"Dinnae look so dowie, lass. Ye said this was what ye wanted, that he made ye happy."
"Aye, ‘tis. He does. I just wish I could have ye both, him and all of ye."
"Wheesht, lass, ye will always have us. There isnae a place upon God's green earth ye could go to be rid of us. T'will just take a wee bit longer to get to ye if ye need us."
Islaen kept repeating that as she watched them ride away. She also told herself that she was a grown woman now and beyond tears simply because her family was no longer right at hand. None of it helped. The tears still flowed. As soon as her family was out of sight she huddled close to her horse and stared at her feet in a vain attempt to hide her tears as she fought to compose herself. She did not want the men remaining, especially Iain, to think her a child.
Iain sighed, dismounted and went over to her. He had suspected that the parting would be hard for her. Eventually she would be able to find contentment in the knowledge that they were not very far away but, for now, he suspected that she felt lost. With a twinge of guilt, he admitted that some of that could well be because he was not really giving her anything to replace all that love her family had given her.
"Islaen,” he said gently as he put his arm around her.
"I am sorry, Iain. I am acting the wee bairn."
"Nay.” He pulled her into his arms. “I ken weel the pull of family. They arenae too far away, lass."
"I ken it.” She sniffed and gave him a watery smile. “And now that ye have beat each other bloody and are great friends mayhaps we will see them oft enough."
"Aye, I ken that we will. If they but come one at a time we can see your kin all the year round,” he teased. She laughed softly and a moment later he helped her to mount her horse.
"We will be at Caraidland ere the sun sets tomorrow,” Iain announced as they stopped for the night.
Sighing as she attended to her horse, Islaen tried not to get nervous. Iain and his men certainly looked happy about it. Even Alexander and his men looked pleased. That surely indicated that Caraidland was a good place, she told herself. She sighed again and wished she knew at least one person there besides Iain. The reminder that she knew the five men that rode with him cheered her only a little. This would be the first time she had ever met anyone without some of her family along for support.
"Lass, they are good people,” Alexander said quietly as he moved to her side.
"My face is so easy to read?"
"Nay, not truly. ‘Tis but clear that ye dinnae really share our delight o'er the nearness of our destination."
"Weel, it has ne'er been so important that I find approval,” she admitted softly and unconsciously touched her breasts freed from their bonds from their first night upon the road.
Alexander smiled and shook his head. “Lass, ye are bonnie, but I ken how hard it must be for one who has long thought otherwise to believe it. All his kin need to approve of ye is to ken that ye love their son. Ye do and they will."
"I have ne'er said so,” she mumbled, coloring deeply.
"Mayhaps ‘tis best that ye dinnae. Not yet."
"Aye. He would hie to the hills,” she grumbled.
He laughed softly and nodded. “Ye wouldnae see him for the dust."
"Alexander? Just why have ye come along?"
"Weel, lass, I ken that Iain will simply tell his kin that ye are his wife and ye will say little more than ‘Aye, I am.’ T'would be best if there is another there they can speak to and I am kenning more than I ought."
"Are ye sure ye ought to?"
He shrugged. “It cannae hurt."
"Nay, I suppose not."
"Dinnae ye have anything to do, Alex?” Iain demanded as he walked over to them and a grinning Alexander strolled away. “That mon smiles too much,” Iain grumbled, then looked crossly at Islaen. “Why are ye always talking with him?"
"Because he is my friend. Iain, I ken that he is a beautiful mon who can seduce a woman with but one soft word but we are only friends."
"He would be more."
"Mayhaps but only until he finds what he seeks."
