Page 40 of Hunted By the Hard Highlander

“Ye will,” Aurora said, remembering the way Hendry had looked at her when he asked her to meet him at the training grounds. She had been trying to make sense of what he might want from her, and the only thing that made sense was that he was making plans. “And I think if ye asked him, Laird Anderson would teach ye. I’m quite sure of it.”

The boy’s entire body seemed to light up at the suggestion. He jumped to his feet, the book clattering to the floor. Scrambling to pick it up, he said, “Then I will ask him. I will become the best Laird in the Highlands, I can promise ye that, Aurora!”

“And I cannae wait to see the man ye grow into,” she said, unable to keep himself from laughing at his antics.

When he finally straightened up, he grinned and said, “I will make ye proud, Aurora. I can promise ye that.” He opened his mouth to continue speaking, his eyes widening before closing as a yawn took him by surprise.

“Ye should take yerself to bed,” Aurora said, setting her knitting aside and getting to her feet. She placed her hand on Adair’s elbow and led him toward the door. “The sun has already set, and I can tell that ye are tired.”

“But ye seem like ye are goin’ to be up for hours,” he complained, always searching for a reason to put off going to bed. “I daenae wish for ye to be alone.”

“If I begin to feel lonely, I will find Hilda. She provides excellent company when I cannae sleep,” Aurora promised him. “And she also makes wonderful teas. Perhaps I should send her to yer chambers with a cup. It will help ye get to sleep.”

He sighed, long-suffering and a bit dramatic. “I daenae need any tea. I will get to bed.”

“Good,” Aurora said, ruffling his hair affectionately.

Adair ducked away, laughing as he swatted the space around his head. As he scurried to the door, he said, “I will see ye in the mornin’, Aurora. Sleep well.”

“Aye, ye as well, Adair,” she told him.

She stayed standing at the center of the room even after her brother had left and closed the door behind him. It was strange, seeing evidence that the boy was growing up. He had grown so much since they first left the MacGonagal lands. Now, he was actively thinking about the type of leader he had to be, the things that he would have to do when he finally claimed his rightful position.

He is modelin' his behavior after Hendry’s… and I daenae think he should do otherwise.

Nodding to herself, she finally turned back to the bench where her knitting remained. She would need to sleep, get a few hours of rest in before she went to see what Hendry could possibly want to discuss in secret. For now though, she needed to get as many of her nagging thoughts as she could woven into the scarf she was knitting and out of her head.

Chapter Nineteen

“Where is he?” Aurora murmured as she stepped out of the castle, squinting at the training grounds.

There was a slight mist hanging over the valley, rolling in from the mountains surrounding them. It made the entire land feel as though it were straight out of a dream. She could not see anything but the shapes of the buildings. The trees looked as if they were giant guardians standing over the castle, watching over the land.

“Aurora.”

She jumped at the sound of Hendry’s voice, turning so quickly that her hair kept going even after she stopped. He appeared out of the fog, walking toward her slowly, measured. Had he come to her like this even a few weeks before, she would have been terrified.

“I dinnae see ye,” she said, forcing her voice steady as her heart pounded in her chest. “Ye were hidden in the fog.”

“Aye, it is too early for the sun to have burned it off,” he said, looking around the training yard. Like this, with the world behind him so soft, he looked like he was an angel walking on earth. His sharp features looked even more severe, more harsh. “It will be gone before we get back to the castle. In fact, it is already gotten clearer in the last fifteen minutes.”

“Ye’ve been out here that long?” Aurora asked, furrowing her brow. “I apologize for making ye wait.”

“There is nae a reason to apologize,” he said, reaching to pull something from his belt.

She watched, taking half a step closer to see what he had brought. He held it out to her without another word, pressing a solid piece against her palm. Looking down at it, she saw the finely crafted handle first. Her fingers drifted down, over the carved bone, to the blade at the end.

A sgian-dubh.

Her face softened, wondering if he had truly decided to give her a gift so fine. It was thoughtful, and already she felt a bit safer. She did not want to use it, though. There was no world where she imagined herself capable of engaging in a physical altercation. In fact, she was quite certain that if she were ever put in that position, she would likely freeze.

“Come at me,” Hendry said.

Aurora’s head snapped up, her eyes widening as her grip on the handle tightened. For a moment, she was sure that she had heard him incorrectly. But then, he took a step back, holding his arms open slightly, and she realized that he truly meant to have her attempt to attack him.

“I cannae do that,” she said, the soft smile on her face falling away. “I have never held a blade against another person, and I never will.”

His expression remained unmoving. It infuriated her that he would not even respond to her protests. She swallowed hard, holding the knife against her chest as she took several steps away from him.