Amhuinn held up her arm limply, looking at the loose sleeve in amusement. It hung off her like a sack, making her small frame look even smaller in the loose clothes, but despite how much of a potato sack Amhuinn thought she looked like, Hammond couldn't help the stirrings in the pits of his stomach when he saw her illuminated by the campfire.
The sun had just disappeared over the horizon, and the campfire now served as the sole light. The MacKenzie's were using it to cook their dinner of hunted rabbit, but were cautious to have built their tents around the fire to prevent it from view of the Kincaid castle. Tristan had yet to return, but they knew his excursions could occasionally take some time and as such did not worry too much as they gathered around the fire. Despite the situation which had led them here, as the chatter of his men mixed with the smell of cooking meat over the fire, along with the smell of heather so familiar to the highlands made him wish that it was not the kidnap of a child which had him where he currently was. And the way Amhuinn looked now did not help matters.
Hammond's solution to her disheveled look was to offer her his own spare tunic and pants instead. But with how large of a man Hammond was as compared to Amhuinn's slight frame, the shirt hung off her like a sack, and his pants had to be reinforced with a string around her waist. Young Isaac had tried to offer his clothes, but Hammond had bristled at the idea, disliking any other man's clothes around Amhuinn. Even with their tentative agreement, Hammond was finding it difficult to stay back when she so much as smiled at anyone else. He had watched as she entered their circle after she had changed in his tent, and then all but shoved Connor out of the way so she had a space to sit next to him.
Amhuinn had raised a brow at his actions, but stifled her laughter as she went to join him. Â The truth was, the laird invoked all sorts of feelings that she had been fearful of for a long time. It had started off with anger, anger at herself for being weak enough to feel that way. Hammond however, proved himself time and time again that he was dependable and trustworthy, so much so that he would help and stay up with her when Adair was down with the fever. When he had taken off without a second thought when Adair had been taken away, some part of Amhuinn's hard-built resistance against him crumbled, and she now found herself looking at the red-haired laird in a whole new light.
From the corner of her eye, she watched as he accepted the plate of rabbit stew and easily engaged in conversation with his men. Had he always been this easy-going? Or was it just lately? His laughter sounded wonderful, a steady baritone that made Amhuinn feel that she would also have someone to rely on for help whenever she needed. After so long of being alone and independent, the feeling was a foreign but welcome one.
"He's been smiling a lot more since ye came."
Connor's sudden voice next to her almost startled her, but his chuckle had her smiling too as she took the bowl of stew he offered her. Watching as the dark-haired husband of Evie settled next to her, Amhuinn raised a brow in question. "Who? Him?" she clarified, motioning at Hammond.
Connor nodded. "He was broody and highly distrustful of females, and of love. He even disliked the idea of me and Evie at first, until he noticed how smitten we were with each other."
"How could he? Evie's his cousin." she asked in an incredulous tone.
"She is." he agreed, slurping at his dinner. "But that doesn't mean he wasnae distasteful of the idea that his first-in-command was in love. Admittedly, I was like a lovesick puppy at first. Hammond doesnae have a good view on love though. He thinks it makes him weak."
She knitted her brows, frowning as she took a look at him. Amhuinn had already admitted to herself that she was half besotted with Hammond. But if that was how he felt... was it worth her own gamble?
"Give him a chance." Connor's words broke in, as if he could read her thoughts. "He has a lot to learn when it comes to love. His views are very misguided, but I can tell ye that as a husband, he'll be very dependable and responsible. He gives it his all to those he cares for."
"That, I have nae doubt aboot." Amhuinn agreed with a smile.
"Should I know what ye both are sharing a smile over?" Hammond butted in, making their eyes swivel to meet his amused ones. While the laird knew he had no reason to feel the irritation as Connor was very much in love with his wife, he still couldn't resist being curious and interjecting. Hammond was beginning to realize that he was always curious when it came to whatever Amhuinn was doing.
The blonde girl anxiously started arranging her pants and pretending to eat her dinner, only heightening Hammond's curiosity. Connor gave him a warning look, and motioned at his bowl "Just finish yer dinner, I was merely asking Mistress Amhuinn here on the care for Evie once she's given birth."
"Ye will remain till after Evie is safe, would ye?" Hammond asked again. Amhuinn rolled her eyes and leveled an irritated but good-natured glare at him. "I have told ye a thousand times. Tis my promise to ye, that I would stay." she reminded, although by now, even if it wasn't a promise to Hammond, Amhuinn would have stayed anyway. She was too worried as a personal friend of Evie to leave until she has ensured that both mother and bairn would be safe.
Hammond gave an abashed grin, suddenly busying himself with his dinner. Taking his cue, Connor walked off after giving an excuse about checking with the men to prepare themselves, and leaving the two of them in a silence. The chatter of men and the clatter of utensils against the wooden bowls served as background music for them for awhile, until Hammond spoke up, "I do apologize, Amhuinn, I just.... I'm quite worried for Evie." A lie if there ever was one. He thought Evie looked healthy as a horse, and he's always known from his mother that his aunt was weak as a child. Evie however, looked robust and well, so Hammond was confident that the birth of her first child would go off without a hitch.
He had to figure out some way to hide the actual reason why he didn't want her to leave however. But what after Evie had given birth? What other reason could he give to make her stay? And why did he want to make her stay anyway? So he fancied her, but Hammond couldn't bring himself to take it any further. His duty was to his clansmen first and foremost. He couldn't precede that with anyone or anything else, could he?
Yet, Hammond was loathe to let her leave MacKenzie lands, and was terrified of any danger befalling her. He wanted her, but his experience with love dictated he stay away.
As he looked over just in time to meet her blue eyes with his murky hazel ones, his breathe caught in his throat, and Hammond found himself looking back into the fire, pretending to be absorbed by the way the flames dance. His ears perked up when she heard his tentative voice.
"Do ye... e'er plan on marriage, Laird MacKenzie?" she asked.
The question made his chest thud heavily in his chest. "Hammond." he corrected at her, managing a cheeky smile at her. "And nae, Ammi. Why do ye ask?"
"Och, nothing." she replied too fast to be natural. From the corner of his eye, Hammond could see her nervously playing with the bowl which had contained her dinner. "Tis just... I think Gillian would fancy a female figure around the Keep. She and Evie get on like a house on fire, and I would hate ter think of how lonely tis gonna be fer Gilly when Evie has her babe and I leave."
Suddenly, the idea of leaving did not seem like such an appealing thing to Amhuinn any longer. She found that she would miss Gillian and Evie, for they had become like sisters to her. She would miss Mrs.O'Leary's doting kindness, Griselda's brash but sincere concern for her, and the general warmth that was always looming in the MacKenzie Keep. She knew that technically, Hammond had invited her to stay, but who was she to impose on the MacKenzie's with no permission.
"I... Gilly is surrounded by the females in MacKenzie Keep. And I gave her her workshop on the grounds. I think she'll be fine." Hammond replied, and immediately berated himself in the next second. He didn't want her to leave either. But what excuse could he give for her to stay?
"Oh." Amhuinn replied. She didn't know what could she say. What else could she say? She had no right. "I-"
Before she could continue, a cry went up announcing Tristan's return, and all thoughts flew out of her mind when she remembered the reason why they were merely a half an hour horse ride away from her most feared place on earth.
"Laird." Tristan ran panting up to Hammond, who stood up, looking full well like the leader he was now as the rest of the dozen men which had came with them gathered around. They waited for the scout to catch his breathe before he spoke. "I spied the young lad in a window on the second floor looking oot. He doesnae look worst for wear, but he doesnae look happy either. I watched the castle fer the evening and into the night afore I returned. Adair never left the window. It doesnae look like he had his evening sup either."
"Is there a way in fer us, Tristan?" Hammond asked.
"The guards are on each door, but they rotate, and occasionally seem quite distracted by what happens within the castle. We could try entering from the south side of the castle, and stealing up. But I am nae certain which room ter go fer once we enter the castle."
"I can help, once I'm in. I did spent the first twenty four years of my life within the dastardly place." Amhuinn offered.
"Nae, ye cannae go in there again sister. Dougal MacCallan willnae let ye go if he sees ye." Tamhas spoke up in a petrified tone. Amhuinn however, was just as stubborn as her brother, when she tilted her head to him.
"Ye cannae help, ye dinna work in the castle the way I did, Tamhas. I know the ins and outs of the passages and hallways. I would know which room Adair is in once Tristan shows me which window he spied Adair from." Amhuinn argued.
"Amhuinn, tis a death wish fer ye ter go in again and ye-" Tamhas started. Hammond spoke up, effectively cutting Tamhas off, albeit in a reluctant tone. "Yer sister has a point."
"Ye agree with her?" Connor piped up in surprise. Tamhas also turned wide, surprised eyes at him, as did Amhuinn. Hammond cleared his throat, but nodded.
"We would waste too much time and be too vulnerable if we were to enter Kincaid Castle and started blindly searching aboot fer Adair's location. However," and that was where his tone turned steel hard, a tone which broach no argument when he turned to Amhuinn. "When ye are with us, ye will do as I say, stay where I tell ye to, no arguments, do ye hear me?"
For a minute, a mutinous look came over Amhuinn, and Hammond was already thinking of backup plans for his argument when, much to his and Tamhas's surprise, Amhuinn nodded, albeit a little woodenly. "Alright."
"Really?" Tamhas voiced out his surprise.
Amhuinn turned to her brother and gave another small nod. "If tis the only way fer me to get to Adair, then I will do it."
Speechless with surprise, Hammond blinked as he looked and wondered at how Amhuinn could still look like a warrior princess even when she was being stubborn, before shaking himself out of it and addressed the rest of the waiting men. "Then we shall leave right now. The night will provide a good cover fer us as we go in. Tristan, are there many night guards?"
Tristan nodded. "Many, but they are weary. Appears as if they dinna get enough rest."
"MacCallan doesnae let them sleep much. He uses much of the gold fer his own use, and as such they also go hungry." Tamhas explained.
Hammond scowled. "Why do they still live under him?"
"He has made them belief that they will all die withoot his leadership." Tamhas replied with a pinched look as he looked over at where his old home used to be. "They all dinna dare go against him, fer fear of what he will do ter them."
"Then I think it's time we help them, shall we?" Connor grinned, and a resounding cry went up around. The MacKenzie's quickly rushed to their respective horses, tightening saddles and strapping weapons to themselves. Amhuinn found herself getting whisked onto a strong stallion, and it wasn't long before she was seated snugly against Hammond's warm body. The heat was welcome in the cold Highland air, but with the loose clothes she wore and with only a thin shift beneath her loose borrowed pants and shirt, Amhuinn's cheeks flamed and she thanked the night for hiding the red that bloomed on her cheeks when Hammond's arms went around her to grab the reins.
"Ye will listen ter me, will ye not, Ammi?" Hammond asked again, as if to reassure himself. He found himself anxious that she would find herself in harm's way. Despite the dark of the night, he almost laughed when he heard her scoff, and could almost see her eyes roll from her usual demeanor.
"Yes I will, Laird MacKenzie." Amhuinn replied with a light laugh she kept to herself. Despite how he wished to disparage the idea of love, Amhuinn realized that Hammond MacKenzie's heart of gold made it very difficult for him to go through with his idea.
The moment Hammond spurred his stallion forward, the rest of the men followed in a thunderous symphony of hooves headed towards the Kincaid castle. Seated in front of him, Amhuinn found herself riveted by the sight of the looming castle before her. It was where she had spent the first twenty- four years of her life. The last 2 years of it had been hell on earth. Each time she had returned to try and catch a glimpse of Adair before this, Amhuinn had always found herself  nervous, with sweaty palms and racing mind. Yet this time as she rode at full speed towards the castle and it's laird which had haunted her nightmares, Amhuinn found that this time, perhaps it was because she had a dozen men as escort, or perhaps it was because she was seated against someone who made her feel safer then she's ever felt before. But this time, she didn't feel as apprehensive at the sight.