Scars of the highlander

Chapter 3

Aulay watched his wife as she said goodbye to her family. Aulay had spent the morning talking with the men as his wife ran around the castle trying to say goodbye to everyone. She went to the Pages, the kitchen servants, the seamstress, the embroider, the stewards, the stable master, the bowyer, the Artillator, the backsmith, all of her fathers' men, and the local people from the village that were at the keep. Aulay was surprised to see that everyone knew her, not just as their lady but as a friend. She also knew everything about them, they names', their wives or husbands' names, their children's names, everyone birthdays, about their horse or chickens or cows, she knew about personal things like broke tables at home, issues that the village folk had with each other or with the merchants that visited. He watched her interact with them, the people loved her some of the women even started to cry when she told them that she was leaving today. Aulay started to feel a little regretful that they had to go so soon. One of the page boys called Warren go very angry when he learnt that she was leaving. Aulay was with Kieran in the great hall at the time speaking about visiting Buchanan later in the year with his wife when he heard yelling from the boy.

"Who is that?" Aulay had never seen a Page act that way towards a castellan before. After the boy yelled at Iona, he ran out the keep and Iona followed.

"That is Warren" Kieran said, Aulay went to get up and see what the matter was but Kieran grabbed his arm "Let them be"

"Why" Aulay said, he didn't like seeing his wife treated that way. Kieran lent forward and sighed

"Father didn't tell you about Warren?" Kieran asked. Aulay shook his head. Kieran thought it was strange that his father didn't tell Aulay about this story. This was the story that made his sister look like a saint. He found it frustrating that he only told Aulay about the terrible things that happened to her but not the great things that she did. "When Iona was 12 a year before everything happened. She was disobeying father orders and went riding along the Donald River. It was Spring, so the River was treacherous, kills at least one silly person a year who thinks they can swim it. Iona had stopped to let her horse drink and she saw a boy in the water, face down, floating past" Aulay knew what Kieran was going to say next, even though he had not known his wife long she would have done what he would have done "She jumps in the river and rescues him, she get injury and passes out in the water, is found yards down the river. Four days later they are found by my fathers men carrying an infant boy, Warren, only a few months old. My father's men bring her home, she doesn't even care for herself, pushing the healers away and looks after Warren." Kieran said, his voice seemed exhausted more than admiration. He looked towards where Warren and Iona through the door "I love my sister, she carries the strength of everyone in this keep. She keeps none for herself... she would do anything for anyone, stranger, friend or foe. But I could kill her sometimes, she never thinks of herself or the danger she gets herself into because she doesn't listen. Ever since mother died she stop caring for herself and only for others. Like the passing of our mother meant her life as for someone else" Kieran said and Aulay just turned to look in the same direction. Aulay was shook at the story but also, he was admiring his new wife even more.

"Why was Warren in the river?" Aulay asked

"His mother, we find out later was killed, Warren was in her hands when her husband threw her in. Warren owes Iona his life, I think he sees her like a mother, he doesn't remember his own" Kieran said, "Warren has always been protective of her, like my father and me. He will probably take this as hard as my father"

Aulay couldn't believe the story, how could she be so reckless. He knew how treacherous the rivers could get, when the ice from the mountains melted. She could have died. He turned back to Kieran and asked, "How did he become a page?"

"Iona found him a family when he was back to health, one of my fathers' men had lost his son a year before hand, he approached Iona said he and his wife would be happen to take Warren as their son." Kieran said, "Iona agreed, my father offer Jeffery, the man who took Warren, to let him become a page"