Page 22 of Highlander the Conqueror

With how busy his mind was tonight, he would be lucky to get any sleep at all, though that also might be because his wife had draped her arm over his chest and had rested her slim leg over his leg. She had gotten comfortable against him in her sleep, and he found he enjoyed the feel of her body against his. An odd thing for sure, since like her, he had always slept alone. But no more. She would be there resting against him every night and he felt a smile touch his lips as his eyes closed.

* * *

Slayer woke with a stretch,feeling good even though he probably had not gotten much sleep. Realizing he didn’t feel his wife beside him, he jolted up and looked around. Sky was nowhere to be seen. How had she gotten out of bed without him feeling her movements or even sensing them?

He hurried out of bed, snatched a clean shirt from the chest, and got his plaid wrapped around him with haste. He raked his fingers through his long hair just before he opened the door and stepped out of the cottage.

He stopped after only taking a few steps to find Sky smiling and talking to Skell, his stallion, as she fed him wild onions. And bloody hell if the horse didn’t nod at her as if he understood her. His eyes also caught sight of her garments and his from yesterday when they had been caught in the rain. They were hanging from tree branches and appeared freshly washed, as did she. Her hair shined a lovely, reddish blonde and fell in careless waves around her face and over her shoulders. He had not noticed the red in her hair before now, which meant she had washed it as well as their garments, which also meant…

“You went to the stream without me,” he accused with a raised voice as he walked toward her. She turned the most beautiful smile on him, and it almost stopped him in his tracks.

“I had company,” she said, feeding the last of the wild onions she had gathered to Skell.

“Who?” he demanded when he stopped in front of her and caught the scent of fresh pine on her.

“The squirrel who visited with me yesterday and his friend as well as a doe who shared a berry bush with me. I would have woken you, but you slept so soundly and peacefully that I thought it best to let you be. Besides, I was sure you had sentinels posted so there was nothing for me to fear.” She tilted her head back and smiled at the sun that shone brightly. “Besides, I usually wake just before dawn. I love the chance of catching a gorgeous sunrise and I was lucky enough to watch one this morning.”

Slayer realized how late he must have slept with all she had gotten done and with how high the sun was in the sky. It was rare that he slept so late, usually being up at dawn. It was even rarer that he felt so rested but pushed the thought from his mind.

“Wake me the next time,” he ordered, casting a glance around for the spear he had fashioned yesterday for fishing. “I will fish for breakfast for us.”

“I have eaten my fill of blaeberries. It was plenty for me.”

She was more self-sufficient than he had thought. She did not wait for someone to take care of her. She saw to taking care of herself, a trait he had not expected her to possess.

“I kept extra berries for you if you would like some, though I suspect that will not be enough food to fill you.” She walked a short distance away to grab a small basket that sat atop a large rock and returned and held it out to him.

Slayer took a handful, blaeberries being a favorite of his.

“I spotted a patch of juniper berries. They will flavor a meat stew quite nicely if you hunt today.”

“My warriors will hunt for us, and food supplies should arrive today.”

“Why do we stay here, Slayer?” she asked as he reached for another handful of berries. “It cannot be for my safety alone since you have told me enough times that I am safe when I am with you. So why are we truly here?”

He nodded at the bench under the large oak tree and, placing his hand low on her back, urged her toward it. He waited until they were seated to answer her. “Ross is the only one who knows that we are husband and wife, and it will remain that way even when we return to Clan Ravinsher. No one must know, not even your sisters, at least not yet. I thought the news best delivered when we were alone, and you were given time to accept the marriage.”

“But why keep it a secret?”

“Until I can find out why my brother and father were murdered?—”

She gasped. “You think your father and brother were murdered by someone who wishes to lay claim to Clan Ravinsher—” She gasped again. “If that is so, then your life is in danger as well.”

“Yours as well since you can produce an heir to the clan,” he said, amazed that she had thought of him being in danger before even considering that her life was in danger for two distinct reasons.

“Do you have any suspicions of who it might be?” She shook her head and did not give him a chance to answer. “It doesn’t make sense. Only a fool would kill the brother and father of a renowned Gallowglass warrior. It would bring the Gallowglass down on him.” She gasped again and grabbed hold of Slayer’s arm. “Unless the culprit is part of the Gallowglass.”

“That brings us to another reason for us being here,” he said, appreciating his wife’s sharp mind since he had thought the same. “This cottage sits in the middle of the Gallowglass training ground.”

She squeezed his arm. “Are we surrounded by Gallowglass warriors? Are they all loyal to you?”

“The ones in the surrounding area are, but they come from all over the Highlands, and those I cannot vouch for, though I would be surprised if a Gallowglass betrayed one of their own. Honor is something the Gallowglass lives by.”

Sky turned quiet, not saying a word, and her hand fell off his arm.

“I know what you are thinking, Sky,” he said, annoyed that he favored her touch. It was not like him to feel that way about a woman’s touch, and yet he found Sky’s innocent, casual touches oddly comforting.

“You are observant so I would say you probably do know my thought.”

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