by Fiona Faris
Callum relaxed in the steaming water while Gretchen shaved him and helped to wash his hair. When he was clean and dry, he returned to his newly made bed and allowed Gretchen to bandage his wound. Although the injury still pained him somewhat, Callum knew that in a day or two, he would be able to resume most of his normal activities. Well, except for his favorite sword training, that is.
He was extremely grateful to for all the help and care he had received since becoming hurt. Gretchen had cared for him day and night, and Gregory had ridden out of the clans' border to get him the herbs and had stood in for him, taking up the Laird’s duties and convincing the Council of Elders’ representatives about how Callum had become so gravely injured. He had told them the story about how had fought and killed the enemy, Dunkin, who had, in turn, wounded the Laird.
Although they’d found Gregory convincing enough, they still demanded to see the Laird. Thankfully, they’d been forestalled sufficiently that by the time they’d gotten in to see him, Callum was doing much better. They’d offered him their prayers and had left in nothing but peace.
"My laird, shall I feed ye the herbs now?" Gretchen asked, removing his tray with the leavings of his breakfast on it.
"Yes, my lady, the herbs gae a long way in getting me better," he replied as he glanced up at her face, the beautiful bow-shaped mouth, her skin, the irresistible sprinkling of freckles upon the delicate slope of her nose, and at that moment, he realized she must be the most beautiful lady he had ever seen.
"I love the way I'm fed. It reminds me of childhood and Mother. How she forced foods down my throat. I was such a stubborn child then. Sadly, she's gradually getting tired and drifting away from life. It will pain me tae the bones tae lose her." He sighed and gazed out the window mournfully.
"Mother would be fine, my laird. It might just take some days, but the healer said she would be fine. I trust his wits and intellect," Gretchen said and leaned closer to him to feed him. Callum could smell her skin, the scent of warm, clean woman, and he shifted on the bed, his senses sharpening with awareness and clouded by the smoldering passion of love and lust.
Gretchen half-sat on the bed and leaned over him with the spoonful of liquid from the boiled herbs and moss. The ends of her unbound hair feathered over his chest. His body was motionless, but he quaked inwardly as he felt her draw a finger along his jaw.
"Now take yer herbs, my laird, will ye?" Her voice was hoarse as if something was caught in her throat.
"Maybe I would if ye would never stop tae feed me." It took every article of his will to keep his voice steady.
"I think ye want more than the herb feeding, my laird," Gretchen said, slipping into his mouth the spoon and drawing closer to him. Her lips touched his, and he felt the dizzying touch of her tongue. A floodgate of desire opened, and he was drowning in undiluted pleasure, more potent than anything he had known before.
He lifted a hand to cup the back of her head, holding her to him. The dark curls of her hair were compressed beneath his palm as he kissed her with ravenous passion, his tongue swirling all around her mouth. Callum was mortified to discover that he was gasping like an untried boy when Gretchen ended the kiss. Her lips were rosy and damp, her freckles gleamed like gold dust against the deep pink of her cheeks.
"I dae nae know how tae say, I dae nae know if it's proper tae tell, but I will tell anyway. I'd love tae explore the deepest part of ye. I want tae make love tae ye. I want tae express all my passion intae this. Please, dae allow me," Gretchen said, her voice infused with passion, and her eyes wore a lustful gaze as she reached up to the neckline of her gown and deliberately began to unfasten the row of buttons.
Her hands trembled just a little. Callum watched incredulously as she stood and stepped free of the dressing gown and just like that, she was naked, the pink tips of her nipples pointed invitingly in the cool afternoon air. She had lost weight, but her breasts were still round and full, and her hips flared generously from the neat inward curve of her waist. As Callum's gaze traveled to the triangle of dark hairs between her thighs, a swell of acute lust rolled through him.
"Damn it, I'm sae drowning in my own sperm!" His breath hissed between his clenched teeth as the tender length of her body pressed against his side. Before he could say anything else, she disappeared beneath the covers, stringing kisses along the lines of his chest, down to his abdomen, taking care not to touch the wound or dislodge the bandage. Callum struggled to sit up, but the sharp sting of his half-healed wound caused him to fall back with a grunt of pain.
And he grunted for an altogether different reason as she reached the stiff, aching length of his manhood and delicately sucked the tip of it. Where she had learned how to make a man feel so good? Callum closed his eyes, his lips parting and groaned as she proceeded with innocent ardor, pressing tiny kisses along the sensitive shaft.
She worked him expertly with her lips, tongue, teeth, and hands, progressing all the way from the base of him to the throbbing head, and back again. Callum clutched great handfuls of the bedclothes, his body slightly arched as if he were stretched on a torture rack.
"Oh, good Lord! I am sinking!" Callum managed to say amid the soft groans and moans escaping his throat.
Any memories of other women he had been with were banished from his mind. There was only Gretchen, her brown hair streaming and curling over his stomach, her playful fingers and frolicsome mouth causing him the agony of pleasure like nothing he had never felt before.
Sensing his end was fast approaching, she climbed over him carefully and straddled him, crawling up his body like a sun-warmed lioness. He had one glimpse of her flushed face before she sought his mouth with teasing, sucking kisses. The rosy tips of her breasts dragged through the hair on his chest. She rubbed herself against his manhood, purring with satisfaction at the hard warmth of Callum's manhood beneath her.
His breath snagged in his throat as her hand slipped between their bodies. He groaned deeply as she gently pulled his length away from his stomach before she could fit it between her thighs. The crisp dark curls of her hair tickled his exquisitely sensitive skin as she guided him inside the hot folds of her body. "Ah! Ah! Ye will beat the death of me," Callum gasped as he slid into her, the sweet flesh so soft and snug that it took his breath away.
Gretchen writhed a little, her hands still gripping the length of his organ as she tried to guide him deeper. As Gretchen felt the difference in their positions, the increased friction against the tingling peak of her sex, her eyes widened.
"Aw! Ahhh!" she cried out, her eyes tightly closed, and face raised up to the roof as she concentrated on taking him deeper. She moved carefully, not so much experienced to find or sustain a rhythm to receive his heavy thrusting. Callum had been relatively quiet in his passion, but as lifted her hips and settled herself on him again, deepening his penetration, his manhood, gripped and stroked by her wet depths, he heard himself muttering endearments, pleas, and love words.
Gretchen sobbed and shuddered with her release, her hips, bearing greedily against his, as she took his full length. The folds of her sex clamped tightly around him, and Callum gave himself to the squeezing, enticing pulsing flesh, letting her pull the ecstasy from him in great surges. As she relaxed over him, trying to catch her breath, he drew his hands over her sweaty back, his fingertips gently stroking her as they traveled to the plump curve of her butt.
To his delight, she squirmed and tightened around him in helpless response. If he had his normal strength, oh Lord, the things he would have done to her. He collapsed back in exhaustion, his head, spinning. Gretchen lifted away from him and snuggled by his side. Using the last of his strength, Callum filled his hand with her hair and brought it to his face, rubbing the shining curls against his cheeks.
"Ah! Tell me I didn't die! All my life! This is the longest sex I have ever had and the best! I will always love ye! Ye have always been wonderful!" he said, and he felt her lips curve against his shoulder.
"I love ye, too, my laird, and
ye have been wonderful. If it pleases ye tae allow me tae come away from yer presence, I would like tae gae see tae Mother's health," she said, fanning herself with her hand. "My laird?" she called, waiting for his reply, and when none came, she smiled when she saw that he had fallen into a deep sleep, a healing sleep.
* * *
Callum woke up to a gentle tap on his shoulder. He blinked, trying to see clearly who was standing in front of him. He brushed his fingers over his eyes and wiped away the sleep from them. When he was done, his gaze met Gretchen's figure, standing close to his bedside, holding a tray containing his favorite bottle of ale and an empty glass beside it.
"Morning, my laird," she said, settling the tray on a nearby table and rested her hands on her waist.
"My lady! Good morning tae ye! It's sae beautiful that yer face is what that will welcome me from my deep slumber today. It should be a happy day," Callum replied, his teeth flashing white against his tanned skin.
"My laird... How dae ye fare, now?"
"Ah, my lady. I fare sae well. My bones are joined and strong. They are eager tae take the day's challenges," Callum replied and reached for her hands. "Thank ye sae much, my lady, for everything. For Mother, for the cares, for truly everything. I had thought death was looming, my bones were weak, and my heart was tearing apart, the pains were severe, but with yer cares and some others I got through it," he said, his voice firm and his expression sober.
"Oh! All thanks gae tae God. I couldnae dae more than that without the divine help. I'm happy that you've gained back yer health and ye would be returning tae Laird's duties. Gregory has tried his best representing ye, but some clans would never dae business with our clan unless they hear from the Laird. And tae be honest, Mother has been sick. She had thought ye wouldnae make it out of you'd sickbed. Sae, she slumped in worries, and her heart couldnae get strong, I would suggest ye see her immediately. Her healing depends on ye," she said, arranging the contents of the tray on the table.
"I will gae and see her right away. She must have been distraught," Callum said, starting to get up "Hm!" groaning little, he rose from the bed.
"My laird, I will suggest ye see mother later. Ye need tae eat so that ye can take yer herbs and gain yer strength. I have prepared yer favorite tart, and trust me, this is much more delicious than the one you've tasted," Gretchen said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Callum arched a brow, revealing his surprised state and settled back on the bed.
"I will be glad tae eat from the tart again. It has been centuries my mouth tasted something other than boiled eggs, bread, and herbs. I will see Mother after I have eaten. But there is still one more thing ye will dae for me," Callum said, lifting his brows.
"What could that be, my laird?" Gretchen asked, thinking of the help he could be wanting at that moment.
"Ye will feed me! Haha! I'd be glad tae eat from yer hands every time. Ye know I'm still getting better from the damned wound" Callum said and laughed, rubbing his hand over Gretchen's arms and smiled lovingly at her.
"Haha! My laird, I know how much ye feel now. And yer wish is my command," Gretchen said and proceeded to feed him with much love and care.
* * *
By the time Callum was done eating, the morning was already slipping to a bright afternoon. Callum had changed from his nightclothes into an elegant coat and was ready to see his mother. Holding Gretchen’s hand, they strolled to his mother’s room.
Inside the room, the only light came from the open doorway. Callum entered and paused, blinking until his eyes adjusted to the gloom, his heart fluttering in his chest as he approached his mother’s bed.
His mother was sleeping, mouth slightly opened, her skin pale and peculiarly delicate, as if she were a wax figure. Deep lines crossed her face, and she was half the size she had once been, her arms astonishingly thin, her form shrunken. Callum struggled to reconcile the unfamiliar, person on the bed with the burly, agile mother he had always known. Grief-stricken tenderness flooded him as he saw her hair was now heavily mixed with grey, standing up in places on her head as if it were a baby bird's ruffled feathers. Her bony body was swamped in the folds of her nightdress.
Anguished pity and protectiveness filled Gretchen as she drew near the bed and pulled the new linen and sheets up to her chest.
Dampening a cool cloth, she laid it over her forehead. A sigh escaped the older woman, and at last, her eyes opened into slits. She regarded Callum without comprehension for a long moment until a smile stretched her cracked lips, revealing the edges of her teeth.
"Callum," came her croaky voice.
Leaning over her, Callum smiled while his eyes ached with unshed tears. "I'm here, Mother," he whispered. "I'm here, and I'm never goin' tae leave ye again."
She made a sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. Just as Callum thought she was sleeping, she spoke again.
"Since... I heard of Ava's abduction, my mind has ne'er been settled. I learnt ye and Gretchen had gone in search of her, and I prayed tae the heavens. But for a while, there was nae news coming forth..." she coughed. Callum rubbed her chest gently, comforting her. "I thought ye were killed in the forest, and Gretchen and Ava. I daenae know how tae continue my life with three of ye absent."
"Mother, here we are. Ye shouldnae have worried yourself too much. Ye know the kind of son ye have, ye know I will protect the ones that I value sae much. Sae what have ye done tae yourself, Mother?" Callum asked, his voice breaking as he gazed into her face.
"I did nothing Callum, I only stopped the maids from the feeding me the herbs, and my body has rejected foods. Tell me, how dae I eat when I know nothing of my children's whereabouts? What sort of mother would the world tag me? I can't bring myself tae continue the treatment. I felt the world had deserted me. I felt I could never get over ye three loss. It was all over, and sae I had thought. But there was a voice calming me, telling me it'd be all right. I couldnae bring myself tae listen. Here ye are, looking fine and beautiful. I am proud of ye. Really, I am," Merriam rasped, coughing at intervals and smiling through her cracked lips.
"Ye will get through this, Mother! I promise. Just keep being strong, Mother. I will never dae anything that will lead the worries back tae ye. I will never leave ye again. Just get through this for me and for all of us," Callum said and leaned over her, kissing on her forehead.
"I will sae try my best. But I am sae old. I think the world is nae for me anymore. I feel heaven calls for my soul." A raspy chuckle came from her ravaged throat, and she coughed a little. "I think I should take a little rest," she said softly, and her eyes slid closed.
"Yes, Mother, dae sleep," Callum said, freshening the cloth and returning it to her forehead. " I will wait beside ye, Mother, till ye gain back yer lost strength."
As he watched her slip into a deep slumber, he swallowed against the lump in his throat and settled beside her in a chair. There was no other place in the world that he wanted to be. He let himself slump a little, his sore shoulders drooping. Though his mother's condition grieved him, he was grateful that he could be with her during the last hours of her life. It wasn't nearly enough time to apologize for his absence, but he was sober, and she was the best mother he could have ever asked for. His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Gretchen's hand, pointing toward the door where Gregory stood. His arms were loosely folded over his chest, and his body arranged in a posture of deceptive leisure. Callum gave him a tired smile.
"I suppose there is nae much of a problem Gregory?"
"I am sorry tae interrupt, my laird, but the Council requests a meeting with ye. If ye are preoccupied with something, I can gae back tae tell them," Gregory said, tugging at his sleeves.
Callum shook his head slightly, his smile turning wry. "Oh nae, ye dae nae have tae dae that. It's been a long time since I met with them, and I think I'm strong enough tae do so now. Tell them I hear and obey, and I would be with them soon," he said. Standing, he paused to straighten the blanket over h
is sleeping mother's shoulder, and he crossed to the door with Gretchen following behind him.
It was a new day, and the outside was cold and damp. Callum and Gretchen had slept for a few hours in Merriam's room, keeping watch over her. Now, he made his way to his rooms, intent on cleaning and shaving to get ready for the business of the day. As usual, he had assigned Gregory to take charge of the morning training as he would still be keeping watch of his mother and staying by her side until she got better.
Gretchen had woken up earlier to make food for the family and to bathe Ava. She had slipped into a once brilliant but now faded gown as she moved around the keep, taking note of things that needed changing and the needs of the maids. Before mid-morning could arrive, Callum and Gretchen found their way back to Merriam's room, checking her pulse and watching the healer administering herbs to her.
The mid-morning had slipped into an afternoon and afternoon into the evening. Callum and Gretchen walked back to Merriam's room in a hurry. And as they entered, they both knew it was her time. Her color was waxen, her lips turning blue as her tortured lungs found it difficult to draw in sufficient air. Taking her cold hand in his, he chafed her fingers as if he could warm them and he stared into her face with a wry smile.