Page 18 of The Fierce Highlander

“As I have said, Noble is an honorable man. He will suffer an arrow before he allows one to hit you. Tavish was wise in taking his own life, for Noble would have made him suffer horrendously for what he did to you.”

Out of duty, she thought and startled when a whispery thought struck her, he does so because he cares.

The skies soon began to darken and there was no denying that heavy rain would fall soon. Noble returned to his wife and Finley. “A rainstorm approaches. We need to take shelter. You know where we need to go, Finley. It will take us off our intended path, but it will grant us the shelter we need.”

“Aye, I will inform the men,” Finley said and hurried off.

They were soon on their way and not long after veered off the path, traveling more slowly, the woods denser and the path not as clear. A crack of thunder startled Leora, but not one of Noble’s warriors. It was as if they were impervious to the sudden noise.

“It could cost a warrior his life if he reacted to every unexpected sound he heard,” Noble said, his wife having jumped in fright at the thunder.

“I envy them. It can be quite unsettling.”

Noble heard fatigue in her voice. “You are tired.”

She did not want to admit it, but she would be foolish if she didn’t. She feared the wound had affected her more than she realized. “I will not lie. Fatigue is fast taking hold of me.”

Noble grew annoyed at himself. She needed rest, not endless time on a horse. “We are not far from where you can rest easily.”

She let her head gently fall on his shoulder. “I am glad to hear that, for I fear traveling much longer will not do me well. I need to rest.”

He was glad she was honest with him even though it worried him. She had been strong since meeting her so for her to admit that she needed to rest worried him. He had hoped to reach the abbey so the nuns could tend to her and make sure she was fit for travel before they proceeded to Clan Skirling. The dark clouds had changed all that.

Noble took the reins in one hand and reached behind him to snag the rolled blanket tied there.

Leora, seeing what he intended, took the blanket from him, and untied the straps that held it closed in two places. Their hands worked together to unwrap it and wrap it snug around her.

“It is not much but it will at least offer some protection against the rain if it should start before we reach our destination,” Noble said.

“And you? You have no protection against the rain.”

“I have survived worse weather,” he said, surprised to hear concern in her voice.

Leora sighed softly, his shoulder offering the comfort her head needed. “Where do we go?”

“An abandoned croft,” he said glad to feel her relax in his arms.

“A croft will not shelter us all.”

That she thought of others besides herself surprised him, and he was pleased to know that she did.

“It has more places to shelter than a usual croft,” he said and tightened his hold around her waist when she jumped, another crack of thunder piercing the silent woods.

Thunder never bothered Leora but then she was always safe in the keep with her parents and sisters during a thunderstorm. Here, in the woods, wounded, and in the arms of a husband she barely knew, she was more vulnerable, and she did not like that. She had to remain strong if not for herself, then for Sky. And yet her strength felt like it was waning, and she wanted nothing more, at the moment, than to rest comfortably in her husband’s arms and rely on his strength.

Noble grew concerned when her body grew far too limp against his and the sky continued to grow dark. She was fast losing her strength and he needed to get her to safety from the storm so she could rest. To do both, he would need to set a faster pace, which could worsen her already waning strength, but he had no choice.

He signaled Finley to pick up the pace and his men appeared relieved. They had had their fair share of getting stuck in a thunderstorm and it had been no pleasure. Everyone would be pleased to reach the abandoned croft.

A clash of thunder woke Leora, having drifted off in her husband’s arms. She thought she had slept for hours it was so dark.

“We’re here,” Noble said, glad they had reached the croft, a downpour about to unleash on them at any moment.

Leora glanced around and spotted several buildings. The croft looked to have been a thriving farm at one time and she wondered what happened that it was now abandoned and neglected. There were two thatched-roof cottages, both weathered by time and neglect. Patches of untended land surrounded both, and at one time were probably vegetable and herb gardens but now were overgrown with wild foliage. Remnants of fencing that had probably housed livestock lay in disrepair, tools used to once mend them scattered about decayed or rusted with age. There were several barns that horses or other farm animals had inhabited in need of repair, but for now would serve the horses and men well.

Noble stopped in front of the smaller of the two cottages, sending Finley ahead to the larger cottage for the men to share while some of the other warriors went to the barns with the horses.

Leora went to slip off the horse, but Noble’s firm hold prevented her from moving.

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