Scars of the highlander

Chapter 6

Aulay was breaking his fast, when his wife came down the stairs laughing with his sister Saidh. It was Tuesday and the last day of his sister and brother in laws visit. They both decided to leave at the crack of dawn. Iona wanted to get up early to spend as much time with Saidh and her husband as she could. But at the crack of dawn Aulay knew that his sister wouldn't be up. He had to hold his wife down on the bed. She complained so Aulay had to bed her just to get her to fall asleep again. It wasn't until there was a loud knock on his door that they had both woken up again.

"Those two are getting along too well" Greer said to him as the ladies moved down the other end of the trestle table.

"Aye" Aulay said. He was still worried about his wife's head wound. It had been three days since the attack. She didn't seem to be in any pain or even showed signs of discomfort. He had spent the three days watching over her. Rory had told him to relax as the wound was healing well and she is fine, but he couldn't help but worry.

"Are you going to look for her again today?" Greer asked. They had spent the last three days searching for Ainslie not just on their lands but as far as they could travel in one day. There was no sign of her. He was worried that one of the villagers were housing her, but she had terrorised some of the villages. Iona doubt they would hide her.

"Nay, after three days of nothing I will have to increase patrols and men at the wall. I am also going to get men to walk the village, also the paths around the forest" Aulay said, Greer, Liam and Conran had all decided that this was the best action to take now.

"My lord?" Greer's first had appeared next to him "The men and horses are ready"

"Thank you" Greer said to his first and the men got up.

It took the women a long time to say their good bye. Iona and Saidh had spent the last two days together. They had their meals together, taught the pages together, sat by the fire at night together and rode into the village together. They seem to have an endless supply of conversation. At night the women were making more noise than the men. Aulay enjoyed having his sister here, he had missing her. He had notice that Saidh's temper wasn't as harsh as before. That she didn't just start kicking them in the groin but through about it. Even tried to talk to them about it first. He thinks Greer had a lot to do with that.

Saidh had promised to stop by again on the way home. Greer said that they wouldn't have the time but after nearly half an hour of them complaining, he gave in and said he would see them on the way back. Iona and Saidh looked very proud of themselves and Saidh got on her horse to leave. They watch as his sister rode out of the keep. Iona turned straight to the pages as she left her husband standing there. Aulay went to oversee the men and didn't find his wife until after the nooning. Iona was at the outer wall waving to a merchant as he left. He had noticed that over the weeks the merchants were much nicer. They were also being visited by merchants he had no seen before. He walked slowly up to her and slips his hand around her waist. She jumped a little in surprised, but she smiled when she realised it was him.

"Oh, hello husband" Iona said and rested against his chest, Aulay kissed her cheek and asked

"Who is that? I haven't seen that merchant before" He asked

"That is the soap merchant" she said, "I am not surprised that you haven't seen him before" Aulay frowned and paused for a moment

"The soap merchang, but we have soap?" he asked. Iona rolled her eyes

"Nah, you don't have soap, you have solid animal lard. He stopped visiting the keep because no one was buying the soap." Iona laughed at her husband. Aulay could be honest and said that he never really used soap when bathed. He just rubbed himself down with the water.