Chapter 2

Ailith wakes up to the sun hitting her face over the ridge, her eyes flutter open. She groans and nuzzles her face into the warm body behind her. Jamie shivers when her warm breath hits his cold neck.

"Good mornin' Mistress MacColin," he says. He nudges her side with his elbows. "Look lass we're here Castle Leoch."

She looks up and gasps at the beauty of it, "Oh Jamie tha e brèagha," she says. Turning her head she smiles at him and his breath hitches when he sees the sun make a halo around her face.{Oh Jamie it's beautiful.}

She looks around as they ride through village, giggling as children run to keep up with the horses. They ride through a small tunnel that leads to the castle courtyard. Jamie pulls the horse to a halt with the others, Murtagh walks over and helps Ailith down from the horse.

She walks over to Claire worried as her friend just stood there looking around warily. "Claire, are ye okay," she asks.

Claire just nods and continues to look around, Jamie passes by and brushes the small of Ailith's back with his good hand. She blushes and looks down before moving her gaze back to Claire.

She follows her friends gaze to a window on the side of a castle and see's an older gentleman watching the two of them with a keen eye. Both their gazes are torn away by a women shouting joyously in Gaelic. "Sin sibh!" she shouted. "Rupert, m'dear. How good to see ye! Oh dear." {There you all are!}

The woman runs up and hugs the bigger man they had traveled with she kisses his cheek and pulls away. "Ye'll all be needing breakfast, I reckon. Plenty in the kitchen" she says and throws a thumb over her shoulder. "Away in, and feed yerselves."

The older woman makes her way towards us and pats Murtagh on the shoulder. "Murtagh, you look and smell like a rat that's been dragged through sheep dung." She tells him.

"Gi' us a kiss, then." Murtagh replies and runs over hugging the older woman and kissing her cheek. Ailith giggles a bit at the woman's contagious laugh.

She stops laughing when she sees both Claire and Ailith just standing there. Claire looks a little worse for wear, with her torn dress and dirty legs, Ailith has a bit of blood on her hands from treating Jamie's wound and from killing that redcoat the day before. "And what do we have here?" she asks.

She stops in front of the two younger women and Jamie moves resting his hand on the of Ailith's back once more. "Claire Beauchamp, and Ailith MacColin, Mistress Fitzgibbons." Jamie says introducing the three of them. Jamie moves his hand and steps up next to the older woman. "Murtagh found em, Dougal said we must bring them along with us, so…"

Ailith gives a small curtsy, "Pleasure to meet ye ma'am."

"So, well… Claire and Ailith," Mistress Fitsgibbons said looking both women over. "Come with me. Something to eat, something to wear that's a bit more… well a bit more," she says and directing the last part to Claire as she takes the younger woman's arm.

"Well, what about him?" Ailith and Claire ask worried about Jamie.

Jamie takes the saddle bag off his horse and slings it onto his good shoulder. "I can fend for meself," he says with a small smirk towards Ailith.

Ailith moves forward and takes rests a hand on his bicep, "No ye're hurt," she says and turns to Mistress Fitzgibbons. "He was shot yesterday." she explains.

"I'll be fine." he says pulling out of Ailith's grasp.

"No, you won't," Claire says. "Ailith bandaged his shoulder, but wasn;'t able to clean it or dress it properly. We must tend to it before it gets infected.," Claire explains and the older woman looks at her blankly for a moment. "I mean, inflamed. You know with fever and swelling."

"Oh, aye. I ken fine what ye mean. But you mean to say you two know what to do for that?" She asks and the two younger woman nod. "Are you a charmer, then? A Beaton?"

Claire looks confused "Something like that."

Ailith smiles at the familiar name, "My mother was a Beaton," she say softly moves towards Jamie, "Please, will ye let me fix ye up?" she asks putting a hand on his back.

Mistress Fitzgibbons takes a step back, "Jamie. Ye heard the ladies, ye need tending. This way." she says and leads Claire out while Jamie and Ailith follow behind. "Let's get you out of the rain."

The three younger people quickly follow the older woman down the corridor and into a room. Claire and Ailith soon have what they need to tend to Jamie. "Just like ye asked garlic and witch hazel to boil the rags," the older woman says kindly. "I also brought you comfrey and cherry bark for the pain."

"Perfect," Ailith and Claire say together.

"Call out if you need anything else." the older woman says.

Ailith turns toward Claire, "Claire why don't ye go with Ms. Fitzgibbons. I'm sure she can help ye get bath and dressed just like she promised," she tells her friend. "I can take care of Jamie myself."

Claire stand up and joins Ms. Fitzgibbons. "I will. Thank you, Ms. Fitzgibbons."

"Everybody calls me Mrs. Fitz," she tells the two women. "You may also."

Claire and Mrs. Fitz leave together and Ailith turns toward Jamie. She stands up with one of the soaked rags in her hand and moves around him. Her hand goes to move his plaid, but she hesitates, "May I?" she asks and Jamie gives her a jerky nod.

She slowly removes it from his back and holds back a gasp at the scars on his back. Her hand traces the ones closest to his wound sadly, "What happened," she asks her voice cracking with emotion.

He takes in a deep breath and lets it out as a heavy sigh. "The redcoats. They flogged me twice in the space of a week." he explains as her fingers slowly trace down his back, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "They'd have done it twice the same day, I expect, were they not afraid of killing me. There's no joy in flogging a dead man."

A tear slowly runs down her cheek, she couldn't understand why she was so emotional about it. "I does'nae think flogging would be somethin' done wit' joy," she croaks out and moves to dab his gunshot wound with the rag.

Jamie scoffs. "Well, if Randall was not precisely joyous, he was at least very pleased with himself," he tells her, she freezes at the name and the rag falls from her hand.

She moves around him and smiles at him despite the melancholy topic. Gesturing toward the rag, "It'll have to be boiled again.," she says kneeling down and puts the rag back into the solution.

Jamie clears his throat and smirks softly at her, she turns and a small blush forms on her cheeks at the soft look he gives her. "Why were you flogged," she asks not knowing what to say.

He shifts and smiles at the blush on her cheeks. "Hmm, well the first time was escaping Fort William…" he says and she moves to sit down beside him leaning against his leg listening as she waits for the rag to boil once more. His hand unconsciously moves down to stroke her hair while he explains why he was flogged. "And the second was theft. Or at least, that's what the charge sheet read."

She nods and gets up, not really wanting to but knowing she has to to treat his wound. She pulls the rag out of the solution once more and moves around him again. "Why did ye escape, in the first place?" she asks as she cleans out the exit wound.

He looks up at her and whispers playfully, "They were holding me prisoner."

She giggled and continues to work on his shoulder, "I could 'ave guessed that," she whispers back. And he looks toward the fire smiling at her laugh. "Why? On what charge?" she asks seriously.

"Oh, that. I think it was, um … obstruction," he says trying to remember why he was arrested anyway.

She sets the rag down beside her and grads the rolled up cloth and begins to wrap his shoulder. "Obstruction? What's that? It does'nae sound like a serious charge" she asks confused.

He scoffs and them groan in a small bit of pain. "Ah, well, I suppose it's whatever the English say it is." he tells her and moves his head to look at her. "Aye, it was near to four years ago now." he say remembering. "They put a levy on all the land-holders in the country, sent out small parties of soldiers collecting food, horses for transport, and such like."

She continue to wrap his arm moving it when needed while listening to him recall what happened four years ago. "Aye, it was one day in October, Captain Randall came along to our place. Father was away, he was at a funeral. I was up in the field when I heard shouting."

She ties of his bandages and gets to working on a make shift sling for him to keep his arm bound to his chest. Gently she moves his arm to rest on his chest. "Keep that there," she tells him and ties off his makeshift sling.

"He wanted to send a message, this what you get when fight back against the English," he tells her as she finishes up and sits down beside his legs once more. His hand gravitates toward her hair once more taking comfort in the softness of it.

He tells her about how he was whipped before his sister and after Randall was finished he took Jamie's sister inside and had his was with her. "So... She went with him. She thought he'd kill me, and, ah… perhaps she was right. After that, I dinna ken what happened."

He pulls runs his down her hair and strokes the soft locks between his thumb and index finger. "When I woke up, I was trussed up in the wagon with the chickens, jolting down the road to Fort William," he finishes.

Ailith gets up into her knees and hugs him around the waist, she kisses the underside of his jaw. "I'm sorry that must've been terrible," she whispers and holds him for a moment before pulling away.

"Oh aye, chickens are very poor company," he tells her and she chuckles softly. He shifts his arm that is already in the sling, "Hmm," he groans.

She places his arm back into the position she hand it in earlier. "Don't do that," she tells him and fixes his sling.

"Yer a kind woman with a good touch," Jamie says locking eyes with her. She tightens his wrappings causing him to gran and then to chuckle. "Yer husband is a lucky man."

She stops what she's doing and looks him in the eyes, "Well when I get one, ye can tell 'im that yerself," she tells him and stands up, turning away from him.

His hand reaches out tugs her hand, pulling her back to face him. He rests a hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb across the shallow cut on it. "I'm sorry Mistress MacColin, just thought a bonnie lass like yerself would have a husband," he explains pulling his hand away.

She giggles as he calls her Mistress MacColin again, "Enough with the Mistress MacColin, call me Ailith," she tells him.

He smiles at her, "Well then yer to call me Jamie then lass," he tells her. Jamie moves to the pot over the fire and takes a fresh cloth soaking it within the boiling solution. "Let's get you cleaned up then Ailith," he says and dabs the cut on her cheek

She smiles at him as he tends to her 'wound ' just as she tended to his. Both their faces gravitate towards each others and the next thing Ailith knows is the feeling of Jamie's soft lips against hers. He pulls back and kisses her once more, pulling her into his side.

She rests her head against his shoulder, "I'll not let anything 'appen to ye, I swear. Not while I'm hear," he tells her resting his cheek on her head.

Ailith looks up at him her expression turning a bit grim, "Jamie what's brought thi' on?" She asks him softly.

He sighs and runs his uninjured hand down her back before answering, "Ann an ùine ghoirid, tha mi ainm ort ... a thàinig mi a 'gabhail cùram airson a ghalad sibh." he tells her in Gaelic. {In the short time, I've known you...I've come to care for ye lass.}

"Tha mi air a thighinn gu cùram fer sibh cuideachd," she tells him and leans up to kiss him softly, showing him that what she said was true. {I've come to care fer ye also.}

He pulls away from her when there's a knock on the door and Mrs. Fitz pokes her head in. "I 'ave some warm water to bathe yerself with dear," the older woman says walking in with a shift in her hand and a couple ladies come in with the buckets and a large tub.

Mrs. Fitz looks at Jamie slyly having seen him pull away from their warm embrace. "Jamie it's time for you te go," the older women said motioning for him to get his stuff and leave the room.

Jamie quickly runs his hand through her hair and kisses her head. Ailith smiles softly and watches as Jamie walks out of the room with his effects. Ailith could hear Mrs. Fitz chuckling behind her over the sound of pouring water.

"Dear are you ready?" Mrs. Fitz asks her and she nods and began to unlace her dress. I wasn't until five minutes later that she was completely naked and stepping into the tub of warm water. "I'll have this washed and dried for ye, ready on the morrow," Mrs. Fitz tells her leaving the clean shift on the bed and picking up the discarded dress. "You rest fer now, you've had a long journey."

Ailith smiles and runs the wash cloth soaked in water and bath oils over her body, cleaning herself of the dirt and blood from her travels. She rests her head against the rim of the tub, relaxing in the cold water. "What am I doin', I should be tryin to get home. But was home really home though," she whispers to herself in thought.

She gets out of the tub and dries off, slipping the clean shift on. Stepping across the room towards the tables she finds Jamie left his small dagger. She smiles and shakes her head, "I'll have te return it to him."

Walking to the bed she pulls the blankets back and climbs in, immediately relaxing into a deep slumber undisturbed till later that evening.

The curtains around her bed are suddenly pulled apart and she is woken up to Mrs. Fitz voice. "Up with ye! You slept the whole day, 'tis near 5:00. I've some hot broth for ye by the fire," the older woman told Ailith.

Ailith smiles and climbs out the bed and walks toward the bowl of broth. She sips it slowing enjoying it's warmth and taste. "Thank you, Mrs. Fitz," she says and finishes it before the older woman took the mug from her.

"Come along dear lets get you dressed once more," Mrs. Fitz says and helps Ailith get dressed for the day.

Ailith smiles at Mrs. Fits as they tie the thigh high socks so that they stay on. Next was the corset, the younger woman looked down and blushed at how her breasts were popping from the top. Her skirts and everything that made the dress come together was last. (Think Clair's dress but in bluish color.)

She pulls her boots on underneath the dress, the two women look in the mirror. "There, now you're ready to be taken to himself," Mrs. Fitz tells the younger woman.

Ailith gives the older woman a quick hug, "I appreciate yer help Mrs. Fitz," she says and a knock prevented the other woman from replying.

Murtagh motioned for her to follow, Ailith trails behind him as he takes her to Laird MacKenzie. When they walked into the office Ailith was in awe of the amount of birds in the room. She slowly walks into the room and Murtagh leaves closing the door behind him.

She looks around and whistles at the birds in greeting, she watches the birds with a small smile. "Well aren't you bonnie," she says softly at the greenish colored one in a cage beside a chair. She sits down and whistles softly to it.

"I see you've met some of my friends," she hears a male voice say from beside her. She smiles and stands up bowing in a small curtsy.

"Yes they are vera lovely, especially this green one here," she says softly looking at the way he was walking and paying no mind to it, already knowing what it was.

"I welcome ye, mistress. My name is Colum Ban Campbell MacKenzie Laird of this Castle," he motions for her sit back down in the chair she was in before. "It was to my understanding that my brother and my men found you and Mistress Beachamp in some apparent distress."

She nods "Yes sir, the two of us were attacked and he nearly raped my companion, I tried to fight back but he quickly overcame me. He was one of the soldiers of King George the 2nd," She tells him truthfully.

"And other than your friends, uh, near rape, and yer attack you two did'nae suffer from any other molestation" He asks her and she shakes her head negatively.

"No, but could you send your brother my thanks in saving the two of us and escorting us here," she says politely with a small smile.

"Yer companion tells me she will need transport back to Inverness as soon as possible," Laird MacKenzie tells her. "Will ye be needin' transport also?"

She smiles softly and shakes her head a red lock falling into her face. "Nay, I do'nae have anybody waiting fer me, if I was to return," she tells him solemnly.

He gets a confused expression across his face and looks at her, "No husband or bairns at home fer ye?" he asks her.

She looks down at her hands and back up to him, "Nay I never got the chance to marry," she tells him. "But if I am to stay here, I can offer ye my services as healer for Castle Leoch," she offers quietly.

"Ah yes a healer, Mrs. Fitz tells me you are in relation of the Beatons," he asks with a small smirk on his face.

She smiles a bit proudly and straightens her back some more. "Yes my mother was a Beaton, when she married my father all close relations were cut off," she tells him.

He tilts his head towards her, "Well then, I'm sure something can be arranged. But I do want to know what yer companion was doing in only her shift?"

She wrings her fingers together "My father though Scottish was very fascinated with the English society, when I was old enough to go to 'season' in London. That's where I met Claire, so when she and her husband wanted to stay here in Scotland I offered them my spare bedroom in Inverness," She explains lying but staying fairly close to the truth on how she met Claire and, why she was in Scotland answering his silent question first. She hated lying, lying to her caused destruction.

"I was showing her the flowers that she could take back to Oxfordshire, with her husband, she wandered to far and was attacked. I have'nae indication on why she was in her shift. When I saw her again the two of us were attacked by Captain Randall," She tells him finishing her tale, he nods accepting her tale.

"It is true that the Captain has a certain reputation. But he is an officer. A gentleman." he tells her and she nods her head agreeing with him. "And you're saying that a man bearing the King's commission decided to rape two stray lady travelers, he came upon in the woods, for no good reason." he says with a little contempt.

"And I have'nae reason to deny that my Laird, but I have evidence from my encounter with him," she tells him showing him the purplish green bruise on her cheek and his eyes soften at it's nasty color. "But what I can assure ye tis' true," she tells him quietly looking down at her hands.

He sits up and rests a hand on her shoulder giving it a small squeeze. "I beg your forgiveness, Madame. I would be honored to have ye as our healer," he tells her changing the subject.

She smiles softly and gets up giving him a quick hug and a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you my Laird," she says and pulls away blushing.

"A tinker by the name of Sean Petrie, he will be here Saturday next. He stops at Leoch on his way to Inverness once a month, and he often has room for one or two passengers. " he tells her. "Yer friend will be joining him, and you too if ye decide."

"Forgive me, that'll be when I am still a bit disoriented by our trip," she tells him.

"Oh, not at all. Five days from now," he tells her. "Meanwhile, if you decide to go, I offer you the hospitality of our humble home." he tells her.

She moves forward and gives him a kiss on the cheek in gratitude, "Thank ye my Laird," she tells him and turns around to leave and goes back the way Murtagh took her from her room.

I have decided to leave it here for now, and I'm sorry about such a late update. I have finals coming up and I had to replace my laptop charger. But anyway I hope you enjoyed reading another update will be coming sooner that this one.