What was wrong with him? Other than the fact his groin was now up in his gut – hell, the lass could kick. Everything she accused him of was true – he had been mocking her. He meant only to take a lighter air in the conversation seeing the torment had taken a toll on the lass, but somehow it came out a disaster.
He normally was warm wine to a lassie’s thirst, till they learned of him being banished by his clan, yet around this one he had become – what was it she called him?
“Aye, Keirah, I am an overgrown Scottish arsewho is” – he gave a bow her direction, with pain searing up his groin at her kick – “at your summons and service.” Her whole stance called to mind the vindictive nature of her captors. “Lord, what have they done to you?” His ask was weighed with sorrow for her.
Her expression gave away nothing. A long, somber silence met his query. Her gaze appeared pools from emotion. A brief breath, then she blinked several times and raised her chin.
He wasn’t going to get an answer, not yet. “What is it you seek, Keirah MacThistlen?” he asked, gently.
“I…” she began, guarded. “I must hold an audience before King Alexander. I believe you to be the way forth.”
He still didn’t believe her fate-seer claim, but the sheer anguish written on her features called forth patience on his part. “I may arrange for this,” he answered, honestly.
At the information, she stepped up to ask desperately, “Truly?”
He had to tread carefully here; however, there couldn’t be any harm in admitting…“Aye, he currently is residing and ruling from the castle at Stirling; I may take you there if you wish. He must know your claims in numbers upon King Håkonsson’s fleet.”
“Agreed,” she said, then stepped back a stride.Why?“I have nothing to offer you, Aonghus; at what cost shall this conclude with?” she questioned, suspicious. She seemed more bruised by mistrust in her past than him – not something he had encountered, ever.
Her tone also spoke again about the harshness she had endured. His gut twisted harder. When he got his hands on them, they would be dead meat served on the devil’s spit!
“Nae cost, Cluaran. It would be an honor to see you safely there.” Perhaps she could find some solace in Stirling for whatever was causing these delusional tales of being a fate-seer.
Her lips rose into a smile; he became as entrenched onto the ground as the rock he had been sitting on a moment beforeat the effect from the innocent gesture. It didn’t matter the dirt smudges across her cheek and nose; something about her first inkling of joyfulness captivated him as none other. She was lovely.Stay the course and stay away from any attachment to this Scotswoman.
Her left brow cocked at him to say, in air filled with jest, “Take care there, lad, this is a rather gallant offer to aid a lass in distress.”
His breath held.Trust.There was an innocence about her wanting to trust despite the hell the Northmen had torn her through. In mere moments as she gifted this to him, the action chipped away at the constant numbness which had shrouded his soul for longer than he cared to recall. This was not a match forced by clan allegiances or power struggles, but by fate. Perhaps he was the delusional one in considering he could remain unattached to such a rare creature.Aye, a true fool!
Staying focused on the first step toward a higher purpose belonging to their kingdom, he began again. “Keirah, we shall remain here.” His tone was somehow orderly. “Dawn will soon be upon us. I do not seek to be traveling in daylight. I chronicled your actions earlier when you stumbled; you must rest.”
“Um,” she replied awkwardly, “I harbor a bit of weakness at times when it comes to having grace. Lord Kollungr would make jest I was a fool at heart.”
His brow furrowed. “The only fool to be found is him after your ‘graceless’ self escaped his iron grip.” Her chin raised a notch.Good.“I will stay watch for the real fool. We shall remain hidden here, rest during sun’s reign, then this evenin’ will take our leave on the initial broad stretch south to reach an inn I have settled at in the past before a final hard press unto Stirling, where we shall arrive in wee bit over a day.”Solid plan.
She nodded, then looked about to find a nook between two boulders. Pebbles scraping the ground were heard as she secured her spot, but while he stood by the entrance looking upon the snowy-colored toadstools gleaming in the moonlight, he listened when the stirring continued behind him.
“Keirah, all well there lassie?” he asked, in care.
Another pebble noise sounded when she shifted. “C-c-cold!” The word huffed uncoordinated from her.
***
This wasn’t the only problem; the pebbles felt like thistles’ points on the cavern floor digging into her skull. An enormous shadow overtook her when he approached.
“Cluaran, I may ease the troubles you speak upon, but lass, you cannot punch me in the groin or bite me or bolt,” he offered. “My balls are now blue and not in a splendid way.”
She gave an inward grin at his dry humor. “I…I shall not punch or bolt,” she replied through chattering teeth. “I may b-bite if you do not seek to behave.”
She heard a chuckle before he shed the double scabbard holding his axe and sword. The pebbles scattered when he took onto his hip next to her then gathered her close. They lay upon the floor together, his arm bent which created a makeshift pillow for her. She rested her head on his bicep: hard but warm and safe and lovely.
Lying on her left side, she faced his front. He hadn’t slapped her or worse.Trust in this, in him for now. When his other arm circled her waist pulling her close, she wove her hands before her breasts between them. Huh…they fit nicely together. A sigh took her lips at his heat, but an outward grin covered her lips when he stated in jest: “Cluaran, if you feel the urgeto nibble, I ask you ease your way to the other side of my collarbone, agreed?”
She brushed, warming her nose, against the spot he advised. His body turned stiff as carved marble at her action. “Aonghus?”
“Aye?”
Her syllables were heartfelt. “Thank you for savin’ me from their torment and not strikin’ me down when I kicked you so very harshly.”A thousand thanks from heart to soul.
