Page 17 of The Fierce Highlander

Noble was glad to see the cloth come away from the wound easily and was even more relieved to see that the wound was minor as Finley had said. But he was also wise enough to know that even small wounds could cause problems and even death. So, it was better to remain cautious.

Leora extended her head over the gentle stream and was glad to see it caught her reflection.

“It is not bad at all,” she said staring at the minor abrasion on her brow near her hairline.

She scooped up a handful of water to scrub away the dried blood the wound had left on her face and neck. Another dab of honey and the wound would probably do fine. She turned to tell her husband when she saw that the water was no longer still but rushing past her.

It took a moment for her to realize it wasn’t the water rushing but her head spinning. Before she could reach out to her husband, she felt her head tipping closer to the stream and before it hit the cold water, she managed a weak cry… “Noble.”

CHAPTER5

Noble rushed to snag his wife around the waist and stop her from falling into the stream, though her face skimmed the water. The shock of the cold water brought her quickly out of her faint, and her eyes opened as he patted her face dry with the edge of her cloak.

“I fainted,” Leora said, shocked. “I never faint.”

Noble could not resist. “There is a first time for everything.”

Her smile came naturally. “For a fierce warrior, you do like to tease.”

“It is difficult not to with you,” he admitted, surprising himself since levity was foreign to him, until he met Leora. There was no humor in battle or in planning a battle or when on a mission for Slayer. Duty required awareness, determination, and tenaciousness. He had no time for levity, yet with Leora it couldn’t be helped. Her abrupt, commanding nature and unexpected remarks often forced a humorous response from him. “So, you find me amusing?”

“At times, most definitely,” she said, “though I suppose that is not the worst thing for a marriage. Smiles and laughter are far better for a husband and wife to share than angry words and constant disagreements and arguments.”

Noble patted dry the few strands of her hair that got wet, thinking how right she was. His mum and da had been forever locked in battle and still were, the reason he saw little of them. His brothers had adopted the same fiery temperament, forever arguing amongst themselves or with their women. When his da had spoken about the Gallowglass to his sons, Noble had jumped at the chance to join the elite fighting force. He preferred a battlefield rather than his chaotic family. So, while he found levity with his wife surprising, it was also welcomed.

“On that, we are single-minded, wife,” Noble said.

Leora’s eyes lingered on his face. That he had fine features could not be denied by anyone with eyes. But that wasn’t what she focused on. It was his honorable nature she saw in him that got her attention. He had not hesitated to keep her safe since meeting her, and though he had good reason for doing so, receiving a clan of his own for wedding her, he honored his word, his commitment to their marriage. Though there was that point of him thinking he could tame her, and yet it would not matter to him if he did or didn’t since their marriage—to him—was not debatable. They would remain wed and spend the rest of their lives together.

“Are you all right, Leora?”

His strong voice yet gentle tone nudged Leora out of her musings. “I find myself forever in your arms. You keep saving me.”

She was expecting to hear the usual,it is my duty, but it wasn’t his words that shocked her as much as the force he spoke with, as if he declared it an edict.

“And there is where you will stay, for I will not lose you.” He pushed the last few lingering, damp strands of hair off her face, his fingers stroking along her cheek as he did.

A strange sensation, a flutter of sorts, ran through her and she realized that she liked his touch, and she liked being in his arms. The thought caused her a moment of fright. Why she couldn’t say, but it did. She wished Elsie was here with her. She was wed and had knowledge of the intimacies of marriage that Leora was not privy to. That thought also reminded her of Sky and her reason for remaining in the marriage. Sky came first, then she could decide on her marriage.

“I need to tend to the wound,” she said, needing to focus on anything but her husband.

“I will help you and do not bother to argue with me,” he said, seeing her about to protest.

“I think a dab of honey will suffice. The quick reflection I caught of the wound confirmed what you told me. It was minor,” Leora said.

Noble summoned Finley with a quick wave and in no time the wound was seen to, and they were ready to be on their way again.

“I can ride my own horse,” Leora said when her husband insisted that she ride with him again.

“This is not debatable, wife,” Noble said, then turned to Finley. “Stay with her until I return.”

Leora watched him walk off to talk with several of his warriors.

“I am feeling well enough, riding with him is not necessary and will only slow us down,” she complained to Finley.

“He does it to protect you,” Finley said. “He can shield you better when you ride with him, making it more difficult for an arrow to strike you.”

“But not him,” Leora said, realizing the danger he intentionally placed himself in.

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