The Silent Highlander by Donna Fletcher

Chapter 5

Elysia spent the next morning seeing to the many stitching tasks that needed to be done. Everyone wanted to be prepared for winter and that meant making sure garments were mended. Her skill with a needle had endless villagers seeking her talent and if she didn’t tend to the garments she had, she would not be done by winter.

Stitching was something that brought her a peaceful mind. She was so busy concentrating on her stitching that she had no time for troubling or annoying thoughts. And when she was done, she had a clearer head, which was what she was hoping for today. Saber occupied her thoughts far too frequently. Actually, he never left her thoughts. He was there day and night and in her dreams as well. With him constantly on her mind, she feared she was losing her heart to him.

How then did she marry another man? It was a question that continued to trouble her.

She focused on the wool cloak Moray had left for her to repair. The large rip along the side rendered the cloak useless, but Elysia’s deft fingers made the repair unnoticeable.

The knock at her door disturbed her peace and she opened the door reluctantly and kept herself from sighing with frustration, seeing Rory standing there.

“We have had no chance to talk,” he said bluntly.

“Why do you want to wed me, Rory? And I want no lies from your tongue,” she warned and his response was not at all what she expected.

“I am tired of being alone. I want a woman waiting for me when I come home from battle. One who will put a good meal on our table. One who will warm my bed. One who will care for me. One who is kind and caring and you are the most kind and caring woman I have ever known.”

Elysia did not know what to say, though it did not matter. Rory continued to talk.

“I would be a good husband. I would not treat you poorly. I would not raise my hand to you. I would see you kept safe. I would give my life to protect you and our bairns.”

Elysia wondered over the truth of his words and recalled what he had said to her. “A good husband commands and a good wife obeys. Did you not say that to me?”

“I did,” he confirmed with a nod. “That big fellow was here and I am a warrior. I did not want to appear weak in front of him.”

An excuse, she wondered.

“I see your doubt and I do not know how to make the truth of my words made known to you. I can only give you my word as a warrior that I would be a good husband to you.”

“You drink too much,” she said.

Rory scratched at the back of his neck. “That I do, but mostly because I’m lonely. I laugh and drink with the other warriors because there is no one waiting at home for me. No one to greet me with a hug and a kiss. None to wrap myself around in bed. I cannot promise you I will not drink, but I will try if that is what it takes to marry you.”

Strangely enough, Elysia believed him and she empathized with him. She knew loneliness for the first time in her life with her sisters gone.

“I know I am not much to look at, but I am strong and can provide well for you and I give you my word that I will keep you from harm.”

Rory did not possess fine features, too many sharp angles, but it was no chore to look upon him. He kept himself clean enough and he kept his deep brown hair cropped just above his shoulders. Though he was tall and broad, he was lean with muscle rather than thick. And while that should have made him appear less intimidating, it didn’t. He had a commanding stance about him and the deep lines between his brow reminded her of how much he scowled. That meant he was angrier more often than not. Could that be due to loneliness?

She realized then what he truly wanted. “You want to be loved, Rory.”

He stared at her moment, words failing him, then he said quietly. “I was loved and I lost her.”

Elysia’s heart went out to him. Rory was trying to find what he once had and lost. And though she truly did not have Saber, somehow she felt the loss of him deep in her heart.

“I am sorry to hear that, Rory,” Elysia said, her words sincere.

“Give it thought, Elysia,” Rory said and turned away, stopping abruptly upon seeing Saber a few feet away.

Saber approached and Elysia took note of his regal stance and the way his chin tilted with just enough confidence and command that one would never think him a farmer.

Rory surprised her again when he approached Saber without hesitation, and she ventured outside to catch Rory’s words.

“You might want to keep your visit with Elysia outside. People are talking.” Rory turned to Elysia. “We will speak again.” He walked off, not looking back.

Saber went to the worn table a short distance from the cottage and sat on one of the two benches there.

Elysia wished she could feel relieved that he did, but she didn’t. It meant they would have no chance to share another kiss. And though it was wrong of her to think that, her heart told her otherwise.

“Let me get your brew and syrup,” she said, hurrying past him.

That he didn’t object stung some, but he was right in minding Rory’s warning and she was a fool to think otherwise. If he cared for her at all, he would make it known and request to wed her. And he didn’t.

“Your throat feels better?” she asked after she joined him at the table and he had finished some of the brew.

“Aye,” he said.

She smiled, glad to hear the gentleness in his voice and the ease in which he spoke.

He gave a nod back. “Rory.”

“He made his intentions known and presented a compelling reason. He is lonely and wants a wife.”

He turned his head away for a moment but not before she caught the hint of sympathy in his eyes.

The thought had her asking, “Do you ever feel alone, Saber?”

A terrifying screech filled the air and Saber shot off the bench and rushed to stand in front of her, his hand going to the knife at his waist.

“HELP! HELP! MY BAIRN!” a woman screamed.

Elysia jumped up and Saber stepped aside as a woman came barreling around a cottage carrying a lifeless bairn in her arms.

Elysia ran to her. “What happened, Roanna?”

“I turned away for a moment and when I turned back, she was gagging, gasping for a breath and then she collapsed in my arms.”

Elysia took the little lass, barely two years, and hurried to the table with her.

Saber cleared a section off for her to place the lass down.

“Please. Please, Elysia, I beg do not let my daughter die.”

A barrel-chested man came running toward them, yelling his daughter’s name. “CYBILL! CYBILL!”

Roanna threw herself at her husband and his arms shot around her to hold her tight. “Neil! Oh God, Neil!”

Elysia paid no heed to what went on around her. The little lass was turning blue and that meant she could not breathe. Something had to be lodged in her throat. She slipped her slim end finger carefully into the lass’s mouth and probed down her throat as far as possible, hoping she would feel something. She worried if it was too far down, she would not be able to get it out. She felt something thick. She withdrew her finger and reached in her basket and grabbed the long slender bone with a slight curve at the end that she had yet to fashion into a needle.

Carefully, keeping her finger hooked on the bottom half of the lass’s mouth to keep it open, she inserted the curved end of the needle into her mouth, and gently lowered it down her throat. She maneuvered the needle delicately and buried it, hopefully, deep enough into the object that she would be able to draw it out. It seemed like it took forever, but she knew it had been only a matter of seconds. With a steady hand, she drew the needle back and felt the object move. She got the object up where she could see that it was a chunk of bread and that was when the needle slipped out. She quickly tossed the needle aside and, while she often cursed her own wee size this was one time she was grateful for it, since her small finger was able to hook the wad of bread and snatch it out. A couple of seconds later Cybill started wailing.

Elysia eased the little red-haired lass up to sit so that her breath could grow strong. Roanna reached for her and Elysia cautioned, “Let her sit up some. She needs to release the trapped air.”

Roanna’s face was soaked with tears that still were falling as she slipped her arm around her daughter’s tiny waist and rested her wet face on the top of her small head.

Tears pooled in Neil’s eyes as he nodded at Elysia. “Bless you. Bless you.”

“Cybill likes her bread,” Elysia said with a nod to the chunk of bread on the table.

“She’s like her da. Sees me taking great chunks of it,” Neil said, shaking his head and taking the blame. He wiped at his eyes. “I am grateful for your steady and skillful hands, Elysia.”

Cybill started coughing and fear stuck both parents.

“You need a bit of a drink,” Elysia said with a smile. She hurried into the cottage and returned with a small wood bowl filled with liquid and handed it to Roanna.

The lass finished it all and smiled. “Good.”

Her parents smiled and Cybill reached her arms out to her da.

“No more sneaking huge chunks of bread, lass,” Neil scolded lightly and melted when his daughter’s skinny arms wrapped around his neck and kissed his cheek.

Roanna grabbed Elysia’s hands. “Bless you, Elysia. Bless you.” She hurried after her husband and daughter.

Elysia watched them walk away, then turned, shutting her eyes tight and gripped her trembling hands. An arm slipped gently around her waist and urged her to walk, guiding her steps.

Saber closed the door behind them with the shove of one foot once inside the cottage, freeing his other arm to close around her to hold her tight.

She rested her head on his chest ever grateful that he held her as fear rushed through her, sending her body trembling. She had had no time for fear while tending Cybill, but now that it was done and the little lass was safe, fear struck like a wrathful hand and if it wasn’t for Saber holding her, she would collapse. Cybill had come close to death and it terrified her that she had held the little lass’s life in her hands.

“Please. Do not let me go,” she begged and not caring that she did. She needed him, needed his arms, his strength.

“Never.”

The word was soft but she heard it and she wished it was true, that he would never let her go.

Elysia did not know how long they stayed like that or how long they would have remained that way if a knock had not sounded at the door.

Saber kept his arm around her waist as he walked to the door with her, but stepped behind her when she reached to open it.

“Lendra,” she said surprised to see her and surprised at the excitement on her face.

Lendra grinned from ear to ear. “Tongues are wagging like crazy and the news has reached Chieftain Emory that you have saved his niece from death. He wants to see you immediately.”

She had forgotten that Neil was the chieftain’s brother. He was a quiet, unassuming man who lived peacefully among the villagers.

“This could bode well for you,” Lendra said. “Hurry while he is grateful. You never know what he may grant you.”

Elysia felt Saber’s hand at her lower back, nudging her out the door. “My cloak.”

“Bench,” he said, his voice a mere whisper.

In all that happened, she had not realized she had taken her cloak off. It lay on the bench at the table outside. Saber walked around her once they stepped outside and retrieved it, placing it over her shoulders and with a nod left her.

She did not want him to leave her. She would have preferred to stay with him rather than go see the chieftain. But Lendra was right. If the chieftain was feeling grateful, then she might just be able to avoid the demand to choose a husband. With a hopeful heart, she followed Lendra to the keep.

Elysia was startled by how many people stopped her to thank her for what she had done for Cybill. Others blessed her as Neil and Roanna had. Tears pooled in many peoples’ eyes as they spoke with her. They were genuinely grateful for what she had done and it touched her heart.

Lendra left her side as soon as they entered the Great Hall. It was no surprise to see Neil standing in front of the dais with Chieftain Emory.

He smiled when Elysia drew near. “Cybill naps safely, thanks to you.”

“I am glad I could help her,” Elysia said, uncomfortable with the continuous praise.

“Help her? You saved her life. If it were not for you, my wife would be wrapping our daughter for burial,” Neil said, fighting the tears glistening in his eyes.

Chieftain Emory patted his brother on the back. “Instead, we celebrate that little Cybill is alive and well, and give thanks to our skilled healer.”

A cheer went up in the hall.

It was useless to argue that she was no healer. No one would listen and that frightened her. What would happen when the time came, and she was sure it would come, when she failed to tend someone properly?

Chieftain Emory cleared his throat and the cheering ended, though whispers lingered.

Elysia spotted Bram then, he wore a teasing smile as he whispered in Lendra’s ear. Tavish stood with his arms crossed over his chest staring at her and Rory wore a scowl of gloom. She prayed that the chieftain would offer her good news and spare her marriage to any of the three men.

Chieftain Emory’s voice boomed in the Great Hall. “In appreciation for what you did for my niece, Elysia, I have an offer for you. I cannot free you of marriage, for it is my duty to see you kept safe after what your sister did for the clan. But I can offer you this… besides, the three warriors I have presented to you, you may instead choose a husband from any of the eligible men in the clan.”

Later Elysia would think how she let her foolish tongue speak without thinking, but at the moment, she gave no thought to it. Her response came without hesitation.

“I choose Saber as my husband.”