Timeless ~Outlander~

The Journey

As I stirred from my slumber, I found myself still cradled in Murtagh's strong arms. The warmth of the tartan cocooned us both, offering a sense of comfort and security that was hard to put into words. The gentle sway of the horse's movements rocked me as I gradually became more aware of my surroundings.

Blinking my eyes open, I took in the sight of the lush green landscape stretching out before us in the soft morning light. The forest had given way to rolling hills and valleys, and a sense of serenity had replaced the urgency and chaos of the previous day.

"Ye finally woken up, lass?" Murtagh rumbled, his voice carrying a hint of warmth beneath the rough exterior.

I nodded, still too groggy and disoriented to find my voice immediately. It was a lot to take in, and I was overwhelmed by the surreal nature of my situation.

"Thank you for... for helping me," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't intervened."

Murtagh's eyes flickered with a hint of something I couldn't quite decipher, perhaps a mix of gratitude and responsibility. "Ye needn't thank me, lass. It was the right thing to do."

As I became more fully awake, I couldn't help but notice the weariness etched into the lines of his face. He had been through a long night, and unlike me, hadn't been allowed the privilege of sleep.

"How much longer until we get... well... wherever we're headed?" I asked him quietly.

"Oh, that likely won't be until tomorrow."

"Oh. Well how long until we stop to eat then?" My stomach was quite empty as I hadn't gotten the chance to enjoy my picnic the day before. As if on que, my stomach let out an audible rumble and Murtagh chuckled deeply in response.

"We won't be stopping for anything more than a few minutes to relive ourselves, lass. But here," he said, reaching until a pouch on his waist and pulling out a leather flask. "This should make ye forget ye're hungry for a bit."

I unscrewed the flask and downed a small gulp. The liquid burned my throat. I wasn't used to drinking alcohol, especially anything this strong, and the sound I made as it flowed down my throat gave that away. Murtagh let out one single, but embarrassingly loud, laugh. To prove myself, I brought the flask to my lips once more and chugged much more than I probably should have.

"Oi, watch yourself, lass."

Murtagh's admonition was punctuated by another hearty laugh, and he reached around to snatch the flask out of my hand. I wanted to give him attitude for taking it from me, but I couldn't help but smile at his gruff but good-natured demeanor. The fiery liquid had an immediate effect, warming me from the inside and momentarily dulling the gnawing hunger in my stomach. The effects of the whisky began to make themselves known, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of lightheadedness.

"I have a name, you know."

"Aye, I suppose you do, though you've yet to introduce yourself."

"Nora, Nora Van der Berg."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet ye miss Van der Berg. My name is Murtagh Fitzgibbons."

"I know that already, silly," I giggled out. "Well, not the Fitzgibbons part, just the Murtagh part."

"Aye, Ye've definitely had enough whisky for the time being."

Suddenly, Murtagh stiffened, and his entire demeanor shifted. The redhead with the injured shoulder, Jamie, rode past us with the other woman in front of him. They caught up to the leader and I could hear their hushed but urgent Gaelic.