The laird shook his head, sadness flickering in his eyes. “Nay, lass. I haven’t had anyone at mah table since the battle.”
Ferra’s heart wrenched in sadness. “There was a great loss.”
He nodded, staring down at his plate. “Aye, there was. I was so distraught over Kaiden’s injury that I didnae realize how many we lost until days later. It has taken a while for our ranks tae grow again, and I fear some of them are far too green tae be on a battlefield.”
“So, the battle isnae over?” Ferra questioned.
“Nay, lass,” the laird sighed. “’Tis far from over. ’Tis why I need Kaiden tae fight, tae not give up. I need him as the laird, commanding the warriors he has grown up with. He is, err,wasa feared warrior before this all happened.”
What Ferra heard was a tired, aging laird that was worried for his clan. Reaching over, she touched his hand, hoping she could provide some strength for him at least. “I will try mah best.”
He gave her a kind smile. “’Tis wot I was hoping for, lass. On the morrow, ye will meet his second-in-command, and he can show ye the village.”
“I would like tae speak tae his healer,” Ferra added. There was no better way to know what she was up against than to learn about his wound before she saw it.
“Of course,” the laird stated, removing his hand from hers. “I didnae realize that she had told him that his leg would need tae be removed.”
Ferra was surprised herself. To remove a limb was certain death, to begin with. The entire lot was messy, and Sorcha had often told her that the infection would kill the patient before the loss of their limb would. That and no person would be the same if it came to that drastic of a measure, especially not someone like Kaiden.
“I wilnae let that happen,” she promised.
The laird gave her a tight nod. “Eat yer supper, lass, and let me tell ye of mah son.”
Later, after supper, Ferra found herself outside Kaiden’s chamber, her hand raised to knock. She didn’t know what had propelled her to come to his door, and now that she was here, she didn’t want to knock. What sort of man was Kaiden? The laird had given her a brief glimpse of the precocious bairn he had been, spending most of his days in the warriors’ barracks rather than at the right hand of his father. It had been explained to her that the lady of the keep had died a few days after a harsh childbirth, and since their match had been one of love, the laird had never remarried to have any other heirs.
Kaiden was all he had.
That was one of the many reasons she couldn’t let the stubborn warrior die. His father needed him. His clan needed him. It was simply a miracle he had made it this far.
Ferra lowered her hand, walking away before she did something rash. She would give him the night to mull over what his father had done for him, and once she had a chance to speak to the healer, she would have a better thought to the plan of getting the future laird out of his bed.
She had been brought here for a purpose—one that she was determined to see through.
The next morning, after she had a simple fare for breakfast, a handsome Scot strolled into the keep, dropping to one knee. “I am Erik,” he said, placing his fist over his heart as a sign of loyalty. “The laird’s second-in-command.”
“Rise, please,” she told him, watching as he rose from his position. While handsome, it was hard not to notice the slash of a sword’s point to the right side of his face, ravaging his beautiful features. He also favored his left leg, giving Ferra an indication that the Scot had also had his share of injuries. “I’m Ferra.”
“Erik,” he restated, his eyes wary. “Ye are tae be Kaiden’s wife?”
She nodded. “Though he’s not tae fond of the idea right now.”
Erik shot her a quick grin. “He will get used tae the idea, trust me. Are ye ready for yer view of our fair clan?”
She accepted his proffered arm, deciding that she liked the second-in-command. “Tell me, how long have ye known him?”
Erik chuckled as he led her out into the brilliant morning sunshine. “All mah life. Kaiden and I terrorized more than one Scot in our youth. While he’s mah future laird, he’s more like a brother tae me.”
Ferra could feel the warmth of his words settle into her bones. “He’s lucky tae have ye care for him.”
“Aye,” Erik said softly as they moved outside the courtyard and into the small village bustling with morning activity. “And I will be forever grateful if ye can get him out of that bed.”
Now she would have to add Erik to her list of reasons for Kaiden to get better.
“Were ye with him when he was injured?”
Another nod. “He went up against a Scot twice his size,” Erik replied as they moved through the village. “He would be dead right now if I hadnae seen the death blow coming and was able to intercede.” His voice broke, and he cleared it before continuing. “I dragged him out of that battlefield mahself, thinking he was already dead.”
“Ye saved his life,” Ferra reminded him, giving his arm a squeeze, “and found yer injuries in return.”
