It was dawn by the time their horses slowed down right at the border of MacKenzie lands. Adair had long fallen asleep on her shoulder. Amhuinn's arms ached from securing her son to herself while at the same time trying not to fall off the horse and be a bother to Tristan, but she couldn't stop herself from worrying. She constantly looked over her shoulder, but try as she might, she simply could not spy the red-haired laird that now haunted her frustrations and worries. Was he alright? Did he manage to extricate himself from the Kincaid warriors? How was his wound? These questions lingered in her head in the hours they took to ride from the castle to MacKenzie Keep.
When Tristan finally reined their horse in to a stop, Amhuinn all but tumbled out of the saddle. Adair was jostled, but remained unaffected in his deep sleep. "Whoah, slowdown there Mistress, ye dinna want ter-"
"Where is yer laird?" Amhuinn cut Tristan off as Isaac and the rest of the MacKenzie men followed behind. In her anxiety, she didn't even wait for Isaac's answer as she turned to the only person she's had for the past 4 years. "Tamhas, did Laird MacKenzie return with ye?"
"Och, sister. I would think ye would have a wee bit more concern fer yer brother instead." Tamhas cajoled, a teasing wink as he relieved Amhuinn of the sleeping four-year old. A rock in her heart lifted. None of them would be so at ease if Hammond was seriously injured, would they?
"I'll survive, lassie." A hoarse, gruff voice made itself heard from the heart of the gathered men. As they parted, the figure of Hammond MacKenzie could be seen hunched over his steed, whose reins were held by another of the MacKenzie men. He looked pale, with the arrow's stick broken off but it's head still embedded within his shoulder. Amhuinn had definitely seen him looking better before, but at the very least, in her heart, she thanked the gods he was alive.
"Ye willna if ye insist on riding e'en when yer injured in that manner." she scolded, her concern coming out in a brash tone.
Hammond gave an hoarse chuckle, motioning at his men to help him down. He winced as they grabbed him around his arm. Amhuinn's heart went out to him, but she was determined to stand her ground. At the very least, not around the MacKenzie men. Once Hammond had his feet firmly on the ground, with one arm around Isaac, he lifted his warm eyes up at Amhuinn. "Is yer laddie alright?" he asked, with a flicker over at Tamhas who now stood next to her holding his sleeping nephew.
"He'll be fine. He's just worn out from all the action." she replied. "Bring yer laird ter th-"
"I'll be fine, lass." Hammond tried to insist. Amhuinn was hearing nothing on it however, and didn't let him continue with a stern look that bore no argument. Once she was sure he was not going to say anything else, she continued speaking.
"Bring Laird MacKenzie to the Great Hall. Mrs. Griselda," Amhuinn addressed as the main door opened and the servants all ran out, having just realized they had returned. "Would ye mind bringing up a bucket of hot water and my herbs?"
---
After the adrenaline of rushing and getting Adair back at midnight, the silence as the sun climbed the sky was palpable. For the Great Hall to be so silent was an odd feeling for Hammond, for he was used to the activity and bustle that went on all day in the castle. He had never been up at such an hour, for the men usually awoke at a later hour then the women, for they slept at a later hour after fortifying the Keep with defenses before retiring for the night. The maids ran in and out of the Hall, bringing the herbs, clothes and clean water that Amhuinn requested, but they otherwise stayed out of the way.
Amhuinn worked in silence. The moment they had entered, she had instructed the men to rip Hammond's tattered tunic off, and in her silence, proceeded to clean the dirt and grime off his body and chest, paying careful attention to the wound area. Once she was satisfied, she had given a soft warning to Hammond to brace himself, and the next thing he knew, he felt the searing burn as the arrow head was yanked out from his shoulder blade. In a way, Hammond found it quite amazing that a girl of her size could easily deal with injuries without flinching, but the pain which flared in his body drowned out his natural attraction to her as he cursed enough to bring a drunken man to shame.
"Dinna be a child, Laird. Tis just a small wound." Amhuinn scolded without looking at him.
"Big brother doesna like pain." Gillian teased, but danced out of the great hall with a laugh when Hammond directed a deathly glare at her. Amhuinn on the other hand, raised a brow as she finally looked at him after a whole half hour of silence.
"Ye don't?" she asked in a surprised tone. Hammond gritted his teeth, but shook his head. She suddenly looked rather guilty. "What is it?" he asked in alarm.
"Well, yer nae going to like this then." Again, with no warning, Amhuinn slapped a rag soaked in boiling hot water on the wound site, and this time, Hammond could not stop the loud hiss and the string of curses that escaped him.
"Woman! A little warning afore ye do anything would ye!" he shouted. It was no wonder all the servants had avoided the Great Hall. Even his men had made himself scarce the moment they had deposited him in the hall. Amhuinn had initially wondered why, but she was no longer surprised.
"Well, if I had warned ye, would ye have let me do it?" Amhuinn asked, pointedly staring at him. Hammond met her look with a glare but broke it off as he grumbled. He wouldn't have, but that as besides the point. Amhuinn didn't bother however, and continued cleaning the blood whilst he winced and cringed. "Tis ter prevent any infection. Ye dinna want to be known as the laird ter die from a small arrow wound, would ye?"
The truth was, Amhuinn realized she was terrified of Hammond dying. Her heart had stopped when she saw his bedraggled state the moment they arrived at the Keep. For once, she found herself fussing over someone who wasn't Adair or Tamhas. Her chest ached when she saw the angry red wound with crimson liquid seeping out of it, and an infection was threatening to haunt her nightmares. She was extra careful to ensure she applied enough heat to reduce the chances of infection, before she proceeded to dab on a mixture of salves she had in a jar. She could feel Hammond wincing as she applied it, but paid him no mind, tightening the bandages despite his hisses of pain. She knew it hurt, of course, but she was more terrified of the consequences that may happen if she didn't dress the wound properly.
"Och lassie, ye would think I deserve some mercy after getting Adair back fer ye." he complained, once Amhuinn announced that he was done.
Amhuinn remained silent, replacing the pots in her basket and cleaning up her utensils. When she did turn around however, she almost started. She had almost forgot that Hammond's clothes had been ripped off him in their effort to get to the wound. Amhuinn had been so focused on ensuring that nothing went wrong with the dressing of his wound, that now when Hammond stood not two feet away from her, the only thing covering his upper torso being the bandages she had wound around his chest, the blonde had to duck her head and intentionally turn away to hide the flush that crept up her cheeks as she tried to forget the way his bronzed chest gleamed in the morning sun streaming in.
"Lass." she heard him call, but didn't deign to reply. In her mind, she scolded herself. How unbecoming was it to be blushing over a mere shirtless man? She was a woman of twenty-eight, with a son now asleep above stairs. What would Tamhas think?
Hammond would not be pushed away however. When Amhuinn didn't reply, he rolled his eyes and gently grabbed her upper arm when she moved as if wanting to leave. "Ye promised we would talk."
"I made nae such promise." Amhuinn retorted, but she didn't meet his eyes, nor did she bring her eyes from staring at her toes. She knew she had nodded when he posed the question just the night before. She had even had her internal monologue, and admitted to herself that Hammond made her feel protected, loved, and wavered her firm resolve to remain unmarried. But why now, did she feel so anxious when they were both alone in the cavernous great hall?
"Ye willna deny that ye said ye will talk to me, would ye Ammi? I dinna know ye were such a coward."
Hammond grinned to himself when Amhuinn did indeed turn around with a spark in her eye. He guessed she would never back down from a challenge, and he was right. She was a minx, alright. My minx, if I have anything ter say aboot it, Hammond thought to himself.
"Fine. I willna deny, but we willna have that talk here. Tis almost time fer the morning meal, and I have ter see to Adair."
"The lad isna hurt, he will be fine." he murmured, but conceded her point. She was a mother, so it was inevitable that she was worried. He nodded. "I'll wait fer ye in the solar. It's in the tallest turret of the Keep. Tonight after sup."
---
Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she climbed the stairs. She had never been to the solar before, for it had always been a far distance away, way too far for her sore and uneven gait to climb. But right now, her mind was a mile away from the way her knees were sore as she climbed the fifth flight of stairs. Instead, she had an internal squabble with herself. Amhuinn had first fussed over what she was supposed to wear for her meeting with Hammond. And then, she had scolded herself for even being fussed about what should she wear. Why should she be worried about whats he wanted to wear? If Hammond MacKenzie really wanted her, would he even mind if she appeared in a burlap sack?
That still didn't stop Amhuinn from pulling on a sundress that was a deep crimson in color. She had always thought dark colors brought out her light colored hair and blue eyes. The blonde hair was plaited across her brows, tied to the back to keep the strands out of her eyes. A few stray locks framed her heart shaped face, and it was a pair of flushed cheeks that met Hammond's eyes as he turned towards the door as it creaked open.
He had been standing in the solar for an hour at least. He knew he was early, but he couldn't help himself. What was he supposed to say to her? How did he want to say it? Amhuinn had been through plenty, and had walls higher then the tallest oak tree in the Highland forests. Yet the few rare times she had graced them with her laughter, her smile, Hammond had found himself captured by the way her eyes danced with delight. He wanted that smile and that laughter to appear more, and by then he also knew that there was no way he would let Amhuinn just leave like that. Yet what did that mean for them?
The solar wasn't big, meant for the lady of the house. His mother used to use the room as her retreat. Occasionally, she would bring Hammond and Gillian here to play when their father was busy. Otherwise however, they rarely came here. It was a room far above the turret, a place away from the hustle and bustle of the busy keep. After his mother's death, his father had retreated here, barely ever seen. After Quinlan MacKenzie left, Hammond had closed the place up. Servants came in to clean, but the place remained the way Ailsa MacKenzie had left it. A large rug sat in the centre of the circular room. A chest of his and Gillian's old toys stood to the right of the entrance, while on the left was a warm fireplace, used to warm the room in winter. Against the furthest end of the room was a large couch, right next to a bookshelf.
The couch could hold two people comfortable, or enough for one person to lie down upon it. Above the couch was a window that let in sunlight. The ceilings slanted upwards, held firm by slats of wood. Sconces were laced along the walls to light up the room in the dark, should the owner of the room felt like doing her work upon the table situated in front of the couch.
When Amhuinn pushed the door in, Hammond had perched himself on the couch deep in thought. The moment the door creaked however, the red haired laird popped up like a jack-in-the-box. Instantly, he felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw the vision of Amhuinn. He had lighted half the sconces within the room, with the mildly dim light enough to just make out Amhuinn's flushed cheeks. Hammond's first thoughts were on how delectable her lips looked, especially when accompanied with her faintly pink cheeks. He scolded himself in the next second, internally reminding himself that Amhuinn would scare like a deer if she even found out about his thoughts. She's not had a good experience with men, Hammond MacKenzie, relax.
Her eyes wandered as she came in, curiosity evident in her blue eyes. "This... This was my mither's private solar, back when she was still around." Hammond said, in an attempt to start a conversation.
"Has it nae been used since then?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Nae. Gilly prefers her workshop, and I'm fine in me study. Tis usually fer the lady of the house, anyway."
A silence settled over them, as they both dared not meet each other's eyes.
"So... ye wanted ter talk?" Amhuinn asked, breaking the silence once she started getting fidgety.
Hammond's brain jumped from 'Just do it!' to 'Take things slow, the lass has had a bad experience Hammond MacKenzie, ye dinna want ter spook her', as he shuffled towards her across the table. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so nervous. Even with Evie's old housemaid back in London just a year or two again, he had been more frustrated then anxious when she had spoke to him and then subsequently rejected him. With Amhuinn however, it seemed different. Almost unreal sometimes, how they had eventually come to be. "I... Ye... Well... have ye been enjoying yer stay in MacKenzie Keep?"
Amhuinn's eyes registered surprise. "Of course. Why wouldna I? Yer people have treated me and my kin with nothing but kindness and generosity. Tamhas, Adair and I would forever be in yer debt, Hammond. I dinna know how else could I repay ye."
"There is nae need. The way ye allay Evie's fears for her birth is more then enough fer us." Â he replied, trying to make light of the situation. She smiled, the upward curve of her lip that Hammond loved so much.
"Aye, I have given her the appropriate herbs and instructions on consumption fer her trip two days hence. I've also given the same set of instructions to Connor should Evie nae remember." Amhuinn paused,and then couldn't help but ask. "Did ye ask me up here ter ask me aboot Evie's health? I assure ye Hammond, that that sort of conversation would nae need ter take place in the solar."
Hammond laughed then, having missed Amhuinn's scathing remarks. They had been sharp and intended to hurt when she had first arrived, but Amhuinn realized that these days, she made them merely to elicit laughter among her friends. For that is what she would consider the MacKenzie now, her friends. "How is yer lad?" His question punctured her daydream, and Amhuinn turned to look at Hammond.
"He woke up around noon, eager fer food and ter return to work. Tristan and Ewan convinced him ter stay, but he only complied after Ewan said he would return with Malcolm and the rest of his friends once they were done with his duties. When I left his room afore sup, Mrs. O'Leary was just bringing up their evening meal with the maids." her lips turned upwards again, as her blue eyes sparkled in with her words. "Thank ye, laird, fer allowing the concession fer the boys, and ter let them have their evening in his room. I dinna think he was happier."
Hammond smiled in an abashed manner. "Och, tis a tiny matter. Has he warmed up ter ye?" he asked this time, wary for he knew Adair had been hostile to his mother before this. His heart eased when he saw the blissful look Amhuinn immediately wore.
"Aye. I dinna know what came o'er him, but he doesna shy away when I feed him, or e'en when I suggested ter bathe him in the outhouse. He.... He even spoke ter me, asking me aboot whate'er he saw around the keep." Amhuinn all but sung her words. Hammond could almost imagine her doing a twirl in her joy of her son responding well to her.
"I think he's beginning to realize the joys of having a mother. He did choose to come back here with you afterall." he murmured when she fell silent. Noticing the gentle burr in his tone, she turned her eyes to look at him, and found that her heart refused to follow it's gentle rhythm when her eyes fell on his messy red locks, the intense honeyed eyes, and the gentle gaze focused on her.
"He would be a fool ter nae notice that his mither is an extremely capable, and a very loving women." he paused, making a move to pick up a hand Amhuinn had left limp by her side. She made no move to take her hand away, and merely remained still as Hammond brought the hand to his lips, and stole her breathe away when he pressed his lips against the back of her knuckles. "I did, anyway."
"Hammond?" Amhuinn whispered breathlessly. Already, the blonde was quite taken by the responsible, caring and loving laird and elder brother she had witnessed Hammond MacKenzie was over her one month of remaining within the Keep. She had agonized over the time after Evie had given birth, for she only promised to remain until she had ensured the safety of both Evie and her babe. Amhuinn had not looked forward to leaving, and was unashamedly wondering if offering her services as a healer would suffice for her to remain. Now that she had Adair with her, she wasn't sure if living in solitude out in the woodlands would be good for the four-year old.
"Yer a wonderful mither and sister, Ammi. Ye care fer yer son and brither beyond yer own wellbeing. But I would like ter be the one to ensure that well-being of yers. Would ye let me?" he asked, softly.
Amhuinn's eyes widened at the implications. Deciding not to jump to conclusions, she had to clarify. "What do ye mean, Hammond?"
"Yer headstrong, stubborn, and dinna think afore putting yerself in danger-"
"Ye are not putting up a strong argument fer yerself, Hammond MacKenzie." Amhuinn warned, despite the laughter hinted in her tone along with the slight smirk she wore.
He laughed, squeezing the hand he still held in his own grip. "Hear me oot. Ye always find yerself in the oddest of situations, but tis always fer the better of someone else. I have nae met anyone quite as selfless as yerself. Ye work too hard, Ammi. Let me give ye some reprieve. I want ter see ye smile more, laugh more, have more time fer yerself and not spend it wondering if ye will survive the next day." At that, Hammond reached down and pick up the other hand, threading his fingers carefully through hers.
With each touch he gave her, electricity buzzed on her skin. As he tightened his grip around her hand, he spoke. "Dinna make me wonder if ye, Adair and Tamhas would be alright oot there in the woodlands. I've wondered since the first day we met ye, when I was escorting Evie back from England." Amhuinn's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation. He chuckled, and nodded. "I always did. Now, more then ever, ye haunt my vision and dreams, Amhuinn. I know ye have renounced Kincaid as yer last name, but would ye mind using mind, and wearing my colors?"
"Hammond! Are ye... Are ye-" she stuttered, caught off guard. He chuckled again, and nodded, pulling her towards him and winding one arm around her waist, placing her palm against his chest.
"Aye lassie, would ye do me the honor of being the lady of the keep, and marrying me?" he asked huskily.
Amhuinn had to remind herself the mechanisms of breathing. Did the laird seriously just ask her to marry him? She blinked mutely for a second or so, as her mind tried to process the question. And more importantly, as it tried to formulate an answer. How does one answer to such a proposal? Plus, there was that little matter of what she had to do after  a marriage, which quite frankly still shook her. Was she ready for that?
"Dinna worry lass, I promise ye that I will fulfill what yer mither had promised ye. Dougal MacCallan is a callous arse, but dinna lump me in the same category as him, ceann milis. Please."
His plaintive plea did well when coupled with the honeyed brown eyes looking eagerly at Amhuinn. She couldn't help the smile that came, as her body slowly unstiffened itself. She had to admit, Hammond MacKenzie was the only male other then Tamhas that she had feel comforted and protected around. She had been thinking of staying anyhow.
But, hadn't Mama always said marry for love? That was what she had had with Papa before he passed away, a little voice reminded Amhuinn. She paused, peering at Hammond through her blue irises. Did she love the man?
The answer came easily.
How could she not? He made all and everyone feel safe and secure, on top of being accountable to all under his care. Of course, there was the little fact that her skin burned wherever he touched, and she often wondered in the dark, how could it Dougal MacCallan's touch made her shiver when Hammond MacKenzie's made her burn, and the very thought of him made her squirm in anticipation for more.
How could she not indeed.
"If ye are going to say nae, ye may as well make it quick, lassie." Hammond finally broke through her thoughts. Amhuinn glanced at him, and hid a smile when she saw him anxiously examining her, his hold around her waist loosening slightly.
"Why would ye think I would say nae?" she asked cheekily.
He raised a brow, recognizing the cheeky look. "I am nae afraid of yer denial. I would only convince ye ter change yer answer."
"Oh?" she questioned, raising a brow as if she was daring him. "And how would ye do that?"
Hammond didn't bother with words for an answer. Instead, he bent his head down to close the space between them, claiming the ruby red lips he had been hankering to taste as his own. He moulded his lips to hers, but was still cautious as he had no wish to scare her. But when Amhuinn herself ran her tongue across his lips, and slowly circled them, Hammond groaned into their lip lock, and pressed his lips hard against hers.
When they finally resurfaced, both their breaths were heavy and hard, with fog forming between them. Amhuinn smiled, and then laughed, as Hammond slowly wore an amused smile. "I'm convinced, Laird MacKenzie. I will marry ye."