Ossian shrugged. “We wanted the best man,” he said. “But ye were the best. I’ll not hold it against ye.”
“I’m glad tae hear ye’ll be holding no grudges because I whipped yer lad.”
Cam said it in a jesting manner, but Ossian looked at him rather seriously. “Issie had her eye on ye from the start,” he said. “I suppose there was never any question that ye would be the warrior we brought home, though we put up a good fight. In the end, she always gets her way.”
“Does she?”
“Always,” Ewan spoke up, moving for the door. “What Issie wants, she gets, and she wanted ye. I hope ye can live up tae her expectations.”
Ewan and Ossian were heading out of the door, into the icy morning beyond. Cam watched them go, lifting his eyebrows.
“I hope I already have,” he muttered.
But they didn’t hear him as he followed them outside. At dawn, Auchnacree was already bustling, villagers wanting to conclude their business before more rains inevitably came. Cartloads of winter root vegetables were being brought into town and hunters were carrying lines of grouse and other small birds to sell to hungry customers.
“This time of year, the hunters come down from the mountains with their catches,” Ewan said. “The shepherds drive their sheep up high for the winter but bring the cattle down. Some days ye’ll find cattle in town.”
Cam was interested in his surroundings, this bustling village tucked away from the world. “’Tis the same in Netherton,” he said. “We even have men come in from the sea with fish and seal hides.”
Ewan dodged a dog as he walked alongside Cam. “Have ye seen Netherton since ye left for The Cal?” he asked. “Have ye ever gone back?”
Cam shook his head. “Nay.”
“How long have ye been gone?”
“Since it was burned.”
Ewan glanced at him. “They’re rebuilding,” he said. “Trying tae, anyway. There are people living there.”
Cam thought on his village, as he knew it. He felt a huge amount of loyalty to it and hearing they were trying to rebuild, he felt some guilt for not helping, for not being there to raise walls and restore his village. But he felt strongly that his path lay elsewhere, with punishing those responsible.
“Not everyone was killed,” he said. “Many were, but not everyone. Those who live in Netherton are strong.”
“Will ye ever return?”
“There is nothing there for me any longer.”
“I’m not sure I could return tae Auchnacree if it had been burned away.”
“Hopefully, ye’ll never have tae find out.”
Surprisingly, Ewan let the subject drop. He may have been tactless at times, but he knew what a sore subject the fall of Netherton was with a man who suffered through it. If there had been any animosity between Cam and the brothers before, Ewan was trying to make amends.
Looking for a change of subject, he could see his great-aunt, Clova, as the woman sat in front of her cottage on the hillside holding her customary bundle of smoking weeds. He pointed to her.
“We’ll visit Aunt Clova first,” he said. “Even more than my da, she controls things in Auchnacree.”
Cam could see the old woman as they headed up the rocky path. “What are those weeds she’s holding?” he asked. “She had them the other night, too.”
Ewan was leading the way, trying not to slip on the slick mud. “Hemp,” he said. “She burns hemp and inhales the smoke.She travels with those smelly weeds everywhere she goes, but sometimes that bloody smoke makes my head swim.”
Cam thought it was all a bit odd as he followed Ewan all the way up to the cottage where the old women sat in her chair, tendrils of blue smoke curling around her face. Ewan lifted a hand to her in greeting.
“Aunty,” he called. “I’ve brought The Lion tae ye this morning.”
Old Clova fixed her gaze on him and as Cam drew near, he could see that one of her eyes was clouded over. He hadn’t noticed that before.
“Good morn tae ye, m’lady,” he said.
