Chapter Five #2
He made quick work of the climb, speaking the whole time.
Letting Alana ken exactly what he was doing and why.
Once he was atop, he laid on his stomach and hung his hands down.
“Hold on to the bumps in the rock, then put yer right foot in the lowest notch. Yer left foot in the next one.” He paused, waiting. Watching.
Alana was pure concentration, her tongue tucked into the corner of her mouth.
An action that was affecting Rory’s body in the most unsuspecting way that he was taken off guard.
And his mind. Visions of the two of them climbing and hiking through the Highlands flooded his mind.
Distracting him. So much so, that when Alana had done as she was told, she had to ask him what to do next.
His body and his mind had betrayed him. Why?
Why here? Why her? It wasn’t something he could dwell on now.
“Move yer hands up and grasp the next bumps. Dinnae look down,” he added quickly as he noticed what she was going to do.
He was unsure if heights made her stomach turn, but he didn’t want to find out in the middle of her climbing a ledge because he wouldn’t be able to stop her from falling.
“Keep yer eyes focused on the ledge or me. That’s it.
Ye can drag yer foot up and yer boot will find the next notch.
Good. Now do the same with yer left foot. ”
She was gritting her teeth and he kenned it was from the pain of the blisters on her feet. Even though she had wrapped them this morn, the wrapping would only protect the wounds from further irritation, but did naught for the pain.
“Only one more sequence of steps and then ye will be close enough for me to pull ye up the rest of the way.”
Alana nodded and repeated the steps she had done moments afore. Once she finished he reached out to her. “Give me yer hand.”
Alana’s gaze clashed with his. Fierceness blazed in the depths of her hazel eyes. Brilliant pools that held flecks of amber and threatened to suck him in. To trap him in their whirlpool and drag him under. Rory took a deep breath to clear his mind.
Her hand reached out to his, her fingertips grazing his, before she cried out and grasped the bump in the rock. “I cannae reach. Ye are too far.”
Moving further over the ledge, he urged her to try again. “Listen to me?” He said gently, locking his eyes with hers.
She nodded.
“Take my hand.” He gestured it toward her, fingers splayed, palm out.
Biting her lip, she swung her hand up, and this time Rory closed his hand over hers with a smile. “Now yer other one.” She did as she was told and he pulled her up. The lass was light as a feather and the task was easy enough.
Once he had her over his shoulder, she scrambled over him and onto the flat surface of the ledge, breathing heavily. They stood at the same time, and she lost her footing. Her eyes wide as she began to fall backward, clutching at his arm, panic clear on her face.
He moved quickly, grasping her shoulders, and pulling her in toward him.
She didn’t scream and once again, he found himself in awe of her strength.
Steadying her, he noted her shaking hands, but also the way she held her chin high as if saying that she meant to do that. That she was only testing him.
She was so convincing, that he almost believed it.
Now that she wasn’t in any danger of falling over the ledge, she walked to the other side where the Falls of Fae burst forth from an opening in the mountain. Its water gushing out and spilling over and down the long path of the mountain side to finally pool in the crystal blue waters below.
Her breath caught at the sight and he kenned she found it just as beautiful as he did. It was in the way she took the scene in front of her in. Her eyes studying the opening where the water came through, then lowering, falling, falling, falling until they looked at the water below.
She noticed him staring and quickly masked her true feelings.
He didn’t say aught. He understood. He was the master of masking his feelings. How coincidental it was that she did the same.
“Have ye e’er swam below?”
“Nay,” He shook his head.
“Why no’? It looks beautiful.”
“Aye, ’tis.” He shrugged his shoulders and pulled on the back of his neck. “I dinnae ken. I didnae want to upset the fae.”
Her eyes wandered over the landscape, and she nodded. “It does feel bewitching here. As if an unseen pull is tugging at me.”
He nodded. He kenned the feeling. “I feel it, too. ’Tis the same e’ery time I am here.”
“And ye’ve ne’er seen them?”
He shook his head. “Nay, no’ once.”
They lingered there for some time afore making their way back down the ledge. That took more urging to get Alana to agree to come down than it did to get her to climb up.
She breathed a sigh of relief once she was on solid ground again. “Thank ye for showing me that. I ken it was a waste of time for ye, but I appreciate the gesture.”
Her words affected him more than they should. So much so, that he only nodded and led her in the direction they needed to go. He didn’t want to admit that he enjoyed the delay. Enjoyed seeing her reaction to the world of beauty that he saw in his beloved Highlands.
The trek to the Falls had set them further behind schedule and they had to stop and spend another night under the stars.
As they shared a meal, Rory found himself studying Alana.
She was a strong woman. He could see that in the way she held her head high, her chin notched up just a wee bit, showing that she wasn’t only strong, but possessed a stubborn streak as well.
Something they had in common for certs.
“What of yer betrothed? Did he truly only send two guards to escort ye to his home?” The words were out of his mouth afore he could stop them.
He noted the way her eyes darkened at the mention of the man that would be her husband.
Rory couldn’t imagine only sending two guards for such an important task.
What was MacDonell thinking? Did the man not care for his wife-to-be?
Rory could only conclude that he did not. Otherwise, he would have taken more care. Anger bubbled in his chest. Did the dolt not recognize the danger or did he truly not care?
“Originally, he sent two. When my father insisted I be protected by more men than that on the journey our trip was delayed for some days whilst more guards were sent. My father offered our men, but they were refused.” She shrugged.
“Once we were past Auchenford’s gates and out of sight, the men scattered, leaving me with the two that were sent to begin with.
” With a sigh, she picked up the skin of ale and took a long pull, her eyes staring out into the darkness of the trees surrounding them.
He wondered what she was thinking. “I mean nay disrespect, but I must say the man is a fool.”
Her gaze swung to his and she worried her bottom lip with her teeth as her eyes roamed over his face.
“Thank ye.” The words slipped past her lips so quietly he almost didn’t hear them. And from her reaction to saying them, she seemed surprised herself.
Later that night, he caught himself staring at her as shadows from the firelight danced across her features. The flames making her dark hair shimmer in the night.
His thoughts wandered to a place that they shouldn’t and he tore his gaze away, focusing on the night sky and the stars twinkling above them. He had no right thinking such thoughts.
Alana Duran was just a job. A mission Rory had been tasked with. That was all. Naught more.
It was something he would need to remind himself often if he wanted to complete this task unattached with his heart intact.