Page 41 of A Highlander's Vow

Daniel shrugged. “So marry Sinclair then.”

The men behind him snorted.

“And,” Daniel continued, “the last time I heard, the Church dinna allow a woman to marry two men.”

The Gunn nudged Sinclair in the ribs. He mon looked up. “I am the lass’s uncle and responsible for her. I demand ye send her down here.”

“Ye are no’ the lass’s uncle. Ye are her deceased husband’s uncle. The only mon responsible for Megan Mackenzie is her husband, Gregory Mackenzie.”

Daniel turned to Gregory. “I grow weary and ’tis close to the time for the evening meal.” He looked down at the two men. “We will discuss this no further. Be off with ye, or I will have my men escort ye off Mackenzie land.” With those words, Daniel turned toward the door to the steps, with Gregory following him.

’Twas a few hours later when shouting and the sound of swords clashing drew the attention of the men sitting at the dais table, drinking mugs of ale.

Daniel, Gregory, and Evan jumped up, drawing their swords and raced towards the keep door. Daniel looked over his shoulder and spotted Megan and Beth. “Off with ye both. Go to Emma’s room and help her prepare for injuries.”

“What about the servants?” Beth asked.

“Send those who are too nervous to help to the basement.”

*

Megan and Bethhurried to Emma’s bothy located in the corner of the keep, and found her pulling bandages and clean linens from her shelves. She turned to Megan. “Can ye crush these herbs?” She handed her a bundle of herbs wrapped in a cloth. “I had intended to do that today, but one of the clan member’s lads fell from a tree and scraped up his leg and arm.”

“’Tis all right, Emma, I’ve done this many times before.”

Megan sat and started pounding the leaves into powder. The warm scent of the familiar herbs actually calmed her.

As time when on they could still hear the sounds of battle but they were all certain The Gunn and Sinclair would be dispatched in due time.

Beth and Emma moved around the space, wiping down the surfaces of the tables and counters. “The lad bled a bit on this table, and I doona want to have a dirty place to put an injured warrior.”

The noise of the battle never grew, but after about a half hour a warrior was brought in from the Gunn clan. He was cranky and insisted on being released to have their own healer deal with him.

“Yer clan healer is nowhere near us,” Emma said to the grouchy warrior. “I doona care if ye are a Gunn, Sinclair, or Makenzie. I am a healer and ye are here, with messed up legs, and I’m going to patch ye up.”

She looked at his injury and shook her head. “I doona think ye will be leaving anytime soon, mon. What happened to ye?”

“No’ yer business. Just send me back out to my clan.”

She placed her hands on her hips and sighed, as if speaking with a young lad. “Ye canno’ walk, or do ye no’ remember being carried in? I certainly can’t carry ye and I have no intention of going out to the battle and finding someone to move ye. And tell me, what good would ye do for the battle if ye can’t even stand?” She bent over and got in his face. “Now will ye tell me what happened to yer legs?”

The warrior spewed out a stream of language that should not be used in front of a lass, but Megan knew pain could do that to a man. “One of theMackenziehorses, whose rider could no’ control, fell on my legs.”

Emma seemed unmoved by the outburst, and said, “Once I examine ye I can let ye ken how soon ye would be able to leave. But,” she held up her hand as he started to speak, “if ye doona follow mydirections ye might be here until yer old age.”

He snarled.

Emma shrugged and just went on with her work and began to gather the things she would need.

Things grew quiet and all three women looked up. “It sounds as if the battle is over.”

“Let me up, so I can join my clan,” the mon lying on the table said.

“Nay,” Emma said.

“Do I need to fight my way out, lass?”

Emma bent over him and said, “I wouldna try that if I were ye.”