Highlander’s Broken Love by Fiona Faris

Chapter Fourteen

“Yer new laird, Laird Ian of the Buchanan Clan!” Alex’s voice roared, and the crowd cheered.

Ian had never heard such a clamor of celebration. He slowly backed away from his uncle, watching as Grier’s head collapsed back against the earth, evidently in shock that he had lived at all. The man’s chest was heaving up and down beneath his armor.

Ian was quick to collect the claymore and the dirk from the ground, ensuring that his uncle would not be able to run up and strike him from behind. He didn’t trust the man not to try after pulling two secret weapons during the fight.

As he turned back to face his supporters, he saw Alex nod at him, clearly encouraging him to be the laird the people wanted. He threw his arm up in the air in the champion’s pose and the applause grew huge. To his surprise, men who had been standing behind Grier’s side before now walked around the field, clapping and hurrying to join the others.

The tables had turned and, soon, very few men were left on Grier’s side at all, just a few loyal supporters who must have fared well in Grier’s allocation of food and goods.

Ian looked back to Grier, just as his son was helping him to his feet.

“Ye have nay more claim here now,” Ian said boldly, walking toward the two of them. “Ye two give up yer tent, yer food, everythin’. Ye will go to one of the tents on the outskirts of the clan and lick yer wounds. Everythin’ ye had, I will share out amongst the people.”

“Ye cannae take our food!” Jockie stood up, nearly dropping his father in his outrage. “It is ours!”

“It is nae yers,” Ian snapped, watching as Jockie flinched at the strength of his voice, clearly fearful Ian would raise his weapon against him. “It is the people’s now.” He stared back at Jockie. “Away. Tarry a minute longer, and I’ll rethink me decision to be merciful.” At that, Jockie took Grier under the arm, and the two of them began to retreat, hurrying back across the field. A few of their supporters gathered round them, including Hal.

Ian turned his back on them all and walked toward his people. For a minute, he basked in the warmth of the praise, overcome by the sheer happiness he could see in people’s faces. After he had shaken a few hands, he got down to business.

“Bhaltair, I need ye to start organizin’ things for me,” he said quickly.

“Yer order is me command, me Laird,” Bhaltair bowed to him with a great smile, pulling a small laugh of amazement from Ian.

“Collect the food from Grier’s store and distribute it to the people who most need it,” Ian asked. “It’s about time we reset the balance here.”

“I’ll do it at once,” Bhaltair bowed again and ran off. “Gilroy, come help!” Gilroy hurried after him.

“Kenny,” Ian turned to his friend, who seemed to have tears in his eyes.

“I was wrong,” Kenny laughed. “You really are invincible. You’ve never needed my help.”

“I am nae sure about that,” Ian shook his head “Kenny, I need yer help now. Go around and see the families. If any families are nae in tents, make a list. It’s important we get those who need shelter into tents and huts.”

“I’ll go now,” Kenny smiled and hurried off, turning to the nearest young families he could see and speaking to them.

A hand clapped on Ian’s shoulder urged him to turn around, bringing him face to face with Alex.

“I told ye that ye could do it,” Alex laughed and opened an arm. Ian happily went for the quick embrace, before they both stood back smiling at one another. “It will be strange to start callin’ ye ‘me Laird’ as well now.” Ian laughed heartily at the idea. Much had changed, all in the space of one fight. “Ye have plans already I see,” he said, referring to the orders Ian had just given.

“Things are goin’ to change here,” Ian nodded decisively. “If I am laird, then I’ll make sure this clan is what it was once under me faither. I ken it will take time, but I’ll start now.”

Alex clapped his shoulder again.

“Ye are the laird these people have been wantin’, Ian,” Alex laughed. “Come, let’s get ye seen too and cleaned up. Those wounds on yer back have probably ripped open again.”

Ian knew he was probably right. Focused as he had been during the battle, he had been able to ignore any discomfort caused by the wounds on his back. He didn’t doubt that when his clothing and armor were taken off, he’d be acutely aware of all the pain. The sweat was already running down his neck and, when it hit the wounds on his back, it would sting.

They began to walk toward Alex’s tent when Ualan stepped in the way.

“Ye have yer own tent now, me Laird,” Ualan smiled and gestured to the tent Grier was just vacating.

“I…” Ian trailed off, uncertain whether he wanted to sleep in the place where Grier had placed his head.

“Give us five minutes,” Ualan said kindly. “We’ll swap the bed and have fresh water and food brought. The place is yers, by right.”

“That is nae necessary,” Ian shook his head. “I daenae want ye all to start runnin’ round servin’ me.”

“Nonsense,” Ualan smiled again and stepped toward Ian, lowering his voice. “Ye have just saved us from a laird we hated, me Laird. Bringin’ ye fresh food and water is the very least we can do.” He bowed to Ian who shifted uncomfortably before wandering off.

“I daenae think I’ll get used to people bowin’,” Ian said to Alex at his side.

“I thought that once,” Alex said with a little nod. “Now I think it’s odd when I meet a man that doesnae bow,” he laughed at himself. “Ye’ll get used to it. Come on, now, we need to get ye cleaned up.”

Ian followed Alex toward the tent, but his eyes slid across the camp, looking toward the cage. There was another order he needed to give before he took his rest.

* * *

Elisabeth couldn’t believe it. She was drying her tears with the backs of her hands when Kenny ran up to the cage and unlocked the door. The moment the door was open, she stepped out of the cage, feeling her legs shake as she took the step.

Freedom.

It scarcely felt real. She stepped away from the cage and looked around, grateful to no longer be boxed up in such a tiny space.

“Where is he?” Elisabeth asked Kenny, not needing to say Ian’s name.

“He’s asked to see you,” Kenny smiled. “This way.” He beckoned for her to follow him. She didn’t hesitate. With her legs still shaking, she hurried after him, walking through the camp in amazement at her new position. She was no longer a prisoner, it seemed; she was no longer to be kept in a cage like an animal, all because of Ian.

With the blink of an eye, she could picture each move of the fight between Ian and Grier. When Ian had collapsed down to a knee, nearly all hope had left her. She had thought with horror that she was about to witness the death of a man that she already cared for, quite dearly. The way he had fought back and then shown mercy to a man who did not deserve it, had been an incredible performance to watch.

Ian has proved himself the best man by far.

Kenny led her toward the center of the camp as she continued to look around herself. Women were not so afraid now to look her way. Some smiled to see her free, and Seona even waved happily in her direction, a wave Elisabeth eagerly returned.

She saw Hal on the other side of the camp, staring her way with nothing kind in that look, but she turned away from him, not thinking too much about it. Jockie and Grier had been banished to the other side of the camp, now. She had to hope that she would be safe.

“He’s waiting for you in here,” Kenny said and pointed to the flap of the tent that used to belong to Grier. Elisabeth hesitated by the entrance, her nerves suddenly growing. “Go on, he’s expecting you.” He reached to hold the flap open, urging her in.

With one last look around, Elisabeth walked into the tent. At first, she couldn’t see anyone. It was clear that the tent that had been quickly reorganized. She could see the space where a cot bed used to be and the new bed had very recently been erected.

Tables had been moved, and on one side there was fresh food with water, ale and mead too from the spiced scents that hung in the air and teased her nose. She found herself stepping toward the spread, her mouth watering from thirst.

Then something moved to her left, and she froze. A figure moved from an adjoining part of the tent, through another flap into this main section.

It was Ian. He had his back to her and clearly hadn’t realized that she was there, for he was struggling to remove his armor. The gauntlet went first, then the shoulder and elbow guards which he flung to the floor. When he pulled his chain mail over his head, an announcement of her presence died in her throat.

Her eyes traced the outline of his shoulders. She clung to the edge of the table, feeling heat rising up her body and making her spine quiver.

Next, he took off the leather vest designed to sit under such armor. This was not so easy. She watched as he unlaced the binding at the side, then he pulled the leather over his head, hissing with pain as it pulled away from his torn back.

She covered her mouth at the sight. Across the broadness of his shoulders and the carved muscle of his back were the wounds he’d received from taking the flogging that was meant for her.

The fight had ripped open some of the wounds, and they were bleeding freshly now in thin rivulets of blood that passed over fresh cuts and onto old scars. The sweat, too, that had dampened his hair must be adding to the pain.

The sight of the wounds on his back was too much for Elisabeth to bear.

He dropped the leather vest to the floor and began to turn. At the strange angle he was at, his attempt to see some of the wounds on his lower back meant he still didn’t notice she was there. He marched away across the tent, and she kept her body completely still as he went for a bucket of water by the bed and a cloth. The moment he lifted the wet cloth to touch the wounds on his back, he led out a growl of pain.

“Let me help you.” She couldn’t stay quiet anymore.

The moment she spoke up, the cloth was dropped back into the water with a splash and he turned around, his body so straight that he was clearly startled by her appearance.

By turning, he had exposed his bare chest to her completely. She felt the heat that had been burning inside her before rising exponentially now. So much so, that she was certain the flush in her cheeks had grown to match the blaze of a fire.

“Ian,” she tried to push past her embarrassment and lift her eyes from his chest to his face. “Let me help you?”

* * *

“How long have ye been standin’ there?” Ian asked, amazed that he hadn’t noticed Elisabeth sooner.

“Just a minute,” she said and walked toward him across the tent. He was overjoyed to see her out of her cage, but his current state of undress had him unable to take his eyes away from her. He couldn’t help looking over her body, thinking of exactly what he wanted to do with her now that she was free.

He thought of how she would look beneath him on the bed beside them, with her legs around his hips and that silken dress bunched up around her waist. The noises he pictured her making would be music to his ears.

He was so distracted, thinking of her this way, that he just watched as she went to the bucket of water, squeezed water from the cloth, and then turned back to him.

“Let me help,” she said softly, offering a small smile.

“I usually deal with this on me own,” he said honestly. Despite his words, she walked around him and moved to his back.

“You don’t have to now,” she whispered and placed the cloth to his back. The pain and sting were instant, but he bore it all, without making a sound. He just let her wash the blood and sweat away, reveling in her touch and thinking of the way her delicate fingers were pressing through the cloth and onto his skin.

He could feel his body stirring, rousing, and rising to the occasion, wanting her, but he couldn’t do it. After she finished washing his back, she dropped the cloth inside the bucket, and he turned to collect a fresh shirt that had been brought for him to wear, purposefully putting the entire distance of the tent between them.

Once he was as far from her as possible, he looked back to her, seeing the sadness in her face.

Did I cause that?

He couldn’t understand it. From the way he was aroused, he doubted that her delicate build would enjoy his ravenous need at the moment. He would want Elisabeth to enjoy every single second of it, also.

He forced his eyes away from her body and back to her face, determined to try and stop thinking of her in that way.

For now.

“I suppose I should start addressing you as my Laird,” she offered a small smile, drawing the same from him. She made a small curtsy, one he did not wish to see when he was fighting the urge to kiss her and push her onto the bed, to share something that had no decorum or propriety in it at all.

“Ah-em,” he cleared his throat, trying to clear his thoughts. “Ye are nay longer a prisoner here now.”

“I’m not?” she asked, clearly smiling from relief.

“Nay. While ye are here, ye will be me guest,” he gestured to the table of food, watching as her face lit up.

It was going to be hard for him to keep his hands off his delicate, beautiful guest, but he was going to have to try.