Chapter Twenty-Seven
Loki sees the Highlands and Grant land for the first time, something he’ll never forget.
The wind blew colder and harsher the further they traveled.
Celestina bundled the plaid around her as tight as it would go.
She had given up the cart and now rode a horse alongside her father, her brother, Rory, and a few of the MacLaren guards.
Her father had insisted her mother remain in the cart for protection against the bitterly cold Highland winds.
Celestina had ridden with her for awhile to keep her company, but the trail was narrowing and her father had sent them on ahead while he stayed back with her mama.
She had jumped at the chance to ride a horse and Inga had promised to keep her mother company.
Loki sat in front of her on her horse and offered guidance when it was needed.
The lad had proven to be such a godsend, not least of all because he was adept at calming her worries.
Her mind had thought of every possible situation they might find when they finally arrived at the Grant clan, but though everyone had chimed in to convince her Brodie was alive, it was Loki’s quiet certainty that made her believe.
The beauty of the Highlands astounded her—the hills and waterfalls, the beautiful glens and valleys.
As she shivered under her plaid, she swore that when she and her husband were reunited, she would force him to hold her in his warm embrace for hours until the chill moved out of her bones.
No matter where they slept, be it under the stars or inside a cave, the nights were colder here than she’d ever imagined.
She lifted her face to the sun and breathed in the crisp autumn air, smiling because she could now understand why Brodie loved the Highlands so.
This would be her home, and no matter how grievous his injury, they would work through it together.
She would help him heal and be a good wife to him.
She tried not to think sad thoughts because her tears tended to freeze on her face in the wind.
Instead, she turned her mind to her parents, who had supported her completely when she’d told them she could no longer wait to see her husband. She had offered to find someone to travel with in a cart, but her father had insisted on bringing her to the Grants himself, as had her mother.
The only one in their group more excited about their destination than Celestina was Loki. She pulled him in closer, hoping to keep him warm, though it seemed as though the wee sprite had more heat than she did.
The view became more breathtaking the further they traveled.
Then, a few days after they had left, Loki grinned and tugged on her arm, his gloved finger pointing off into the distance.
The largest castle she had ever seen graced a huge hill, surrounded by several rows of huts and thatched cottages and valleys with firths meandering through them.
They could make out a loch to the left and fields to the side, though little grew at this time of year.
As they made their way, Celestina could make out the castle’s parapets and the towers. Warriors were everywhere—walking the parapets, riding on horseback through the village, and practicing swordplay in the fields.
“Look, missy angel.” Loki pointed to a field full of soldiers to the right of the castle.
Swords reflected the sun as they swung in battle.
“The lists! The famous Grant lists. Someday I will be able to practice there.” His face lit up and he turned to her, grinning from ear to ear. She kissed his forehead and chuckled.
“Aye, I think you will, Loki.”
The lad couldn’t stop his chattering. “And look at that stone wall, ‘tis the tallest ever. Naught will get past that! And see all the buildings inside the wall. I think I even see a chapel. The Grants have the biggest stable of all. Mayhap I can sleep there in the soft straw instead of on the ground.”
His excitement was contagious. Her father’s keep was large, but it was nothing like this.
Loki squeezed her hand. “’Twill no’ be much longer, missy. We are almost there!” he shouted.