By the time they got back to MacKenzie Keep, their horses were plodding along, worn out from the hard and long ride they had to keep on their way back. The men were bone weary from a busy night with no sleep, and all but tumbled off the backs of their horses as they arrived at the stables. Gallahan, the stable master, had been on hand waiting for them, and quickly took and brushed down the horses after rousing his stable boys to help him, as Hammond took up the limp body of the young boy he had retrieved from within the Kincaid castle. The boy had put up a struggle on the back of Hammond's horse as they made their way back, but due to his young age and the late hour, he eventually wore himself out and fell in a faint, which turned to sleep. Tamhas, on the other hand, was only half-conscious from the loss of blood, half-carried into the Keep by Connor and Tristan.
While he wasn't expecting anyone to be up waiting, Hammond was surprised at the warmth that greeted him as he stepped into the corridor leading into the main dining hall, and chairs immediately scraped back as two people stood up. When he looked up, the two lonely sconces that lit up the cavernous MacKenzie Keep dining hall illuminated the faces of Gillian and Amhuinn, whose faces looked shock when they saw the dirt streaked face of Hammond.
"Where is Evie?" Connor's rough voice asked, as they entered.
The question barely sunk into Amhuinn's consciousness, as she finally realized who was the limp man the commander carried. She had tried falling asleep after the men had left, but soon realize it was a futile attempt when she only could toss and turn, but her eyes remained wide open. She had came down to the kitchen to perhaps find a glass of milk to aid her sleep, but saw Gillian sitting next to the hearth in the dining hall, with a pair of glasses and a journal propped up in front of her. Conversation between the two soon revealed that Gillian also could not sleep, for she feared for her brother's life.
"I never sleep whenever Hammond goes out on particularly dangerous raids. He's... he's all I have left." It was a rare show of vulnerability from the sprightly, usually happy young MacKenzie.
So Amhuinn had settled next to her, and Evie had eventually joined them. In the roar of horror at discovering just how bad her brother looked, Amhuinn barely heard Gillian replying Connor that they had made Evie return to bed earlier. Instead, the blonde picked up her night gown and dashed towards where Tristan and Connor was holding up her barely conscious brother. Her blue eyes roamed the matted blood on his head, the strands of dirty blond locks looking rusty and crusted against his forehead. The back of her hand brushed his chin, wincing as he groaned at the touch. His body hunched forward, obviously lacking the energy to hold himself up.
"Oh Tamhas, why dinna ye listen ter me. I told ya not ter go running off to them." Amhuinn murmured in worry, taking in his ragged shirt, torn pants and shallow breath. "Can ye bring him ter an empty room? I promise I'll clean the sheets after, but I really need ter check him through." Amhuinn requested. Connor looked up at his laird, who nodded.
"I'll place him on the same floor as yers, Amhuinn. I'll also ask the maids to get basins of warm water ready fer ye." Connor replied, as he moved towards the stairwell with Tristan, waving at the rest of the MacKenzie men to return to their quarters or homes.
Only then, did the weight in Amhuinn's heart lighten up a little. As she began to take in the rest of the surroundings, she noticed how weary the rest of the men looked as they trudged out. Her gazed wandered over to the only man left standing, and then fell to the boy that Hammond held in his arms. When she noticed that, her heart jumped into her throat, and she gasped when she saw the sandy head that lolled in his arms.
Noticing how bad it looked, Hammond quickly sought to reassure her. "Tis nothing. He is just sleeping from over exhaustion. He's a lil fighter." he paused, unsure of how to continue. "Is he... Is he the 'something' ye wanted to get back?" Hammond was surprised at how anxious he was for her answer.
Amhuinn looked at Hammond, and cringed when she saw the various scratches and wounds on his arms. "Ye are injured as well."
"Is he?" Hammond insisted on the answer, eager now to know.
Amhuinn fell silent, uncertainty filling her. She looked at Hammond's earnest green eyes, and finally sighed as she nodded. "Yes. This is Adair, me son."
"Ye are married, Ammi?" Gillian asked. Hammond wondered briefly since when did his sister and Amhuinn get on nickname basis.
"He has nae father, as I have nae husband." she replied, unwilling to look in his eyes. Even more curiosity popped up in Hammond's head, but at that point in time he sensed how unwilling Amhuinn was to share more. The very fact that she has said she had no husband, somehow eased the knot in his chest, so much so that he was willing to wait for further answers. "Can he be brought up ter a room? Yer wounds need seeing to."
"Ye know how?" Hammond asked, in surprise. Amhuinn nodded, her eyes still on Adair's sleeping form in his arms.
"We spent the day yesterday collecting herbs, Gillian and I." Amhuinn replied. "Tis stuff I can use fer ye, and fer Tamhas. We'll leave once he wakes up. I thank ye, Laird MacKenzie, fer yer help in getting my brother back."
"Nae, dinna leave yet." Hammond's instant answer was. Amhuinn's curious eyes looked up at him, unsure at why he sounded reluctant for her to leave. In turn, the redhead laird paused, and then answered quickly as if trying to cover up his reaction. "Tamhas is badly injured, and being oot in the cold with 'is condition isna gonna help him recover. Stay here till he gets better."
"We couldna impo-"
"Tis no imposition. Ye say ye know the healing arts?" Hammond asked. Amhuinn nodded, and he smiled. "Then its all good. We have need of a healer here, oor last healer had passed on, from old age nae too long ago. And Evie is anxious about her birthing time. Ye would do good ter help her. I did help ye after all."
Amhuinn raised a brow, and much to Hammond's delight, finally gave a smile. "Alright then. I shall repay the boon ye granted me by helping yer cousin with her birth." she paused, and then continued in a soft tone that tugged at Hammond's heart. "Thank ye."
"I will put the boy in the room opposite of yers." he merely stated. Amhuinn nodded.
"I will look fer ye there, once I collect the herbs we have kept."
---
Amhuinn softly pushed the door to the room facing hers. In her hand, she clutched a box of dried herbs she had crushed and grinded to paste, and her eyes zoomed in on the moonlight illuminated bed on which Hammond was gently laying the sleeping boy on. While she found it hard to believe, it was kind of difficult to deny that the way the MacKenzie laird handled the sleeping figure was gentle, considering his size. Used as she was to violence in her previous clan, she still found the homeliness and welcome given by the MacKenzie's unnerving.
Caught enraptured by the scene, her eyes fell upon her son, and her heart fluttered. He looked so small in the four poster bed. While the room was without windows, it was still huge compared to the hovel she would've had to stay with had she continued on in Kincaid lands. Was... would he have been better off there instead? She would have continued staring at the face she considered the most angelic of all, had a shuffle of someone's feet not brought her back to Earth, looking up to notice Hammond looking at her sheepishly. "The chill will get ter him if we keep standing at the door as ye are." he murmured with a light chuckle in his voice. Amhuinn flushed, and tilted her head downwards to hide it.
Uncertain of what to say, she spoke, "Well, my ro-" the blonde started, but was interrupted as Hammond took her by her shoulders, gently nudging her out the door and then closing it shut softly behind him.
"Nae in the room." Hammond hushed, pressing a finger to his lips. "If it wakes the boy up, I dinna want to restrain him until morning comes and we have more eyes ter set on him. Fer now, I'll ask Scottie to keep an eye on him." Amhuinn was caught off guard by the boyish twinkle in his eyes, even as the redhead laird waved at a page boy who appeared to be heading in their direction anyway.
After listening to Hammond issue instructions to not, in any circumstance to let the sleeping boy in the room behind them leave the room, he took her shoulders again, and before Amhuinn could protest, led her up a flight of steps. "My room is just on the right, turn the knob." His soft whisper against her ear petrified her. Feeling like a feather had brushed on her earlobe in the wee hours before sunrise, Amhuinn froze and could do nothing more then do as he said, turning the knob to enter a warm room, obviously prepared by the maids.
Compared to the stark, bare room that Adair had been laid in, the room she was now in was a vast difference. She barely heard the door click behind her, for she was trying to absorb in as much as possible. From the lush sheepskin carpet that made her feet sink in, to the glowing embers to the hearth on the right. The red-bricks made up the chimney, which tapered off to granite stone walls. At intervals, the walls were decorated with banners of the MacKenzie clan colors. Directly opposite where Amhuinn stood was a window which was drawn, through which the moonlight streamed in, casting illumination upon the boxes of belongings she presumed belonged to the laird. Just below the window was a plush armchair, and a side table where a book lay open on it.
Hammond, used to being in his domain, barely noticed Amhuinn's shocked look as he pulled his linen black shirt off, hissing as it brushed against the various scratches against his arms. Only when he gave a loud groan, falling on his bottom on the sheets of his oaken four poster bed, did sense kick back into the blonde female, who hurried over to his side.
"Was there a need to take off the shirt?" she asked. Hammond suppressed a laugh, picking up the way in which she tried to hide her embarrassment by acting outraged instead. As a Highland laird who did training everyday, it wasn't as if Hammond didn't know his prowess as a sought after bachelor. He just didn't see the need to continuously sow his seeds. But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the reaction he got from Amhuinn.
"I just thought it would be easier for ye ter see if anything else would need yer attention." he reasoned, although a smirk she couldn't see plastered his face.
"Nae, there dinna seem ter be anything serious. I'll put some of these salve on it and wrap it up, and it should heal fine by the morrow." Amhuinn wasted no time in pulling out her gauze and salve. Hammond made a face when she started dabbing the orange looking paste on his deeper cuts.
"What is that thing made of?" he scrunched up his face in distaste. At the same time, he was enraptured by just how light of a touch Amhuinn had, despite her rough demeanor.
"Ground yarrow, myrrh, comfrey. And a little bit of Ladies' Mantle." Amhuinn explained in an even tone, so focused on her task, she didn't even look up.
Had she, she would've seen how Hammond's eyes followed her movement without fail, even as she spoke. For him, the Highland laird could not seem to tear his eyes away from the way the blonde locks she had let loose, fell over her shoulder as she hunched next to him, gently dabbing at each soft cut. His other fingers itched to reach out and tuck her hair back for her,but he knew that would be a breach of conduct, and exercised great self control to remain in his position as she finished up.
"How do ye know so much about the healing arts?" Hammond asked, as she proceeded to wrapping his arm up.
"On the lands I used to be in, my mother was their healer. I learned my skills, and through my own trial and error, I ended up with more herbs I could use." she replied. There was a light skip in her words that had Hammond intrigued. Was that how she sounded like when she was excited? The lilt in her tone even managed to make him laugh, until she stopped.
As if someone had turned off a switch in her as she was done, Amhuinn's smile cleared as she finished binding up the worst of his two arms, with a firm warning that the salve needs to stay on for the night, before straightening up. "I should be going. I'll... leave this here, so ye can use it when'er ye need." Amhuinn nervously pushed the box at him, standing up. As much as Hammond found himself disliking the idea of her leaving, he gave in to the fact that the hour was late, and nodded.
"I shall-"
"Nae, tis okay. My room is just one flight of stairs down, Lair-" Amhuinn shook her head as she spoke, head still bent in a respectful manner that was getting on Hammond's nerves. Why did she seem so respectful, almost fearful of him, when he's seen her as a firey minx when they were in the woods?
"Hammond." he interrupted, in as gentle a tone as he could muster. He accompanied his insistence of her referring to him by his name, with a smile which got wider when Amhuinn flushed.
"I'll be able to return ter me room." she murmured, stepping out of his room. Hammond nodded with a smile.
"Shout if ye need me, Amhuinn. I can hear ye, I promise." Hammond teased with a twinkle in his eyes. It was almost common knowledge that the Highland warriors slept like a log, but something told Hammond he would be able to hear Amhuinn's voice from a mile away.
As if she considered his words, Amhuinn pursed her lips, and then laughed. "Thank ye, L- Hammond. Good night."
He was caught off guard by her laugh, surprising himself at just how much he enjoyed watching Amhuinn Kincaid showing an expression of anything other then wariness and mistrust, dislike and unfriendly. The Amhuinn Kincaid he just saw, in the dead of the night who genuinely cares for someone else... that one, was someone else entirely.
Now,what can he do to make sure that smile and laughter becomes something more permanent around here?
---
Before the sun had even broke the horizon the next day, hee was rudely awakened by a loud shout from the floor below, shocking him until he fell in a tangle of his arms wound around his sheets. Panic rushed through his veins, and Hammond's first instinct was to grab his claymore he kept leaning against his bedside, when he noticed the shouts were not of Amhuinn's feminine lilt, but more the stubborn tantrum cries of a young boy coming from the room directly below his.
By the time he had put on his plaid over his pants and shirt and ran down, the scene that greeted him was quite a mess. Scottie and Tristan held the young but surprisingly strong boy, one on each side as he struggled. His blonde head was a mess, face blotchy and red from the screaming. The bed looked like a tornado had ran through it, with the sheets half falling off the bed, and the pillows strewn across. Just in front of him through the door was the fetching sight of Amhuinn Kincaid, still cladded in a sheer nightgown that did nothing to hide her body. While the sight did shoot electric straight through Hammond, all of that shock flushed out of his body when he saw the distraught and helpless look in her hazel eyes.
Instinctively, Hammond grabbed the plaid he had hastily tied around his waist, and threw it across Amhuinn's shoulders. The movement alerted Amhuinn to Hammond's presence, but her eyes were hollow when she looked at him. "What's the matter?"
"He dinna like being here. I... I canna speak ter him. He..." she trailed off. Hammond picked up on the helpless tone, and his heart went out to her.
As the laird, he was used to taking action, and he did exactly that. Stepping up to the small page boy, he grabbed the arm Scottie had been holding on to, and scooped up the rest of the small frame in his large arms, effectively pinning the struggling young boy against his side, keeping his grip firm until his struggles waned. "Ye willna be a brat in my Keep, lad."
"I am the young Master to the Kincaid clan, ye willna keep me here like a slave. Unhand me and return me to me father!" his defiant voice screamed.
Hearing his words, Hammond could not help but raise a questioning brow in Amhuinn's direction. Had he committed kidnapping and risked his clan's safety for a lass he barely knew? For a split second, Hammond felt like an idiot. But when Amhuinn shook her head, still obviously distraught, he firmed his resolve and gripped the boy to him tighter.
"Yer screaming is going to get ye nowhere, lad. Cease, and calm yeself. I will come to ye in awhile, ter hear yer explanation." Hammond's firm voice boomed loudly over Adair's screams, as he tossed the boy on the bed, instructed Scottie and Tristan to make sure he does not escape the room, before heading to the door. Grabbing Amhuinn as he exited, Hammond closed the door behind them before turning to the helpless looking maiden. "Explain this, Amhuinn. If he is yer son, why does he want to return to the Kincaid clan?"