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“Come on, girl. One swift ride home and there will be a nice treat for ye,” Maura whispered. The horses trotted away and left the McGrory castle behind. The dark shape blotted out the stars behind them; it looked as though they were riding away from an abyss. Maura swallowed her fear as they rode through the darkness, their path illuminated by the moon. There were hoots of owls and howls of wolves in the distance. The night was filled with all manner of terrible things, but she hoped that she was protected because her heart was pure. They rode steadily and slowly, unable to gallop at top speed because it was unsafe. But as soon as the dawn sun rose, casting its golden fingers across the land, they geed their horses on and increased their pace. The forest whipped by in a blur of green and brown. This was no time to take in the sights and scents of a lazy ride through the forest. They were riding for their lives. Occasionally, Maura would twist her neck around in case anyone was following them, but the path was clear, and she felt relieved at leaving their troubles behind.

It wasn’t long before she returned to familiar territory. Her heart leaped at the blossoming flowers and the familiar old gnarled trees that guided her along the path to home. Tears filled her eyes as her gaze fell upon her home. It felt as though she had been away for an eternity. She nudged Scone forward as they emerged from the forest and traveled to the stables.

People were shocked to see her and gasped in surprise at her unexpected arrival. Unlike in the McGrory clan, people were actually happy to see her and she had almost forgotten what it was like to feel loved. They recoiled a little when they saw Kevan with her, though, especially considering the condition he was in. Maura couldn’t waste any time with pleasantries, however. She had to get back to her father.

When Maura walked into the castle, Niall flung his arms around her. He was standing with Moira, and then Moira had a hug. After the reunion had been made, they greeted Kevan, who bowed stiffly and apologized for his appearance.

“What are ye daeing here?” Niall asked, his gaze lingering upon Kevan.

“This is why we’re here,” Maura said, and gestured to Kevan’s appearance. She went on to explain what happened. Moira and Niall both looked shocked.

“They would attack their own laird like this?” Moira gasped.

“They hae their reasons,” Kevan said. Maura glared at him, annoyed that he would still defend his people like this after what they had done.

“I take it yer marriage haes nae started off well,” Niall said dryly.

Maura pursed her lips. “They hae nae taken well tae me at all. Kevan is one of the few who hae treated me with kindness. He haes honored the deal that was made, but the rest seem tae hold me responsible for what happened.”

“And now they think Kevan was behind this all along, sae that he could seize power. Such paranoia…” Niall shook his head, amazed that something like this could happen.

“I’m sorry for bursting in on ye like this, but I haed nowhere else tae gae. We couldnae stay there. Nae when we might hae been attacked at any moment,” Maura said.

“Ye did the right thing.” Moira placed her arms around her daughter’s shoulders and helped her sit down. “Ye know ye are always welcome here. This will always be yer home, and we will always be yer family. We’ll dae anything we can tae help,” she said. Then, she called for some servants and a healer to properly see to Kevan’s wounds. She also arranged for a hearty meal to be brought to them. Niall said that he was going to find Ruairi, and then they would decide what was to be done about the matter.

“I dinnae think yer da was best pleased tae see me,” Kevan said wryly. He was looking better after the healers had given him some medicine and after he had something to eat. Maura was still pensive, though, afraid that a storm was brewing on the horizon and that it would flood them all with sorrow and despair.

“I believe he was just shocked,” Maura said.

“It was more than that. I suppose I cannae blame him. It cannae be reassuring tae see yer daughter’s husband beaten like a thief.”

“Ye dinnae hae tae worry. They’ll help us,” Maura said, reaching out to caress his hand.

Kevan smiled. “Aye, and I wanted tae thank ye as well, for lying tae him about me.”

“What dae ye mean?”

“Ye told him that I was one of the few who made ye feel welcome, but that wasnae the case from the beginning.”

“Perhaps, but it is the case now, and that’s what matters,” Maura said definitively. Frankly, she would prefer to put those initial days behind her and never think about them again. Legally, the marriage may have begun when the vows were made, but Maura only considered them to be married once mutual respect had grown between them. Kevan didn’t directly address it, but he continued speaking.

“I was surprised at how quick they were tae support ye.”

“They’re my family.”

“Aye, but…I hae never haed that from Uncle Wallace. From John and Elise, aye, but from anyone else?” He looked troubled.

“What about yer da?”

“Da was never any good. Once Uncle Wallace came back, he turned tae drink. That’s why John and I were sae close. Uncle Wallace always told us that we haed tae rely on ourselves and we couldnae trust anyone else tae help us because favors always came at a price. But yer family arenae asking for a price, are they?”

Maura shook her head and looked at Kevan with pity. “The world doesnae work like yer uncle thinks. He might trade in favors, but nae all of us dae, especially nae when it comes tae family. Sometimes daeing the right thing is enough.”

“Then I’m glad we’re here. Hopefully, we’ll be able tae figure out a way tae get back home,” Kevan said.

Home. It is a funny word, Maura thought. He was the laird of a clan who didn’t want him, and yet he still saw it as his natural place. If the threat of war wasn’t so fierce then she might have suggested they stay with her parents, although she knew at the moment that Kevan would never agree to that. Home was supposed to conjure feelings of warmth, love, and comfort. She associated none of these things with the McGrory clan.

“Kevan, I need tae talk tae ye about something difficult as well,” she said. “When ye meet Ruairi again…how are ye gaeing tae feel?” she asked.