Highlander's Embrace

by Amy Isan

  She was nervous about revealing more of herself to Gavin, that he might judge her. Was it in her best interest to try and keep him interested? She never knew how to deal with men in her life. They always seemed too callous for her taste, which maybe rubbed off on her. What other way was there to be?

  ***

  Elyn rode up behind him this time. As the sun broke the horizon and bathed the highlands in warm, honeyed light, she couldn’t keep her eyes off his back. She touched her necklace and tried to remember his smell, the intoxicating, masculine scent of a highlander.

  As he rode across the shallow valleys and hills, he bounced on his saddle, his armor lightly clinking and resting between each footfall of Elspet. He did look majestic, and to Elyn, little more proud.

  She brought her horse up closer and rode next to him, basking in the warmth of the morning sun. It was certainly refreshing after riding all night long. Her nerves had exhausted her though, and she felt the tug of sleep pull at her eyelids. As if the excitement of being found and hunted down by two different clans wasn’t enough to keep her on edge.

  Gavin looked to her and gave her a pity. “We can stop to rest if you’d like. I can keep watch for any more of those men.”

  She shook her head, trying to fight off her sleepiness. Her hair latched across her cheeks and threatened to knot. “No, I can keep going.” She added with a nod of her head, “I have to keep going.”

  “I admire your fire, lass, but you donae have to prove anaething to me. I donae know how you made it through the highlands through that storm anyway.”

  She shook her head, fighting off her fatigue. “Rhys helped me... he always helps me. It usually feels like no one can.” Her mind clouded her thoughts, and she knew she was barely making any sense. “Sometimes, I feel like my sister donae even care about me.”

  “Now you’re speaking nonsense, lass,” Gavin said, clicking his tongue in disagreement.

  A few moments later, she felt herself slumping forward on her horse, a doze nearly tumbling her off. Gavin immediately reached over and snagged her by her arm, pulling her back up. She snapped awake and stared at his hand on her shoulder.

  “What happened?”

  “You fell asleep. Come on, we’re stopping.” He released her arm and slowed his horse down, bringing her over to a small clearing near a lochan. He dismounted and moved to meet her at the base of her horse. Gripping her waist, he helped her down and carried her near the base of the hill. He carefully laid her down and unlatched his cloak, throwing it on top of her. “Rest, runag. We’ll be okay.”

  She looked up at him and fluttered her eyes involuntarily. “Gavin...”

  “Aye?”

  “Thank you.”

  He flashed her a grin as she let herself fall sleep, too tired to even watch the smile fade from his lips and be replaced by a look of determination.

  Chapter 6: Gavin

  1540 — August 28th

  Gavin sighed, finally glad that she got to sleep. He knew she was too exhausted to keep going for the last couple of hours, but felt a fire burn in his chest for her spirit in trying to stay awake. When he was sure she was asleep, the gentle rise of her chest a sure sign, he folded his arms and looked over the horizon. The sun was warm, indeed, a welcome respite from the hell that was the previous night. The days felt long and twisted to Gavin.

  He glanced at his gauntlet and saw blood staining it. He wiped it on the grass and tried to decide how close they were to Castle Iverlochy. If they kept riding after she woke up, he was sure they could get there by the end of the day. They had made good time, especially for only traveling at night.

  Gavin figured staying off the roads helped. They were full of peddlers and mercenaries, and were suited for carriages with long travel times. Cutting straight through the highlands was definitely a wise choice. Maybe the only wise choice he had made on the whole trip, he lamented.

  The highlander looked back at Elyn and wondered where she came from. She was definitely a different breed than the women he was used to back at the castle, a lot of submissive harlots in his opinion. There was something about Elyn that stirred him deeply. He wanted to tell her that just before he spied her in the markets, he had decided to turn back and tell his father he would marry Katrine Maxwell after all. But after his heart tugged at him and threatened to break at the very sight of Elyn, he knew he couldn’t be with anyone else.

  He rubbed his forehead, pushing the thought away. It wasn’t very dutiful of him to be thinking such impure thoughts of a woman, no matter how feisty and frisky she was.

  But he did appreciate it. More than she could have known. He watched her sleep a little longer before heading down to the loch to see if he might be able to catch more food for them.

  There wasn’t any fallen timber nearby this time, which meant he’d have to try and catch the fish with his hands again. He sighed in disgust at the thought, wishing she was awake to perhaps help him. She seemed nimble, quick, sharp. He flushed at the thought of not being able to take his mind off the woman sleeping only hundreds of yards behind him. His cloak on her skin.

  When he had taken it back the other night, her scent had lingered on it for several hours. He didn’t dare show it, but he would get a brief whiff of it every once in a while, when the wind kicked up just right, and it would send his heart racing and soaring. He daresay her smell made his blood rush. He took off his gauntlets and threw them ashore, letting them clank and clatter against each other.

  He leaned down and coiled up his kilt again, making sure it was just high enough to give him mobility and not get wet. He waded into the loch and let the ice-cold water seep into his skin and bones. It was almost soothing, he mused. He spotted some fish darting around under the surface, and waited patiently for them to get used to his presence again.

  He dove his hands down and tried to grab one, feeling its scales slip between his fingers. He cursed God for not letting him get just this one, this one chance to impress her before she woke up.

  He did see it though, that look of affection before he hugged her. Didn’t he? It was masked, hidden behind her fury. The fury only a woman could hold for a man she adored. At least, that was the impression he got. His mind turned toward Eilean Donan Castle, and if Alec was running things smoothly. His guts knotted at the thought that the Maxwells might be interrogating the Macraes for information about his whereabouts. Just because he wouldn’t marry their daughter?

  It didn’t sit right with Gavin. He rolled the thought around some more while he peered down into the water again. Another fish wandered close, and he dove for it.

  He felt it peel between his hands, its tail flicking water up and into his eyes. An insult, he figured. He looked around the shore of the loch to see if he could spot any driftwood or anything that might help him. Still nothing around.

  Gavin looked over his shoulder back toward shore, toward Elyn. She was bundled up near the base of a hill, surely sleeping. He wondered how long he should let her rest. Until she woke up? He could keep watch until then. He should be fine, as long as the third man didn’t find him and bring a dozen friends with him.

  Gavin would have to kill as many as he could, screaming for Elyn to wake up and ride away. If they decided she was a threat for some reason... He didn’t dare think it.

  How could he already be so attached to a woman he just met? To think he couldn’t even dare dream of her capture, torture and...? Gavin’s stomach groaned a little in protest.

  Another fish tickled his ankle. Gavin eyed it and narrowed his eyes, envisioning it to be a clansmen bent on killing Elyn. He dove down and snatched it, its tail trapped between his index and middle finger. He reeled it up and dangled it by its tail, satisfied with his free-hand catch. Now he could feed her when she woke up.

  He would be okay, until they made it to the Castle. Everything would be set right then, he just knew it.

  ***

  He tried his hand at starting a fire. There wasn’t any large timber around to get it burning
high, and the ones that were of a decent size were soaked through with rain. He figured he could make due with tufts of grass and the scattered plant life around him. He harvested several armfuls of grass and other plants, tossing it into a hole he dug out. He never had to make a fire before, he usually had the assistance of one of the servants in the castle.

  As he tried to get a spark going, he stole a longing look at Elyn. She knew how to make a proper fire. The fish he had managed to catch lay lifeless in the grass next to him, descaled and ready to be cooked as soon as he could muster up the willpower to create fire. He feared he might not be able to, and he felt a twinge of guilt for not keeping a better eye on the surrounding horizon. As he watched Elyn from afar, he saw her stir and roll over in the grass, her feet jutting out from under the cloak and exposing her calves. A tremor surged through him.

  He gave up the duty of making a fire and strode over to her. He knelt down and gently squeezed her shoulder through the cloak, the fabric bunching in folds under his hands. He gave her a slight shake, rousing her as nicely as possible.

  She opened her eyes and moved the cloak from covering her head. Her hair was matted and more frizzy that usual, which put a smile on Gavin’s face. She looked at him quizzically, but with her guard down. For a tiny moment, he felt like he could finally see what burned in her soul.

  When she became less groggy, she shook her head and her eyes clouded again, making Gavin sigh a little. She hoisted herself up onto her elbow and cradled her head, her eyelids still heavy with sleep.

  “What’er ye wakin’ me fer?”

  “I caught a fish, but I can’t make a fire,” Gavin said, his eyes unable to resist glancing down her chest. She grinned a little.

  “You caught a fish?” Her eyes widened a bit and she sat up more to look around. “Without a spear? Bravo Gavin MacKenzie, perhaps we can make a man out of you yet.”

  “It was nothing,” Gavin waved her cheeky compliment away. “But there isn’t any wood to make a fire.”

  “We can make do. Show me.” She threw the cloak off and pushed it into his hands, standing up as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to fix it. After a few furious swipes, she sighed and gave up. She followed Gavin back to the meager fire-pit and squatted down, examining it.

  “No wood, eh?” She glanced up at him, and he shrugged. “We can make a real hot fire, but it won’t last longer than a gnat. Will it still cook?”

  “Should be okay. Have you not had fish before?

  She grabbed another handful of collected foliage and tossed it into the small fire pit. “No, my Da and Ma could never get down to the market for fish... not to mention my Ma hates it. I never got a chance to try it.”

  Gavin chuckled.

  Elyn clapped her hands and rubbed them together, humming as she thought of what to do next. Gavin watched intently as she took several several blades of uprooted grass and twisted them together, forming a meager rope. She slid it under the pile and held her hand out to Gavin, her body still turned toward the pit.

  “Your sword, sire,” she said. He unsheathed it and let it sing as he handed it to her. She snatched a rock that was nearby and held his sword at the edge, her fingers holding the middle of the blade. After collecting herself, she drove the edge of the blade against the rock and sparks were thrown into the pit. She dropped the rock and sword next to her and fell to her hands, lowering her face deep into the hole and blowing as a tiny tendril of smoke rose out. Soon, the warming glow of a fire started, and the familiar searing sound of it devouring the grass rang in both their ears.

  She looked up at Gavin and smiled. “How’s that?”

  He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “How’d you know how to do that?”

  “My Da taught me when I was young, there ain’t nothing to it.”

  “You impress me again, Elyn.”

  Gavin leaned down and picked up the fish, and tried to hand it off to Elyn. She refused, withdrawing her hands up to her chest and pointing at the fire. He tossed it in, letting the fish rest atop the clippings as they glowed and curled with heat.

  “We’ll need to keep it fueled, and it’ll probably burn.” She reached out and uprooted more grass, before carefully placing it next to the fish, making sure the fire stayed alive. Every once in a while she’d continue to grab more grass, until there was a bare patch of earth peeking out near them.

  Gavin sat down in the grass and watched her work; her careful observation and measured calculation keeping the fire alive despite the impossibility in his mind. He shook his head with a chuckle as she took his sword to flip the fish over in the pit. She gasped and recoiled as a flame shot up from the seared meal, surprising her.

  She brought a finger to her lips and licked it, savoring the small taste of fish she was able to get from the brief accident. He smiled and prodded her with his foot.

  “I thought you didnae like fish.”

  She turned and looked at him, her finger still in her mouth as she tried to decipher what he said. Gavin tried to keep his trembling hidden as he felt himself warm at the sight of her in such an unguarded state. Her eyes flashed and she took her finger out of her mouth, wiping it on her dress. “I donae.”

  “That’s a shame then, I only caught one. For you.”

  She gazed at him and he interpreted it as her being speechless. He continued, “I was hoping to cook it and rouse you with it ready to be eaten, but I guess I’ll just enjoy it all alone.” He moved his gaze to the ground next to him.

  She stammered, “N-no, I’ll eat it, just, I donae want ye to think I love fish is all.”

  “Oh. I never implied such an atrocious thing.” He smiled. “Donae be so guarded all the time Elyn, eat the fish I caught for you. God knows it was a lucky catch to begin with.”

  She lowered her head and averted her eyes. The words left her mouth in an almost silent whisper. “Thank you.”

  She turned and used his sword to lift the fish out of the smoking hole and set it on the grass next to her. She pulled it apart with her fingers and ate greedily, sucking on the left over juices that hadn’t boiled off. The skin was charred and black, and when it came off in thin sheets, she rolled them up and popped them into her mouth.

  Gavin leaned back on his hands and watched her eat her fill with enjoyment. When she finished, she licked her fingers one last time and looked at him with red cheeks. He cocked his head. “You donae have to be embarrassed. I eat just as viciously when I’m that starved.”

  She nodded quietly and stood up, brushing her dress off. It was almost useless at that point, being so dirty with the storms and riding for the last couple days. Gavin thought of getting her some new clothes, maybe when they headed back to Eilean Donan Castle.

  He gulped at the thought. He had spent so long focused on catching a fish and presenting it to Elyn that he had nearly forgotten what had happened. His mood turned grim and he shut his eyes to try and imagine everything was all right.

  ***

  After Elyn finished eating, Gavin decided it was time to finish the journey. They climbed on their horses and rode up out of the loch, trying to enjoy the sunshine as much as possible. Gavin thought about how he wished he was out exploring the magic the highlands had to offer with Elyn without all the darkness looming in his mind, without her worries of her family’s safety constantly bothering her as much as he expected them to.

  Once they crested over another small valley around mid day, they could see one of the towers of Castle Iverlochy jutting above the horizon. It was small and still very far away, but Gavin could almost taste the fresh food and warm bed he would find there. He bit his tongue as he rode harder, forcing Elyn and Rhys to push themselves to the limit. He couldn’t stop now, he had to reach the castle before nightfall. He refused to spend another second sleeping under a cloak.

  Elyn's hair whipped her neck and shoulders as she rode, her gentle body bouncing with every gallop of Rhys. Gavin felt a little lighter when he looked at her, and for that he was grateful. He was su
re he never would have found the will to cross the highlands without her. He shuddered at the thought of having to face those clansmen without any food in his stomach.

  “We’re almost there,” Gavin called over the roar of the wind. Elyn grinned as she passed him, pushing Rhys to perform his best. Gavin chased after her, their laughter easing their anxiety as they reached nearer and nearer the castle walls.

  He smiled and leaned forward again, “How about a race? The beasts seem rested enough.”

  “A race? At a time like this?”

  “Aye, it’ll be good for our hearts and minds. My father always said when things were troublin’ ye, to try and do something more. Oftentimes when you come back you’ll be more refreshed and ready to tackle it. How about it, lass?”

  She nodded and pushed Rhys forward, racing past Elspet and Gavin with a ferocious speed. With a daring laugh, Gavin called out to her and squeezed Elspet’s flanks, urging her to go faster as well. They chased each other across the rolling hills, their horses galloping past lochs and mountains as their hooves and ankles darted between the blades of grass. Gavin pulled ahead for a brief second, but he only delayed Elyn's eventual take over. She seemed as if she were riding effortlessly, Rhys and her bonded stronger than Gavin could imagine.. Elyn's horse looked exhausted and beaten with starvation, but Rhys had a powerful spirit inside him, a kind of love that pushed him farther and faster than any other horse could muster. Gavin felt soured to it, he was sure Elspet was that loyal to him, but perhaps he had gone about things all wrong. After a long while of the pursuit, Gavin gave in and called a stop to the race.

  “Alright! You win. I donae how you did it, but your horse has more speed in it that it looks.”