Chapter 7
Islay and Callum made their way back to the castle.
In the daylight, the forest didn’t seem nearly as scary.
The trees were bright green, the flowers provided bursts of color, and any animal she saw scurrying around looked cute and friendly.
Her soul was calmed, and with Callum by her side, she knew she had nothing to be afraid of.
Even so, there were still moments when she glanced around and expected to see danger rushing out of the forest to meet her. She stuck close to Callum.
“Why are ye here alone?” she asked.
“Well, we did hae a morning stroll arranged, did we nae?” He arched one eyebrow and smiled.
Islay chuckled. “I’m sure this wasnae what ye haed in mind.”
“It wasnae, but I also didnae think the thought of spending some time with me was sae appalling that ye would run away from home.”
“How did ye know I ran away?”
“Last night, a note was slipped through my door, telling me that ye haed left. Whoever wrote it must hae been concerned about ye. With bandits lurking about, nobody is safe. Ye should hae known better, Islay.”
“I didnae think they would find me. I thought I would be safe under the cover of darkness.”
“Aye…is the thought of marrying me truly that bad?”
Islay felt a little awkward talking to him about this.
They had only ever exchanged a few brief words over the years, yet now he was seeing her at her most vulnerable, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
There was something about him that made him easy to talk to, although she wasn’t sure if she was just so desperate to put the events of the previous night out of his mind that she was willing to talk about anything.
But he did put her at ease, and she couldn’t help but feel a certain connection with him.
It was strange, really; the two of them had been betrothed from a young age, and their lives had unfolded parallel to each other, always destined to meet eventually and combine into a new thread.
But up until that point, they had been kept separate; their lives had unfurled independently of each other.
They were the same, yet different, and it occurred to Islay that she should have thought more about how Callum felt about the situation.
Perhaps if they had spoken more about it, she might have felt more comfortable with him.
“It’s nae just the thought of marrying ye,” Islay replied, choosing her words carefully.
“It’s more that I hae nae say in it. Da haes always told me the importance of duty and that it can help our clan prosper, but there are times when it feels as though I’m nae living my life at all; rather, I’m just daeing what other people want me tae dae.
For once in my life, I wanted tae make a decision for myself before it was tae late. ”
Callum considered her words. “I know how ye feel. From a young age, Da told me that one day I would hae tae marry and be the laird of the clan, tae lead them and give them an heir. I never asked for it, and I hae no say in the matter. Sometimes there’s nothing we can dae but live with the hand dealt tae us. Ye dinnae need tae run, Islay.”
“If I haed gotten away, it might hae been the best for us. Ye could hae married who ye wanted then.”
“Who says I dinnae want tae marry ye?” he asked, although she couldn’t tell if he was teasing her or not.
“But I wouldnae hae a choice. It would hae fallen tae either Kirsten or Iona. Yer da wants tae strengthen the alliance even more, especially with the threat of bandits around. Our families are gaeing tae be joined no matter what.”
It seemed inevitable, and Islay wondered if there was any point fighting anymore. Callum continued speaking.
“I cannae argue with his thinking. It does seem that the bandits are getting braver. With a formal alliance, we can share resources more easily, and instead of fighting two clans, the bandits know they’ll have tae deal with one unified family.
It will make them think twice about attacking either of the clans, that’s for sure.
That’s part of the reason why we wanted the wedding tae happen next week.
We want word tae spread tae the bandits that they arenae gaeing tae hae it easy.
If they strike against one of us, they strike against all. ”
Islay pursed her lips and nodded. She hadn’t thought about the wider political ramifications of the marriage and wondered if she had actually been selfish about the whole thing.
Was it possible that by marrying Callum, she could be keeping the people of her clan safe?
If so, then perhaps it was indeed her duty to marry him.
She also wondered if he would actually marry her cousin or sister if he was unable to marry her, and how he felt about it.
Was there anything special about her in his mind, or was she just a wife?
“I didnae realize things were that bad.”
“Aye, they’re a scourge tae the land, and it seems as though as long as men breathe, there will always be those that turn tae banditry. But as long as there are men like yer da and I tae fight back and protect others, the Highlands will remain safe. Sae, where were ye gaeing tae gae?”
Islay arched her eyebrows and exhaled deeply.
“Once I made it through the forests, I was gaeing tae work my way tae the coast and see as much of the country as I could. I even thought about finding passage tae another country. There’s sae much of the world tae see that I cannae bear the thought of missing out. ”
“There’s no way ye could see it all, though. And there are plenty of wonders tae be seen in the Highlands without the dangers of bandits. Ye should feel lucky that I got that note. If I had nae, those men would hae kept ye.”
“Aye.” She thought a silent thanks to Kirsten, and tried not to think about what might have happened had Callum not appeared. “How did ye get sae good with a sword?” she asked.
Callum smirked. “Lots and lots of practice. Da wanted me tae be a strong warrior, just like him, sae he got me tae train over and over again for hours on end.”
“Ye dinnae sound like ye enjoyed it that much.”
“I always preferred dancing,” he said with a wink, and Islay giggled.
Speaking with Callum was effortless, and on their journey back to the castle, conversation flowed as easily as wine at a feast. They spoke of the world around them, how happy Iona looked at her birthday ceilidh, and how Callum was sorry that it had been interrupted by the news of the bandit attack.
They didn’t speak of the marriage much, or that Islay had tried to run rather than marry Callum.
He didn’t seem to be affected, and took everything in stride.
Islay felt more relaxed about things as the forest thinned, and they returned to a well-traveled road.
It seemed as though she hadn’t gotten as far as she thought.
She must have gone around in a big circle rather than a direct line away from the keep, and once again she felt foolish.
It seemed as though she was wholly unprepared for an escape from home, even though she had felt the complete opposite when she had left.
The colors of the land were bright and there was a slight morning breeze that whipped around her sprightly figure.
It was nowhere near as cold as the night, though.
She remembered how her teeth had chattered and how alone she had felt.
There wasn’t that sense when Callum was around.
He was broad and tall, and his sword was only a gesture away from being unsheathed.
They passed the area where the merchant had been attacked.
Blood stained the trunk of the tree, and bits of splintered wood were strewn around.
The body and the cart had been taken away, though, which was something at least. As they passed through the town, the atmosphere was different than what it had been during the ceilidh.
People wore masks of fear and looked towards Islay and Callum with interest. As they made their way back to the castle, dread filled her heart, for her father was waiting for her, and he was not happy.