Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mhairi woke to sunlight streaming through her window and the distant sound of the castle coming to life.
For a moment, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling, replaying the previous night in her mind. The dance. Alpin's hands on her waist. His voice saying I'm attracted tae ye like it was the simplest truth in the world.
Then she forced herself out of bed before she could spend the entire morning daydreaming like a foolish girl.
The borrowed nightdress pooled around her feet as she moved to the washbasin. The water was cold, shocking her fully awake as she splashed it on her face. She dressed quickly in one of her new dresses, a practical brown wool that was perfect for working with the healer.
Her hands were steadier than they'd been in weeks.
By the time she made her way down to the courtyard, the sun was well above the horizon. Servants bustled past carrying linens and breakfast trays. Warriors gathered near the training yard, their voices carrying across the open space.
And there, near the stables, was Alpin.
Mhairi stopped walking, just watching him for a moment.
He was brushing down one of the horses, a large bay stallion that stood patiently as Alpin worked.
His movements were practiced, efficient, the kind of care that came from years of doing that same task.
He'd rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and morning light caught on the scars that marked his forearms.
"Are ye goin' tae stand there starin', or are ye goin' tae come say good mornin'?"
Mhairi jumped. She hadn't realized he'd noticed her. "I wasnae starin'."
"Ye were definitely starin'." Alpin glanced over his shoulder, grinning at their ongoing joke. "Though I dinnae mind."
Heat crept up her neck as she crossed the remaining distance. "I was just... admirin' the horse."
"The horse. Right." His eyes were dancing with amusement. "And here I thought ye might be admirin' somethin' else."
"Ye're terrible."
"So I've been told." He returned his attention to the stallion, running the brush along its flank in long, smooth strokes. "Sleep well?"
"Aye." Better than she had in weeks, actually. "Ye?"
"Well enough." He paused, then added quietly, "Though I kept thinkin' about a certain lass in a green dress."
Mhairi's breath caught. Before she could respond, Alpin moved on smoothly, gesturing to the horse. "This is Dùbh. He's been with me fer five years now. Stubborn as hell but loyal when it matters."
The stallion snorted as if in agreement.
"He's beautiful," Mhairi said, reaching out tentatively to stroke the horse's neck. The hair was warm and sleek under her palm.
"Aye, he is." Alpin watched her hand on the horse. "Have ye ever owned one? A horse of yer own?"
"Nay." Mhairi kept her touch gentle. "Me faither had horses fer the family, but they werenae really ours. More like... shared property that he controlled."
Something shifted in Alpin's expression. "We should change that."
"What?"
"Ye should have yer own horse." He said it matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Here." He pressed the brush into her hand. "Start with this. Long strokes, followin' the direction of the hair. Firm but nae too hard."
Mhairi looked down at the brush, then up at him. "Ye're serious."
"Always am when it comes tae horses." He positioned himself behind her, his hands settling lightly on her shoulders as he guided her. "Go on. Dùbh willnae bite."
“I rode a lot at home, but the stable hands always took care of the horses.” She applied the brush tentatively. The stallion's skin twitched under the bristles but he didn't move away.
"Good," Alpin murmured near her ear. "Just like that. See how his muscles relax? That means ye're daein' it right."
His hands were still on her shoulders, warm and steady. Mhairi tried to focus on the horse instead of how close Alpin was standing. On the simple task of brushing instead of the way her heart was racing.
She failed spectacularly.
"What else?" she managed.
"Check the hooves." Alpin moved around to demonstrate, running his hand down Dùbh's front leg until the horse lifted its hoof obediently. "See here? Ye want to make sure there's nothin' stuck, no stones, no debris. And look at the shoe. If it's loose or damaged, the horse will go lame."
Mhairi knelt beside him, watching closely as he pointed out what to look for. His hands were gentle but sure, and the horse trusted him completely.
"Can I try?" she asked.
"Aye. Take his other front leg."
She mimicked Alpin's movements, running her hand down the stallion's leg. Dùbh shifted slightly but then lifted his hoof. Mhairi caught it, surprised by the weight.
"That's it," Alpin encouraged. "Now check the shoe, feel for any looseness."
She did, carefully examining the iron horseshoe and the way it was nailed to the hoof. Everything seemed secure.
"Good," Alpin said. "Very good fer a first time."
They worked together for the next while, Alpin showing her how to move around the horse safely, where to stand, how to read the animal's body language. Mhairi absorbed every detail, fascinated by this new knowledge.
Finally, Alpin stepped back. "There. Now ye ken the basics."
"Thank ye." Mhairi stroked Dùbh's nose one more time.
"Ye're a natural." He meant it, she could tell. "Most people are afraid of horses this size. But ye moved around him like ye've been daein' it fer years."
Pride bloomed warm in her chest. "I should go. Donnach said he wanted tae show me how tae prepare a specific tincture this mornin', and I dinnae want tae be late."
"How are things goin'? With the healin'?"
"Wonderful." The word came out more enthusiastically than she'd intended. "Yesterday he let me actually treat a patient, just a minor burn, but still. And he said..." She paused, suddenly uncertain.
"Said what?"
"He said if I want, I could become his apprentice. Properly. That he'd teach me everythin' he kens." Mhairi looked down at her hands. "But that would mean stayin' here. Fer a long time. And I dinnae ken if ye are ok with that."
"Mhairi." Alpin waited until she met his eyes. "Ye can stay here fer as long as ye want. A month, a year, forever. That's yer choice tae make, nae anyone else's."
"But me faither––"
"Can go tae hell fer all I care." His voice was fierce. "Ye're buildin' a life here. Yer own life. Dinnae let anyone take that from ye."
The certainty in his words settled something inside her. Something that had been fluttering anxiously since she'd first arrived.
"Aye," she said softly. "I think... I think I'd like tae stay."
Alpin's smile was brilliant. "Good. Then it's settled."
He walked her to the edge of the courtyard, their hands brushing occasionally as they moved. At the entrance to the keep, he stopped.
"I'll see ye at dinner?" he asked.
"Aye. If Donnach decides tae teach me how tae set broken bones, in which case I might be covered in splints and plaster."
"Even better." His eyes were warm as they looked at her. "I like ye when ye're covered in healin' supplies. Means ye're daein' work that matters."
Before she could respond, he squeezed her hand briefly and strode away toward the main keep, leaving Mhairi standing there with her heart doing complicated things in her chest.
The dungeon was cold.
Alpin descended the stone steps slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the dim torchlight. The air down here was thick and stale, carrying the smell of damp stone and unwashed bodies.
Two guards stood outside the prisoner's cell, straightening immediately when they saw him.
"Me laird," the older one said. "We werenae expectin' ye."
"I need tae speak with the prisoner. Alone."
The guards exchanged glances. "Me laird, we should guard ye, just incase anythin’ goes wrong."
"Nay need fer that." Alpin's voice was calm but left no room for argument. "Leave. Now."
They went.
Once their footsteps had faded up the stairs, Alpin turned his attention to the cell. The prisoner sat slumped against the far wall, wrists still bound, the wound in his side freshly bandaged.
Donnach's work, no doubt. The old healer wouldn’t let even an enemy soldier die of infection if he could help it.
"Comfortable?" Alpin asked.
The man's head jerked up. "Go to hell."
"Already been. Wasnae impressed." Alpin pulled a stool closer to the bars and sat, casual as if they were having afternoon tea. "We need tae talk."
"I've got nothing to say to ye."
"That's unfortunate. Because I've got plenty to ask." Alpin leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "Let's start simple. How many men daes Ashcombe have at that border camp?"
Silence.
"Twenty? Thirty? More?"
The prisoner's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.
"Fine." Alpin shifted tactics. "What are his orders? Is he plannin' tae attack, or is he just tryin' tae intimidate me?"
Still nothing.
"Ye're nae very good at this," Alpin observed. "The whole 'silent prisoner' act. Ye keep flinchin’ every time I mention Ashcombe's name. That tells me ye're afraid of him."
"I'm not afraid of anyone."
"Liar." Alpin's voice went cold. "Ye're terrified. And ye should be. Because Ashcombe is the kind of man who'll sacrifice his own soldiers without blinkin' if it serves his purpose."
The prisoner's eyes flickered. Got him.
"How long have ye been in his service?" Alpin continued. "A year? Two? Long enough to see how he treats the men who fail him?"
"I haven’t failed."
"Ye got captured. That's definitely a failure in his eyes." Alpin let that sink in for a moment. "And now ye're here, locked in me dungeon, while Ashcombe sits comfortable in his camp. Ye think he's goin' tae negotiate fer yer release? Pay a ransom?"
The man's throat worked.
"He willnae," Alpin said flatly. "He's probably already replaced ye. Told the others that ye were weak, that ye deserved what ye got. That's how men like him operate."
"Ye don’t know him."