Page 38 of Highland Sky

“Please. Just call me Spring.”

“But arena ye a lady?” asked North. “I thought ye are a sister of the Legendary Bastards of the Crown. After all, their faither is the king.”

“I am a lady, but I prefer no’ to use my title,” Spring answered. “Actually, I am really a cousin of the Legendary Bastards, but we grew up like siblin’s.”

“Och, I see,” answered North, reaching for more food.

“I noticed that ye need more thatch or ye’ll never finish all the roofs that need to be repaired,” Spring told the chieftain.

“We’ll have to fetch water reeds, since most of our extra thatch was burned by the Sutherlands,” Kellina told her. “But we’ll have what we need eventually, so dinna worry.”

“Kellina, willna water reeds need time to dry before we can use them on the roofs?” asked Nash.

“He’s right,” said Spring. “That will take too long. However, I have a solution.”

“What would that be? Please, tell us,” replied Ciaran.

“Back at Edinvale Castle, we have a whole barn filled with dried thatch that we arena usin’. I am sure my husband willna mind lettin’ ye have it.”

“We canna pay for it, I’m afraid.” The chieftain seemed disheartened.

“Ye dinna have to. It is a gift,” said Spring.

“We dinna need yer gifts,” said Kellina, her pride showing in her words. “Thank ye, but we can rebuild our camp on our own.”

“There’s no need for pride durin’ a time of need,” Spring answered.

“Nay, Kellina is right,” agreed the chieftain. “It is a fine offer, but I wouldna feel right by acceptin’ it.”

“Then we’ll do a trade instead,” suggested Spring. “Surely, ye should have no qualms about that.”

“Trade?” asked the chieftain. “We’ve had almost everythin’ stolen from us by those bluidy Sutherlands. What they didna steal, they burned. I’m afraid we have nothin’ to offer.”

“That’s no’ true,” said Spring. “Ye have skills that my clan could use right now.”

“Skills?” asked Kellina. “What skills could we possibly have that ye dinna already possess on yer own?”

“I hear Kellina is the best thatcher there ever was,” Spring told the chieftain. “I have been tryin’ to convince my husband to rethatch the roofs on the mews and kennels, but he doesna seem to think they need it. If Kellina can provide that service for us, then ye can have the thatch in trade to finish yer cottages. How does that sound?”

“Ye want me to come to yer castle?” asked Kellina in surprise. “But we arena even allies.”

“Neither are we enemies,” said Spring. “Actually, when I return I had already planned on talking to Shaw about alignin’ with yer clan.”

“Losh me, that is a kind offer,” said the chieftain.

“But we canna accept it,” intervened Kellina.

“On the contrary, I think we can,” answered Kellina’s uncle. “Lady Spring, I will put together a travelin’ party to send back with ye and Kellina for protection. They’ll be ready to go at first light.”

“Uncle!” gasped Kellina. “Ye’d really send me away right now? How could ye?”

“I think it is a great idea,” said Nash, trying to support Kellina. “After all, Kellina kens more than anyone about thatchin’ a roof. I think it sounds like a fair trade indeed.”

“Ye canna wait to get rid of me, can ye?” Kellina asked Nash.

“Well . . . no,” said Nash, looking over to his brother for help. “I just meant . . .”

“I ken what ye meant.” Kellina held her chin high. “Well, I would be happy to go, Spring. After all, I could use a change of my surroundin’s.”

“I’ll summon Tomas to put together a few men for the journey.” The laird raised his hand to call over Tomas, but Spring stopped him.

“There’s no need to bother Tomas since he’s just returned,” she told him. “Why dinna ye send Nash instead? He can help on the roofs as well, since I hear he kens how to thatch a roof now.”

“Nay, we dinna need him,” said Kellina, but her uncle didn’t agree.

“I think that’s a grand idea. However, I would feel better if ye took at least one more man with ye.”

“North will come with us,” Nash said quickly before the laird thought to send Tomas again. Nash wasn’t a favorite with the clansmen and he wouldn’t enjoy having Tomas along. He also wasn’t happy about the idea of leaving his brother behind.

“All right then. It’s settled. North will go as well,” said Laird Ciaran with a satisfied smile.

“Me? What?” North stopped chewing and looked up with a defeated look on his face.

“Dinna act like it’s a bad thing, Brathair,” Nash told him. “After all, with the way Spring can hunt, I’m sure the Gordon Clan has more food than even ye can eat.”

A smiled spread across North’s face. “I’d be happy to go along to visit the Gordon Clan. After all, I canna leave my brathair in his time of need.”

When Nash looked back up at Kellina, she was no longer sitting at the table. He never thought having a wife was going to be so much trouble. He would have to use this trip as a way to get Kellina to like him, and to accept him as her husband. Hopefully, he could convince her to consummate the marriage as well. The alliance between two clans depended on it now, and it couldn’t wait any longer.