The loud slam of a door jolted Hammond out of his deep sleep. The small frame of the chair he had fell asleep on proved too small to hold the size of the Laird, and Hammond had to pick himself off the floor as he fell off, wincing as he tried to regain his bleary senses. One look at the windows showed that the sun had rose not too long ago, and it took another second before he remembered that he had spent the night with Amhuinn tending to her sick son. Getting off his knees to straighten up, it didn't take long for the rusty haired laird to realize the source of the noise which had shocked him, and the empty bed.
Wasting no time, Hammond dashed out, just in time to see Amhuinn ducking out of another room. She would've dashed past him and down the stairs had Hammond not reached out to grab her by the arm. Her blue eyes looked wild with worry, a sight that clenched Hammond's chest for it made Amhuinn look five times more vulnerable then she already did.
"Adair's is nae anywhere within the Keep, Hammond." It was obvious Amhuinn was trying and failing to keep the panic in her tone in check.
"What do ye mean?" he tried to clarify.
"I woke up this morn and saw his bed empty. I've checked the whole corridor, and even asked Griselda. He is nae aroond!" With each syllable, her panic rose in notches until Hammond could not help but to grip her by both her shoulders to steady her.
"Look at me, Ammi. Look." Hammond repeated. Amhuinn began wringing her hands together and biting her lip, but did as he asked. "We'll find him, okay. He probably just needed something and wandered of. But nae worry, e'en if I have to ride for days, I'll find yer son back for ye."
"Nae need." A voice interupted. Two pairs of eyes turned to greet Connor as he ran up the stairs, with Tamhas following in his wake. Both warriors wore a grim look, and Connor held a wrinkled piece of paper which he handed to Hammond the moment they drew near.
Hammond reluctantly released Amhuinn as she went to her brother's embrace. Focusing instead on the missive Connor had passed to him, his anger grew with each word he read in the messy scrawl. "Connor, I apologize fer taking up yer time when I know yer supposed ter be preparing fer yer trip to England with yer lassie in a couple of day's time but-"
"I'll get the men rounded up, Hammond." his first-in-command interjected, looking over at Tamhas. "Come along, Tamhas. Yer coming with us."
"Dinna fash Ammi, all will be well. Connor and Hammond will make sure of it, and so will I, I promise." Tamhas stroked Amhuinn's blonde head once, before hurrying after Connor, as Amhuinn turned her confused and anguished eyes at Hammond. "What happened? What was that?"
"That..." Hammond trailed off, unsure of how to break the news to her when she already looked so terrified. He knew how resilient and strong Amhuinn could be, and for her to now look so scared, Hammond could break Dougal MacCallan's neck for causing such fear to appear in her eyes. "That was a missive from the MacCallan. He has declared us as enemies for kidnapping his 'son', and he has taken Adair back with him."
"Nae!" Amhuinn immediately cried. She would've dashed down the stairs, had Hammond not caught her by her waist and hauled her against his body. His strength proved too great for Amhuinn, but she tried anyway, wriggling as much as she could. Hammond was careful to hold her tight but not hurt her in the process, and only gentled his grip when she finally settled down, with wracking sobs that only caused more cracks for his own heart.
Pulling her close, he nestled her against his chest, making soothing noises as he stroked her head. "Nae fash, lassie. I promise ye, I will return yer son ter ye, I promise."
"Hammond?"
He had never been happier to hear the voice of his younger sister, and looked up to Gillian's questioning look. Motioning for his sister to come over, Hammond explained the whole situation to her in hushed tones, and then gentle disengaged the weak hold of Amhuinn, handing the elder female to the wise but young MacKenzie. "Make sure she stays safe. Could ye and Evie stay with her fer now?" Gillian nodded, and began to lead Amhuinn away. Hammond wanted nothing more then to go with her, be the one to hold her and comfort her, but he knew he could do better then that.
In no time at all, he was dressed and at the stables, as his men armored up and got on their steeds. With one final check, Hammond nodded his thanks when Tristan handed his claymore to him. It was like coming home, as he strapped the leather holster to his waist, and felt the heavy weight against his thigh. The balmy winds of the Highlands stirred around them, as horses whinnied and stamped the ground and the clank of metal against metal, the smell of leather lingering in the air. It was the sights, smells and sounds Hammond always associated with war. But this time, it was more then that. This time, it was to get revenge for someone who had become dear to his heart.
"Men, we get the lad back. But more then that, we make MacCallan pay."
The resounding cry that went up around the MacKenzie warriors bolstered their spirits, as they rode off.
---
"Evie, yer ne'er going to finish packing if ye continue like this." Gillian scolded, glaring at the redhead who now sat cross legged, still in her sleeping gown on her four poster bed. They were in Connor and Evie's bedroom, where two cases were open, with another three locked and shoved to a corner of the room. Clothes were strewn everywhere, with the two opened cases half filled. But Evie only stared at them with dread as she spoke.
"I cannot help it Gilly. I can feel the baby everyday. My mother died in childbirth too. What are the chances it'll happen to me?" she fashed, as a thousand and one improbabilities ran through her head. While it sounded farfetched, even in her whirl of panic and worry for Adair, Amhuinn had to say that she understood where Evie was coming from. It wasn't easy for her the first time either, and she was lucky she had mother there with her. Evie hadn't had a mother's influence since childhood.
"Tell her she's being silly, Ammi." Gillian tried, but Amhuinn shook her head, managing a wane smile when Gillian looked aghast.
"Tis her first time, Gilly. Ye will understand when tis yer turn." she explained, and hid a laugh when the rusty-haired one crossed her arms and steadfastly shook her head.
"Nae, never. I understand the workings of how cow's have their calves. As long as one stays clean and with the necessary equipment and help, it should nae be dangerous." she stubbornly stated.
Amhuinn shook her head, shifting to sift through the case that was half filled with Evie's stuff. Looking at the amount of herbs she was planning to bring, Amhuinn took a few of them to identify, and then shook her head. "But Gilly has her point. Ye shouldna fash overly much. Tisn't good fer the baby."
"Is it?" Evie squeaked, looking concerned all over again.
"Just enjoy the last few weeks yer having with yer husband. I promise ye I'll be around when the time comes." Amhuinn murmured with a reassuring smile. "Now let me go and get those-"
"I'll come with ye!" Gillian popped up immediately. Amhuinn shook her head.
"Tis just a short walk down ter my room, Gilly. There is nae need."
"But Hammon-"
"I am not that silly ter do anything. Besides, we heard them go off awhile ago. I canna possibly follow them on foot, can I?" the blonde reassured.
Gillian stared at Amhuinn, pondering if the words should be taken into account when Evie piped up. "I could use your help to finish packing too! I told Connor I'll be done by the time he returns, and I'll be in big trouble if he comes back and finds the state of the room."
The younger MacKenzie considered, but in the end the need to help her cousin won, and Amhuinn said she'd be back in just a couple of minutes, before slipping out.
The moment she did however, she glanced around the third floor corridor to ensure no one lingered, before picking up her skirts and dashing towards the servant's staircase. She murmured a fervant apology to Gillian and Evie as she exited and headed towards the stables, ducking to avoid the stablemaster, and grabbed the fastest looking horse she could see. The dappled mare looked frightened, and shied away from her, but hell hath no fury like a mother who wanted to seek the safety of their children.
She gripped the neck of the mare, quickly attaching the reins, and was reaching for the saddle when a rustle from a corner frightened her. Whispering a fervant apology to Gillian and Evie was duping them, Amhuinn decided to forego the saddle and just jump on to the back of the horse, flicking the reins to get her going. She gripped on the back for dear life, but even the fright of riding bareback for the first time was not enough to deter her from her mission to save her son. It wasn't that she didn't trust Hammond and the MacKenzie's, but when it came to Adair... Amhuinn was beginning to realize she was quite illogical as long as the subject matter was her own son.
---
It was evening when the MacKenzie men finally drew to a stop near the castle of the Kincaid's. The familiar castle made Hammond frown as he held a palm upwards to signal for his men to stop. "We'll make camp here fer now. Until nightfalls."
"Are ye planning to go in the night again, Laird?" Tamhas asked, remembering the last time he was saved from the very same place. The sight of where he grew up made him frown. While he missed the life and his friends he had within the castle, the actions of Dougal MacCallan upon his sister has turned Tamhas off ever returning. Had Tamhas had a choice, he would've happily sliced MacCallan's head off. He knew however, that alone he stood no chance against the laird and his misguided men.
Perhaps though, this time he'll have a chance.
"Nae. But I do need ter make sure that the lad is nae harmed." Hammond motioned for Tristan to come forward. "Go and look at the area. Return and let us know how we should go about."
"Yes, Laird."
The rest of them started up their camp as Connor, Tamhas and Hammond observed Tristan running swiftly towards the Kincaid lands. "What are yer plans, Hammond?"
"I think tis time I save the Kincaid clansmen from the ruthless rule of Dougal MacCallan." Hammond murmured, a sneaky smile creeping upon his lips. "Tamhas, was Dougal MacCallan a good laird?"
"Nae, he was not." The voice that replied made Hammond start, and even Tamhas's jaw dropped when his sister walked up, looking bedraggled as if she had been dragged through the mud. Her brown day dress was ripped at the hems, with mud and dirt streaked across more then just one limb. Her hair was equivalent to a hornet's nest, but her gaze was furious as they fell upon the Kincaid castle. "He is ruthless and greedy, want for nothing but his own benefit. He sees his people as his servant's, and nae else. We were all born ter serve him. He stores riches fer himself and ne'er cares fer the wellbeing of his clan."
"So nae, Laird MacKenzie." Amhuinn finally turned to Hammond in her hardened tone. "Dougal MacCallan is nae who I would call a good laird."
Snapping out of the surprise Amhuinn gave him by appearing out of nowhere, Hammond leaped off his horse, handed the reins to Tamhas and then stalked towards Amhuinn with an annoyed look. "How did ye get here? I thought I told ye ter remain in the Keep." he hissed. Hammond couldn't resist giving her a onceover as if to assure himself that she was not further harmed.
"I could not sit there and twist my fingers together not knowing what was going on. The last time I did that, twas torture." she argued, defiant.
For a minute, the two stared at each other, both unwilling to back down, before Hammond finally sighed and turned to wave at Tamhas and Connor. "Tell the men to set up an extra tent for Mistress Amhuinn." He instructed. "How did ye get here?" Hammond directed the question at her.
"I took a horse. But she spooked about 10 miles back. I walked the rest of the way following your trail." she explained nonchalantly as if talking about a day out.
"You walked?" Hammond echoed in disbelief. She nodded. "Are ye hurt anywhere?"
"Nae. I can protect myself Hammond. Surely I've proven that by now." she replied, a little annoyed that he actually thought of her as one of the porcelain like ladies of London.
Noting her annoyed tone, Hammond looked up at her flashing blue eyes, the messy blonde head, and the sudden surge of relief propelled him to grab her by her arms and yank her towards his chest, folding a very surprise Amhuinn in his embrace. While she did not expect it, her eyes widened, but once the surprise wore off, Amhuinn noted how quickly his warmth melted the ache in her muscles from a whole day of riding hard and walking for ten miles.
"I dinna want ye hurt, Amhuinn. Ye've been through enough in yer life ter have ter go through that again." Hammond murmured, a rare display of affection that Amhuinn found herself smiling at.
"Are ye trying ter hint at something, Laird MacKenzie?" she said into his chest, laughing when she heard his rumbling chuckle.
"Mayhaps, Mistress." he replied, pulling back and meeting her amused blue gaze with his own warm ones. "We'll speak further when we get yer son back, shall we?"
Did she want to? Hammond has made her feel more welcomed, more protected then she had ever felt in her life. But perhaps what made her firm resolve to never marry waver, was how he too had taken a part in caring for Adair, and that his disappearence seem to enrage him just as much as it worried her. Maybe it was time she gave life a chance again.
Amhuinn nodded, and smiled when Hammond threw his head back to laugh. It was rare, yet she realized that she wanted to hear it more. Even more, she wanted to be the source of that laughter, and if she could brighten up his life, even better. For the amount of time he's spent making other's happy, he deserved his own happiness, and Amhuinn wanted to be the one to give it to him, simply because she loved his kind heart, his willingness to help, his responsible attitude to everyone had had under his care. Simply because she loved him.
"Lets get ye cleaned up, ye look a fright." Hammond gently took her arm steering her towards where the rest of the men had set up small tents and started a fire.
"I dinna have a change of clothes though." she replied. Hammond's eyes twinkled as he gave her a wink. "Dinna worry, I have just the solution fer that."