the few moments it would take to fetch his kin to recover from the simple chore of relieving himself. By the time they arrived, he was able to tell them all that had happened. Recalling the nightmare of that time left him weak and he knew most of that was because he could not yet see Islaen. Each memory only made him more aware of all she had endured.
"I still cannae believe Islaen struck him down,” Alexander murmured and shook his head. “She is such a wee lass."
"Ah, the lasses can surprise ye, laddie,” Colin said with a nod. “If they were trained as lads are, they could probably wield a sword."
"She should have been riding away, fleeing as I had ordered her to,” Iain muttered.
"Ye had about as much chance of her heeding that order as I would have had with Storm an it had been us in that trouble. Ye were still in danger, weaponless, and she couldnae leave ye. We wouldnae leave them. ‘Tis no surprise they feel the same."
"Aye, I ken it, Tavis, but that madman nearly killed her once. I wanted her out of his reach. Ye are certain he is dead? I recall deciding he was."
"Verra dead,” Colin assured him. “We have his body. Put it in a vat of brine. Thought ye might need to see to be sure."
"Nay. I saw him. I just wanted someone to agree with what I thought I had seen. Confused as I was, my head reeling, I still knew dead when I saw it. Just wasnae sure whether to believe it or nay. This has gone on for so long."
"'Tis o'er now,” Tavis said. “Now that ye have roused I think ye will soon be up and about."
