torches moved off in the direction of Craigly Castle, and he sighed with a bit of relief. When he saw Sorcha sitting in front of the tent, her blanket wrapped around her, he noticed she also had her dirk readied. He smiled and shook his head, then joined her.
"Come to bed, lady wife, so you can meet your sister on the morrow."
Inside the tent, Sorcha curled up against her husband's body, glad for the warmth on the cold night when they could have no fire. She was beginning to believe that she would not see Akira or the bairns.
She prayed she would when before first morning light, she heard men's voices and then a woman's.
Akira! Sorcha realized Ronan had already left their bedding inside the tent, and she scrambled out to see her sister.
Two men were holding torches so they could see each other in the dark. As soon as Sorcha saw Akira, her dark hair left down and braided with tassels, her dark brown eyes filled with tears, Sorcha rushed to join her, throwing herself at Akira and hugged her tight. She cried like a wee lassie. But she couldn't help it. She hadn't been able to see Akira before she ran away.
Akira was crying, too, but happy tears also and Sorcha heard a male child say, "Momma, is that…"
Sorcha turned to see Akira's eldest son, James, though he was but five summers, and just as dark-haired and dark-eyed as his mother. Sorcha leaned down to hug him. "So good to see you, James." Still hugging James, who was hugging her just as soundly back, Sorcha turned to Akira. She loved her niece and nephews—all affectionate, just like their mother. "The others?"
"Nay. I could only bring James. Are you well?"
"Oh, aye." Sorcha finally took hold of Ronan's hand as he stood smiling at them and she thought he was glad that he'd risked their safety in coming here so she could see her sister and her nephew. "Husband, this is my sister, Lady Akira, and this is Laird Ronan Daziel."
"I am pleased to meet you, Laird…"
"Ronan, if it pleases you," Ronan said.
"Ronan. I am happy to know Sorcha has found a home with you and your people. I have heard all about you, Sorcha, from Tuathal. I am so delighted you are well and…" Akira hugged her again. "You are with bairn."
Ronan said, "I will leave you ladies so that you can visit for a time."
The day was beginning to dawn.
"Thank you, Ronan. Come, we must talk." Sorcha led Akira and James into the tent and they spoke of all that had gone on in the past several weeks.
"I sent Tuathal to learn what had become of you. I knew my husband was at fault, though he denied any of it. He didna want you to return for fear I would learn the truth."
"Aye, I am so very happy." Sorcha ruffled James's hair, and he laid his head in her lap and went to sleep. "I am glad to see him."
"Someday, he will be our clan chief. He will have to travel with the men and learn to do as they do."
"And the others?"
"The boys are growing fast. Seana will be as small as us, I envision. Your husband seems to be a good man."
"He is. Oh, Akira," Sorcha said, taking her hands and squeezing them gently. "I wish you could stay with us. Away from that ogre of a husband of yours."
"He might not be the best of husbands, but this is our home, and he doesna treat the children or me ill."
"Aye, he is just into his cups more oft than not, and he is wenching all the time."
"True, but the bairns and I have a good home. And you dinna know how relieved I am that you are safe and more than happy."
Sorcha looked down at James, loving her nephew, knowing he would be the clan chief someday and would protect his mother. She hoped someday she'd have a son like him, too. But for now, she was having a daughter.
"We must go, my lady," Tuathal said. "Before the staff breaks their fast and become alarmed that you and James are gone."
"Aye." She hugged Sorcha again and woke James. "We are leaving, son."
Sorcha gave him a hug and kissed him all over his face, which had him grinning at her and giving her another hug, even harder
"Come to bed, lady wife, so you can meet your sister on the morrow."
Inside the tent, Sorcha curled up against her husband's body, glad for the warmth on the cold night when they could have no fire. She was beginning to believe that she would not see Akira or the bairns.
She prayed she would when before first morning light, she heard men's voices and then a woman's.
Akira! Sorcha realized Ronan had already left their bedding inside the tent, and she scrambled out to see her sister.
Two men were holding torches so they could see each other in the dark. As soon as Sorcha saw Akira, her dark hair left down and braided with tassels, her dark brown eyes filled with tears, Sorcha rushed to join her, throwing herself at Akira and hugged her tight. She cried like a wee lassie. But she couldn't help it. She hadn't been able to see Akira before she ran away.
Akira was crying, too, but happy tears also and Sorcha heard a male child say, "Momma, is that…"
Sorcha turned to see Akira's eldest son, James, though he was but five summers, and just as dark-haired and dark-eyed as his mother. Sorcha leaned down to hug him. "So good to see you, James." Still hugging James, who was hugging her just as soundly back, Sorcha turned to Akira. She loved her niece and nephews—all affectionate, just like their mother. "The others?"
"Nay. I could only bring James. Are you well?"
"Oh, aye." Sorcha finally took hold of Ronan's hand as he stood smiling at them and she thought he was glad that he'd risked their safety in coming here so she could see her sister and her nephew. "Husband, this is my sister, Lady Akira, and this is Laird Ronan Daziel."
"I am pleased to meet you, Laird…"
"Ronan, if it pleases you," Ronan said.
"Ronan. I am happy to know Sorcha has found a home with you and your people. I have heard all about you, Sorcha, from Tuathal. I am so delighted you are well and…" Akira hugged her again. "You are with bairn."
Ronan said, "I will leave you ladies so that you can visit for a time."
The day was beginning to dawn.
"Thank you, Ronan. Come, we must talk." Sorcha led Akira and James into the tent and they spoke of all that had gone on in the past several weeks.
"I sent Tuathal to learn what had become of you. I knew my husband was at fault, though he denied any of it. He didna want you to return for fear I would learn the truth."
"Aye, I am so very happy." Sorcha ruffled James's hair, and he laid his head in her lap and went to sleep. "I am glad to see him."
"Someday, he will be our clan chief. He will have to travel with the men and learn to do as they do."
"And the others?"
"The boys are growing fast. Seana will be as small as us, I envision. Your husband seems to be a good man."
"He is. Oh, Akira," Sorcha said, taking her hands and squeezing them gently. "I wish you could stay with us. Away from that ogre of a husband of yours."
"He might not be the best of husbands, but this is our home, and he doesna treat the children or me ill."
"Aye, he is just into his cups more oft than not, and he is wenching all the time."
"True, but the bairns and I have a good home. And you dinna know how relieved I am that you are safe and more than happy."
Sorcha looked down at James, loving her nephew, knowing he would be the clan chief someday and would protect his mother. She hoped someday she'd have a son like him, too. But for now, she was having a daughter.
"We must go, my lady," Tuathal said. "Before the staff breaks their fast and become alarmed that you and James are gone."
"Aye." She hugged Sorcha again and woke James. "We are leaving, son."
Sorcha gave him a hug and kissed him all over his face, which had him grinning at her and giving her another hug, even harder
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