“Marion and Katherine, ye each will wed next year, forming alliances for our clan. Let me ken if ye have a specific laird in mind whose alliance ye would like me to seek for yer hand in marriage. Discuss yer wishes with yer mother and brothers, who may know the characters of the eligible men.
“Raulf, ye will seek a bride in the new year. We will discuss the best and most promising candidates for ye in another meeting. William, ye will train with me to take Raulf’s place when he leaves to be married. Colban, Ye will visit members of our clan, throughout our lands and discuss their needs.
“Cailean, ye will become my ambassador for our clan as soon as the roads become passable in the spring. Ye will be my emissary in seeking alliances and business allegiances among other lairds. Unfortunately, it means ye will be away from home from spring through early fall, except for an occasional visit home to bring me signed contracts and critical information.” All eyes turned to Cailean, approving. His family recognized that he was the best suited for the job with his skills and charm.
“Thinking strategically,” the laird continued, “we will continue to train the men and seek younger boys for initial training. Next year, with more powerful alliances, I wish to host a sporting event. Warriors will compete in events such as the caber toss, archery, and sword fighting. We will feast and dance.
“Talk among yourselves and yer friends and bring other ideas for the competition and the events. Planning will take time, and it will rest on the powerful alliances we forge. Now, any discussion, questions, or recommendations?”
With the laird’s announcement, conversation surged. While the men conferred, the women held their own discussion.
Lady MacPherson made recommendations for suitable candidates for marriage for her daughters. Luckily, many young, noble, and honorable men were eligible. The women discussed hosting a ball and inviting the most eligible men to attend. With the ball taking place in the castle, they would not have the burden of traveling.
Raulf’s brothers, William, Colban, and Cailean, threw out many suggestions for him to consider regarding prominent families of nearby clans. The men strongly supported the games and healthy competition of skills.
Once the groups had enjoyed a hearty discussion, the laird dismissed them. “We will meet next week and consider concrete steps to undertake these endeavors: the names of the top four clans we should align ourselves with in business and yer business propositions to explore.”
The laird’s children left their parents to pursue their own activities. Behind closed doors, the laird and lady further discussed the situations they had proposed to their family.
Cailean wished to see and talk to Elayne, but he didn’t know where to look. He didn’t feel he could ask anyone, for they could misconstrue his interest. The next time he talked to her, he would discover her surname, where she lived, and who her father was. He hoped he would not have to wait until next year, for his additional duties would remove him early in the spring.Now he recognized how earnest his father was in preventing future wars for the sake of his family and clan.
Cailean walked outside and through the keep, greeting the people he knew. There were no markets where he could encounter her. He walked in the frigid winter weather under gray skies, which promised more snow to the village. Mayhap Elayne’s father had a farm well past the village. But the times he had seen her ride home led him back to the castle. If she worked there, he should have encountered her before now.
Later, if he didn’t come across Elayne, he would speak to his mother about a holiday feast in the great hall for the entire clan. It would help draw their clan closer after returning from war, and they could all celebrate together. If his mother endorsed the idea, he hoped Elayne would attend. Cailean missed her.
Chapter Three
The Winter Solstice
Winter storms howled at the doors to the castle, like the wolves in the forest who hunted their prey. The wind screeched through the cracks of the wood as Elayne huddled next to the forge, seeking its warmth. It sounded like wolves clawing at the door. Elayne had dressed in layers of wool to remain as warm as possible and wore boys’ trews under her dress.
A blast of icy air blew into the room whenever someone opened the door. Luckily, few people ventured forth today, and Elayne insisted her father remain inside their home since he had a cold. She needed to continue to make swords to have a stockpile when the warriors resumed training.
Elayne was happy the men had returned from their battles, although grief weighed on her heart seeing the sadness and tears of the women who had lost their loved ones. Elayne had not seen Cailean yet; then again, she had only ever seen him at the loch—nowhere else. Nae one would venture to the loch in the winter.Was he injured?When will I see him again?
Elayne was grateful that Mrs. Logan could care for her father when ill, enabling Elayne to continue their work in the forge. A kind woman, she had gone out of her way to patch Elayne’sdresses. Causing her embarrassment, most of Elayne’s clothes were patched beyond recognition from the original fabric of the dress. Even though Elayne wore long gloves, and a leather apron over her clothes, flying embers still burned them, and soot stained them.
In the forge, nae one seemed to pay any attention to Elayne. Her dirtied, patched dress blended in with the soot and the brown worn wood. A scarf hid her hair and held it out of the way while she worked. She kept it braided and tucked under the back of her dress.
Elayne slammed the hammer on the sword that lay across the anvil. She was determined to make as many swords as possible, not only to meet the laird’s needs but because she planned to ask Mrs. Logan to sell a few of her designs at the summer market, bringing in more money for her father and herself. Elayne hated to ask her father for anything, especially ashamed to ask for herself, since he had taken her in and given her everything, including the unbelievable opportunity to become his apprentice.
As she grew into a woman, Elayne couldn’t help but wish to buy a pretty colored ribbon to wear in her hair. Working daily in the forge, Elayne didn’t think men would ever notice her.
During the winter, she couldn’t ride as she had over the summer and autumn months. Elayne missed engaging in conversations with Cailean, who treated her as if she were important, as well as the new books he brought her to read. She repeatedly read the last one he had given her. It would be a dark, dreary, and long winter. The monotony of every day tired her with nothing to look forward to.
The tales Mrs. Logan told of the winter solstice fascinated Elayne. Her father listened intently to the stories over dinner.
“Aye, it was a fun time. We had fortune-telling for the lads and lasses interested in getting married. And we burned yule logs for the solstice through to the new year. All the men chopped down the biggest yule logs to fit in their hearths.”
“It sounds merry and fun,” Elayne said wistfully.
“Oh, it was a fun and gay time. People spent time indoors on projects. By the light of the hearth, men whittled wood while women knitted and sewed. Many stories were told around by the fire during winter nights. The animals spent more time in the pens or barns to stay warm, dry, and fed.
“We celebrated with apples and sixpence. They are placed in a water basin. Both must be pulled without their hands.”
“How could they do that?”
“There are many enterprising lads, especially when they wish to impress a certain girl.” Elayne’s father laughed, recalling the days when, as a young lad, he had joined in these games. William recognized how much Elayne had missed by making her work for him. Young yet, he hoped his daughter would participate when a few years older.
