Page 26 of Wendy Meets the Highlander Hamish (Scottish Highlander I Never Knew #5)
T he campfire crackled in the stillness of the late Highland night.
Many of the guard had taken themselves off to bed, while a few guarded the prisoners, but Wendy and Hamish were enjoying just sitting together in the quietness before the fire.
In the outskirts of the flickering firelight, something moved, drawing Wendy’s attention.
A moment later, Kier and Fionnuala, both in human form moved closer, hesitant to enter the ruins. Wendy nudged Hamish, and directed his attention toward the two kelpies. He sat up straighter, his arm tightening around her waist.
"Welcome, Fionnuala, Kier, please come join us," Wendy greeted, her voice a whisper in the tranquil night.
Hamish, sitting beside her, nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze shifting between the siblings who had ventured into the camp. “Aye, you are welcome here.”
Fionnuala, still bearing the marks of her ordeal, her mouth carrying the scars of the iron bridle, spoke with a softness. "Thank you," she uttered.
Kier moved forward toward Wendy. "We owe you a debt we can never fully repay," he admitted, his words carrying the weight of a promise.
Wendy shook her head. She was touched by the sincerity in their expressions, but did not want the Fae indebted to her or even the clan. Still she responded with a warm smile. "You don’t owe us anything, Kier. We're glad we could help free your sister from the bandits."
Kier met Wendy's gaze, a profound understanding passing between them. "Still, we make this vow," he declared, "we shall not harm humans unless they seek to capture or ride us against our will."
“We appreciate you doing so, Kier,” Hamish replied. "If I might ask, I know you gave chase when Malcolm escaped your net. Did you capture him? What happened to him?" he inquired.
Kier's response held a note of regret. "Malcolm managed to catch hold of a powerful horse, riding it hard in his escape. Neither I nor your clan have had the satisfaction of true justice," he admitted, his gaze lingering on the distant horizon where justice eluded them.
Hamish sighed, a tinge of disappointment in his eyes. "Aye, Malcolm is a slippery one, a thorn we cannae quite pluck from our sides," he conceded, acknowledging the evasive nature of their elusive foe.
“I and my brethren shall keep an eye out for him, and should we catch sight, we shall endeavor to bring him to you for justice.”
“We’d appreciate that, Kier,” Wendy replied.
“We shall take our leave now and return to the loch. Should you ever find yourselves near Loch Finlaggan, we will greet you as friends.” With that, the two melded seamlessly into the shadows, disappearing into the nocturnal embrace of the Scottish wilderness.
Hamish, holding Wendy's hand, led her to their bedrolls which were spread out next to each other. "Come morn, we'll make our way back to the fort."
As the first rays of dawn painted the Scottish sky, the camp stirred to life.
Breakfast was cooked and eaten, horses were saddled, and the air buzzed with the anticipation of the journeys ahead.
Wendy and Hamish exchanged glances, their silent communication reflecting the shared weariness from the night's events.
The two parties set out, one on a long ride to see the Laird with the prisoners in tow, and the rest to Fort Donald, the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves against the gravel road merging with the soft whispers of the wind.
Within a couple of hours they were back at the fort, greeted with a hero’s welcome from Shaw and the others on the wall. Once they’d returned their horses to the stables and seen to their needs, Wendy and Hamish went into the castle to see Cam.
Approaching his office door, Hamish knocked and swiftly opened it as soon as Cam bid them to enter. He looked up from the table expectantly with a hopeful expression.
“I take it the kelpie problem has been solved?” he questioned.
“Aye, though tis a tale in itself,” Hamish replied.
“Oh?” Cam arched a brow. “Tell me.”
Hamish and Wendy took seats at the table and told Cam what happened when they followed the kelpie. He was shocked to hear that Malcolm had captured another kelpie, but was not surprised that he was the one to have caused the issue with the kelpie in the first place.
“Aye tis a bastard, he is. Did you nae capture him then?”
“Nae, unfortunately, he managed to slip out of Kier’s net, get hold of a horse and beyond our and even Kier’s reach.”
Cam shook his head in frustration. “Aine warned as much,” he replied. “What of the others? Did you bring them here or take them to the Laird?”
“Artair and a couple of the others have taken them to the Laird for judgement.”
“Good. You’ve done well, Hamish. And kept our bond with the Fae safe, despite my encouragement not to.” Cam smiled. “And Wendy, you’ve shown you’re a brave lass, and stubborn too.” He chuckled. “You women from the future are a force of your own that we are lucky to count on our side.”
A subtle thrill of satisfaction coursed through Wendy as Cam's words hung in the air. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” She grinned.
"As you should, lass, as you should. Tonight, we will hold a feast in honor of your return, you might take this afternoon to rest," Cam said.
Taking him at his word, Hamish and Wendy left the Chief’s office and made their way to her bedchamber, hand in hand.
She opened the door, and they passed through setting both of their bags down near the wall.
Wendy couldn’t help but think the bed looked very inviting after spending so much time camping.
“Let me get a fire started,” Hamish said, moving from her side.
As Hamish set to work coaxing life into the hearth, Wendy moved to light the two lanterns in the room. Once that was done, she began to remove the quilted top she was wearing, and then the pants. She was anxious to get comfortable.
The hearth, ablaze with a comforting warmth made the room even brighter. Hamish, turning away from the fire, glanced at Wendy. His eyes spoke volumes—pride, tenderness, and love. They took turns washing at the wash basin and then sank down on the bed together and nestled close.
The flickering flames painted patterns of light and shadow on the walls as Hamish leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on Wendy's lips. "I'm grateful you came into my life, Wendy. I cannae imagine facing the future with anyone else by my side."
Wendy's heart swelled with emotion. "I can't imagine a life without you now either. These last several days have been harrowing, but facing it with you made it bearable and even dare I say, fun."
Their hands, entwined, Hamish whispered, "You've become a part of this land, a part of me and I cannae imagine my life without you."
With a soft sigh, Wendy nestled into Hamish's embrace, the flames of the hearth casting a warm glow upon their intertwined figures. Her mind swirled with thoughts, and a tender longing nestled within her heart. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Hamish. She wanted to marry him. She wanted to be his wife, bear his children, love him forever and ever. She couldn’t imagine a better life than that for herself.
Wendy’s love for Hamish was an undeniable force, a powerful connection that had blossomed amidst trials and tribulations.
Yet, a lingering question remained — did he see their connection as something timeless, something that extended beyond the present?
Did he see an actual future with her as she did with him?
With a languid stretch, Hamish reached for Wendy, drawing her into his embrace.
The soft fabric of the bed linens whispered against their entwined bodies, and Wendy reveled in the sensation of his warm skin against hers.
The distant chatter of servants and the clinking of armor were distant echoes, for in this moment, Hamish and Wendy were cocooned in their own world.
His fingers traced lazy patterns on her skin, a silent declaration of affection that needed no words.
His kiss set her skin ablaze and his tender touch as he made love to her had Wendy believing that the love she felt for him was indeed reciprocated. So much so that she felt sure that he would one day ask her to marry him. She just hoped it would be soon.
In the aftermath of their lovemaking, Hamish cuddled her close and the two of the fell into a deep slumber, worn out from the past several days, the battle they’d endured and their bedroom activities.
At the knock upon the door several hours later, Hamish reluctantly untangled himself from Wendy, promising to steal moments like these whenever time allowed, he wrapped a blanket around his middle and answered it.
“Aye,” he said, cracking open the door.
Wendy heard the soft murmur of a voice in the corridor, but couldn’t hear what was being said.
“All right, we’ll be down shortly,” Hamish agreed and shut the door. He turned back to Wendy with a smile. “The feast awaits us, love. We should dress.”
Wendy stretched languidly in the bed and looked at him with a sultry smile on her lips. “Do we have to?”
Hamish chuckled. “Aye, but donnae worry, love, we donnae have to stay late.”
As they dressed, Hamish in his tunic, plaid and kilt and Wendy in one of the dresses from her wardrobe, the air was filled with the unspoken understanding that this night had woven a new chapter into their lives.
Hamish and Wendy emerged from their chamber, hand in hand, ready to face whatever the night held, their hearts still echoing the sweet cadence of their shared passion.