“My father taught me.” Elayne glanced up and sought the position of the sun. She did not wish to cause her father any worry, plus if she returned late, he would be less likely to let her go again. Elayne gazed at Cailean. “I need to return home. Thank ye for teaching me how to use a sword better. I learned a lot from ye today, and I enjoyed our race in the loch.”
“I enjoyed the afternoon with ye, Elayne. Thank ye for sharing yer food with me. I hope to see ye again, when we can practice if ye like.”
“I would like that, but I don’t ken when. I have to help my father with his work.”
Cailean walked her to her horse, lifted her into the saddle, and watched her ride away. He couldn’t remember when he had spent a more enjoyable afternoon where nothing was expected from him or his position. How would Elayne’s behavior changewhen she learned he was the laird’s son and as she grew into a woman? Of course, that presumed there would be another pleasant interlude, but he would not leave that to chance; he determined he would seek her company on the hills of the loch again.
When he returned to the castle, his duties and obligations again consumed him. In the following weeks, Cailean looked for Elayne wherever he went. He was unable to leave the castle for days at a time, having too many responsibilities to leave, so he scoured the grounds for her. But to his dismay, he did not find her. Cailean should have asked about her father’s work.
Finally, he found her at the loch, and they fell into a relaxed and easy friendship. The kind he’d never found with another lass.
Throughout the rest of the summer, Cailean encountered Elayne several more times at the loch. One day, they shared a picnic lunch, and Elayne teased him about all the food he brought. She had never seen so much food. She hadn’t the opportunity to take part in a feast at the castle.
During their encounters, they talked about what they read, and Elayne loved the books Cailean loaned her. Cailean did not disclose his relationship to the laird, and Elayne did not ask about his family ties. She was content to share their time discussing things they enjoyed, swimming and training. So absorbed in training and their enlightening discussions, Cailean failed to ask her more questions about her father. Since he never encountered her in the keep, he surmised her father must be a farmer, and they lived outside the village.
The summer passed by quickly. Unfortunately, they did not run into each other again until the following summer.
When they finally met, Elayne noticed how much taller and muscular Cailean had become. He brought her more books to read, and they continued to train in secret. Elayne also noticed how handsome Cailean had become, his stubble more prominent. When he didn’t shave, his beard was full and thick.
Their friendship developed in isolation from anyone else. Cailean enjoyed his carefree time with Elayne. Especially, he enjoyed her refreshing honesty, innocence, and lack of guile. They laughed together, and Elayne listened intently to his stories and concerns. She offered him advice only when he asked for it, and he enjoyed her novel insights.
Cailean spoke of battle strategies. To represent the terrain of waging a battle, he used sticks and stones for the opposing sides. Elayne had studied the historical books about war strategies he had brought for her to read; she enjoyed reading any subject he brought to her. Knowing her honesty and kind heart, her father did not ask her where she got her books.
Elayne said, “It comes down to knowing yer enemies: how they fight and assemble their warriors, how many men, archers, and horses they have. Having knowledge ahead of time would seem to me to be crucial for victory over yer enemy. Yer strengths should be kept protected so yer enemy cannot take advantage of ye. It is best to be unexpected when ye can.”
Like a game of chess, they played out various battle scenes so Cailean could clearly see them in his mind’s eye. Cailean kent the day fast approached when he would need to leave the clan. To protect the clan, he would go into battle with his brothers and father. He wanted to be prepared. His goal was to become his clan’s most fearsome and powerful warrior, training vigorously daily to fulfill this ambition.
One day at the loch before the end of summer, Elayne gave a gift to Cailean.
“What is this for?”
“I made ye a gift. I ken ye are concerned for our clan and the future outcome of battles ye may have to wage for the clan’s protection. So I made this for yer protection. My prayers for yer safety go with ye into battle and on yer journeys. I hope ye like it. It was time consuming to make. I sewed each day after work until I completed it for ye.”
Cailean unwrapped the cloth and string that bound her gift. In his hand, he beheld an embroidered cloth with flames of fire leaping up from the bottom. Over the flames was a red heart with a golden flame leaping from its center. The edges of the cloth were embroidered with green shades of pine and fir trees. A blue loch was stitched into the design. Cailean loved it.
“I can’t believe ye spent so much time making this for me. It is almost like a tapestry, as ye have embroidered many stitches. I shall carry it with me always. Yer embroidery will remind me of these peaceful and carefree times with ye here by the loch.”
“Ye have a bold and brave heart. Ye love yer clan and have the strength of the clan behind ye. Armed with these, ye will be victorious in yer battles. I hope the time for ye to leave to fight for yer clan never comes. But if it does, I hope this will protect ye from harm.”
Chapter Two
Battles
The day arrived that Elayne dreaded. Cailean left the following year. He engaged in battles with the Cameron clan who encroached on their borders and killed innocent farmers. Cailean did not see Elayne the following summer as he fought brutal battles to conquer their foes. He learned firsthand how ruthless wars and battles were as he fought alongside his father and bro-thers. They were forced to kill or be killed.
At night in his tent, Cailean remembered Elayne’s sweet innocence, a great contrast to the fields soaked in blood as men from the MacPherson and Cameron clans perished. The battles were waged for supremacy and to seek justice for their clansmen who were attacked and killed.
When alone, Cailean looked at the cloth Elayne had so lovingly embroidered. His thoughts were consumed by Elayne and her dancing blue eyes, the color of the loch on a summer’s day. Elayne’s black hair streaming in the wind as she rode captivated him. Looking at the fabric instilled him with the hope that wars waged between clans would soon abate.
The battle waged all summer and into late autumn. Still, their enemies were unrelenting, even though they clearly were losingthe war. The wind grew crisp and cold, and the leaves on the trees turned orange, red, and gold. As the breeze blew stronger, the autumn leaves cascaded to the ground, burnished by the blood that seeped into the sodden earth.
One morning, as they emerged from their tents, they found the first snow flurries. More importantly, the enemy had retreated. Fields where they’d fought were abandoned. Forsaken clothes and weapons littered the field. Their dead were buried or their remains burned.
The enemy had given up for now. Who could foretell what would happen when emerging after winter next year? Finally, Cailean’s men would return home to their clan and families. The men roared with cheers, shaking their arms to the sky before they rode home. Luckily, the snow was light, so they rode hard and long.
Men were eager to return to hearth and home. The warriors rode toward their land, leaving the war behind. Scouts searched ahead to spy any treachery or ambushes, but they found none. Later, the laird sent hunting parties ahead, knowing they would have to make camp for the night. Fires were prepared with the wood the men chopped, the heat much needed to keep them warm.
Successful hunters shot rabbits, pheasants, and deer. Cailean shot a huge deer deep in the woods. So heavy, several men had to carry the deer back to their campsite. The men looked forward to eating fresh meat.
