AN - Hey guys, so sorry it hasbeen so long, but i have been really immersed in editing one of my other books that i am hoping to get published. It meant that i lost track a little of the amount of time it has been since i last wrote and uploaded. Thanks for being so paitent, and i hope you enjoy the chapter! Az xx
Chapter 38
Cam and Hamish stood with each of their sons held against their hips. Both stood watching the training happening before them as they gently bounced their bairn’s to keep them from fussing. There was a deafening noise before them as the males roared and attacked each other in a mock aggressiveness. Half were sweating profusely despite the chill in the air that was not stopped by the curtain walls as they trained in the inner bailey, trying their hardest to keep as warm and active as possible.
“How did we end up here?” Hamish turned towards Cam with a questioning brow. “What are you chattering on about?” Cam smirked as he looked away from the training and took in the sight of the clan’s best warrior looking so at home and relaxed holding his bouncing bairn. Who in all probability was about to slobber all over his father, as he had done twice already. Much to Cam’s amusement and the slight embarrassment from Hamish as he endured the gentle joking from the men training below. Or well, they were supposed to be training, but somehow managed to catch each and every act of the bairn’s when they did something hilarious.
“You know, if someone had mentioned six years ago that I would be stood here holding my second bairn, while standing as Laird watching his men train. With his second in as happy a marriage as I was in. Then I know exactly what I would have told them, and what is even more amazing is the fact that I will not even say that aloud at the moment, as I do not want my son to repeat it.” He shook his head as the amazement truly sunk in as to how lucky he had been, and how utterly uneducated he had been about life until he had found the highs and lows of the life he now led.
He would not swap any of what was had happened, not for anything. He was most assuredly never going to be the same again if he was ever to lose what God had seen him fit to hold close.
The clashing swords brought his attention back to the bailey before him, the weight of his son slowly making his arm ache. Not that he would complain, for it was an ache he would welcome any day, at any point in time. This was not something he would swap for anyone or anything. The sounds of men laughing and shouting before them making a surge of pride flow through him. Knowing that they had become a stronger force since he had taken over from Toren, he was so glad that he had been forced into this life. For the clan was flourishing, in general, if you take away the supply problems they were facing at the moment.
The fire which destroyed one of the storage building has meant lack of food for everyone. The entire clan was trying their hardest to do everything they could to save every last scrap. Yet they had pulled together even closer through this crisis. Those that had little were still sharing with those that had nothing. They were making sure that they all survived the harsh weather and that the clan can get through this together and find spring a much better time together.
The whole clan was coming to the Keep this eve to eat together, it was the only way Cam could think to evenly distribute the food left in the Keeps storage. Also, the members of his clan were stubborn and while they refused charity, they were glad to come to a celebration feast. They were trying to show that they were supporting him as their Laird, even in such hard times, they were behind his decisions and were not going to go against them. It made his heart skip a little at the thought that so many lives were under his care, and they were agreeing with him even in times that they were in such trouble.
There was a commotion behind him, which had him turning his head only for a second, before seeing a blur. A blur which he had come to recognise as his daughter racing straight for the training males. With a move he could only trust with a few other males, he thrust his son and heir into the free arm Hamish immediately snapped out, and set off after the giggling mass of curls and quick legs.
She was one of the sweetest, most beautiful bairns around, but he had to think that as she was his child. Yet, at times such as these, she was very firmly Aislinn’s daughter and nothing but trouble. How could someone so small manage to disrupt so much around her? Taking the steps two and three at a time in order to catch up with his whippet of a bairn. Somehow managing not to fall and break his neck he reached the bailey floor with a loud thump and within a few more steps had the back of Catriona’s dress held firmly in his grip. Her startled gasp led to riotous giggles at being caught.
The men just before them had paused in their actions with their smiles broadly displayed. Cam knew that was the wrong course of action. Catriona loved the attention, and would try it again in the future unless he put a stop to it now. Even if the sound of her laugh did melt his heart a little, he could not show weakness at that moment. Taking a firm hold of her wiggling hand, swallowing it within his grasp he led her, determinedly, back up to where Hamish kept watch above with two boys trying so valiantly to escape his iron grasp upon them.
A flash of the future came to Cam. Those two boys were going to be as much trouble as Catriona; when they were old enough to start the more serious escapades. Whilst the future was Aislinn’s forte and he could not say for sure whether that would be true or not, he knew what he had been like as a bairn, and saw the same spirit within both his daughter and his son. Shaking his head he knew they were taking after their parents penchant for getting into trouble; he was sure they would take full advantage of that ability in the years to come.
Leaving Hamish to the deal with both the boys and the training session, he practically dragged his now reluctant daughter through the main doors and into the hall beyond. Ignoring her was the only option he knew to work when she became like this, it was the attention she was craving and he was known to give in. Aislinn had taken him to task over the matter the day before, and so he was resolved, no matter how much pouting, screaming, pleading or crying there was, he was the parent, laird and elder. Apparently that meant he was the one who had to say how things were going to go.
His heart crumbled a little when he looked at the dejected face just behind him. Her eyes growing wider in her face, and the sheen of tears already overlaying them with a shine he knew could bring him to his knees. It was only when she saw what lay ahead in the direction he was taking her that she kicked off. Pulling at her hand, prying at his fingers with her free ones and generally being a nuisance that he would not want to be lumbered with. Hoping that he would free her, yet much to her disappointment, he only freed her when she was stood once more before her mother. A silent look shared between them was all that was needed, before he released Catriona to stand between them, and took on the guard position. Aislinn backed down less and he was not ashamed to admit that…to himself anyway.
Taking her time, Aislinn looked from her petulant, unrepentant daughter to her husband. Her smile tucked away behind a face of stone, as she pointedly let her daughter stew for a moment, ignoring her to talk of other matters. Knowing better than to confront her bairn head on straight away. That was only a recipe for disaster, but this way would end in the result that she had planned, not what Catriona wanted. “Where, pray, did you leave our son?” An arched eyebrow would be perfect in that moment, if only she could achieve it.
“Hamish has him in safe…arms.” She caught the quick glance back to the doors. “I hope. He was struggling a little with holding onto two at once.” The grin he sent her never failed to melt her a little and stoke the fires within her. But she had to remain strong, until her daughter had been chastised, then Cam would find out exactly what beast he had created from the teasing looks and comments he had been making all morning.
The aggravated sigh had her attention brought back to the angelic looking bairn before her. She looked almost fae like as butter would not dare to melt in her mouth. The whole façade shown true by the frown scrunching up her face at that very moment. “Do you care to explain what you have done wrong?”
Tiny shoulders lifted in a crossed armed shrugged, her eyes lowering and her left foot scuffing at the stone flagging and rushes. “Are you telling me you do not know what you have done wrong? Or that you have no explanation for it?” Again with the shrug. “Well until we can speak and then take a punishment for any wrong doing, I think you can go and sit with Isla.” Catriona’s eyes sparked with the start of mischief. “But, when Scottie comes in with his da when training ends, you will not be allowed to play with him or speak with him. In fact I think your da should go and tell Aonghus that Scottie is not allowed in the hall today, but we will have some of the food sent down to their cottage.” The gasp of utter outrage that left the tiny sprite was almost comical as she could do no harm to anyone but herself. Yet her fury was palpable.
“But I dint do nuffin wrong!” Oh the foot was most definielty stomped at that moment.
Sitting back in the chair and finding her place in her stitching once more, she looked over at Isla whom sat on the opposite side of the fire. “Which is exactly why you will be sitting and helping Isla, until you can tell me what rule you have broken.” Cam stood stoically as their daughter looked to him for help and found none, turning and dejectedly moving to sit on the stool beside Isla, which is where she should have been sitting all along. All the adults present hearing Catriona muttering, “I know what rule I broke, but it was a stupid rule anyway.”
Shaking her head, and silently asking god why he wished to test her so today, she managed a small smile to Cam behind Catriona’s back. A small nod to tell him he did well in not crumbling to his daughter’s whims. They all knew the reason she had run out into the training yard was to find Scottie whom Aonghus was teaching to shoot and use a wooden sword. She understood that boys learnt to fight and whilst Sheena did too, this was an anomaly in their world. It did not stop her from wanting to be near Scottie as he did learn, the two having become inseparable. Aislinn only feared that in the end that closeness will get one of them or both of them hurt. They were good for each other, Scottie calming Catriona’s wildness, Catriona bringing Scottie a little more into the world. Yet a tiny feeling tugged in her stomach, it was not a vision she hoped, only motherly worry over her child. She did not want to see either go through any turmoil, for after what all of the parents had been through to get to this point, they deserved not to have to go through the same trials.
Where their bairns not allowed the happiness it took them so long to find through so much pain? Looking back into the fire, she hoped that Artair was not going through such pain and suffering at that moment. As the dreams had become clearer and the danger for him was ever nearer.
The storm had worsened, Artair having to admit defeat for the moment, finally acknowledged. They had managed to take some cover underneath an outcropping of rock, but unlike a cave which would keep them semi warm, their cover was open on all sides but one. A fire was impossible, what with all the wet wood and the possibility that the English were out there trailing them.
All they could do was huddle together for their combined heat and pray to both survive the night and for the storm to abate, even a little. As the nearly sheet of white that blocked their view was both bitterly cold and disorientating. The little food they had left had been agreed to be left alone for the night. They could not afford to waste it now that they had no idea just how long it would be for them to be out in this weather. Though he knew in his heart that they could not survive much longer, for this was testing everyone’s endurance to the limit and when that broke they were looking at a very bleak and short future indeed.
As his arms tightened once more around the tiny, shivering, yet still uncomplaining form of Rohesia he could only blame himself for their predicament. She would not be this close to death if not for him. The air fogging as it left him in huge pants it took the focus away from the stinging in his eyes that came from his failure to protect the one thing he had come to care about in recent months. Ever since he had left his clan to join Kendrick on this trade mission he had felt lost. A drift in a sea of people. Completely alone whilst being surrounded constantly. When Rohesia had rocked his life of that axis, she had become his anchor without either of them truly realising it at the start. Now he would have no idea what he would do without her.
If she died on this journey because of his foolishness he could not say what he would be capable of.
His muscles cramped as a shiver rocked through him once more. There was most definitely going to be death if they did not get out of this snow soon. He was surprised all of them had survived this far. A couple more days and he could very well be singing a different tune. As he leaned his head back against the rough, cold rock. He closed his eyelids over dry, stinging eyes waiting for some change. For he knew, there would be no sleep for him tonight.