Page 19 of Highlander’s Viking Sin

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They continued riding through the forest day and night, and thankfully they hadn’t run into anyone at all. Not only was the journey taking its toll on the humans, but on the horses as well. They rationed out their supplies, but water was the thing they lacked the most. They ended up coming upon a loch and decided to rest for the night, for trying to make their way through the forest at night was even more treacherous than in the day. The chances of them getting lost and ending up doubling back on themselves were too high. They tied the horses to trees after letting them slake their thirst, and then they rested on the mossy bank. The lock was wide and open, and the water was so calm it looked like glass. The moon was wide and sensual in the sky, and it cast a silver glow upon the water.

Andrew went to sleep quite quickly. Isla placed a shawl over him to act as a blanket, and he drifted away on the soft moss. Isla and Emmel stayed awake for a little while longer.

“Sae what are ye gaeing tae tell ye Da when we get back?” Emmel asked.

Isla pulled her knees into her chest and exhaled slowly, puffing out her cheeks. “I’ll tell him the truth. I’ll tell him everything. I’m grateful tae him that he haes never asked before,” she said.

“Sae all this time, all these men asked ye tae marry them, did ye refuse them because ye still hae feelings for Rune?”

Isla shook her head vehemently. “I lost what affection I haed for him when I realized he was nae coming back. I learned a valuable lesson then, that ye cannae trust anything anyone says. I should hae been more careful and waited for him tae come back before I gave myself tae him, but I was tae trusting.”

“Dae ye ever regret it?” Emmel asked.

“Sometimes I dae—the act of it, I mean—but I would never want anything tae happen differently because then Andrew wouldnae hae been born. He might nae hae come intae this world the way I wanted him tae, but the fact is that he’s here and he doesnae deserve tae be punished because I was foolish. I’ve tried tae give him as good a life as I can, and I just hope Da will nae be ashamed of me.”

“I’m sure he will nae be,” Emmel said. “We all make mistakes when we’re younger. Some of us make mistakes even now.”

“Sounds like ye are speaking from experience.”

Emmel nodded. “I hae nae been a good brother tae my sister. I hae nae been a good leader tae my village. There is a lot for me tae learn.”

“I think ye are wrong, Emmel. Ye hae gone through sae much just tae help me. Nobody can question yer bravery or honor. Ye did all this for a…friend.” Her voice caught on the word. “I dinnae know how I can ever repay ye.”

“Ye will nae hae tae,” Emmel said, smiling widely at her.

“Thank ye as well, for agreeing tae keep my secret. I dinnae want everyone tae know what happened in my past.”

Emmel nodded with understanding. “I wanted tae thank ye for sharing it with me.”

“I thought it would convince ye tae leave.”

He smirked. “I suppose ye dinnae know me as well as ye think.”

“Dae ye…dae ye think less of me?” she asked in a vulnerable voice.

“Of course nae,” Emmel said, but she could sense something in him, something hard and twitching and angry. How could any man be happy knowing that she had already lain with a Viking and carried another man’s child? It wasn’t even as though she had the excuse of being a widow. She had just been a foolish child who hadn’t known any better.

Feeling self-conscious, Isla bid Emmel a good night and turned away from him, sleeping near Andrew. She lay with her gaze meeting the loch, and she looked at the soft ripples as the night breeze was carried over the surface. They were so imperceptible it was almost impossible to say that they had happened at all, and soon enough, Isla’s eyelids grew so heavy that they would no longer open.

Isla awoke in the small hours of the morning. Stars twinkled up above, but it was not a night she could enjoy in peace. There were sounds around her, sounds of movement and of men. Fear clutched her heart, and her face paled. She pushed herself up and peered through the faint darkness. There were hushed whispers coming from the forest, and she feared that they had been found. She left Andrew sleeping for the time being and crept along toward where she had left Emmel. She dared not whisper for fear of drawing attention to herself. But when she reached out to rouse Emmel, her hands met nothing but empty air.

Panic flooded her mind. It couldn’t happen again, surely? No… Emmel wouldn’t leave her. Emmel couldn’t leave her. It had taken her so long to start believing that he wasn’t like Rune, and now he was gone. The noises from the forest were getting louder, the men almost upon her. Instinct told her that Rune’s men had come to find her. Even if it wasn’t him, she was in danger. She almost cursed herself for having been raised in a village that was idyll and usually removed from the dangers of the mainland. She crawled back to Andrew and started to rouse him. He was tired from all the traveling, and although she wanted to be quiet, waking him was like trying to wake a stone. She hissed a whisper as the noises grew louder, and she wondered if she would ever get home.