"This afternoon. I wanted tae ken his honest assessment of yer skills." Alpin met her eyes. "He thinks ye could be exceptional."
"He said that?"
"His exact words. And I agreed tae let him take ye into town as often as needed fer yer trainin'."
"Alpin..." She turned back around, but he felt her lean more fully against him. "Thank ye. Fer all of this. Fer givin' me the chance tae learn, tae be somethin' more than––"
"Ye were always somethin' more," he interrupted gently. "I'm just helpin' ye see it."
They rode in comfortable silence for a while, following paths that wound through forest and over streams. The afternoon sunfiltered through the trees in golden shafts, and birds called from hidden branches.
Alpin was acutely aware of every point where their bodies touched. Her back against his chest. Her thighs resting against his. The way she fit perfectly in the circle of his arms, like she'd been made to ride this way.
Like she'd been made for him.
The thought should have terrified him. Instead, it felt... right.
"Ye're thinkin' very loudly," Mhairi observed.
"Am I?"
"Aye. I can practically hear yer thoughts churnin' away back there." She paused. "What are ye thinkin' about?"
Ye. Always ye.
But he couldn’t say that. Nae yet. Not when war was coming and everything was so uncertain.
"I'm thinkin' about how ye've changed since ye first arrived," he said instead. "How much stronger ye've gotten."
"I dinnae feel strong. Most days I feel like I'm barely holdin' meself together."
"That's exactly what strength is." Alpin's voice was quiet but firm. "Holdin' yerself taegether when everythin' wants tae break ye apart. Keepin' goin' when it would be easier tae give up. Ye've done that every single day since the auction."
Mhairi was quiet fer a long moment.
"I couldnae have done it alone."
"Ye shouldnae have tae dae it alone. That's what..." He caught himself. "That's what people are fer. Helpin' each other."
"Is that what we're daein'? Helpin' each other?"
"Aye." Though it felt like so much more than that. "Among other things."
"What other things?"
Alpin guided Dùbh around a fallen log, using the movement as an excuse not to answer. They were getting close now––he could see the treeline thinning ahead.
"We're almost there," he said.
"Ye still havenae told me where 'there' is."
"Because it's better if ye see it."
They emerged from the trees onto a small rise overlooking a wide meadow. Below, a stream cut through the grass, glinting silver in the afternoon sun. And beyond that, scattered across the hillside, were horses.
At least two dozen of them, grazing peacefully in the open space. Mares with foals, a few young stallions, several older geldings. All of them wearing the MacDougal brand.
Mhairi's breath caught. "They're beautiful."
