***
The storm wasn’t done yet. He’d slept heartily and then breakfasted with his sire, who’d informed him the two blackguards they’d met last night had been taken care of by the guards. One wasn’t too happy to be locked up alone, and his partner was, of course, dead.
Thorn found his weapons, cleaning and polishing the sword Connor had made for him in the snow, wiping Ewan’s touch from it. The prized weapon was now back in its sheath where it belonged.
Thorn sat down and greeted everyone, then looked at Dyna. “Claray? Did she not come with you?”
Dyna usually never hesitated to speak, but she looked to Derric, who explained, “Claray convinced us to go after you when you disappeared. We waited for Loki’s group to return home in case they found you. When they sent a messenger back saying they’d found no sign of you, we agreed to search for you.”
“Good, so you left her home.”
Derric glanced at Dyna but said nothing. She finally admitted, “Claray was with us, but we lost her in the storm.”
Thorn jumped out of his seat, panic swamping him. “You lost her? She’s dead?”
“Nay, nay, she’s in a cave. One we all know well,” Derric said, pushing down on Thorn’s shoulders to get him back into the chair.
“How do you know that?”
Dyna coughed and said, “Riley had a dream. Then last eve several of us had dreams.”
Thorn stood up again, this time bellowing. “What the hell does a dream have to do with any of this? I have to go after her. She could be anywhere! She could be out there on her last breath.”
Dyna shook her head and grasped his hand. “Nay, you don’t understand. We all dreamed about Grandmama and Grandsire. All of us. They found Claray in the snow and got her inside the cave, warmed her, and left her with food. They made her promise to stay until we came for her.”
“Ghosts? You’re telling me you stopped looking for her because you shared a dream? All of you are daft. I’m going after her.”
Even if they were right, and Claray was safe in a cave, he hated the thought of her all alone, frightened. There could be spiders in the cave, and she hated being in the dark…
“Nay, please don’t go yet, Thorn,” Dyna said. “I’ll go with you. Allow me to dress.”
But Thorn was already half the distance to the door. “Never mind. I’ll find her myself.”
“Take two guards with you,” Dyna yelled after him. “She’s in that cave near the abbey.”
“How the hell would you know that?” Thorn yelled back over his shoulder.
Logan Ramsay bellowed, “Because Alex and Maddie told us all and you don’t doubt spirits.”
He wasn’t sure if he believed that, but he didn’t have time for a discussion, so he just nodded. He had to find her.
He loved her.
Chapter Fifteen
Claray woke up, surprised at how warm she’d been all night. She peered out through the mouth of the cave, shocked at the amount of snow she saw. The drifts had blown inside the cave, so she bent over and ate several mouthfuls of the cool snow, rinsing her mouth of the night’s sleep.
She giggled as she looked out. It was still snowing and the wind blew the flakes in a transfixing pattern across the landscape, but it had slowed down. She loved the look of pine trees after a nice snowfall, the white confection bending their branches down a bit, a stark contrast to the green needles.
Everything was white, and now that she was safe, she could admit it was quite beautiful. So beautiful it prompted her to stand in the snow, tip her head back a wee bit, and stick her tongue out to try to catch snowflakes as they fell. She giggled every time one touched her tongue, but then turned back toward the cave.
It was still too cold outside, and she didn’t know how to start a fire. It should have been impossible, but the cave still felt slightly warm from the fire her grandparents had left for her. After retreating to the darkness around the bend of the cave, she found a stone to sit on that gave her perfect light to continue her drawings. Pulling out the ones she’d worked on already, she smiled when she saw how beautiful the colors were in the daylight.
Then something else caught her attention. Whether it had been a dream or a true visit from her grandparents’ spirits, she now had a perfect memory of her beloved grandsire’s smile fresh in her mind.
She worked diligently for three or four hours before she decided to get up and stretch her legs. The wind had nearly stopped, so she wrapped a scarf around her face and ventured out to take care of her needs. Before she headed back in, she had to stop under the trees to stare up at the sky. The sun had finally come out and the sparkle of the snowflakes was quite spellbinding, as if the rolling hills of snow were covered with glittering gemstones. Enthralled, she threw her arms overhead and giggled, all the fright having left her last eve. Grandmama and Grandsire had said she would be saved, and she believed them.
She moved back inside, biting into a cherry red apple, then piled her finished drawings inside the packaging and tied them up to protect them from the elements. Her last picture was going to be of the splendor of the world around her, if it was possible to capture it on paper.
When she finished that, she set it in with the other pictures and listened, hearing an odd sound beyond the cave. A horse. She was quite sure it was a couple of horses drawing near. Gathering her things, she put them in her saddlebag and then moved to the mouth of the cave.
Three horses came toward her, and to her surprise, Thorn rode the first mount. When he drew closer, he dropped off his horse and hurried to her.
“Claray, you are hale?”
“Aye,” she said, holding her arms out to him, and he ran into them, wrapping his arms around her before he kissed her quickly.
He ended the kiss and looked at her. “You are beautiful. I cannot believe you survived this on your own. Your sister is verra worried.”
“And we were worried about you. I thought I’d never see you again.” She touched her finger to his lower lip, and he growled, kissing her hard, their heat steaming the air around them. She parted her lips for him and he touched his tongue to hers, exploring her mouth the way she wished he would explore her everywhere.
When he ended the kiss, he locked his gaze on hers and whispered, “I love you. Will you marry me?”
“Truly, Thorn? You mean it?” Claray was so taken aback that her heart threatened to burst into a thousand pieces.
“Aye, I mean it. I’ve been doing much thinking on this journey. I want you by my side, always. Life is never so bright as when you’re with me. We can live at Grant Castle or Castle Curanta. Whatever pleases you.” His face had that wide smile she loved so.
She cupped his face, trying to keep the happy tears from covering her own, but that quickly ended when they froze halfway down. “Aye, naught would please me more. But why did you run away? I was so worried about you.”
Her grandparents had said they’d guided him to do something, but she wished to hear the story from him.
He sighed and kissed her forehead. “I had something I needed to do. I’ll tell you all about it, but first I need to get you back to your sister.”
“Where is she?” She stepped out of his arms and gathered the last of her things while he took her saddlebag out to tie it to his horse. When he returned, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her out to his horse.
“Thorn,” she giggled. “I’m quite capable of walking.”
“The snow is too deep for your tender feet. I don’t want them to get any colder than they already are. You can tell me everything once we get back to Cameron keep, where she and Derric are waiting for us. I’ll set you directly in front of the warm hearth.”
He got her settled on his horse and climbed up behind her.
“Don’t worry, lass. I’ll keep you warm until then.”
She couldn’t have asked for anything more. Her grandparents had saved her, the man she loved had found her, and now she was to be married.
Thorn did a
fine job leading them back across Cameron land, the sunbeams striking the landscape, making it sparkle and shine. “Thorn, isn’t it beautiful? With the sun out, the snow sparkles like diamonds. I’ve never seen it more stunning. This has turned out to be a most wondrous day. One I’ll never forget, and to think…it happened away from Grant land.” Perhaps she could convince herself to let go of her old fears.
Especially now that she knew she had two special angels watching over her. She couldn’t wait to tell Thorn all about it.
“The only thing more beautiful is you, lass. I thought I’d lost you.”
“So now please tell me. Where did you go?”
He heaved a weary sigh. “When I saw the pain your mother was in, I left because the guilt was too much for me to bear, but then I decided to look for my sire and return after Yule. I intended to send a messenger back, but a gang of reivers set on me and made me take them to Lochluin Abbey to steal coin for them.”
“Oh, Thorn. How awful. How did you get away?” She watched him over her shoulder, knowing from the clench of his jaw that there was more emotion involved in this story than he’d admitted. But she’d give him the time to tell her what had happened at his own pace.
“Oddly enough, I met my sire there. He’s been working in the abbey for some time now. He’s nearly blind, and he thought working for the nuns would make up for leaving me. He wasn’t able to come back to Edinburgh for several years, so he believed Nari and I were dead. But I’m glad I found him. I offered him a home at Clan Grant, but he declined and I promised to return in the spring or summer. My sire and I got rid of the reivers, so they’ll not bother us again.”
“Should I ask?”
“Nay, the important part of the story is that I found my sire and he wishes us well. Now, more than ever, I’m eager to make you my wife. He helped me understand life in a new way. It made me realize that sometimes things happen for unexpected reasons.”
She stared at him, wide-eyed. “I think you are correct.” She thought about what her grandparents had told her, about the nudge they’d given Thorn.
“I regret that I ran from you. It wasn’t my bravest moment, but if I hadn’t ridden off, I never would have found my sire. I may not have realized just how much you mean to me, lass. And naught is more important than that…than you.” He kissed her cheek.
Claray leaned back against him, and his arm wrapped around her, his closeness soothing her in a way she couldn’t explain. Had she ever been happier than she was at this moment?
She thought not.
When they reached Cameron keep, Thorn took Claray directly up the shoveled path to the keep, knowing the snow was too deep for her to navigate. As soon as they arrived, Dyna opened the door and raced outside, a squeal coming from her. “Claray, are you hale? I was so worried about you, but Grandmama came to me in a dream and told me you were fine, and I was going to come after you anyway, but Derric made me wait, and I was so hoping Thorn would find you…”
Claray couldn’t help but laugh at her sister’s exuberance. “I’ve never heard you talk so much, Dyna. I am fine, and I’ve never been happier. Thank you for helping me.”
Thorn helped her down and a stable lad came for their horse.
Dyna hugged her quickly, and Claray’s first thought was that her sister must love her quite a bit to carry on so. That thought warmed her heart very much. Once inside, they were greeted by so many loved ones, including her Ramsay aunts and uncles, that Claray thought her heart would burst.
But she wouldn’t settle, not completely, until she saw her mother and knew she was well. After Thorn got her seated comfortably in a chair by the hearth, she turned toward the group and asked, “How long before we can travel?”
Derric said, “We’ll have to patrol a bit and see how deep the snow is. Alasdair and Els will go with me.” The two nodded in unison behind him, but then they hesitated when Aedan held his hand up.
Aedan came down the staircase and said, “On the morrow.”
“You’re certain of that?” Dyna asked. “Why so sure of yourself?”
Aedan didn’t say much, just said, “Another dream. Alex said we’re to leave on the morrow. Brin, Tara, and Riley, you’re coming with us. Logan, you still headed in that direction, even with the snow?”
“Onward to Grant land. I don’t argue with spirits in dreams.”
“We’ll leave soon,” Dyna said. “Our warhorses can get through, and I wish to get home and see Mama. We’ll ready the castle for all of you.”
Derric shook his head and said, “Dyna, you are too impatient.”
“Aye, but I have to see Mama.”
“Fine. We’ll leave at high noon. Give the sun the chance to melt the snow.”
All were stunned into silence for a moment, but Claray’s squeals of joy then echoed off the rafters. “Yule is coming and we’ll all be together!”
A few cheers carried across the hall at the prospect of heading to Grant land.
“And Thorn asked me to marry him!”
***
Thorn had to admit that the closer they came to arriving on Grant land, the more his stomach churned. It had turned out to be a lovely trip because the sun had melted enough of the snow for the horses to navigate the route easily. He’d sent a messenger to tell his sire they were headed back to Grant land and would return in the spring. The journey was easier than they’d thought it would be. The wind had been strong which left much of their path bare, tall snow drifts off to the sides.
Nothing slowed their progress, so they arrived as planned by the end of the second day after they left Cameron land. Thorn knew what he had to do.
First, he had to apologize to Sela Grant and see how she fared.
Then he had to apologize to Kyla Grant because she had hurt her ankle, too.
Then he needed to apologize to Connor Grant and ask for Claray’s hand in marriage.
He loved Claray and wished to take her for his wife. The sooner the better. He could only hope his cowardice had not changed Connor’s opinion of him for the worse. Talking with his father had made him look at everything differently. He was so glad he’d been given that opportunity.
Once they arrived, he helped Claray down and then stayed behind to settle the horses, not surprised to see Claray run off with her sister to check on Sela. Derric made his way over and, keeping his voice down, asked, “You’re going to do the right thing, are you not, Thorn?”
He said, “Aye. I will see Connor after I check on Sela. I hope she is healing.”
They made their way inside and he was surprised to see Sela Grant seated in a chair by the hearth, Jennie Grant beside her. He immediately made his way over to the hearth, but Claray stepped in front of him and whispered, “She’s better and her leg will heal, so you need not push yourself.”
He cocooned her hands in his and said, “Aye, lass. I must make amends. I acted in haste and it is partially my fault.” She stepped back, and he pulled a stool over in front of Sela. Once he set the stool down, he asked, “May I have a moment of your time, my lady?”
“Aye,” Sela said, “I’m pleased to see you’ve returned, Thorn. Later I’ll ask my daughters exactly what transpired on this trip, but I’m pleased to see you all hale after traveling through a snowstorm.”
“Aye,” he said, still mulling over his words but deciding to be direct. “My deepest apologies for acting in haste the other day and causing the fall that injured you so badly. If I could take it back, I would. I also regret that I left…it was foolish and hasty.”
“Apology accepted, Thorn. We all had a small part in this big mistake.”
“I hope your pain is better and that you will heal properly.”
“Gracie and Merelda did a fine job positioning the bone,” Jennie said. “I don’t think she’ll have any residual effects of the break at all. It seems to be healing verra well.”
“And with that pinch of powder in my drink every night, I sleep just fine,” she said, with a grin that told him she must be talk
ing about the opium powder.
“How is Kyla?” he said, afraid to ask because he didn’t see her.
“She just had some swelling for a day or two. She’s fine now.” Jennie waved her hand in dismissal at him, so he turned to walk away, only to find himself staring at Connor Grant’s chest.
“If you’re finished speaking with my wife, I’d like to speak to you privately in my solar, Thorn.”
Those words would have normally struck panic into Thorn—this was his mentor, his hero—but Claray loved him, and Sela had forgiven him, and he felt surprisingly brave.
“Connor, leave the man be,” Sela said. “Allow him to at least get an ale first.”
Connor glanced at Thorn. “I’m sure he doesn’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all.” Connor turned around, so Thorn followed him, striding past Claray, whom he heard say, “Papa, please.”
Connor ignored her and continued on. Once inside the solar, he pointed to a chair for Thorn and closed the door before he took a seat behind one of the desks.
“You are hale, Thorn? I am pleased to see both Dyna and Claray are well, despite being out in that storm. If you helped with that at all, you have my gratitude, but they wouldn’t have been out there if not for your rash decision to leave without telling anyone where you were going.”
Thorn couldn’t deny that Connor was right. He had to take responsibility for his poor decisions.
“My sincerest apologies for my thoughtless act. I planned to send a messenger back, but I was set upon by a group of reivers.”
“And where were you headed when you left? Did you have a destination in mind?”
“Originally, nay. I played a part in the accident that harmed your wife, and it upset me to see her in pain. Guilt got the best of me. But I had always wanted to find my father, and it occurred to me it might be good to seek him out before I married. I felt a strange pull to look for him, even though my previous attempts had been fruitless.”
“And did you?”
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