Page 12 of The Fierce Highlander

Penn nodded. “I hope sooner than later.”

“Get some sleep, Penn, tomorrow will come fast enough as will a faster pace,” Noble said and left the warrior to stretch out and sleep like all the others except those who guarded the camp.

His eyes remained on his wife as he circled the camp. He slept little, always had. He had always been too eager to start the day, learn something new, accomplish several tasks, talk with those knowledgeable. His mum had warned him that he would burn out one day and collapse. He disliked it when she would force him to sit, just sit and do nothing. She had insisted it was good for him to be still for even a short while. To him it had been pure torture. Even now his mind was going with endless things that would need immediate attention once he arrived at Clan Skirling.

He stopped walking, seeing that his wife had turned restless, her body jumping in her sleep as if startled and he wondered if she was suffering a nightmare. He walked toward her, her restlessness growing. He had nearly reached her when she suddenly sat up, breathing heavily, her eyes wide with fright and scanning the camp as if she did not know where she was.

He hurried to her side just as her eyes found him and her hand rushed out to him. He locked his hand with hers, her grip strong. He lowered himself down beside her and instinctively wrapped her in his arms.

“Don’t let go. Please don’t let go,” she pleaded in desperation that had her grip growing stronger.

“Never will I let go of you, wife, you have my word on it,” he assured her, locking his hand tighter with hers, and after a few moments her body fell limp against his.

He realized she was asleep or perhaps she had never woken from her nightmare. He kept hold of her as he lowered them both down on the blanket and remained there with her, though he had not planned to sleep just yet. He had given his wife his word and his word was his honor. He would not break it. He would not let go of her… not ever.

CHAPTER4

Leora was not surprised when her husband deemed her fit enough to ride her horse the next morning. She expected it since she believed he would set a faster pace and the added weight of two people would not help the horse or the pace. She did not mind. She was as eager as he was to reach their destination. It brought her that much closer to Sky.

The thought of Sky had her looking around for Penn. She hoped to speak with him and find out if he had heard any word on the woman who Lord Slayer had rescued from the abbey or for that matter why he had had Dundren Abbey burned down. Something she had found out from Elsie and was curious as to why he would do such a thing.

She spotted Penn not far from her. She also spotted her husband riding several paces ahead of her with Finley on his right. They were busy talking as they rode. He would not notice if she shared a brief exchange with Penn, and if he did? She mentally shrugged. Her sister was more important than any consequences she would face.

Leora maneuvered her horse closer to Penn’s and the warrior turned to her and she smiled, seeing a gap between his beard and moustache, his mouth having fallen open in surprise.

“A word, Penn,” she said with a pleasant command to her tone, so he understood it was not a request. It did not matter though since he stared at her besotted as most men did when she smiled at them and had them answering any question she asked without hesitation. “Did you hear anything about the woman Lord Slayer rescued from Dundren Abbey? Her name is Sky.”

His brow narrowed in thought, his bushy eyebrows almost connecting. He finally shook his head. “Nay, mistress. I know about the abbey burning but I heard nothing about a woman named Sky.”

Since he responded easily, she continued to question him. “Do you know why Lord Slayer would burn the abbey?”

“Lord Slayer does what he does, and no one asks why,” Penn said.

She sighed a bit heavily. “I was just wondering why he would do such a thing. Haven’t you wondered?”

“It is not for him to wonder why Lord Slayer does anything and you, wife, should not be asking Penn such a thing.”

Penn looked repentant as if he had done something wrong, not so Leora.

She turned as best she could to see her husband riding behind her. “How did you sneak up behind us without either of us seeing you?”

Penn looked stunned at her and turned another repentant look on Noble, as if he was somehow at fault.

That the warrior was shocked that she questioned her husband was obvious, but Leora was not about to offer any apologies for it.

“Leave us, Penn, and next time do not let my wife’s beauty besot you into answering questions without giving any thought to them,” Noble ordered.

“Aye, sir,” Penn said and hurried to ride off and trail further behind them.

“You disobeyed me, wife,” Noble said sternly, directing his horse to keep pace beside hers.

Her chin went up. “I did and I will do so again if you prevent me from finding out about my sister.”

“I have no intentions of keeping you from finding out about your sister, but it will be done my way.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I know Lord Slayer well and know how to approach him on this so that he is receptive to you visiting with your sister.”

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