Highland Island (Book 6)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The shock permeated the air, with a swift inhalation, and the flickering torch light. Isla really was not the type to meet a strange man in the forest. But the disbelief from her friends was a little irritating, or at the very least insulting that they did not think she could do this. Though if any thought her capable of such she would be the first to knock them down. Shaking her head at her friends, she was so confused over how she should be feeling at this moment.

"A little more information would be helpful here." Moira was wide eyed, as she gave Isla the once over. "You look like Isla, you sound like Isla, but you're talking about something that Isla would never do." She waved the torch between them, as if to light Isla so as to see her better. "Oh aye, definitely Isla, but the story you are trying to tell. Is would curl your mothers hair."

Isla met Moira's eyes and could not stop the smirk from inching across her face.

"It's about time you cut the apron strings, Isla, and had a bit of fun for a change." Moira had the laughter under tight control, but the humour was there for all in her tone. Linking arms with Isla, Moira tugged her tight to her side and thrust the burning torch over to Gilbarta. Who in turn yelped as she nearly dropped the naked flame, causing Isla to jump into Moira and both of them to tumble backwards upon the rough pebbled path. Or rather Moira landed with a thump on the uneven, rough dirt path, tiny pebbles and stone digging into her back and legs. Isla, however, landed rather uncomfortably on top of Moira. Though that did not stop the giggles from setting in.

A call from the guards at the Keep had them quickly scrambling up. "Who goes there?"

Gilbarta was the one who called back. "Craig go back to your watch, we are getting on our way now." Holding out her hand, Isla was pulled up abruptly, stumbling a few steps forward as Gilbarta helped Moira to her feet.

"You're acting like a couple of bairns." Gilbarta grumbled as she linked arms with Isla and started pulling her forward, leaving Moira to catch up as she dusted off her clothing from her fall.

"We are?" Moira hissed back. "Who's sulking because we were caught by Craig?"

Gilbarta gave a scathing look, the heat waring with the naked flame. She then decided to ignore Moira completely and Isla was the focus of that intense gaze. "Any way, Isla, you were saying how you were accosted in the forest by a man of mystery." Those dancing eyes were hungry for more and Isla was suddenly overcome with a need to keep all the details a secret. Her own little story which needed no other. Aye she was confused, but it was her confusion. He was her secret, and if anyone found out she could be tarred with a brush she would never be clean from.

But these were her friends, those who would never judge her harshly and could possibly help her work out what she needed to do next. It was very unlikely she would ever see him again. But she needed to work and she needed to make sure her mother did not find out about her behaviour. For she would tell her father and then there would be hell to pay.

Coming to a stop once more, she glanced seriously at her friends, before extracting her friends' promises once more. That no one, no soul other than the three of them would ever hear the tale she had to tell. For whilst she trusted her friends, she did not trust others in the village not to overhear if they talked about it in more open circumstances. At least here, at this time at night, the stars a blanket above them, covering them with its safety. There was no one but the three of them on the path to the village. Everyone else, either sleeping with the Keep's main hall, or had already headed to their own beds and cottages a long while ago.

"I slipped near the laughing stream." They would know where she meant, they had named it such after one long ago adventure, when Moira was sure the fairies were laughing at her after she had tripped over a root. Isla had gone chasing after the fairies only to come across the flow of musical water.