Chapter 20

"But he would nae want ye tae put yerself in danger. The whole reason he left was tae keep ye safe," Rory said, gesturing towards the letter. Lucy pushed her chair back and rose abruptly, pacing around the room, flinging her hands into the air.

"And what is life without a wee bit of danger? I know what it's like tae live behind strong walls, tae hae everything decided for me. Da saw tae that my entire life. I am nae gaeing tae hae my future decided by someone else. I chose tae leave the keep knowing that it would be dangerous. I risked everything for my freedom, and I'm nae gaeing tae return there now, nae when Ian is still out there. Any life would just be a shadow of happiness without him, and he is sae lost in his own pain that he cannae see there is a way forward for us both. Wherever he is, I will find him, and I will show him that we can be together. Dae ye hae any idea where he might hae gone?"

Rory frowned and placed his hand under his chin. He thought deeply. "He never left the village. He barely left the forge. This place was so important to him. He spoke about his youth here a lot."

"Was there anywhere else he mentioned? Perhaps there was another place that meant a lot tae him," Lucy thought, trying to coax out a memory. It may have just been a passing comment that Ian made while working in the forge, the words lost to the sounds of hammering. Then again, Ian had always been tight-lipped, and she feared that it would mean that he was beyond her reach. Still, if she had to comb over the entire Highlands for the rest of her life to find him, then she would, for she had never wanted anything more than she wanted him. He had touched her deeply, intimately, profoundly, and the love that burned inside could not be easily diminished. Many men had passed before her, each one never seeming right, never seeming to fit. Then, out of nowhere, this brash blacksmith, rough around the edges and coarse in his manner, had managed to woo her.

If love was worth anything, she was not going to let him ride away and make this sacrifice.

After spending some time deep in thought, Rory snapped his fingers. "Aye, there was a place he mentioned once or twice. It's the coast. He said that his mother is from a village there, near Giant's Hook."

Giant's Hook was named for the rocky formation that stretched out to the sea. It looked as though a hook had been planted in the ground, and nearby a settlement had formed. Lucy knew how important Ian's mother was to him, and if he wasn't there, it was at least a good place to start. Lucy gathered some essential supplies, while Rory found an old, crude map that pointed the way. He thrust some coins into her hand, and then said that he was going to get a horse ready, too.

"Nae, ye should stay here. This is where ye belong. This is yer forge," Lucy said.

"But I cannae let ye ride out there alone," Rory said.

Lucy gave him a firm smile. "I will be fine, Rory, I promise. If ye leave this forge unattended, then someone else may seize it. Ye should dae what ye dae best, be a blacksmith. Honor Ian. I will write tae ye when I find him. This is nae the last ye will see of me, but ye need tae protect what he left ye. Besides, if ye leave, who is gaeing tae feed Ginger?" As Lucy said this, the cat mewed, as if agreeing with her.

Rory reluctantly accepted the logic of her point. Lucy gave him a tight hug and then rushed outside, her cloak billowing as she mounted the horse and rode in a westerly direction. The map was rolled up in her pocket, but she had committed the route to memory. She bent low and clenched her jaw in determination, vowing to not stop until she saw Ian's face again. She would search forever if she had to, through the wind and rain, through storms of winter and the summer heat, never stopping, never relenting, because her love would not allow it.

* * *

She had leftwhen dusk rolled into night. She followed the path as best she could, but the moon was a crescent and did not offer much aid. Occasionally, she lost it and had to double back. The wind was cold, as if the entire world was warning her to turn back, but she would not listen. She gripped the reins tightly. She focused her eyes on the dark horizon, peering through the shadows, waiting to see him again. Stars glittered above in the inky blackness and she prayed that she would not fall foul of rogue bandits, or the howling wolves she could hear in the distance.

It was a long night, a night filled with misdirection and false paths, but eventually morning came and she could make up for lost time. She could smell the brine in the air as she drew closer to the coast, and occasionally, she could see the endless sea reaching out into eternity. She had no time to admire the beauty of the world, though, for she was on a mission. If Ian did not end up in Giant's Hook, then she would have to travel up and down the coast, asking after him, hoping that he had made himself known to taverns and merchants. It might be an endless, hopeless search, but better to spend her life searching for him than to live it alone, or worse, with another man. Nobody else could compare with him, and she wasn't about to abandon her future because Ian didn't think he was worthy of being a husband. He was too hard on himself for what he had done. Saying that she had awakened something in him was all well and good, but the same was true in the reverse! She had never known feelings like this. The stirrings of love and desire were familiar things now, but only because Ian had caused them to drift around her soul. How could she ever waste them on another man?

Lucy could barely believe her eyes when she saw a figure on horseback in the distance. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, thinking that it might have been an illusion borne from fatigue. However, the closer she got, the more she became certain that it was Ian. He was a tall figure, drawing a cart behind him, so he would have been traveling slower than she had. He handled his horse in the same manner as Ian did, and her heart was filled with elation.

* * *

The night had been long,but Ian had almost reached his destination. It felt as though he was bringing things to a close in a neat circle, ending up where his mother began. By now, Rory and Lucy would have found the letters he left for them. They would have likely been angry, but he hoped they would understand, given time. She might even be back in the keep now, where she belonged. She was a noble woman, after all. Through the night he had gazed at the stars, and now he gazed at the misty clouds drifting far across the horizon, losing himself in them. His life would never be the same again. He would cherish the time he spent with Lucy for the rest of his life. If the Laird's guards should find him, then he would pay for his crimes. If not, then he would live out his life alone with the sea for company, lapping against the shore day in, day out. Men couldn't have everything in life, after all. At least he knew the forge was in good hands.

Then, suddenly, from nowhere came a cry.

"Ian! IAN!" it came from behind him. He swung around and saw Lucy galloping towards him, her cloak billowing in the wind, her body leaning forward, thrumming with purpose. She came to a stop, the horse whinnying loudly, and then she dismounted. Ian, speechless, did the same.

He stood there as she marched up to him, anger blazing in her eyes. "How dare ye walk away from me like that. After all I told ye, dae ye really think I wanted another man tae decide my fate for me? Tae leave without saying goodbye properly was a cowardly thing, Ian. Ye abandoned me, betrayed me…"

"I was trying tae protect ye. I thought ye deserved a better life than tae live in fear that yer crimes would be discovered. What kind of life would it be tae live in the shadows of my crimes, or tae hae people looking for ye as a thief?"

"I would take all of that if it meant I could be with ye. Any life would be empty without ye, and that's what ye dinnae understand. Ye hae lost sae much that it hae become a habit for ye and ye believe that it is the only way tae live. But it's nae, Ian, it's nae," she reached out with a hand and placed it upon his cheek. The touch was tender. Ian took a deep breath, enjoying the moment, closing his eyes as he did so. Then, he bowed his head.

"I dinnae need ye walking away from me, Ian. I dinnae need ye tae leave me or fix anything or try and protect me. I never asked any of that from ye," Lucy continued, her words insistent, tinged with raw emotion. "All I want is tae be with ye. Ye are allowed tae be happy. I chose tae leave the keep. I chose tae lie with ye. And I choose tae be here with ye now. Ye can keep running if ye like, but I promise ye I will keep chasing ye down tae the ends of the earth. Ye cannae gae far enough tae escape me, Ian. I love ye."

Ian stared at her for a long time, barely able to believe that this spirited, wondrous woman had fallen into his path, had filled his heart. "I thought love hae left me a long time ago. I could nae save my family… I thought the only thing that mattered was saving ye."

"Ian, think about what yer family would want for ye. I can save myself. Maybe it's time that someone saved ye. Did ye ever think of that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Ian considered it for a moment, because he certainly hadn't. She moved closer to him and lowered her voice, looking up at him with wide, beautiful eyes. "I want tae be yer family."

Her words were honeyed and they slipped like a dagger between his ribs, piercing his heart. Seeing her again made him realize how foolish he had been in trying to make a decision for her. He should have known that she would never have done what she was told, but only what she wanted, and now he was glad of it. He wasn't about to let her disappear from his sight again. Overwhelmed by love, he grabbed her and pulled her close. He kissed her tightly, wrapping his arms around her in a silent promise to never let her go. Their lips crashed together as the dawn light shone around them, making the dew on the grass glisten. In the distance, the ocean swept against the shore. The world was alive with the song of nature. Ian and Lucy were alive with the song of love. The air shimmered and everything seemed to swirl around them. For a moment, Ian could even believe that he was floating, such were the intoxicating and incredible feelings of her kiss. He had lost so much during his life, but in her, he had found something new, something that he would hold on to forever.