A Minx for the MacKenzie [Highlanders Love #2]

Chapter 10

Despite all she had been through in her twenty-eight years of life, there was nothing being out in the open couldn't cure. Feeling a tad melancholy from her disastrous visit with Adair, Amhuinn had sought  out Gillian once Hammond had left for the lists. The two girls had than set out to the hillocks where they had harvested the herbs from the day before, armed with a basket of food Mrs. O'Leary had supplied them with. They spent the rest of the morning collecting as much herbs as Amhuinn could find, as she gave Gillian a little lesson on what sorts of plants would be great for healing, and for what purpose exactly. While the young redhead was not eager to know, she too knew that it was good knowledge to have, and tried her best to listen, even if Amhuinn could see she had trouble keeping up.

"Ye say ye have trouble keeping them dry in winter months?" she asked, concentrating on the problem to be solved instead of the uses of the common heather.

Amhuinn raised her brow, and laughed when Gillian gave a sheepish grin. "I canna help it, Ammi. I seem to just want to solve the problem's of other's."

"Nae, tis naught to be sorry aboot, Gilly." Amhuinn assured, arranging the handful of heather she held in the basket that held an assortment of other plants she planned on using for Tamhas, as well as storing some in the Keep so the MacKenzie's still had some to use after she had left. "Tis just yer specialty. I've seen the contraptions ye make around the Keep. How do ye come up with it?" she asked.

Gillian flushed again. "It just... I just want things ter be easier fer Hammond. He's not had the easiest of life, having ter grow up afore he was ready. I dinna want ter be the useless sister." She tied up the heather with the twine Amhuinn had passed to her, placing her full basket down before pulling out the plaid wrapping some bannocks and kippers. "Are ye hungry yet?"

Only then did the blonde healer notice her stomach growling, and grinned sheepishly. Picking up her skirts, Amhuinn picked her way slowly across the hillock, as carefully as her uneven gait would allow her, and finally bit into the bannock offered gratefully. Settling next to Gillian on the patch, Amhuinn took a deep breathe of the gentle afternoon breeze, welcoming the warmth it offered after many cold, wet afternoon's and nights. "Tis rare fer such warm weather." she commented offhandedly.

Gillian nodded. "I think autumn is almost o'er. Winter should be here soon. Not that we could e'er tell clearly. Tis always cold around here." Amhuinn laughed as Gillian scoffed.

"Tis true." the redhead insisted, and then asked. "How do ye and Tamhas survive such harsh weather?"

The question made Amhuinn halt as she was scooping up some kippers with her bannock, considering her words. "We make do." she finally settled with, not meeting Gillian's eyes. But the young MacKenzie was perceptive as she was intelligent, and nudged Amhuinn. "Nae lie ter me, Ammi. Ye know I am smart." she declared with a knowing smile.

Amhuinn scowled, and then finally answered. "Tis nae easy. Winters are the worst. Tamhas hunts as much as he can so I can preserve whatever meats and harvest we get from our tiny plot of farm near the river, but we oft go hungry from lack of food."

Gillian appeared horrified, making a mental note to tell her brother. "Why dinna ye and Tamhas just look for another clan ter go?"

"We.... tried." the blonde responded, picking at the bannock that was in her grip. "But tisn't easy when the Kincaids have put a price on ye head."

"A price?" Gillian echoed in surprise.

Amhuinn nodded. "Aye. Days after we left, I tried ter return to the Castle. I missed Adair horribly then, but I was careless, and got caught by Dougal. He ordered for me to be bound in the middle of the square and lashed me." she winced at the memory, avoiding looking up as she continued. "The heavy chain he used broke my right leg. No blood was drawn, but I was purple all over. Tamhas and I had sought refuge with the neighbouring Drummonds, but when they saw my bruises after Tamhas brought me back, and received a note from Dougal a few days later, they turned us out. No one accepted us back in after that."