In small snatches of free time, Elayne observed the men training and memorized the stances and steps they took to fight their opponents. Her father had given her a wooden sword. Feeling more comfortable with swords than friendships, Elayne practiced in private repeatedly, brandishing her sword upon a hardy pine tree in the forest. To defend herself, she always carried a dirk.
Two joys in her life were when she learned to read and write, actions that broadened her imagination and allowed her to record her thoughts. Elayne loved it when her father taught her to swim in the loch and ride a horse.
“Everyone must learn to swim since many rivers and lochs are nearby. If ye don’t know how to swim, ye can drown, plus it makes an excellent place to escape from fire. Ye can never be too prepared, lass.” Taking her father’s advice, Elayne rigorously practiced until she could swim lengths across the loch, trying to beat his powerful strokes with his longer arms and strong kicks as he swam. They had a wonderful time on the rare days in the summer when they enjoyed a picnic on the banks of the loch after swimming.
One day, when fifteen years of age, Elayne’s father allowed her to swim unaccompanied in the loch, for she had labored on ahot day from the early morning hours. William felt guilty about making his daughter work, especially since other children could be carefree and play.
Elayne rode her favorite horse, River, to the loch and saved an apple and an oatcake to eat later. She took her wooden sword and sparred in practice against a sturdy tree after she tethered her horse.Thwack, whomp, crack!She wielded the sword furiously against the tree bark as she had seen the warriors practice with each other countless times.
On a sunny summer’s day, the relentless sounds beckoned to the young man who rode his horse alone in the forest. What caused those sounds? The man slipped effortlessly from his horse and tethered his stallion, Night. He crept stealthily toward the sounds that echoed in the forest, astonished to discover a bonnie lass hitting a wooden sword against the tree. A good form for a young lass. Intrigued by her, he wondered how she had learned.
“What are ye punishing the tree for?” he called out to her.
Elayne turned to address the person who spoke to her. She did not recognize him, but he wore their MacPherson clan colors for his tartan and had a friendly smile. Elayne was immediately attracted to his bright, humorous eyes. Clearly a clan warrior, he had long raven locks, a chiseled jaw, and muscled arms.
“I’m not punishing the tree but practicing my fighting skills.”
“What do ye need fighting skills for? That is what men do. Is there someone threatening ye?”
“Nae one has threatened me, but I want to be prepared if they do. Everyone should protect the clan as best they can from our enemies, should they not?”
“Who taught ye how to fight?”
“Nae one taught me. I learned by watching the men train in the fields.”
“Would ye like to practice with me? I could teach ye new skills if ye like. I will use a tree branch so ye won’t get cut by my sword if ye do not block my thrusts with yer sword.”
Nae one had ever offered to teach her before, and his offer was too good to pass up, so she said, “Aye, thank ye. I want to learn from ye.”
He nodded and used his sword to whacked at a sturdy but thin tree branch that would suit his purpose.
“What is yer name, lass?” he asked as the branch fell.
“I am Elayne. What is yer name?”
“I am Cailean. Let’s test ye with a few strikes of my trusty sword,” he said, winking. As he swept the tree branch through the air, Elayne giggled in response. Cailean enjoyed her playfulness and interest. The lass was unlike the other maidens at the castle, who simpered at him and batted their eyelashes to gain his attention. Their behaviors made him want to run away. Her ignorance of his position suited him just fine.
Cailean tested her mettle by taking a swing at her like he would on the training field, and she met his strike with ease. He changed his stance and thrusts, and again, she met him. Exceedingly surprised by the strength she showed, he admired her ability to block his blows. Cailean was amazed that her upper arms’ strength surpassed that of the young squires he had taught. When he praised her for her skills, her beautiful smile lit up her face.
Tentatively, he struck her sword and feinted a thrust. But she parried and struck a blow where he had nae expected, being quick, observant, and flexible. Later, he demonstrated advanced maneuvers and had her copy them as well as his stance. Then he tried to assess how much she had learned. After half an hour, he asked her if she wanted to rest.
“Nae, I’m not tired. I would rather learn more from ye.”
She impressed him with her desire to learn. "I will show ye a few more moves. Then I intend to go swimming. Do ye ken how to swim?"
“Of course, I do. I came here to swim and practice. I rarely get free time, but this is what I prefer to do with it.”
Cailean showed a few other maneuvers to Elayne and enjoyed her ability to learn quickly. She stunned him by reversing a maneuver when he did not expect it and smacked him on his side with her sword. Rarely caught off guard by another in the training field, he took seriously his duty as one of the laird’s sons and to his clan. Cailean wished to be the best warrior in the clan so he could make his father proud. He couldn’t believe this toned slip of a girl could best him in a maneuver. He’d even learned something new from her.
They finished their swordplay and went to the loch to swim. Elayne removed her dress, swam in her linen shift, and challenged him to a race. And the lass was not fully developed yet. Cailean removed his kilt and swam in his long linen shirt, protecting the young lass’s modesty since he usually swam naked.
Initially, Cailean matched Elayne stroke for stroke. His powerful muscles won at the end of their race, overtaking her. They sat in the sunshine on the rocks and dried off. Fromher pack, Elayne took out her meager food, cut the apple and oatcake in half, and offered half to him. She was starving from the exertions, and if she was starving, Cailean must be ravenous.
The young lass’s generosity impressed him. He accepted the food from her and resolved that the next time, he would be better prepared and offer her something to eat from his satchel instead of taking hers. As they ate, Cailean and Elayne talked about things they liked to do.
“I love to read books, but I have only one, and its pages are worn from countless readings. What do ye like to read?”
Nae lass at the castle had never asked him about his interests before. They both shared a love of reading and riding. “I love adventure stories.” Therefore, Cailean vowed to bring her a book in his saddlebag and give it to her the next time he saw her. “How did ye learn to read, lass? It is amazing ye love to read.”
