Ailsa (A Medieval/Renaissance Romance)

Chapter 5

 Phew another emotional chapter! It's a long one, too. I spent a couple days writing this one. I'm really enjoying the digging deep into these characters, I hope you are liking them too! :) If you see any editing errors let me know. Please vote, and let me know what you think!

EDIT: I'm going to add either a video, picture or both to all chapters, so always check out the media section! :)

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Chapter 5

Ailsa awoke the next morning, unsure of where she was. She squinted in the morning sun as she looked around her. This wasn't her tiny room, she was outdoors. Then the events of yesterday rushed through her mind as she saw the sleeping form leaning up against the tree. The sun was barely up and the air was still cool, yet he had no blanket. She realized that there must have only been the blanket that somehow ended up around her shoulders. She carefully wrapped it around him, brushing a stray tendril of hair out of his face as she did. She smiled; he looked so strong and tough when he was awake, but in sleep he looked so very vulnerable, as every man truly is on the inside. “No one is strong all the time,” she whispered in his ear.

She found an apple in the saddlebag and munched as she walked down to the stream. She pulled up her skirt slightly and let her toes dip in the water as she ate the juicy fruit. She could see small silver finned fish swimming in the water, some swam past her toes and tickled her. The birds were chirping, she could see a fat robin on the opposite side of the stream searching for a worm. A faint memory tugged at her mind.

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A seven year old Ailsa wandered through the woods, hand in hand with her da. “Da, why are the birds so happy today?” Her father smiled as the sunlight cast a golden sheen on his daughter's small head. “Why, they are singin' because they're happy to see ye, lassie!” He knelt down beside her and pointed up towards the tops of the trees. “Ye see? The birds only sing when an angel is near,” he whispered. Ailsa gasped. “Is there an angel here, da?” He smiled at her. “Yes, my daughter. 'Tis ye who are the angel. No matter what bad things happen in life, always remember that these birds are singin' for ye. Even the harshest of winters cannae keep the birds away forever; the spring always comes, and with it will come the birds that will bring my angel joy when she's sad.”

Ailsa leaned against her da, holding his large hand between her two tiny ones. “But da, I donnae want bad things to happen. I want things ta stay just as they are!” Her father turned her to face him and smiled down at her worried expression. “Bad things will always come in life, my little angel. We cannae stop them; we just have to live with them, and let the bad times make us stronger. But good things always come too, just like the birds always come back in the spring after a hard winter.”

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A tear slipped down Ailsa's cheek as she remembered. She quickly brushed the tear away as she heard loud footfalls behind her. Arthur sat down next to her, his earlier vulnerable expression replaced by his usual unfeeling mask. “Did ye eat?” She held up the apple core. “So did I.”

He shifted his position. “We need to talk about what happens next. As I told ye before, ye are free now, so ye can go where ye please.” He sighed. “The journey I'm taking is not an easy one, lass. I'm heading up north to visit someone, and there's a good week's journey left for me to travel.” Ailsa looked at him curiously. “Would ye rather I donnae go with ye?” He looked surprised. “Nay, you're welcome to travel with me if ye like. In fact it might be better for ye to get away from here, as Angus doesn't seem like the type of man who would respect yer freedom. If he wants to hurt ye, he'll do it, free or no.” Ailsa nodded; she had thought the same thing. “So where are you going, then?”