Page 25 of Highlander’s Ancient Vengeance

“Malle MacEwan,” he said huskily, kissing her hand, “will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

For a moment, she was stunned with disbelief, then she threw her arms around his neck.“Yes, Craig, I will!” she replied joyfully. She had been hoping to be his since the moment she saw him. And now she knew she could trust him. Most of all because she felt it in her bones. This man was made for her. And she was made for him.

“You are everything to me Craig. But...what will our parents think?”

16

Recovering

“Thank you, thank you Malle!” he said fervently, and his face was lit up with happiness for a moment before clouding over with pain again. “We can worry about our parents later. At this moment all I want to do is get home.” He looked very pale and tired. He glanced up at the darkening sky, then he sighed and gave her a weary smile. “At least we know the truth about the feud, and that Fergus was innocent. I am glad to hear that, and to know that his family still has its land.”

“Alan was a cruel man,” she agreed. “But he was too cowardly to take on a strong man. Look what happened when he did.” She looked at the maimed body, which she had covered with her cloak, and shivered.

“I will have some men come to clear this mess up,” Craig said, with disgust in his voice. “Unless the wolves and foxes get it first. Still, Alan might have been a scoundrel, but he has answered many questions, Malle, and now we can right many wrongs.”

“Yes,” she said sadly, “we know who killed Isobell now.” She was looking down at her hands, in which she was idly twisting a leaf.

He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes, smiling. “You have eyes the color of sage leaves,” he whispered as he kissed her again.

“And yours are the color of the sea on a stormy day.” She smiled and pushed him away gently. “I found a few letters, and more entries in Isobell’s diaries. I was coming to show you. We can look through them together later.”

Craig looked up at the sky, which was darkening with every second.

“I think we had better go home, Malle, or back to my home, which will soon be yours.” He smiled.

“I cannot wait,” she replied.

She joined her hands under his unhurt foot and hoisted him up with as much strength as she could muster as he scrambled into the saddle.

Malle had trained Arthur to kneel on command, and it would have been easier for Craig to ride the big horse, but he would not tolerate any rider but Malle. Now, it was an easy matter for her to sit astride him as he stood up, and they went back to Dunbar Castle at a slow walk. As well as his sore foot, Craig had several sword cuts, bruises, and grazes, and Malle had the same as well as a whole head of luxuriant hair in which thousands of pine needles were embedded.

“You look like a haystack,” Craig told her, smiling painfully as he tried to put a little humor into the situation.

“Thank you,” she replied dryly. “You look very fetching too.”

Then they laughed, but Malle suddenly thought of what they had left behind. “At least your head is still attached to your body.” She sounded sad. “I know that he was out of his mind and a killer, but his was still a human life.”

“Do not try to make me feel any worse than I do already, Malle.” He sighed. “It was kill or be killed.”

“I know, love,” she replied, leaning over to squeeze his hand. “And if you had not been there to save me I would not be here now.”

“And if you had not pulled the knife out of my foot, I would not be here either,” he replied. “So our scores are even, my darling.”

They ambled wearily back to the castle, but when they got there, Malle found that she did not have the strength to dismount from Arthur, and one of the stable hands had to lift her down.

Craig felt ashamed that he could not help her, but he was in so much pain that he could hardly walk, and had to be helped to a bedroom on the ground floor of the castle so that he could be tended to.

Malle, who had not recovered from her first attack before being subjected to a second one, was helped to another room and put to bed before passing out.

Craig’s foot was washed with wine and bandaged, then Jessie, the wise woman, gave him some poppy milk for the pain. But before he slept he had to know about Malle.

“How is she?” Craig asked anxiously. “Is she in pain?”

“We hae gied her a wee bit milk o’ the poppy, M’laird,” Jessie answered, “an’ washed her wi’ wine. She isnae any worse than you are! Now go tae sleep.”

Reassured, Craig did as he was bidden.

When they got back from the horse fair, Margaret was excited to show Malle the beautiful little dappled gray mare she had just bought. Malle loved horses, and went for a ride on a daintier one now and again. Margaret wanted her advice on the choice of a name. Although Malle chose to ride on a huge beast like Arthur, she would not say no to a ride on a daintier mount. However, Margaret had purchased the little palfrey for herself, and she knew that they were going to treasure each other for a long time.