Chapter Six
The sun hadbarely risen when an urgent message reached the McAfee keep. Ailis, breathing in crisp morning air from her open window, noticed a winded young boy speaking earnestly with her father. As she watched their exchange, she could tell by the boy’s gestures that someone needed her help.
Ailis donned her cloak and hurried through the stone corridors, her footsteps echoing against the walls. Her heart pounded in time with her strides. There was no time for delay. Over one arm was the bag filled with her herbs and other medicinal tools.
She followed the boy to a small hamlet where concerned villagers circled a man whose leg suffered from a misfortunate fall. As Ailis approached, the onlookers fell silent. She knelt beside the injured man, her hands steady and sure. The steadfast resolve within her eyes mirrored the surrounding landscape.
“Ye be brave,” she whispered to the villager as she cleansed and bound his wound. She had dealt with many wounds such as his, and she had no doubt she’d deal with many more. Her mother had been a healer before her death, and her grandmother who had died the previous year had taught Ailis all she knew of healing. With each motion of cloth and knot of a bandage, Ailis could sense the man calming down.
She found that healing people this way did her more good than it did them. She loved to help others, and she was certain that it came through when she engaged in the healing arts. Thisact surpassed obligation. It was good to be there for others and engage in simple acts of kindness.
As she finished tending to the injury, and the villager’s relief grew apparent, Ailis allowed herself a small smile—her duty fulfilled. Yet personal yearning still smoldered quietly within her, ever contrasting her responsibilities. She still had to speak with Lachlan and Ian about her decision from the previous day.
Ailis finished the knot and glanced up, spotting a figure at the clearing’s edge. Draped in McAfee tartan, the man stood haloed by the setting sun. Though familiar in attire, he remained a stranger to her.
Drawn by his quiet strength and stillness, Ailis approached him carefully. Her heart pounded with a cautious rhythm.
“Good sir,” she began, concealing her curiosity. “I am Ailis McAfee. May I ask yer purpose here? New faces are rare in these parts, and ye’re even wearing our family’s colors.”
As he turned to face her, Ailis sensed the weight of his gaze—a heavy scrutiny that seemed to assess more than her words. The air filled with anticipation, awaiting his response.
The man’s smile spread across his face. “A pleasure to meet ye, Ailis,” he replied, his voice smooth as aged leather. “I am Cameron, returned from distant lands to visit me grandparents who dwell here.”
Ailis stepped closer, curiosity stirring within her. “Yer journey must have been arduous. The Highlands can be unkind to those unfamiliar with our ways.”
“Aye they can,” Cameron conceded, a light dancing in his eyes. “But no road is too treacherous when it leads to family. And witnessing yer care for our kin has been heartening.”
Ailis flushed. “I only take care of me father’s people,” she murmured. “The bonds of a clan are not easily broken.”
Cameron closed the distance between them, the fading light framing his face. “Yer dedication speaks of a kind and courageous heart, Ailis—a rare and admirable thing.”
She bore the weight of his gaze, full of earnestness and recognition of quiet strength. “Yer words honor me,” Ailis replied steadily. “Though it is me duty to provide aid where I can. I’m now the only healer in the clan, and I go where I’m needed.”
“Perhaps,” Cameron agreed, his smile lingering like the last rays of sunlight on the horizon. “But ye do so with a grace that transcends obligation.”
In that moment, duty and curiosity intertwined within Ailis as she stood before this man who saw her worth beyond merely being a healer.
Cameron briefly stepped away, leaving Ailis in the quiet hamlet. He returned with a handful of wildflowers. Their colors were vivid.
“For ye.” He offered the bouquet. “A token for yer kindness and beauty.”
Ailis accepted the flowers, her fingers brushing his. Their fragrance intermingled with the earthy air around them as she held them close.
“Thank ye, Cameron,” she replied sincerely. “I’ll treasure these blooms and their meaning.”
As they strolled through the village, twilight enveloped them. Cameron shared stories of his grandparents and clan life, revealing both respect for tradition and aspirations beyond their homeland.
“And what of yer dreams, Ailis?” he asked. “Does yer heart desire more than these hills?”
She hesitated before answering. “There is much to cherish here.” She glanced at the distant mountains. “But I’m curious about what lies beyond. However, me duty is to me clan—and Iwill always fulfill those duties. I think I’d miss the Highlands if I ever went elsewhere.”
Cameron nodded. “Our obligations shape us, but shouldn’t we heed our desires? Aren’t we a blend of duties and dreams?”
The poignant question lingered as Ailis was torn between loyalty and personal fulfillment. In Cameron’s presence, she found a kindred spirit who understood this delicate balance.
Ailis walked beside Cameron through the hamlet as she lightly brushed the wildflower petals he had given her. The breeze carried the scent of peat fires and fresh earth. He spoke often of his grandparents and their stories.
“The heather is especially vibrant this season,” Cameron remarked, pointing toward the purple fields beyond the settlement. “It reminds me of our people.”
