21
Three years later…
Heather crossed her legs, leaning back on her elbows. It was a beautiful day. The sun was high in the sky. Looking up she saw only a single white cloud floating lazily across the sky.
It wasn’t often she had time to herself anymore. Not that she minded. She’d spent the last hour swimming in the shallow waters of the loch before climbing out to dry off.
The first time she’d taken a dip the cold made her feel like she was going to die. It was surprising how quickly she’d got used to swimming in the icy waters of Loch Glamis.
On the shore she could see the old broch. She found herself thinking about the day she’d arrived in the past. She’d been so lost, so afraid of what was happening, no clue her entire life was about to change.
She closed her eyes as she lay on her back, thinking of that first encounter with Gavin MacGregor. He’d almost killed her, sword raised above his head. She’d been terrified of him. How different things had become.
The highlands were experiencing a period of peace the like of which they’d never known before. Already tales of the old crone and the barefoot man were becoming legend. There were those who doubted that either of them existed.
The bards embellished the tale with each new telling. The chroniclers were unsure which version to write down. The clan often spoke of the dark days of the past, warning the children to make sure they behave well, lest the darkness return.
The Frazers and MacGregors combined had become a formidable force. Outlaws shunned their land, the risks were too great. Other clans were hinting at forging alliances too, afraid of taking on the most powerful two clans in Scotland.
She couldn’t remember the last time there’d been news of bloodshed. It was a time of great peace. She hoped it would continue forever.
Scotland had a tough history. If she’d been able to bring peace to a corner of it, that would be enough for her to feel proud. Tanya had disappeared back to wherever she was living. Heather thought something might have happened to her but Gavin was not concerned. “She’ll appear when she chooses,” he said when she asked about it.
“What about the key?”
“I’ve no doubt it’s gone.”
“But there’s supposed to be six. What about the last one.”
“Five? Six? Maybe the old stories got it mixed up. Who’s to say the druids could count anyway.”
Heather wasn’t so sure and sometimes wondered about it, worry occasionally gnawing at her.
It was impossible to worry on a day like this though. The air smelled fresh and clean. There was barely a ripple on the loch. She had emerged from the water ten minutes earlier, slowing drying on the blanket. The sun felt good on her arms, warming her skin and her heart. Bees droned in the nearby flowers, the only sound she could hear.
Until the splash.
She looked up. They were coming back, waving frantically as they yelled her name. Gavin manned the oars, his muscles bulging as he drew close to the shore.
“Hey,” she shouted at the top of her voice. “Catch anything?”
“We caught a shark,” Brice shouted back. “A huge one.”
Sasha laughed as she saw her big brother waving his arms about.
Gavin pulled the oars into the boat, letting it drift up onto the shingle.
“Caught a shark?” she asked, eyebrows raised as Gavin lifted Sasha out of the boat.
“Almost,” he replied. “It got away at the last second.”
“Of course it did. Come on, lunch is waiting for you.”
She watched her husband carrying Sasha in his arms, Brice walking beside him, tugging on his plaid. The sight filled her heart with warmth.
Brice was two years old, Sasha a year younger. She thought about the dream she’d had long ago, sitting on a lochside watching Gavin with their two children, suddenly hit by a sense of deja vu.
“What a day,” Gavin said, placing Sasha on the tartan blanket. “We couldn’t have wished for better for our anniversary.”
