Pushing open the door, a partial weight on Amhuinn's heart lifted when she saw Tamhas sitting up in his bed. His face looked worse for wear, but at the very least he was alive, to Amhuinn. She had spent the past 2 days fussing over his well-being, whether he had been taken in by the Kincaids, that finally being able to meet their identical eyes was a great relief. For the first time in two days, Amhuinn smiled as she quickly strode to her brother's side as fast as her uneven gait would bring her, and began inspecting his wounds, much to the annoyance of the elder sibling.
"Och, Ammi, ye fuss too much. I'm fine." Tamhas tried to fidget away from his sister, but winced when it pulled upon the wound on his waist that Amhuinn had stitched back.
"Ye are nae fine, Tamhas, and ye know it. Dinna be stubborn and let me check on it." she insisted, scowling. Her brother mirrored her scowl, but knew he had little choice but to do as his sister said, staying there as she reapplied salve on some wounds, and started on the biggest one on his head before moving on to his waist.
"Is the boy still here?" he asked. Amhuinn nodded. Her brother looked at his sister concentrating on cleaning the gaping wound on his waist. "How did ye come ter gain the help of the MacKenzie's, Ammi?"
"I was desperate. I couldna go after ye meself, or we'd both be caught." Amhuinn replied.
"But why the MacKenzie's?" He asked.
She paused, uncertain of how much she could tell Tamhas without her overprotective brother blowing his top. The truth was, she had found it difficult to get Hammond out of her mind, ever since he had came upon their little exiled dwelling in the woods just a year ago. While Hammond's rugged exterior, and his red curly locks had managed to capture her attention, it was the caring way in which he looked after his cousin and how he still kept them in mind when he sent provisions to aid them which stayed in her mind. But Tamhas wouldn't understand. He'd just think she was being flighty again, as he had once accused her of when she had first fallen pregnant with Adair. While Amhuinn loved her brother, Tamhas had a tendency to speak without thinking.
"They were the closest I could find." Amhuinn finally said, not wanting Tamhas to jump to his own wild conclusions. Her brother raised a brow, but let the matter rest.
"Is the boy still asleep?" he asked.
Amhuinn shook her head, picking up her salve pot and starting to generously lather it over the still damp cut. "He woke up screaming this morning, but Hammond manhandled him back and set two guards on his door until he supposedly calms down."
"Does he know?" her brother asked. Amhuinn paused, her hand midway through dabbing more of the paste on the wound. Having lived together for so long however, Tamhas was perceptive to his sister's reaction, and pounced on her moment's hesitation. "Ye told him, dinna ye?"
She sighed, and nodded. "He deserves ter know, Tamhas. He risked his own clan's safety bringing Adair ter me." she tried to reason with her brother. Tamhas had grown mistrustful of everyone ever since he had to save his own sister from Dougal MacCallan's wrath, and watched as she grew hard, cold and a spitfire ever since she lost first her womanhood, and then her son and mother in the span of a few months. Some may call him illogical, but Tamhas Kincaid was extremely overprotective of his sister. And the way she now defended the redhead clan laird who had barged in on their home in the woods not too long ago, did not sit too well with him.
"Hammond? Yer on first name terms with him now? Ye barely know him fer a week, Ammi." he cautioned. Amhuinn replaced the cap of the pot and flashed her brother a warning glare. "I am eight and twenty, Tamhas. I'm sure I know how ter tell the good from the bad."
"Yet, ye insist on having yer son back with ye, when he is as tainted as his fither." her brother retorted sharply. In her fit of anger, Amhuinn tightened the bandage on his waist a little too quick, causing him to wince.
"Adair is nae tainted. He has just been left in the wrong company. Is why I asked ter get him back." she argued.
"Which is what landed us here in the first place!" Tamhas hotly replied, identical blue eyes flashing. "If ye wasna so despondent, I wouldna have returned fer Adair!"
"Fine, then so be it! I nae asked for yer help, and from now on, I dinna need it!"
Without waiting for Tamhas's response, she swiped her pot of salve off his table and stormed out. As much as they got irritated at each other however, Tamhas still loved his sister dearly, and made an attempt to follow Amhuinn's angry retreat, forgetting his injury to both his midsection and head. The moment he tried to stand, the pain in the midsection and swirl in his head made him double over, and would've fallen to the floor had a pair of arms not quickly grab him by his shoulders lest he gained another bruise on his face, or knocked out a few teeth.
His head continued swirling and pounding as he was helped back to the bed. Only when the pounding in his eardrums began to subside, did he realize how calloused and large the hands which helped him back in bed was. Curious to know who it was, for he still sensed the person standing by his bedside, he tried to open his eyes, but groaned when the effort made his head pound again.
"Och, dinna try so hard. Satan's tooth, why were ye tryna get oot of bed? Yer in no shape ter move." the masculine, rough voice admonished. Tamhas heard the patter of feet going across the floor to the windows, and a sense of relief washed over his sore eyes when the shades were drawn. "I'll ask the maids ter bring up a tray fer ye. Yer in no shape ter join us to break our fast belowstairs."
The door closed behind him, and left with no other choice, Tamhas let his body relax into his bed, and succumbed to the weariness that took over him, worry for his sister still filling his mind.
---
The blonde healer had noticed that the rest of the Keep was now awake as she headed towards the main hall after storing her salves back in her room. She had intended to seek out Gillian to go on another trip out of the Keep to harvest more herbs. In between using her salves for Hammond and her brother, as well as seeing to a few of the other men Connor had asked Amhuinn to take a look on, her supply from just two days ago was quickly dwindling. Not to mention, she needed to find more to prepare packages for Evie to bring on her trip which was upcoming in just a few weeks.
Upon descending the stairwell, Amhuinn was surprised to find activity swirling around the hall, as oatcakes and pots of honey accompanied by jugs of milk and juice. The maids were just bringing out platters of pan fried bacon, which smell acted like bait for all the males who were just meandering into the hall, to quickly make their way to the seats scattered around, round smaller tables interspersed with bigger ones arranged to fit around the long table which stretched from the entrance to the kitchen to halfway down the hall. Gillian waved at Amhuinn from where she sat next to the head of the table, smiling and signalling at Amhuinn to take a seat next to her.
"Do ye all break fast together everyday?" Amhuinn asked in surprise, as she glanced around at the warm and friendly chatter reverberating around the hall. People greeted each other with hugs, slaps on the back as they took seats. She realized that the children didn't bother sitting with their parents, and instead made the loudest noise at a few of the larger tables grouped together.
Gillian nodded in response to the question. "The ladies of the clan take turns ter help in the kitchen for our morning and evening meal. Afternoons are left to the wives, but tis always been a MacKenzie tradition to start and end our day together." Gillian explained, clapping her hands when a platter of bacon was placed in front of her. "Hammond should be down anytime soon. Usually, Connor and Evie would sit with us, along with Tristan. He's Connor's second in command. The other seats are rotated between the warriors."
Just then, Hammond entered the hall, and Amhuinn found herself unconsciously staring at the imposing figure of the MacKenzie laird. While it was clear from the three days she's been on MacKenzie lands, it was reinforced again just how much the MacKenzie's trusted and relied on their laird. As she watched how he sheepishly ran his hand through the natural red curls on his head while the younger lasses of the clan fawned over him, a surprising curiosity and mild annoyanced washed over the blonde. "Why is he nae married yet, Gilly? He sure is welcomed by all the lasses."
Gillian raised a brow at her question, looking at her brother. "Hammond doesna believe in marriage." Amhuinn's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked for further clarification. "Our fither loved our mother verra much. Mama lived and died fer her children and husband as well. We grew up in a verra loving family."
"Then why doesna he believe?" she asked, perplexed.
"Och, he believes in love fer sure. I just said he dinna believe in marriage." Gillian's eyes went down to her goblet of milk, her voice dropping a few octaves as she continued. "When the Drummond's attacked us, Mama died protecting us. Hammond had been twenty eight, I was twenty-one. Papa had sought revenge, but he was foolish in battle from a broken heart. Because of the broken heart, he lost the will to live, and died from his wounds festering, just six moths after Mama passed." the younger MacKenzie ran a thumb across the metal goblet, and then gave a wry smile at Amhuinn. "So ye see, tis not that my brither is nae believer in love. He just dinna liked how it made Papa weak. He may not say it, but he blames Papa fer not loving us enough to stay, instead of going after Mama in death."
"So he doesna wish to marry?" Amhuinn asked. Gillian shook her head
"He knows he has to. Tis his duty as laird afterall. But he's determined to marry a lass who doesna stir much feelings in him. I heard from Connor that there was one such lass when they picked up Evie from London, but the lass had nae wish ter return here." Gillian mused, as they brought in another basket filled with bread.
The mention of another lass whom had managed to catch Hammond's attention instantly made her curious and alert. As much as Amhuinn would've loved to ask for more information however, she knew Gillian's astute mind would pick up on her curiosity immediately, and instead chose to focus on everything on the table as Connor helped Evie into her seat, while Hammond took his own seat at the head of the table. "Yer brither tried ter get oot of bed after ye left. Ye were in a hurry. Did he do something?" Connor asked.
A flash of irritation dashed across Amhuinn's face, and she grabbed an oatcake and the pot of honey before replying. "He's being his usual priggish self. Nae bother with him until he settles down."
"He's simply concerned fer ye, Amhuinn. But he's in nae shape ter come down fer breaking his fast, I've arranged fer a meal ter be brought up ter him." Connor replied. As if on cue, Mrs. Griselda appeared holding up something that caught Amhuinn's attention. She stared at the wooden, somewhat flat somewhat domed object in the housekeeper's hands. "Is that a trencher, Mrs. Griselda?" Amhuinn couldn't help but ask.
The elder lady looked down, and then held up the curved looking trencher. "Och, this? This here be one of oor young miss's creations. Gilly is a marvel at creating little things that make our life easier."
"Gilly?" Amhuinn asked in surprise. She look over to find the young MacKenzie blushing to the roots of her head from the praise. Her brother and the people around the table laughed.
"Any redder and you'll be the same color as my hair, Gilly." Evie teased.
"Ye made this, Gilly?" Amhuinn tried to clarify. Gillian nodded, but it was Hammond who gave a reply.
"Gilly found it a bother fer us ter share a pot when'er Mrs. O'Leary makes soup on cold winter nights, and the trenchers a waste. She started off carving trenchers of wood, which the kitchen used instead of making bread trenchers. We've saved a lot of wheat this way. And then she realized curving the trenchers she made upwards would make it somewhat like a goblet, but with a wider mouth so we could drink soup from it." Hammond explained, looking for a moment like a proud papa that Amhuinn could almost imagine himself singing praises for every little thing his future children did. Could this man, the hot blooded laird of MacKenzie clan who seemed to be overflowing with affection, be purposely reining in it for fear of feeling too much?'
"We also realized tis easier ter bring food as the curved edges prevents stuff falling or sliding, so we use it fer oor tray of food's now." Mrs. O'Leary explained, arranging some bread, oatcake, honey and bacon on the rounded trencher before retreating. "I'll send the food ter Master Tamhas, Tristan and the young devil above."
Amhuinn winced when she heard the cook's description. "Does he still argue?" she asked. Connor gave a wry smile and waved at the table. "Do ye notice Tristan at the table? And that young boy is usually starving like a cow, so he doesna skip meals often."
She would've been surprised had Adair settled down so quickly in fact, and gave a sigh. Letting the half-eaten oatcake fall to the trencher she had, Amhuinn started to push the bench backwards, had Hammond not spoke up. "Nae, leave him be."
"I dinna want ter make things difficult fer Tristan." Amhuinn replied, but Hammond was adamant when he shook his head.
"Tis time the boy learns his lesson. He's been spoilt at the Kincaid castle, but nae one person is spoilt within MacKenzie Keep."
"What do ye intend ter do?" she asked, slightly fearful for her son now.
"Scottie and Tristan will be his guards, but as soon as he calms down, he will join the pages in their duties ter earn his keep. Everyone works ter keep the Keep running and if he's here, he'll play his part. " Hammond bit into his bacon, and waved at Amhuinn to take her seat. He knew she was worried, but he saw how unruly the boy was, and knew that at his state, Amhuinn would not have been able to do anything.
But the blonde saw the wisdom in the laird's words. As much as she disliked it, she would have to bow to the wisdom in Hammond's words, and finally she nodded. "If ye see fit. I simply wish ter be there when ye break the news ter him."
Hammond conceded. "Right after we break oor fast then, we shall go ter him."