Her Healing Touch.

Chapter 15.

Cambryn knocked on the door of Bella's bedchamber and just as it swung open for him, he got to see her standing in its threshold in all her wedding finery. For a moment, Cambryn was breathless. Shaking his head, Cambryn swallowed quickly and smiled at her. 

      "You look beautiful lass, but something has come up, and I require you to follow me. Do you want to change out of your wedding gown?" 

Bella blushed when she saw the look on Cambryns face. 

      "No. Actually, I would rather keep it on, as it would be too much of a hassle to remove it and then put it back on when we return. How far must we venture?"

Cambryn smiled, 

      "not far. Just to the other side of my lands. Your mother's old home lays in ruins there, and that is where we must go. Be at ease, my love. If it will make you feel better, you can either travel on your own steed or ride along with me on mine." 

Bella quietly swallowed and nodded her head, then taking a hold of his outstretched hand, Bella entered into his embrace and leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. 

      "To save time, I believe it would be wiser to ride along with you." 

Cambryn grinned and kissed her back by laying his lips on her forehead. Feeling mischevious, Cambryn stopped in mid-stride and leaned back a bit, grabbed Bella by her legs and swung her into his arms and descended the rest of the stairs and out the Great Hall. After saddling his horse Triton, Cambryn swung Bella up and onto the saddle then got up and sat behind her. He brushed aside her soft black hair from her shoulders and kissed her on her neck, he breathed in the scent of her skin and held her all the more closely to him, grabbed a hold of the reins and began to make his way towards the McFallon lands.

        "Are you sure that you got my message to your cousin Cambeul?" 

Tearlach stressed as he waited for the McKladdin laird and the lass to arrive.

     "Yes, Laird. Worry not. The McKladdin Laird is said to be a good and loyal man who doesn't break his word." 

Tearlach grimaced, whether he chose to believe it or not, he had to admit that Cambeul was right, Cambryn McKladdin was indeed such a man. When he heard the noise of a horses reins, he got up from where he was leaning against the outer wall and nervously anticipated wanting to meet his daughter, and to warn Cambryn of the oncoming threat.

As he waited in the shadows of the arched and crumbling doorway and waited for the McKladdin laird to assist her in getting off the horse, Tearlach starred in amazement at the identical replica that the lass had to her late mother. For a moment all he could do was gaze at her. Besides her having the soft beauty of his love, he could also see some of his own features in her. Without a doubt, this lass was his very own daughter and the only link he had to his beloved Elsa.

He slowly approached them and started to stretch out his hand towards her face only to stop in mid-air, second-guessing his desire to enfold her in his arms. 

         "What is this about McKenzie? What is so urgent that you had to interrupt our wedding?"

Being a man of few words, Tearlach just came across the point and spoke about the impending attack of the Baldie army.

        "I must insist that you hand over the lass to my care, as you are about to be attacked by Rickard Baldie and his army." 

Cambryn pushed Bella behind him, walked towards Tearlach until he stood close up and in his face. 

        "And what makes you think that I would do anything you say? We have been enemies for years! Why would I put the safety of my soon to be wife in your hands?"

Tearlach grunted and punched Cambryn in the face, and knocked him to the ground. Then he stood over him and bending down to him, he quietly stressed why he insisted. 

     "My God, McKladdin, get your head out of your ass and know that you are not the only one who is willing to protect and provide for the lass. She is my responsibility and my daughter. I already lost her mother to that vile bastard Rickard Baldie and I for one am damned if I lose her to him as well. So you either do as I say and hand her over to me, while you protect your lands and your clan from Baldies attack or you will not be getting married to my daughter. What do you say about that?"