Connor and Hammond had eventually decided that they would deal with the nuances on who would go to the Kincaid lands tomorrow, as the night had been reserved for festivities for the youngest of their clan. The proud parents of six-month old Finlay MacAlister held the sleeping star of their festivity in their arms, watching as the people broke out the bagpipes and fiddle. The younger page boys scattered and came back holding an assortment of musical instruments, and in the middle of it were dancing couples, married and courting alike.
It was a scene that Hammond took much pride in. They liked celebrations, especially following the dark days after the death of Quinlan and Ailsa MacKenzie. His people had to go almost a year, before Hammond declared that enough was enough, and passed an edict to celebrate his sister's upcoming birthday in the loudest manner possible. Every celebration hence was as loud and as joyous as possible, for in between them, Hammond knew they had to deal with alot of loss, partings and hardships of surviving harsh Highland climate.
Greeting and striking up little conversations with his clansmen as he proceeded further into the hall, Hammond noticed that Connor was nowhere to be found, and assumed he had returned his cousin to their chambers. The two were understandably anxious about the upcoming birth, but with no healer in his land, there wasn't much Hammond could do. Any large injuries were treated in the neighboring village, but that in itself was a half day carriage ride away. As such, most of the MacKenzie's dealt with small ailments themselves, using whatever they could remember from the last time they had a healer upon the lands, which was before Quinlan MacKenzie took over.
He smiled as a sandy haired, blush cheek man about his age stepped up to the center of the hall which had been cleared away. The tables were pushed back to accommodate the dancing and singing but now Hamish, the bard of the clan took center stage, and the musicians eagerly accompanied him as he launched yet again, into a song they had all often heard,of how young Quinland MacKenzie had taken defended the MacKenzie Keep from Drummond attack repeatedly.
Hearing the stories brought a sense of comfort to Hammond. He had always enjoyed hearing about the younger days of his father. This time however, he found his attention quickly distracted when a blonde head entered the crowd of red and brunette's that mostly comprised of his clansmen. Riveted to her for reasons he didn't know why, Hammond found himself giving a smile when he realized how mesmerized she looked. Pushing off the wall he leaned against, the laird approached them, his footfalls easily recognized when they turned to face him.
"Laird MacKenzie, I... do hope I am not intruding upon this celebration of yer clansmen." she apologized. In her red kirtle, Hammond couldn't help but think of how much more radiant the red made her blonde hair, and how it complimented her sun-kissed bronze skin.
"There's isna need to apologize, Miss Amhuinn." Hammond started, before she interjected.
"Dinna call me Miss, Laird MacKenzie. Just Amhuinn, or Ammi would suffice. I dinna need such honor's, afterall." she reminded with a tight smile. Hammond raised a brow.
"But-" Hammond started.
"Just do as she says, brother. Dinna argue." Gillian spoke up by her side, and then turned to Amhuinn. "Would ye be alright yerself, Amhuinn? I... I have some work ter get back to."
Before Amhuinn could respond, Gillian had dashed off, leaving the blonde blinking in surprise at her departure. Hammond watched as his sister disappeared through the doors of the dining hall, and heaved a sigh. "Is she always like that?" Amhuinn's voice broke his thoughts. He turned to look at her, and gave a non-committal shrug.
"Tis Gilly. She is a sweet girl, and everyone loves her here. Tis just... she's not yer typical type of girl." he explained, or tried to.
"So are yer typical type of girls supposed ter like pink, pick flowers and embroid all day?" Amhuinn bristled.
Hammond was caught off guard by the defensive way the blonde tried to defend his sister, and jumped to his own defense. "Nae, I dinna mean it in such a way. Tis just, Gilly has always liked to be by herself. She dinna like functions like these. She cringes when we celebrate her birthday every year. She much prefers to be by herself."
"Where does she go?" the blonde who now was more mollified, asked in curiosity.
"She has her own study in the dungeons." Hammond started. When Amhuinn raised a brow in shock and curiosity, the laird explained. "It was the only place big enough fer what she needed. Gilly likes to tinker with things, and build stuff that eases things fer our lands and crops."
"What do you mean?" she asked, now thoroughly curious.
"I will show ye soon, once we get Tamhas back. Ye... would stay on longer here, would ye not?" he asked cautiously. Somehow, Hammond was not so eager for Amhuinn to just leave.
The girl peered at Hammond when he asked the question carefully, and appeared to consider his words. "It depends. I'll see how Tamhas is. We wouldna want to encroach on yer hospitality longer then necessary. Ye have yer own clan ter see to."
"Dinna worry, Amhuinn. We can provide enough. We have our winter cellar's stocked already." Hammond tried again, running a hand through his naturally curled hair.
She had turned to watch the rest of the clansmen now, entranced by the soulful voice that belonged to the bard. "His voice is beautiful."
"That is Hamish. He traveled far and wide when he was younger, but decided to settle here five or six years ago. Father favored him as a friend, and he's been with us ever since. He's singing my father's conquests when he was younger." the laird explained.
"Was he there? I thought ye said he was just here not too long ago." Amhuinn questioned.
Noting on how quick she was, Hammond smiled down at her next to him. "He was. All the songs he sings are based on the stories my father had told him." he laughed then. "I am not so sure if they are all entirely truth, but it's all I have to believe, so tis not like we have a choice."
For the first time since she had arrived, Amhuinn smiled. Hammond had been watching, and the smile caught him by surprise. It was as if roses bloomed on her cheeks as the lips turned up, a sign of joy from her. When Amhuinn noticed Hammond's eyes on her however, the smile immediately disappeared, as she shuffled uncertainly under her red skirts, anxiously fiddling with the belt around her lower waist. Did she not smile often then?
"My commander and I will deal with yer problem first thing tomorrow, Amhuinn. However, as tis a mission to retrieve yer brother, anything can only be carried out tomorrow evening." he turned to her, waiting for her blue eyes to meet him before continuing. "In the meantime, do stay here in the Keep, and let any of us know should ye need anything. The MacKenzie Keep was built for visitors afterall."
Amhuinn's heart skipped at the genuine offer from the laird. Since she had been born, the only people who had ever showed her kindness was her brother. The only other time someone had shown her kindness, it's results were not favorable. Unable to properly react, she murmured out an intelligible reply, which had the laird leaning in as he tried to catch her words. The closer proximity only made Amhuinn's heart leap to her throat, and she would've stumbled, had his arms not dart out to catch her just as she slipped backwards.
"Watch it there lass. Ye alright? Fiona did bring ye yer sup, did she not?" Hammond asked, concerned. She had looked disconcerted. Did his large frame scare her? He always knew he was built bigger than most Scots, but he had never in his life had a reason to feel dislike for his given body until today.
"Nae, Laird MacKenzie! Nae, tis just... I'm possibly just verreh tired from walking here." Amhuinn quickly cooked up a story.
Doubtful as he was, he decided to not press the matter further. "If that's the case, ye can just watch us from here. Unless ye would like to retire to yer room fer the night?" Â Hammond asked, gesturing at a stool that was nearby. Amhuinn shook her head.
"I would verreh much like ter watch, if I may." she offered a smile again. The blonde was beginning to realize that something about MacKenzie Keep enabled her smile quite easily.
Taking up the laird's offer Amhuinn took the stool as a seat, her eyes wandering to the festivities as Hammond was swept up by any number of his clansmen. The song had picked up again, a more upbeat one that had people coming in and out, weaving between each other in a wild dance that had Amhuinn fascinated. Kincaid clan would never stand to see people dancing with such wild abandon. She had always thought that the sedate views of the Kincaid were a norm for the rest of the Highland clans. Were they not, then?
What surprised Amhuinn the most was that even Hammond, serious and strict as he was, could be seen swinging little kids around as the music swept up around them. So distracted she was at watching the heavy laughter Hammond emitted as he played with the kids, she barely noticed until someone almost walked into her.
The lady was dressed in a green dress and a white apron, and would've fallen over had Amhuinn not quickly got up to hold her steady. It was only when the lady was steadier, did she realize that she held a sleeping babe in her arms.
"Och heavens, thank goodness!" the lady exclaimed, turning to Amhuinn with a grateful smile. "Thank ye! I wouldna have wanted to drop this wee tyke. His ma would have me head."
"Tisn't yer son?" Amhuinn asked.
"Heaven's no. This party is so his ma can have some rest, but I'm thinking I'm needing some rest meself, at this rate." the elder lady teased, rocking the baby as he started making some noises again. Amhuinn looked at the child in her arms, wide eyed and alert. His sandy brown hair fell in thin wisps across his amber eyes. As the boy gurgled, waving his arms in Amhuinn's direction, her heart softened, an ache growing in the middle.
"Och, I think he likes ye." the lady grinned.
"M-May I?" Amhuinn gingerly tried, reaching out. The lady appeared quite unphased by Amhuinn, and instead eagerly unloaded the child into her arm's, much to Ammi's surprise. "Yer not afraid that I am not yer clansmen?"
"Nae, not really. I saw Laird MacKenzie speaking to ye. He wouldna bring danger to us. He has been good to us all, as wus his da before him. Ye take care of wee Finlay now. Ye can pass it on to anyone else if ye get tired. I better go and get my wee ones taken care of too."
With that, the lady ran off, leaving Amhuinn stunned, with a child in her arms. Her attention only got refocused when the child gurgled again, grabbing at the careful braid Fiona had helped her pleat. "Here now, ye dinna wanna go around tugging girl's hairs. Tisn't anyway to gain their hearts." Amhuinn teased, swinging the baby around, laughing as the baby laughed. The minutes flew by as she entertained the awakened child, that she hardly realized as the song died down and a figure approached her.
"I would've thought ye would join the dancing."
Hammond's voice broke through Amhuinn's happy chatter to the baby. She jumped, and then somehow managed to look rather embarrassed when she realized Hammond wore an amused smile. "I dinna dance." was her immediate reply. Hammond was about to ask her why, when he remembered the uneven gait that Amhuinn walked with, a pronounced limp no one could miss even under her skirts.
"Och, apologies Amhuinn. Tis ju-"
"Finlay, I finally found ye!" A woman suddenly popped up in the middle of Hammond's apology to stand next to the laird's side. The moment the sandy haired lady appeared, the infant in Amhuinn's arms began straining towards her, gurgling in joy. Amhuinn looked at her, and then started when she realized just who the lady was. "I'm sorry, I just... Someone was taking care of him, but they got tired and I just offered, and he was laughing and then I-"
"Och, do stop rambling lass. Tisn't a problem. Young Finlay looks thoroughly entertained, and I'm quite sure Hilda here is verrah thankful for ye taking care of her young son." Hammond gestured at a homely woman with the exact same shade of hair as the boy she held in her arms. True to his word, the woman nodded, and laughed as her son reached out for her. Amhuinn reluctantly returned the boy to the lady, already feeling lost when the lady addressed her.
"The laird is right, me lady. Tis been a long six months, but tonight was enough of a rest. Thank ye, fer taking care o' me Finlay fer me." With a little curtsy, Hilda left before Amhuinn could correct her calling her a lady.
"Yer a natural with children." Hammond commented, when Amhuinn fell silent after Hilda left. Looking down, he recalled the way her eyes had sparkled blue like sapphires as she laughed with the boy in her arms. There was a thankful joy in her aura that Hammond found intriguing, almost fascinating as she laughed with the young infant in her arms.
Now that he was no longer in her arms however, the magic had wore off, and Hammond was presented yet again with the image of an Amhuinn who didn't dare look up at his eyes, as if he might devour her. 'And wouldn't ye, Hammond MacKenzie? Yer already thinking of her more then ye should be.' His inner conscience scolded him. Already used to disregarding their words however, Hammond brushed them away, and instead went against his better judgement to use his fingers and tilt Amhuinn's chin upwards. "Yer too afraid of me. Do I scare ye, Amhuinn?"
"N-Nae, Laird MacKenzie. Tis just giving ye yer rightful respect." she replied hesitantly.
"I dinna want only yer respect." he explained, looking as the last of his clansmen trickled back out to their own cottages. "I would like ye to feel at home here. At least until I return tomorrow with yer brother."
"And I thank ye profusely fer yer help, Laird MacKenzie. But tis why I should offer you an even greater form of respect, shouldna I?" she replied, blue eyes sparkling, it's depths Hammond wanting to explore further, should he not fear losing himself in them.
"Nae. I only want yer comfort, and yer friendship, Amhuinn." they paused, a pregnant silence between them as they each took in the other. He was gentle, too gentle for her well protected heart, but she was an anomaly he wanted to explore further.
"Connor and I will return yer brother to yer side by the morrow, Amhuinn. I promise ye."