Amhuinn didn't remember ever running as fast as she did after she had gotten her limp. While Gillian wasn't far behind, Amhuinn ignored the growing twinge in her ankles as she picked up her skirts and dashed out of the barn, across the fields towards the main MacKenzie Keep. There, she followed directions which had been given up the stairwell. The first thing that greeted her was Evie worrying her lip as Hammond gently lay the sandy-haired four year old in the bed. While she knew Hammond had been trying to help, Amhuinn's first reaction had been rage as her blue eyes fell on the laird who looked equal parts guilty and worried.
"Ye said ye will help him! This is nae help, Hammond MacKenzie!" she raged, using strength she didn't know she had to push him out of the way, crouching down next to the bed. Instinctively, Amhuinn used the back of her hand to feel his forehead, the worry in her heart mounting as she heard his incoherent mumblings, and his clammy hands. "What was he made ter do?"
"Tisnae Hammond's fault, Ammi. He was-" Evie started, only to be interjected by a higher pitched voice.
"Dinna fault the laird, Mistress Amhuinn. Tis oor fault." From the doorway, three rather guilty looking boys shuffled in, with Tristan behind them raising a brow. When Amhuinn and Hammond both shot them questioning looks, the darker haired one stepped forward. "We realized that the more we teased him, the harder and faster Adair would work. So we..."
"What Darach means, is that we pushed him ter work too hard. So when I said he wouldna be able to finish his work yestereve, he worked through the evening showers. He-" the young boy of six was interrupted by the final boy on his right, who now stepped forward to stand in line with his friends.
"Tisnae just Cal's fault, Laird MacKenzie. Tis all of oor faults. We dinna stop him. None of us did." he said with guilt in his voice.
Hammond's heart had raced when Scottie had come with the news that Adair had fainted, and dropped his broadsword in the middle of a sparring session to dash towards the barns where the page boys had been working. There, he had wasted no time in picking the fainted boy in his arms, meeting Evie on his way up to bring the boy to his room. Guilt had suffused his heart, for he was the one who had set him work more suited for page boys a year or two older then he. Had he judged wrongly? Had he been too harsh? When Amhuinn had barged in and started raging at him, the guilt only ate at him even more inside, that even if the boys had stepped forward to take the blame, he did not see why he should blame them instead, when he felt that he should shoulder the fault.
"Boys, -" he started, but was given no chance to continue when Darach spoke up.
"Ewan is right, Laird MacKenzie. Tisnae just one of oor fault, but most of all, tisnae Adair's fault. He's been working really great the last two days! He was an arse the first day sure, but he started pulling his weight yestereve. He was right hardworking today! He- Dinna punish him. He just wanted ter prove himself, and he's so small so... please dinna fault him, Laid MacKenzie."
Throughout Darach's little rant, Hammond found himself widening his eyes, and looking up at Tristan for confirmation. When his warrior gave a small smile and nodded, a little bit of guilt within him was replaced with satisfaction. Maybe he had done right by the boy and his mother afterall? When he looked down at Amhuinn still crouched by her son's bedside however, she still refused to look at him. Hammond was surprised at the amount of disappointment he felt when she failed to bring her eyes to meet his.
"Ammi, ye are being ridiculous if ye blame Hammond fer this." Gillian stepped forward, having followed in not too long after Amhuinn's entrance and heard everything. Always the level headed one, Hammond was not surprised to see his straightforward sister refusing to take nonsense even from her new friend. "Adair just needs some time to learn his limits. But what Hammond did was to instill a sense of responsibility in the boy, instead of the flippant want of being a laird with no responsibilities. Had that not been proven? And it took only a little over a week."
Amhuinn did not reply for the longest time, as the three boys shuffled their feet nervously. When she did however, it was with a very deadpan tone. "Everyone leave the room. I need ter tend to Adair. He has a fever which I need to bring down."
"Do you need help, Ammi?" the ever gentle-hearted and kind Evie offered. She was turned down with a shake of Amhuinn's blonde head.
"Nae. I will tend ter my son myself." she insisted. Evie's green eyes reflected disappointment, but the other's steel tone bore no argument. Instead, she said, "Connor told me to tell you Tamhas is harassing him to be able to get out of bed."
"Tell Tamhas I'll be o'er ter see him this eve. I'll judge then." Amhuinn replied in the same deadpan tone.
As reluctant as Hammond was to leave, as everyone filed out of the room, he too had to go along especially after Gillian glared at him and pointedly motioned her head towards the exit. As the last to leave, the laird let his gaze linger upon the pinched look Amhuinn wore, wound up that he was unable to ease the fear he saw clearly in her blue eyes, but was left with little choice as Gillian pointedly closed the door behind her pushed her brother further down the hall before turning to him.
"Dinna push her too hard, brother. Ammi isnae the same as the Amelia ye met in London." Gillian warned.
Hammond widened his eyes in horror. "What makes ye think I think of her like Amelia?"
"Ye have a thing fer helping damsels in distress. Ye cannae leave someone who needs help. Dinna let yerself fall in the same hole again, brother." she cautioned.
"I... She is nae like Amelia at all, Gilly. How could ye e'en think such a thing?" Hammond asked in an incredulous tone.
"Are ye sure? I see that moon-eyed look, brother. Ye are enchanted by her." Sometimes, Hammond cursed the intelligence his sister had been blessed with. "But she has her own set of problems ter solve. Ye cannae solve them fer her."
"She isnae a damsel in distress at all, Gilly, if ye have realized." Having enough of his sister's assumptions, his voice raised a notch as he spoke to her. "Amhuinn has escaped her clan, and survived alone with her brother for the past five years. I've ne'er met a woman stronger then her, so if ye think my enchantment with her stems from her being a damsel in distress, I suggest ye think again."
"So ye do admit ye fancy her, then?" Gillian replied with a smirk. Hammond froze, and then cursed.
"Hush, the boys are just down the hall waiting fer ye." his sister laughed when Hammond's cheeks flushed, a rare sight even in her whole life of knowing him. "Treat her well, brother. But good luck. She isnae an easy nut to crack."
"I'm more concerned o'er Adair fer now. She seems worried sick o'er the boy." Hammond muttered, just as they rounded a corner to where Tristan was glaring at the three guilty looking boys. As Hammond approached, they simultaneously went "We're sorry, Laird MacKenzie."
"For?" he raised a brow at them.
"Fer not thinking afore we did something. Fer not insisting he get oot of the rain when he worked through it." Ewan scrambled to say. Hammond raised a brow, and then gave a chuckle when the boys turned a shade paler.
"Nae worry. Ye dinna have bad intentions, so I'll just let ye all off on a warning fer now." Hammond then crouched down to stare at them in the eye. "When Adair gets better and joins ye again however, do remember ter keep an eye oot fer him? He's the youngest of ye lot, with lots ter learn."
"Yes, Laird!" Mollified and more appeased now that Hammond did not seem as angered as they thought he would be, the three of them grinned and ran off, just as Fiona came up the stairs with Mrs. Griselda, one holding a bowl of water and two cloths, while the other carrying a basket that was quick becoming Amhuinn's signature basket of herbs and concoctions.
"Is Mistress Amhuinn down the hall, Laird?" Mrs. Griselda asked, a little out of breath. He took a look at the herbs, and felt a little slighted. She would rather ask someone else for help, when he had helped her so much? His initial reaction had been to grab the basket and basin from them, had Gillian not cleared her throat and threw him a look
Time? he mouthed at her, and when Gillian nodded, Hammond sighed and motioned down the corridor. As Fiona and Mrs. Griselda walked up the hallway, and Tristan left with the boys, Gillian approached her brother again. "She needs some time, brother. See her later. She dinna mean it when she blamed ye earlier."
"I sure hope yer right, Gilly."
---
Using her hips to push the heavy door open, the knot in Amhuinn's chest eased a little when she peered in and saw Tamhas sitting up in his bed, eagerly inhaling the tray of roasted meats and vegetables Connor had brought up for him. The commander looked towards the opened door, and stood as Amhuinn came in. With what had happened for the day, and how she had spent the rest of the afternoon sponging the incoherent and still unconscious Adair in between dribbling steeped peppermint and yarrow tea for him, her legs felt like jelly. She could only manage a wane smile as Connor approached her to relieve her of her basket of jars.
"I'll leave the young Tamhas ter ye well hands then, Mistress Amhuinn. I hope ye have good news fer him, fer I have much ter show him." With another smile, Connor slide the basket on a dresser and left.
As the door clicked to a close, Amhuinn turned and gave her brother a raised brow look. "What was that about?"
Tamhas gave a shifty look, and shrugged. Amhuinn raised a brow. "Dinna lie to me Tamhas. I've only known you my whole life."
"Och, Commander Gilroy says I have much promise and wants to spar with me. Ye willna agree so I dinna see why I should tell ye in the first place." Tamhas gave in and grumbled, averting his eyes.
Amhuinn crossed her arms, about to level a glare at her brother when she remembered what she had just told Gillian not too long ago. She knew Tamhas was not the type to sit quietly. The past four years must have been torture despite him saying otherwise. Was it fair if she discouraged him from answering his warrior blood?
"Only if I make sure your wound isna aboot to split apart again." she finally settled, taking a seat by his bed and pulling up his tunic.
Tamhas gave a wide eyed look. "Fer real, Ammi?" The surprise was evident in his tone. Tamhas had always thought his sister would never let him off the hook. Amhuinn shot him a look, and started unraveling the bandages holding the salves against the wound. Knowing his sister by now and that no reply was forthcoming again, Tamhas leaned back as the blonde female did her work. "I heard some commotion belowstairs. What happened?"
"Adair has a fever. He was working in the rain yestereve." she replied.
Tamhas widened her eyes. "Laird MacKenzie would make him do that?"
Amhuinn gave him a wry look. "What makes you think that the Laird MacKenzie is such a good man, now?"
"He did help ye get me oot of Kincaid Castle." her brother reasoned. "Plus, from how Commander Gilroy speaks of him, I dinna think he would be all that bad."
"Commander Gilroy could just be biased." Amhuinn argued, unwilling to bend. She was already impossibly attracted to his messy yet charming looks, with the curly red locks and often distressed look. She didn't need her own brother to be reminding her of how nice the MacKenzie laird was.
"He isna. E'en his wife says her cousin is a kind and just laird. And the Keep is happy, Ammi. No laird whose not kind ter his clansmen would get such loyalty. Ye've seen how Kincaid lands are like now." Tamhas explained himself.
Internally, Amhuinn had to admit the truth in her brother's words. It was why she had found it so difficult to fit in that first week she had been in MacKenzie lands, but now as their second week within the Keep comes to a close, she found herself more and more attached to the warmth and feeling of belonging one got from being in the Keep. She already formed a bond with both Gillian and Hilda, and Evie was just nice to everyone. Amhuinn steadfastly kept thoughts of them leaving out of her mind, at least not till Evie leaves for England in a weeks time... but now as time caught up with them, she recognized that they were running out of time.
"It wouldna do us good to be attached ter them, Tamhas. Ye know that." she stubbornly argued, ignoring her brother's wince as she washed the wound and inspected it as it closed.
"And how do ye propose we deal with Adair, should we leave?" her brother returned. "If he isna convinced that ye are his mither, he'll just leave again. And I dinna think he'll survive long by himself oot there."
Amhuinn remained silent, but Tamhas knew she was just as mistrustful of others as he was. He found it difficult to trust others after the Drummonds had threw them out when the Kincaid's put a price on their head, but Tamhas had a gut feeling about the MacKenzie's, especially the laird. The few times he had come to peek in on him and how he was doing with the Commander, Tamhas saw genuine concern in his eyes. He also asked too many questions regarding his sister, and Tamhas was no dunce. He could recognize infatuation when he saw it.
But to him, at the very least this infatuation by the MacKenzie laird may be a proof that Hammond MacKenzie could actually care for Amhuinn, and not just fancy her for her looks.
"Have ye given them a chance, Ammi?" he asked, gently.
"Of course!" she replied strongly, even if she still avoided his gaze. Tamhas raised a brow.
"Who, exactly?" he asked wryly, for he knew his sister well.
"Gillian, Hilda, Mrs. O'Leary-" she started.
"Not Commander Gilroy? Not Laird MacKenzie? Not even Hamish, the harmless bard?" Tamhas cut him off. Amhuinn refused to look at him. The elder sibling sighed.
"You dinna have to be afraid of men, Ammi. One bastard doesna mean the rest of us are just as priggish as he is." reaching out, Tamhas reached for his sister's hands, and squeezed it. "Let them have a chance. I think we deserve a home too."
The pregnant silence filled the air between the two of them, as Tamhas gazed hopefully up at his sister before Amhuinn gently pulled her hand away from his grip. "Ye can go down ter the lists tomorrow, provided ye take it slow. If ye rip it open again, yer on yer own." It was a curt sentence, before Amhuinn swept out of the room.
---
Her eyes were weary, and her injured leg felt as if it was fused to the floor, but Amhuinn could not bring herself to leave the bedside, not when Adair still mumbled in his sleep. She's already changed his sheets once, but the fact that he was still sweating despite the cold Highland air surrounding them only added on to the list of things Amhuinn was worried about. She didn't even remember if she had her dinner, or what she had for Gillian was the one who had sent up  a tray which now lay half-eaten and forgotten on a table by the side.
Kept busy with sponging the young boy and dribbling steeped yarrow and peppermint tea down his throat, she didn't even realize the door had opened and closed, until a shadow fell across her. She started, and was about to jump and lash out in self defense when a pair of hands clasped themselves around her wrists gently, and she looked up to find a surprised but gentle-faced Hammond with a wary smile. "Calm down lassie, tis just me."
She frowned, and Hammond warily let go of her wrists, taking a step back. "I came ter see if ye need any help." he looked around, and his brows furrowed when he took in the half eaten tray. "Ye dinna eat yer meal?"
"Adair's temperature spiked. I had ter sponge him." she answered curtly. In her heart of hearts, she knew that technically it wasn't Hammond's fault that Adair was currently ill, but a mother needed someone to be angry at and Hammond had been her first target.
"Come, give it ter me and finish yer meal. It wouldna do him any good if ye were to fall ill too." Hammond said, reaching out for the sponge.
Amhuinn was reluctant, but when Hammond gave a tug and levelled his gaze at her, she finally relented, and headed to pick up the trencher of now-cold lamb pie Gillian had brought up. With her hip leaning on the table as she watched, something about the way a large laird like him could be gently sponging a sick four-year old, all the while murmuring something soothing struck a chord in Amhuinn's chest. The pie she was chewing suddenly felt like rubber whilst she watched him, and even if she knew it was dangerous, she could feel her heart softening to the laird.
"Thank ye." she finally murmured softly. Hammond looked up, surprised evident in his eyes. "I... I apologize fer my reaction when Adair was sick. Tis nae yer fault, I know that." she continued.
For a brief moment, amusement flashed in Hammond's eyes, but it quickly faded as he gave a comforting smile. "Dinna worry. Tis just a mither's love, so I understand." he frowned, watching as she shifted on her feet. "Are ye alright?"
She nodded, wincing. "Is nae matter. My leg was just sore from kneeling fer too long. It'll straighten itself oot."
"Och, c'mere." Hammond bristled, placing the cloth in the basin of cold water and motioning for Amhuinn to sit on the edge of the bed. She cocked her head, and then shook it. "Nae matter, Laird-"
"Hammond." he corrected, and then motioned again, not taking no for an answer.
Left with no choice, Amhuinn placed the empty trencher down and walked over. As she settled in the bed, her breath caught in her throat when Hammond reached down and pulled her legs up. Her maroon skirts draped like a curtain down her leg as he propped her ankle up on his knees, and began kneading the ankle. Amhuinn did not want it, yet as he worked his fingers on the sore joint, she couldn't help the way her body relaxed as the soreness and pain was pushed out of it.
"Ye... Ye dinna have ter." she tried, but Hammond just shook his head.
"Ye have spent too long worrying o'er other people. Let someone else take care of ye fer once." Hammond murmured gently, keeping his eyes on her ankles as he worked. It took everything the Highland laird had to keep his fingers only on her ankles, and not wander anywhere else. Perhaps it came from years of walking with her strength on one side, but her calves or what Hammond could see with the flickering lamp and faint moonlight, were well defined.His brief glance upwards of her surprised look upon the face framed by her blonde hair, only gave a kick of desire through Hammond. But what flamed his want for her the most, was the way in which she devoted her life to her son and her brother. Growing up, his parents love for each other surpassed any love they could give their children. Quinlan and Ailsa MacKenzie loved their son and daughter, but Quinlan ultimately chose to be with his wife and not his kids. Till today, while Hammond would never admit it out loud, the pain of not being his father's priority still hurt.
So what would it feel like, if he was someone's main priority? Just like how Amhuinn would be willing to give her life for Adair, Hammond found himself curious if he had that same devotion from her. Would she love him with all her heart?
Do ye want her love? Or are ye just infatuated with the idea of it? his conscience asked him. Over the past year of Evie and Connor residing in MacKenzie Keep, he's seen the way the two of them always had each other through thick and thin, and for the first time, the laird had to admit that he felt a little lonely. He occasionally thought of Evie's lady's maid back in England, but last Evie told him, Amelia had met and married a gentlefarmer in London. And surprisingly, that information did not fire any ire in him at all.
Quite unlike the rage he felt at the idea that someone had touched Amhuinn against her will four years ago, making her impossibly cautious to all forms of the opposite gender up till today. The one time she had her guard down, her blue eyes had brimmed with emotion that Hammond wished he could bring up, instead of the cold, dead look she often had with other's that were not her brother or females.
"Better?" he finally asked, after she shifted in her seat. Amhuinn nodded, quietly taking back her leg to place it on the ground. A silence fell between them, broken when Adair murmured and tossed in his sheet. Without losing a second, Amhuinn quickly leaned over to check on him.
"His temperature is dropping, but I'll have to continue sponging him the whole night." she murmured.
"We will." Hammond said in confidence. Amhuinn raised her brow at him, but he gave an insulted look in return. "What, do ye think I canna take care of a child?"
"Tisn't that. Just-"
"I'll have ye know I've been a parent to Gillian since our fither passed on." Hammond said with mock arrogance and a slick grin. "Trust me." Amhuinn stared, and to Hammond's delight finally gave an amused smile.
"Alright then. Go down to the kitchen and get a fresh basin of cold water and a mug of hot water. We'll need ter make more yarrow and peppermint tea fer him."
"I'm yer humble servant, mistress." Hammond teased, happily returning the grin.