Chapter 12

Time was running out for them and it broke Sky's heart to think that their solitary time here would soon be no more. The last few weeks had been blissful, a dream come true. She had come to know Slayer, the man, not the Gallowglass warrior, and she could not stop herself from falling in love with him. She woke most mornings in his arms and was showered with kisses. Some mornings they coupled, other mornings they lay in bed and talked. Days were filled with walks in the woods or spending time by the stream.

When rain forced them inside, they stayed occupied with tender touches, soft kisses, and endless pleasure. This time with him taught her how love could be born from the strangest of circumstances and no matter how hard one might try to deny it, it simply was not possible. It settled into the heart and refused to let go. And a touch that had been nothing more than an innocent touch was now a caress that trembled the heart, and a tender kiss now sparked passion, and when hands were simply held, it was a reminder that neither would ever let go of the other.

But like all dreams you eventually wake up and Sky feared she would wake soon, and her lovely dream would be gone, and the Slayer she had come to know and to love would vanish, replaced by the feared Gallowglass leader.

But how could she love one and not the other when they were one and the same man?

Sky watched Slayer talking with a large warrior from where she pretended to work in the garden, tending to the plants that were flourishing. She had heard him call the warrior Clyde as the two walked a distance away to talk. That her husband hadn't wanted her to hear what they discussed was obvious, so she had gone to the garden to wait.

A lovely red crossbill suddenly landed on her shoulder and began chirping in her ear insistently.

Many believed that she could speak with animals and birds but that was not true. However, she had learned to understand their actions, thus forming a type of communication with them. Something in the forest had upset the crossbill, hence her insistent chirping, and seeing how Slayer fisted his one hand as he spoke with Clyde, something upset him as well.

"Thank you, my friend, for letting me know that trouble brews in the forest," she whispered, and the bird flew off her shoulder.

She cast another glance at her husband, and she could almost see him transform in front of her eyes. His stance had turned commanding, his shoulders were drawn back tight, and his eyes narrowed. She watched, wishing she could hear what they were discussing.

* * *

"Lowlanders have crossedthe border into the Highlands," Clyde said. "We have yet to find out why they are here, but the substantial fee offered for the mission to see the Murdock sisters dead may have something to do with it. The large fee is drawing endless mercenary groups to the area, though some wisely retreat when they learn it is the Gallowglass they will face." Clyde shook his head. "The foolish or desperate pay no heed to it."

"The promise of wealth can turn the wisest man foolish," Slayer said.

"There is something you need to know, my lord," Clyde said with a quick glance at Sky. "I only learned it and I do not know if the news has reached Cavell yet, but he should be made aware of it as well since it means his wife is no longer in danger."

"Explain," Slayer ordered.

"It has been made known that the woman they search for has reddish blonde hair and only two of the Murdock sisters have that color hair. Cavell's wife is safe."

Not so Sky, Slayer thought with a glance at his wife, and he gripped his fist tighter.

He had been enjoying his time here with Sky, alone, with little to bother them. This news reminded him of his duties not only to his wife but to his clan as well. It was time to leave here and return home.

"You are sure about this news?" Slayer asked, though he trusted Clyde's word.

"Not a doubt about it," Clyde said, his glance falling on Sky.

"Has any word reached us from Melvin yet?" Slayer asked. "He has been gone long enough to let me know what he has learned and also what goes on at Clan Murdock with Cavell and his wife, Elsie."

"Not a peep from him. I could go and see if anything prevents him from sending word to us and deliver the news to Cavell," Clyde offered.

"Take a few warriors with you," he ordered.

Clyde laughed. "This is a one-man mission. I need no help or protection."

"Mercenaries roam the area?—"

"And what interest would they have in a single warrior? There is nothing to fear and I fear nothing. But I am no fool and will be cautious. Besides, alone I can travel faster which means I return home faster."

Clyde was one of his most skilled and seasoned warriors and had been with him since he took command of a Gallowglass troop and grew it into the most feared and victorious troop to fight against.

With no argument from Slayer, Clyde said, "I will leave in the morning and return before you can miss me." He looked about to say more but held his tongue.

"Say what you will, Clyde."

"You are a wise leader who makes wise decisions. It would be wise of you to leave here soon and take residence in the castle now that so many more mercenaries fill the area."

"My thought as well, Clyde. We leave here in two days."

* * *

Two days.Sky managed to catch the two words. Her heart turned heavy, and she glanced over the flourishing garden. "I wish I could be here for harvesttime, but I fear that will not be possible."

Another warrior suddenly appeared to speak with her husband and Clyde stepped aside, walking toward the cottage to stand and wait.

She made her way toward him. He was a large man and older than most of Slayer's warriors she had seen. "Can I offer you something? A brew perhaps?"

He stared at her, and she wondered if it was her eyes that seemed to leave him speechless.

He coughed as if clearing his throat. "Nay. But thank you."

She did not know what else to say to him, never having spoken to any of Slayer's warriors. She had been foolish to try and speak with him, learn something he had told Slayer. His warriors would never reveal anything to her.

She smiled. "Stay safe, Clyde."

He looked at oddly at her.

"Do I have your name wrong? I thought I heard Slayer call you Clyde."

"Aye, that is my name and again, thank you."

Slayer called out to him.

Clyde went to walk away but stopped briefly to say, "Lord Slayer will keep you safe, Sky."

She smiled as he walked away, the warrior having acknowledged her by her name as someone who did not fear her would do, and it pleased her.

She turned and felt a catch in her chest as she stared at the cottage. She had left the window and door open to let in an oddly sunny and warm spring day. She was not prone to constant tears, having learned they did little to help a situation, but she felt them now pooling in her eyes. She had found a spark of happiness here with Slayer, something she had never expected to find. Something she did not want to lose. But there was the worry of the danger she and her sisters still faced and concern for Slayer's safety as well with his brother having been killed and his father poisoned. And there was her husband, a feared Gallowglass leader she needed to come to know more about, love even more, and fear even less.

"Sky."

She brushed away the tears before they could fall and turned to face Slayer with a smile.

Slayer went to her, his hand hurrying to grip the back of her neck as concern filled his eyes. "Why do your eyes glisten with tears? Are you in pain? Did you hurt yourself in the garden?"

She gave no thought to making an excuse. She spoke the truth to him. "Nay, I realized that our time here will end soon and I will miss being here alone with you. I have very much enjoyed our time together and I will always cherish the memories we made here."

"Our memories don't end here," Slayer said, her words sounding as if their time together was coming to an end, something he would never allow to happen. "We have the rest of our lives to fill with memories and I look forward to making them with you."

His remark touched her heart since to her it said that he cared for her and that gave her hope that someday he might come to more than just care for her.

"As do I with you," she said.

He kissed her, a more demanding than gentle one, and she felt the tension in it. Something disturbed him.

"What's wrong, Slayer?" she asked when she managed to break the kiss.

"Nothing," he snapped and claimed her lips again so forcefully that her bottom lip caught on one of her teeth and she gasped in pain.

Slayer pulled his lips off hers.

"That hurt," she said, her hand going to her mouth.

"Bloody hell," Slayer mumbled, angry with himself and left the cottage.

Sky tasted blood in her mouth and fear sent a shiver through her. Slayer, the Gallowglass warrior, had returned, and she was not sure how to deal with him. She shook her head. How could she love part of him and fear the other? It was like the animals in the woods. She loved them but she also knew that they could be dangerous when cornered or hungry. Those times she avoided them or approached them differently.

Then she recalled how he had given his word to her that he would never harm her, that she was safe with him. And if anything, her husband was a man of his word. She told herself to always remember his pledge to her and went in search of him.

He hadn't gone far. He stood under a large oak tree, his back braced against it.

His hand shot up to ward her off. "Leave me be! Anger invades me and I will not have it touch you." He shook his head. "I did not mean to hurt you."

"I know," she said and smiled as she walked toward him. "You are troubled. We should talk before we kiss again." She quickly licked her lip to stop the blood she felt in her mouth from reaching her lips.

Slayer pushed himself off the tree and had his hand at her chin so fast that it caused Sky to gasp.

"Is that blood? Did I cause you to bleed?" he demanded, his fingers tugging gently at her lip to have a look. "Bloody hell!"

He shut his eyes briefly trying to contain his anger at seeing the blood in her mouth. He knew the calm he had known with Sky these past few weeks would not last, that the powerful warrior within him would rise and take command again. But he never intended to visit that fierceness upon Sky.

She tried to reassure him. "It's nothing."

"It most certainly is something. I had no right to hurt you."

"You did not mean to."

"That's no excuse and never should you accept it as one."

"And should I have lashed out at you and suffered the blow of your hand on my cheek for doing so?"

"I gave you my word that you were safe with me. You should have trusted it," he argued.

She eased his hand off her chin. "I did and it is why I came in search of you. Now will you tell me what troubles you?" It was easy to see that he was reluctant to tell her. "We have shared and talked about many things these last few weeks. Please don't stop talking and sharing with me."

He did not want to cause her more pain or upset or frighten her, though the warrior in him warned against such a foolish thought. She needed to know. "It has been learned that the woman the mercenaries search for has reddish blonde hair."

Sky instinctively grabbed a strand of her hair. "That means it is either me or Leora they search for."

"Aye, and it has also been learned that a group of Lowlanders has crossed the border into the Highlands, but the reason is unknown as of yet."

"But you think it may have something to do with the search for the woman with the reddish blonde hair."

"I doubt it is a coincidence," he said and wiped away a small spot of blood on her lower lip with his finger. It fired his anger all over again that he had hurt her, though he was not surprised that he could not harden his heart against it.

What surprised him was that he had come to care a great deal for his wife these past few weeks. It wasn't only the pleasure he found in coupling with her, it was the time they spent together talking and laughing over foolish tales of when they were very young. There was also the contented silence they shared at times. There was not a time spent here that he did not enjoy being with his wife and the realization was something he continued to try and understand.

Sky left him to his silence having come to realize there were times he needed silence to think. She watched his eyes shift with his thoughts, from anger to concern, then troubled. She had come to understand the difference and it allowed her to come to know him better.

"Two days," Slayer said. "We leave for Clan Ravinsher in two days."

"I will be sorry to leave here," she said.

"It is better not to get attached to anything." Slayer almost shook his head hearing his father's words coming from his mouth.

"Too late," she said with a gentle smile. "I have already grown attached to this lovely place but more so to you."

She had not intended to say that and yet she had not been able to stop herself.

"Don't," he warned. "I am not the man you think I am."

"But you are," she said defending him.

He took hold of her arm. "Nay. Do not be so foolish and so blind. I go to the compound. I do not know how long I will be gone."

He walked away disappearing into the woods and Sky could not help but feel he was leaving her.

* * *

Dark gray cloudsfilled the sky by the time Slayer returned to the cottage later that day. The door to the cottage was closed but the window was open, and he saw that his wife was busy inside. She was probably preparing the evening meal for them. He had come to cherish that time with her and was glad he had since in two days' time it would be no more.

The thought added to his anger that had flared even more since earlier. Rory had proved useless to talk with, changing his story repeatedly yet again and embellishing it outrageously. He had ordered him taken to Clan Ravinsher where he would be held prisoner until he could determine if the man would be of any use to him. But what annoyed him the most was that he had unexpected feelings for his wife. His intention in staying at the cottage was for her to accept their marriage and seal their vows. Developing feelings for his wife had not been part of the plan and did not help the situation.

He slipped his shirt off and grabbed the axe by the pile of logs and began swinging it, breaking logs in two with just one powerful swing. He split log after log relentlessly until he felt his arm muscles burn though he didn't stop. His fierce swings reminded him of battle when he would swing his sword striking warrior after warrior until the bodies piled around him just as the split logs did now.

He counted on that unyielding fierceness and an uncaring soul to see him through every battle, to see him to victory.

He swung around ready to strike when a hand landed on his back, and he yanked the axe back when he saw it was his wife and that she cringed as if waiting for the blow. It was only then he realized it was raining and he was soaked.

"Go back inside," he ordered, the rain running down his face.

"Come with me," she urged, her cloak nearly soaked.

He stepped away from her, fearing if he touched her that he would not be tender with her. "Go! Leave me be."

There was an anger in his eyes that she did not understand and while she told herself to pay heed to it, she was more concerned with the pain she saw there as well. Her husband was hurting, and her heart hurt for him.

"Nay, I will not leave you be," she said and reached out to take his hand.

Slayer did not move fast enough or maybe he didn't move fast enough on purpose. Maybe he wanted to feel her touch. Maybe he wanted the excuse to… he grabbed her around the waist and yanked her hard against him. His lips came down on hers crushing them in a forceful kiss.

He needed her. He had to have her. He had to lose himself in her.

He yanked her up so that her feet did not touch the ground as he walked to the large oak tree. He tore his mouth off hers before reaching the tree and ordered, "Wrap your legs around me."

I will never harm you.

Those words chanted in her head and trusting his promise, she did as he said and as he lifted her, she brought her legs around his waist and locked them there. He braced her against the tree, keeping one arm firmly around her waist as his hand dug at her garments, pushing them out of his way.

His overwhelming need for her fired her own need for him and she reached down and helped him shift their garments so that he could…

She gasped so loud at his powerful entrance that she feared it echoed past the sound of the pouring rain and throughout the forest.

"Hold onto me," he commanded.

She tried to grip his arms, but it was difficult, the rain making them slippery. She hurried her arms around his neck and locked her fingers tight then rested her face next to his.

Her passionate moans echoed in his ear, fueling his own passion and he drove into her with a need he did not think could ever be satisfied, and yet… he felt. That strange feeling of not just pleasure but something more, something he had never felt before, something he wanted to feel forever.

He pressed his wet cheek against hers and groaned, his passion ready to explode and demanded, "Fall with me, Sky."

She was so close to the edge that she fell right off, screaming Slayer's name as she burst with pleasure.

He joined her, his arm keeping tight hold of her around her waist while bracing his free hand against the tree for support and, dropping his head back, he released a roar that sounded like a mighty beast. When his pleasure finally abated, he shuddered, and he was pleased to feel her shudder as well.

Sky's head fell on his shoulder, unable to hold it up, her pleasure having robbed her of all her strength.

Sanity returned to him and feeling how limp she lay in his arms, how heavily the rain poured down upon them, thinking how he had pounded into her, possibly hurting her, he nearly roared again for what he had done.

As if the heavens agreed with him, lightning struck, a dazzling streak of light splitting through the sky, and thunder pounded the earth viciously. A crack sounded above them, and he heard a branch splinter. He slipped out of her and crushed her against the tree trunk, shielding her with his body as a tree branch came crashing down.

Sky cringed hearing the branch splinter. Leaves and branch debris fell along with it as the rain took on a forceful intensity. She couldn't move, Slayer had her pinned so tightly against the tree trunk. His whole body shielded her, and she worried for his own safety.

Slayer did not budge until the fallen tree branch had settled on the ground, then he eased himself off his wife, anxious to see how she fared.

He plucked a leaf and a couple of twigs out of her wet hair before placing his face close to hers so she could hear him over the rolling thunder. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and gripped his arm. "And you?"

"Good," he said. "We need to get inside."

His arm went around her waist and he lifted her over the large fallen branch that blocked their path to the cottage.

Once inside, he ordered, "Get out of those wet garments."

She turned to tell him to do the same as he shut the door and her eyes widened in alarm. "Your back bleeds." She hurried to him.

She reached him before he could stop her.

"It is nothing," he said, brushing off her concern, though touched by it.

"I will see for myself, then we both can shed our wet garments," she said, snatching a clean cloth from the nearby basket, then took hold of his hand and tugged him toward the bench at the table.

Rainwater dripped off them both as Sky cleaned the blood off his back. Relief was heard in her voice when she said, "A minor wound that a dab of honey will help heal."

Slayer stood. "Later. Now, get out of those wet garments."

He finished before her having only his plaid and boots to be rid of, then he helped her get out of her remaining garments and wrapped a blanket around her. He moved the two benches in front of the fire pit and got them each a clean cloth to dry their hair. The heat of the fire helped dry and warm them, and pops and sizzles were heard from the drops that hit the fiery flames as they squeezed the rainwater from their hair before taking the cloth to it.

"We leave tomorrow," he announced suddenly.

Her stomach plunged at the thought of not having another day here with him. "You said two days."

"And now I say we leave tomorrow," he said abruptly and turned to stare at the flames. "You will leave me be when you see me as I was when splitting the logs… filled with anger and rage."

It hurt Sky to even think of doing such a thing and she reached out to rest her hand on his thigh, still damp with rainwater. "I cannot leave you be when I see you hurting."

"You will do as I say," he ordered sternly.

"I cannot go against what my heart tells me. You are my husband, my friend, and I will not leave you to hurt alone."

His tongue was ready to snap at her, order her to obey him, but something stopped him. He couldn't tell if it was the concern in her soft voice or the surprised look in her eyes as if he had asked her to do the impossible.

He leaned his face close to hers. "I will not chance hurting you when I rage with anger."

"You will not hurt me. You gave me your word and I trust your word." She kissed him gently, sealing a promise.

She stirred something in him again, something that continued to make no sense to him, yet he found it comforting and missed it when not in her company. He had always found solitude, a friend, a good companion to have but now, after this time spent with her, he found that he favored being with his wife and that could prove dangerous.

They ate supper mostly in silence as the rain continued to fall and before they got into bed for the night, Slayer told himself to leave her be, that he had demanded enough from her earlier and nearly gotten them both killed. But his wife thought differently as she snuggled against him and her hand began to roam over him, a bit hesitantly as if she was unsure of his response. He quickly let her know he felt the same and they soon were lost in a world all their own, a world that would turn vastly different tomorrow.