Ailsa (A Medieval/Renaissance Romance)

Chapter 9

 Sorry for making you wait... work has been nuts this week! I've got part of the next chapter written so I'll have it up in a few days. But I also need to update An Irish Flower and When Two Worlds Collide this week... too many ideas, too little time....

I'll be adding a video after I pulish this so you can have beautiful music to listen to whilst ye read. ;)

Dedicated to shayegirl for commenting on the last chapter! Don't forget to vote and comment!

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Chapter 9

Ailsa smiled. “Aye, I'm ready. Where are ye taking me?” He threw her a sly smile. “Ye'll have to wait and see!” They mounted their horses after Arthur secured the basket, then he led the way away from the castle, across the stone bridge that connected the rocky outcropping where the castle stood to the shore. To their right they could see the rocky shore of the coast. There weren't many trees in this area, the landscape was mostly rough grass, rocks, and rolling hills. The midday sun was shining down on them, and the clouds cast large moving spots of shadow on the highland terrain. The bright blue of the sky contrasted sharply with the green and grey of the countryside.

They continued down the road for a few moments, then Arthur turned Mera away from the road towards the shore. It was an isolated spot, the rough trail they followed wound between two clifs that rose higher than their heads. The path was narrow, but large enough for them to ride single file. When they reached the shore, it was as if they had come to their own private beach. The narrow trail suddenly opened wide. Cliffs reached out almost to the water on either side of the open area, creating a small cove with a little strip of sand. Small waves gently brushed the shore, making soft sounds. It was the perfect spot for two people to enjoy a picnic.

Arthur pulled out the blanket, spreading it out on the sand next to a large flat rock. Ailsa put the basket on the rock and started pulling out the lunch Arthur had prepared. She lay out the bannock cakes, sliced cheese, fruit and dried meat. She set out the flasks of water and handed Arthur an apple. He smiled and took a large bite. Food in hand, they both sat on the blanket, backs against the rock, listening to the soft waves as they ate. After a few moments, Arthur turned to her.

“I'm sorry I didnae tell ye about my family before we came here.” He looked down at the ground. Ailsa could see that he wanted to say something, so she didn't interrupt. Finally, he continued. “I used to have a younger brother, his name was Daerek. He was five summers younger than I.” He almost stopped, but he made himself continue. “About a year ago, I was preparing to go on another campaign fer the king to fight against the barbarians. Daerek wanted to go with me to prove he was a man. He said he wanted to be a soldier like me.” Arthur ran his hand through his hair. “He begged ma and da to let him go, but they didnae want him to. They said it was hard enough having one son in the king's service, and they couldnae bear to lose two sons. But he was determined, so he came along with me.”

“He was supposed to go through months of training before he was in a real battle. But the barbarians attacked the coast, and the king needed everyone, even those who had little training. So he'd only had two weeks of training when we marched to war.” Ailsa could see that he was trying very hard to not stop the story. “When we got there, the battle was already raging. We were told to reinforce the troops along the shore-” His voice shook a little, so he coughed and continued softly.

“We were both in combat right away. I tried to stay close to him to protect him, but there were too many of the bastards. I heard him cry out, but I couldnae get to him. I finally managed to get to the edge of the fightin', and I saw him in the water. I donnae know how he got there, but the current was pulling him out to sea. I jumped in to save him, but I couldnae reach him. The current was too strong. He was crying out for my to save him...” Arthur's voice broke. “Daerek was gone. I searched the coastline for days after the fighting' was done, but I never found his body. So I travelled back home to tell my parents. I couldnae even give them a proper burial!” He slammed his fist into the sand, his face convulsed in grief.