Chapter 3

Slayer felt it like a punch to his gut. With the grime gone from her face, her beauty stunned the eye, and it surprised him that what caught his eye first was not her affliction. Her beauty far outweighed anything else about her.

Sky stared at him and seeing his stoic expression, she said, "You knew."

"Aye, I did. My father made me aware that you were born with one blue eye and one green eye. Though he assured me that you were a good, obedient woman and was possessed of no evil. I trust my father's word, and I trust my brother even more. Warrand would have never agreed to the marriage if he had any doubts about your nature."

He could not take his eyes off hers. The two different colors were strangely beautiful and undeniably distracting. Both colors were bold or perhaps it was the contrast that made them bold. An intense blue like the sky on a hot summer's day and a vibrant green that could rival the rolling green hills after a spring rain. He found himself utterly captivated by them and he could not tear his glance away, no matter how hard he tried.

Sky did the same, her eyes focused on his face. She never expected him to possess such defined features, angles and curves molding perfectly into the handsomest face she had ever seen. His intense eyes were a greenish grey and intimidated with one glance and his slim lips were drawn tight. His hair was a darker shade of blond. At least she thought it was since it was difficult to be sure in the dwindling light, but she had been right about its length. It fell over his shoulders and onto his chest. It wasn't so much his fine features that caught the eye as it was the look on his face. He exuded power and fearlessness, warning all he was not a man to cross.

The thought brought her to her senses, and she could not help but keep the sorrow out of her voice when she said, "Your brother was rare and most kind in his opinion of me since most presume me evil, a cohort of the devil, a witch."

"As I said, I trust my brother's opinion. You will be safe and treated well at Clan Ravinsher."

Sky had no doubt he believed that, but she was not as sure about it as he was, and it only made her want to return home to the safety of her family even more. A shiver of worry raced through her.

"Night brings a chill with it. Come sit by the fire and get warm." Slayer stood and leaned down to hook his arm around Sky's waist and with a swift lift she was on her feet to stand beside him.

She was right about his height, her head only reaching his shoulder. She had never seen a man of his size before. His height alone commanded awe and respect.

He snatched up the blanket and draped it over his arm, then he rested his hand on her lower back as he directed her to the camp.

Twilight was quickly fading, the vibrant colors appearing as if they were sinking into the earth to sleep until tomorrow evening when they would wake and dazzle the sky once again. And she was grateful she was able to enjoy the beautiful sight once more.

She remained close to Slayer as they approached the campsite, where his men were busy talking and laughing among themselves. But how soon would that all stop when they laid eyes upon her? She lowered her head as she usually did around strangers.

"Keep your head up," he ordered.

His strong command had her obeying without thinking about it.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to hide. Do not let me see you lower your head again."

She nodded, though worried it was an order she might not be able to obey since it was a habit formed throughout the years. The delicious scent of roasting meat caught her attention, tempting her nostrils and gurgling her stomach as they entered the camp.

"You are hungry," he said upon hearing her stomach protest. "You will sit by the fire and stay warm until the meat is ready to eat."

Sky was beginning to understand that Slayer expected compliance to his every word. It was his way, but then how else could he command a large army of warriors if he did not lead with strength and confidence? However, she would prefer not to sit too close to the fire even if a chill filled the night air. The darkness would help conceal her eyes, whereas the fire's light would reveal them.

Slayer placed the blanket on the ground close to a low burning campfire compared to the other two, whose hardy flames roasted the meat on spits.

He assisted her to sit and with a snap of his finger at one of his warriors, a cloak was soon brought to him, and he draped it over her shoulders.

"Keep your head up," he warned before walking away to speak with one of the warriors.

She wondered what would happen if she disobeyed him. Unfortunately, being in an unfamiliar environment she thought it unwise to find out, not that she had the courage to do so, but at least she had bravely given it thought. So, she kept her head up and though the fire burnt low, it burnt enough to highlight her face and make the color of her eyes more prominent.

The stares started first as if they did not quite believe what they were seeing, then they swiftly looked away as if fearing they would be touched by evil if they continued to look upon her. Then the whispers began and those warriors nearest to her began to move away.

Her hunger vanished as fast as a snuffed-out flame, and she desperately wished her sisters were with her, especially Leora. The warriors' attention would be focused on Leora's beauty, or her punishing words defending Sky, and she would be left in peace.

She gazed carefully at the flickering flames, worried that the light might disturb her eyes and was relieved when it presented no problem. She stretched her cold hands out to the fire's warmth, eager to chase the chill that had settled in them.

"ENOUGH WITH THE WHISPERS!"

Sky jumped at Slayer's forceful shout.

"She is not evil. You have nothing to fear from her."

The whispers ceased instantly and talking resumed among the men a short time afterwards, but Sky was no fool. Slayer may have quieted them for now, but he did not change the fear they had of her.

Even though she had slept a good portion of their journey, she found herself tired from the exhausting day. With her stomach far too upset to eat anything, she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep. Then she would wake in the morning to find it had all been a horrible nightmare and that she was home in her room, cuddled in her bed beneath her soft, sweet-smelling blankets.

She sighed at her foolish yet hopeful thought and watched as one of the warriors sliced into the cooked meat on the spit, cutting several pieces to place on a cloth that he wrapped and gave to Slayer. While she knew hunting animals was essential to survival in the Highlands, she avoided it when possible, having befriended so many forest animals since she'd been young. But that was the way of survival and life in the Highlands.

Slayer approached her and lowered himself to sit down next to her. He unwrapped the cloth the warrior had handed him and took a piece for himself, then offered her some.

"Eat," he said.

A demand always seemed to edge his voice and she heard it now. She shook her head and kept her focus on the fire. "I am not hungry."

"You need to eat."

"I cannot stomach food right now."

"Never let anyone rob you of your strength. Eat."

She was too tired, nor did she have the courage to argue with him. She took a piece of the offered meat and nibbled on it to appease him.

He kept his eyes locked on hers as he placed the cloth holding the meat in her lap and snatched another piece. His eyes continued to remain on hers as he ate.

She wondered what he truly thought of her mismatched eyes. He wore a constant stoic expression, except when he commanded. That one warned not to question him. Otherwise, it was difficult to know what he was thinking or feeling.

She took the opportunity, since he had seen her eyes, to find out if he might want to return her to her family. "My family is accustomed to my affliction. They would be only too happy to have me home again."

He shrugged. "So, you have two different colored eyes. What difference does that make?"

"You heard the whispers, and you commanded your warriors to stop?—"

"And they did," he said, before she could finish and cast a glance over his men, some turning their heads away.

"You cannot stop their thoughts, their worries, their fears of me."

"My warriors do not fear."

"Everyone fears the strange, the different, the unexplainable and blames it on evil, on the devil," she said, having experienced it all too often.

"You let their whispers worry you and you worry for your safety."

That he understood her misgivings surprised her. "The only place I am safe is at my home."

He captured her eyes with his again, not letting her look away. "Nay, you are safe with me."

His eyes felt as if they burrowed into her, as though he searched deep down inside her to see all her fears, doubts, and hopes. And his voice was full of such confidence that it made it difficult not to believe him. There was only one problem.

"I do not know you, so how then can I trust you?" she asked.

He responded without hesitation as though the answer was simple. "You will grow to know me. Besides, I honor my word. You can always trust me."

"It takes time to trust."

"We have plenty of that, so it need not concern you," he said as if it was settled.

She tried to keep her worry out of her voice, but she heard the tremble herself. "You make it sound as though Clan Ravinsher will be my home forever."

He nodded and as if the matter had already been decided, said, "Aye, forever." He grabbed another piece of meat before he stood. "Be wise and eat more before you sleep."

Sky watched him walk away and saw how his men looked at him in awe, as if he had just faced evil and conquered it.

* * *

Slayer wokebefore dawn and sat staring at Sky from across the camp as she slept. He was not sure what to make of her, but then he didn't think she was sure of what to make of herself. Her family obviously protected her. She never learned to stand on her own and find her own strength and courage. Never learned to accept who she was with pride rather than fear.

Her strangely colored eyes did not bother him. They somehow provided her with a mysterious beauty as if she contained a treasure of sorts that begged to be discovered. He shook his head at the absurd thought. He had no time for such nonsense, no time for women.

"The clan will not easily accept her," Ross said, joining him in front of the dwindling fire.

"They have no choice," Slayer said, his focus remaining on her.

"Have you told her yet?"

Slayer turned to Ross. "She will learn soon enough."

"What if she protests?"

"It will do her no good. What is done is done and nothing will change it."

"Are you sure about these plans?" Ross asked.

"You sound your skeptical self."

"As long as you are not skeptical, we are all right," Ross said with a chuckle.

Smiles had been something that eluded Slayer for some years now. When he was young, he laughed often and more times than he could count with his brother Warrand and Ross, but once he started training and joined the Gallowglass everything changed.

"Then we have no worries," Slayer confirmed with confidence.

"Good to hear," Ross said. "I hope the men you sent to make inquiries concerning your da and Warrand return soon with news that will help us find the culprits. So that someday you will smile again and maybe even laugh."

"That would take a miracle," Slayer said.

Sadly, Ross knew his friend hadn't meant it to be humorous.

"I cannot make sense of their murders," Slayer said, shaking his head. "Why would anyone want them both dead? If I can find the answer to that question, I believe it would be easier to find the person responsible for their deaths."

"We will find them, and they will pay for the evil they have done," Ross said.

Slayer was glad for Ross' longtime friendship, though he was more like a brother than a friend. He, Warrand, and Ross had spent endless time together when they were young, so he took Warrand's death as badly as Slayer had. And he wanted to avenge Warrand's death as badly as Slayer did.

Ross was the only close family he had left. His mother had died a few years ago, and no grandparents were left. He had joined the Gallowglass with him and had fought endlessly by his side, and by his side was where he would stay and serve the new lord of Clan Ravinsher.

Slayer turned, seeing Sky stir awake and stretch her arms lazily about her head.

"Her problem is going to be a problem, Slayer," Ross warned.

"At first, but I will see that it does not take long for her to be accepted."

"Accepted or forced?"

"Whatever it takes," Slayer said. "Now wake the men. The sooner we leave the better."