Page 54 of Highland Sky

Chapter Fifteen

“Icanna believe that ye never told me yer parents were killed by my clan.” Kellina sat on the bench seat of the wagon next to Nash as they headed home. Since the wagon was loaded down with thatch, their things were secured on Nash’s horse. The horse’s reins were tied to the back of the wagon. Caitlin rode double with North, and Jamie was with Fergus.

“Ye never asked me,” he answered nonchalantly.

“Well, ye could have offered the information. After all, I’d think it was important to ye to let me ken.”

“Aye, it is important,” he told her. “But ye were so busy goin’ on and on about how much ye hated the MacKeefes for what they did that I didna see any point even bringin’ it up.”

“Ye saw no point in it?” She was back to blinking those damned long lashes again. “Nash, ye sound as if ye dinna even care.”

“Of course, I do,” he spat. “I buried my parents the same as ye did, no’ even bein’ able to do anythin’ to stop them from dyin’.”

“Where were ye? When it happened?” she asked.

“North and I were tendin’ the sheep that day. I kent somethin’ was amiss because my parents left quickly without even sayin’ guidbye. The next thing I kent, the chieftain told me my parents were dead.”

Nash slipped back into his thoughts of that horrible day when he was only twelve years old.

“That’s the last of the sheep,” Nash told his brother. “Now, they’re all safe in the pen. Let’s go and tell Mathair and Da. They said when we completed our chores we were goin’ to spend the rest of the day as a family, and I canna wait.”

“Ye just want to show Faither how guid ye’re gettin’ with the sword he gave ye,” said North. “Even though we both ken ye’re just braggin’. I can beat ye with a blade any day.”

“Ye canna.”

“I can so.”

“I think ye just wanted the sword I got but Faither let me choose first since I am his favorite and was the firstborn twin.”

“Ye might be Faither’s favorite, but I’ve always held Mathair’s heart,” said North.

“Well, let’s go ask them, shall we?”

“I think that is a guid idea.”

They turned to start down the hill, but stopped in their tracks.

“Why are Mathair and Da leavin’ without us?” asked North as he and Nash saw their parents on horseback, leaving camp.

“Wait for us!” Nash called out, waving his hand above his head.

His father didn’t stop, but kept on riding. Their mother stopped and looked back at them, but didn’t say a word. Nash felt it in his heart that something was very wrong. His mother had such a sad look on her face that it almost made Nash want to cry.

“Wait! We’re done with our chores. We’ll come with ye,” called out North, but their parents did not heed the request.

“Somethin’ is wrong,” said Nash. “I feel it deep inside. We are never goin’ to see our parents again.”

Their father called out to their mother, and she turned around and headed out of camp, never saying a word to them.

“Where are they goin’?” cried North. “We were supposed to spend time together as a family. I’ve got to stop them.”

He started to run, but Nash grabbed his arm.

“It’s too late, North. They left, and we will never see them again.”

“Dinna say that. Ye lie,” bellowed North, breaking away and running down the hill.

“Guidbye, Mathair. Guidbye, Faither,” whispered Nash, running after his brother, knowing that they were too late. That was the last time they would ever see their parents alive.