CHAPTER 47
The day had begun very calmly and peacefully. Brianna and Lizzie were still asleep, so everyone else, with Murtagh joining them, were in the cabin having breakfast while waiting for the other two. Jamie and Murtagh were discussing the future of the still when they were interrupted by Brianna rushing in crying, "Where is Roger? Lizzie told me Roger was here and Jamie beat him."
No one said anything in response, too stunned, and confused, to speak.
"I thought Roger went back," Claire stated, going to her daughter.
"Yeah, I thought so too. But he didn't, did he?" She shot that directly to Jamie. "What did you do to him?"
Skylar didn't react. She didn't think it was her place, so she just resigned to observing silently unless prompted. She and the others stared at Jamie, waiting for him to say something. He looked like his brain was spinning, trying to put different pieces of some puzzle together that he didn't think fit.
"Your hand," Claire said to him, referencing his still healing hand from over a week ago.
Brianna continued, "It's true, isn't it?"
"I think I'll, uh, wait outside. Skylar, Ian," Murtagh said standing up from the table, beckoning the two teenagers to follow him.
But before Ian was out of his chair, Bree stopped him. "No, he stays. He was involved with this too. Weren't you, cousin?"
"Ian, what is she talking about? What – involved?" Skylar pressed. He didn't look at her. "What happened? What did you do?" She looked from Ian to Jamie and back again.
Murtagh put his hand on her shoulder and led her out. "Come, lass. Best te leave them."
Skylar sat against the door with the whole side of her head pressed against it trying to hear something. But she couldn't make out any actual words, only muffled yelling.
"Ye shouldna fret, lass. They'll tell us what they need te once they've finished," Murtagh told her.
"My dad and the man who may as well be my fiancé obviously fucked up majorly and they're in there discussing it. I should be in on this, I'm a part of this family too. Whatever business involves them involves me."
"Fer yer own safety, it's better that yer out here. If Bree has half the temper Jamie has, I wouldna be surprised if she started throwin' punches."
There was a loud crash from inside that made Skylar jump and her head whipped back to the door.
"Jesus, what did they do?" She asked Murtagh, "Dad didn't tell you anything?"
He shook his head. "I'm just as in the dark as ye are."
It got quiet and neither of them knew it that was a good thing or a bad thing. Skylar stood up and away from the door, hoping that they would come out. And they did. Brianna was the first. She went past Skylar without looking at her and right into her shelter followed by Claire and Lizzie.
Skylar looked inside and saw Ian sitting at the table holding his nose and blood coming down his hand.
"Ian!" she exclaimed and sprinted to him. "What the hell?" She lowered his hand and saw he had a bloody nose. "What happened?"
"Brianna's anger," Jamie answered for him.
"She punched you?" Ian just nodded.
Omigod, I'm so mad that Murtagh was right.
She sighed and went to fill a basin with water and got some clean clothes. She didn't notice Jamie go outside to talk with Murtagh. She was too focused on cleaning Ian.
She wiped the blood off that was dripping down his nose and off his hand. She gave him one of the other clothes and instructed him to pinch his nose with it and lean forward.
"Don't try to breathe through your nose, just use your mouth." They sat silently for 30 seconds until she couldn't take it anymore. "So, are you going to tell me what that was all about?"
"It was a horrible misunderstanding," he said, trying to get his eyes to look up at her while still bent forward.
"Please explain more."
"Lizzie said that she saw the man who had raped Brianna arrive on our land. Uncle Jamie found him and beat him close te death. But, it wasna the man. It was Roger, the one Bree said she had handfasted with in Wilmington."
"Okay, so what does that have to do with you."
Skylar heard him take a deep breath through his mouth and he slowly sat up, putting the bloody cloth on the table with the other one. "Uncle Jamie told me te get rid'a him. I rode around wi' him, tryin' te figure out what te do wi' him. Then I came upon a group of Mohawk who were passin' through on their way home." He paused.
"Go on," Skylar pushed.
He licked his lips and went on, "And I traded him."
Skylar eyebrows shot up. "I'm sorry. You-you what? Repeat that."
"I traded Roger te the Mohawk, and they left wi' him."
"Do I dare ask what you got in return?"
He raised the large circular ornament hanging on the necklace around his neck. "They gave me this."
"You told me you got that trading with the Cherokee. So you were just lying to me about all of this."
"I didna lie about everythin'. I just didna tell ye that one part."
"'That one part' is still a lie by omission, and a very big one."
"Uncle Jamie told me and Lizzie we were not te say a word te anyone. He didna even tell Auntie Claire. And ye bein' Brianna's sister, I couldna tell ye about it because I kent ye would repeat it te her."
"She had the right to know! If it really was the man who attacked her, she should've known that he had been here but that he was taken care of so she didn't have to worry anymore. And if you or Dad told her right away, we could've gone after the Mohawk and gotten to them before they were a month ahead of us and got Roger back."
"I know, and I will be repentin' fer this fer the rest of my life. But I truly thought I was helpin' her dispose of the monster who violated her. I didna ken it was her husband, nor did I ken what each man looked like. But now that I know both's face, I fully realize the damage I've caused and I intend te make it right."
"What do you mean you know who both of them are? You know who raped her?" He closed his eyes, wishing he could take that back. "Ian."
He opened his eyes and looked in hers square on. "It was Stephen Bonnet."
The world instantly became hazy around her and her vision was going in and out. She gripped the table to keep herself from fainting. She couldn't breathe. "Stephen Bonnet?" she whispered, barely audible. Ian didn't answer her, he just kept staring at her with anguish and guilt.
In, 2, 3. Out, 2, 3, she kept saying in her head, making sure that she kept breathing so a panic attack would set in. How does he keep finding a way to show up? Why our family? He's hurt everyone in our family. Why can't he just die?
Ian knew not to touch her or say anything while she digested this. So he just sat and waited until she was ready to speak again.
It took her almost five minutes to bring her out of a dangerous headspace, but she was finally able to and opened her eyes.
"Your nose is still bleeding," was the first thing she said to Ian. "You need to keep the cloth on it and lean forward again." He did as she said, but kept looking up at her as best he could.
"I'm sorry I lied te ye, Yank. I didna think it would all come out like this. I really did believe we were doin' the right thing."
"I know you did. I'm not as upset about what you did as I am that you kept it from me. If we're going to be married, we cannot lie to each other. I've heard Dad and Claire say this to each other, and I think it's a good rule to go by. We can have secrets, but not lies. You can have certain things that you can keep to yourself, but you cannot keep the truth from me. And that goes both ways. Agreed?"
"Of course. I will never lie te ye again, I promise ye."
"Okay. Now, what are we doing to get Roger back?"
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Everyone kept a distance from each other until later that night when they gathered around the fire to discuss their plan to find Roger. Even still, Claire and Jamie were the farthest apart Skylar had ever seen them, and from the look on Claire's face, it was clear she did not want to be any closer to her husband than was necessary. Skylar sat with Ian on one of the logs and Jamie and Murtagh stood on their own.
"Will they kill him?" was Brianna's first question. She was pacing back and forth near her mother, looking like she could throw up any second; but whether from stress over Roger or pregnancy sickness, Skylar couldn't tell. Likely both.
"I don't think so," Ian told her. "The Cherokee say the Mohawks are fierce but honorable, and the ones I met seemed so. They won't kill him if he's of use te them."
"But what use could he be? What would they be able to use him for?" Skylar asked.
"It's said that they adopt folk into their tribe in order to replace those that are killed or die of sickness."
Skyla didn't quite understand. "So, they would just make him a Mohawk?"
"Essentially. When I gave him te them, they gave me this and-" He touched the necklace he had shown Skylar, but Bree cut him off before he could finish.
"So that was your price?" she spat at him.
A look of extreme regret fell over his face. "Aye, it was I suppose."
Skylar couldn't stop herself from firing back at her sister. "Okay, Boomer. He thought he was helping you. He made a mistake taking the necklace. He gets it. Back off." Everyone was confused by the term "Boomer" that she used in her outburst and looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry, Bree. I shouldn't have snapped at you," she apologized quietly, ignoring the question everyone was silently throwing at her.
She couldn't help herself from making the comment. It made her mad that Brianna had basically forgiven Lizzie right off the bat for her mistake that caused everything, yet she treated Ian and Jamie so cold. And with knowing Brianna had been born in 1948, the classic "okay, Boomer" from her time was the first thing that came into her head.
"It's okay," Bree said back, and they went back to their discussion.
Ian continued where he left off, "I was only goin' te say that this," he held up the ornament again, "will help us find their village."
"Aye, yer cousin and I will find him. We'll trade all we have, whiskey, cloth, coin," Jamie promised Bree. But she did not agree with the idea.
"You think I'm letting the two of you go and find him alone? You're insane. You've done enough damage. We're all going."
"Absolutely," Skylar supported.
"They're weeks ahead of us," Ian said. "If they dinna stop, we'll be laggin' behind fer months."
That didn't put off Bree. "So we'll go faster."
"Not wi' a lass wi' child among us," Jamie put in. "If we must go all the way te New York, there and back it is four months' time or more." Brianna knew that was true and that she couldn't go, and it only made her feel so much worse about the whole situation.
"Brianna," Claire called to her, and gestured her head to follow her. The two went a little ways from the group to talk together.
Skylar tried to listen in on what they were saying. They weren't speaking too quietly, so she could hear some. Bree explained to Claire that she was keeping the baby on the slightest of chances that it could Roger's and so she understood that she would slow them down. But she told Claire that she needed to go with them in her place.
"No, absolutely not!" Claire argued.
"Mama, he's gonna need a doctor."
"I am not leaving you alone here, not in a million years."
"I'll have Lizzie, I'll be fine."
"I am not leaving you and Lizzie here alone!"
"Then think of something else!"
"Aunt Jocasta," Jamie spoke up. "It's the safest place."
"But River Run's in the wrong direction. We'd never catch up wi' the Mohawk," Ian reminded them.
"I'll take her," Murtagh volunteered. "I remember Jocasta from Leoch. It's been an age, but I remember."
Jamie added, "And I'll write her a letter, explainin' everythin'. Lizzie can wi' ye and Skylar."
"Excuse me?" Skylar cried. "I'm not going to River Run. I'm going with you."
"No. We dinna ken what dangers we'll have te face and I will not put in harm's way."
"I think we all know by now that I am more than capable of handling myself."
"Uncle Jamie's right, Sky," Ian said. "Yer no comin' wi' us."
"Yes, I am! Brianna is my sister and I need to help get her husband back." She gripped Ian's hand as she followed with, "And I am not going to be apart from you for that long. We can barely go a week without each other."
"I will not risk ye gettin' hurt or worse. I'd sooner die, and this is too much of a risk."
"Ye are goin' wi' Brianna te River Run if I have te tie ye up and throw ye in the back of the wagon," Jamie said to her. "Ye are goin', end of discussion."
"This is such bullshit!" she yelled.
"Skylar," Claire came over and kneeled in front of her, "I need you to be there with her since I can't. You know about birthing and can assist if anything were to happen. Please, darling. If you want to help your sister, you'll do this for her."
Skylar ground her teeth together and flared her nostrils as she breathed heavy. She looked to the side as she thought for a moment, then looked back to Claire. "Fine. I'll go." And that was all she said, not in any way happy about the decision but going along with it.
"It's settled then. We leave tomorrow," Bree decided, then aimed her last thought at Jamie. "You're going to bring him back to me." Then she turned and walked away to be alone for a bit.
"Ye told me he'd gone back. How was I te know?" Jamie said to Claire. "Ye knew it was Stephen Bonnet and said naught te me."
"You told me you hit a tree," was Claire's reply and she walked away as well towards the cabin.
Jamie called after her, "No, ye said that. I just let ye believe it. I didna want ye thinkin-" He stopped when she slammed the door shut.
The remaining four were quiet. The only noise was the cracking of the fire. Skylar interlocked her fingers with Ian's and squeezed his hand tight, feeling tears coming on about what was to come the next day. Ian raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. She looked to him and could see he didn't like this either, but that it had to be this way. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her, taking her hand again with his free one.
"I must ask one more favor of ye," Jamie said suddenly to Murtagh. "When ye've delivered my daughters te River Run, head te Wilmington. Find Stephen Bonnet."
Skylar tensed at hearing his name and Ian held her tighter.
Murtagh started to ask, "The man who-"
But Jamie answered him quickly, "Aye. Bring him te me in secret. I'm gonna kill him."
Skylar didn't look up but she heard Jamie walk away.
Once everyone had some time to process, they all had to get ready to leave the next morning. They packed all of their clothes, any food they could, and those going to New York brought blankets, all the medical supplies Claire found room for, and items to trade with the Mohawk or any other Native American tribes they would meet along the way that could help them. Jamie also took time to write his letter to Jocasta, as well as another that he told no one about but Murtagh, and a separate note that went with it. He gave the second letter to Murtagh to mail in Wilmington.
When they felt they were all as prepared as they could be, they spread around their tract of land to really mentally prepare for each of their journeys . Brianna, who had been in the shelter gathering her thoughts, came outside to find Claire. But she first found Skylar and Ian sitting as close together as they could, her head on his shoulder and his on top of hers, holding hands. They weren't talking and they looked heartbroken. As angry as she still was at Ian for what he did, she felt for them because she knew how hard this separation was going to be for them. So, she came up with an idea and walked over to them.
"Skylar?" she said softly. The girl looked up at her and forced herself separate from Ian.
"Yeah, Bree?" Bree could hear the twinge of sadness in her voice.
"I had a favor to ask you. Would you be okay with it if Lizzie and I slept inside the cabin tonight with Mama, and you would stay in our shelter? I'd like to spend some more time with her before they leave."
That instantly brightened the young couple since they knew what Bree was doing.
"It's more than okay," Skylar told her, trying to hide her happiness.
"Thank you, Sky. I really appreciate that." She walked away, smiling a little at the small bit of joy she was able to give them.
It was almost impossible to convince Jamie to let Skylar stay in Brianna's shelter that night. He would have been extremely wary of it before, but after the "hickey incident," he didn't want any chances of her and Ian sharing a bed.
Murtagh, again, stepped up. "I'll stay wi' her. I'll make damn sure that no one leaves or comes in durin' the night."
That hiccup to Skylar and Ian's plan gave Jamie some peace and he allowed it. But though it was a hiccup, it wasn't a dead end. Skylar waited until she was sure Murtagh had fallen asleep and as silently as she could possibly make herself be, she left her shelter and went into Ian's.
She hadn't been as sneaky as she thought however. Murtagh had only been pretending to be asleep to give her the opportunity to leave. Though he knew full well what was more than likely going to happen, he, like Brianna, wanted to allow them this happiness together before the pain he fully understood they were going to feel the next morning.
"Do you really have to go with them?" Skylar asked Ian when she had joined him. They were laying on his bed, his body wrapped around hers.
"It's me fault that Roger's in this situation. I need te go and make it right."
"Why I can't I come? Nothing will happen to me. I'll be fine."
"I ken that ye'll be safe at River Run. Please, love, allow me that comfort."
She sighed. "I just can't stand not being with you."
"I ken, Yank. I hate it too. I dinna want a day te go by when I'm no around ye." She pushed herself back to press closer against him, and it was quiet for a few minutes. Ian had been thinking about something all night since their plan of action was decided, and he had debated with himself on whether to actually do it. He came to the conclusion that he needed to, so, before he lost the courage, he said, "Marry me, Skylar."
"Is this your official asking of the question you already know the answer to?"
"I mean, marry me tenight. Now."
She thought that she must've misunderstood what he meant and turned to face him, their noses ending centimeters apart.
"What, tonight? You mean handfast?"
"I love ye more than I can ever put inte words. I dinna want te waste another minute where yer no mine and I'm no yers." Skylar didn't respond right away. She was trying to process what he had just proposed, literally. After a few seconds of her not saying anything, he added, "When I'm back, we'll be able te have the real weddin' and make it legal and bindin' wi' everyone there te witness. But we dinna ken how long I'll be gone fer. It could easily be upwards of half a year, and I canna stand te be away from ye fer that long wi'out ye already bein' me wife. Yer my whole world, Sky, and it'll be make it the least bit easier te be apart if I know that Mistress Murray is waitin' fer me back home. Marry me, Yank."
She made herself not interrupt him with her answer until he was done speaking. The she very easily told him, "Yes." She put her hand on his cheek and repeated, "Yes, Ian. I will marry you tonight."
Ian's eyes glowed. He had never smiled bigger than he was now. Skylar returned that smile and he kissed her, long and sweet.
"I love ye so much, Yank."
"Youngin', you have no idea."
They kissed once more, and Skylar was the first to move off the bed. Ian followed her and beckoned her to kneel with him.
"Do you know this works?" she asked.
"I've no seen it done. But I've heard how it goes plenty'a times. I ken that first we need something te tie our hands tegether."
"Here." Skylar took out the ribbon that was holding her hair, letting her hair fall free around her shoulders, and held it out to him. "Will this work?"
"Christ, yer beautiful," he responded, taking the ribbon without looking away from her. Skylar smiled and blushed, feeling shy all of a sudden. He took her hands and wrapped the ribbon around them. "Repeat after me." He looked deep into her eyes, seeing hers full of love towards him and he couldn't breathe for a moment, not believing that this was actually happening. He cleared his throat to bring him back to Earth, and started to recite, "I, Young Ian James Fitzgibbons Fraser Murray, take ye, Skylar Anne Kelley Fraser, to be my lawful wedded wife. With my goods I thee endow, with my body I thee worship, in sickness and in health, in richness and poverty, so long as we both shall live, I plight thee my troth."
Skylar felt like she was in a dream as she repeated the words, "I, Skylar Anne Kelley Fraser, take you, Young Ian James Fitzgibbons Fraser Murray, to be my lawful wedded husband. With my goods I thee endow, with my body I thee worship, in sickness and in health, in richness and poverty, so long as we both shall live, I plight thee my troth."
Trying to keep his grin from taking over his entire face, Ian finished with, "I now pronounce us husband and wife."
Her cheeks hurting from her permanent smile, she ended, "You may kiss the bride."
He unwrapped their hands and cupped her cheek so softly it was like he was scared of breaking her. They stayed like that, looking at each other for a moment, then at last shared their first kiss as husband and wife. They put everything they felt for each other in that kiss and neither wanted to break away. They wanted nothing more than to live in this one moment forever.
"I canna believe it," Ian said, once they separated. "Yer me wife, at last. We're married."
Skylar stroked his face and smiled sweetly at him. Then she took a deep breath and said, "Well, we're not officially married yet."
"I ken that this will only last a year, but it's like I told ye, as soon as I'm home, we'll–"
"Ian," she stopped him. "I meant, there's still something we have to do to make this marriage official." She took his hand and placed it on her breast to get him to understand what she was saying.
He looked at where she put his hand and swallowed hard. He looked back to her. "Are ye sure?"
"I've been wanting this for so long, and now, I want to make love to my husband."
She leaned back into him and pressed her mouth against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he grabbed her waist, his grip tightening as their kiss grew more passionate. Skylar let her body take over and she pushed him to sit, straddling his lap. When Ian started kissing the sensitive part of her neck he had discovered before, she let out a small moan and ground her hips against his. She continued the motion and soon felt something grow under her. Ian knew it too and pulled from her, looking away and extremely embarrassed.
She moved his face back to hers. She kissed him gently and said, "It's okay. It's kinda what needs to happen, isn't it?"
Ian wasn't a virgin, but he may as well be. Brighid hadn't been anyone special. She was just a pretty girl who he was using to distract himself from his feelings for his then-best friend. And then Geillis. He had sex with her, yes, but those weren't acts of love. That was a manipulative tool that she forced on him and he wanted nothing more than to erase that time from his head forever. What was about to happen now was something beautiful and real with the woman who owned his heart, with his wife. And so, though he had been waiting for this and wanting it for an excruciating amount of time, he was slightly nervous now that it was here.
Skylar, feeling the exact same way, took her husband's hands and helped him stand up. She moved them back to sitting on the bed and she said, "Let's take this slow, yeah?"
Ian nodded. "Yes." He leaned into her again and continued their kiss.
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They stayed pressed against each other, even though they were both hot and sweaty. They continued to kiss eagerly, but no longer full of wild lust as they had less than a minute ago.
They separated, both breathing heavily, and Ian said, "Do ye remember when I told ye I felt nothin' when I laid wi' Brighid and ye said she must not have been the right one te be me first?"
"Yes."
He kissed her again, then pulled back and finished, "Well, ye were right. Cause wi' her was nothin' any way close te what it was just like with ye." He pressed his mouth to hers again and they continued without interruption for several minutes with their hands still wandering over the other's body as much as they could touch.
When they felt they needed to take a break, Ian laid on his back with his arm wrapped around her and pulled her in close to him. He very tenderly stroked up and down her arm. She curled into his side and placed a hand on his bare chest, drawing on it with her fingers.
"Was it, uh…was it okay, fer ye?" he asked her.
She smiled. "It was more than okay, Ian. I really really liked it. You couldn't tell?"
"I've just heard that lasses generally don't enjoy it the first time."
"Well, it did hurt at the beginning and for the first few minutes. But when the pain did go away, it felt…incredible and explosive," those being the only words that could come halfway close. "Did I do it right? Did you like it?"
"Oh, Christ yes. I didna think it was possible fer anythin' te ever feel like that."
"It was worth the wait then?"
"So much more than worth it." He cupped her cheek and just looked at her for a moment before kissing her affectionately. He pulled back from her and stroked his thumb on her cheek. "I wish so much that ye were the only girl I've laid with."
"That doesn't matter. I couldn't care less about you being with others before me."
"And though ye may not be my first, ye are the only one that matters and the only one I'll ever be with fer the rest of me life."
"And as a now ex-virgin, I'm so so happy that my first and last is you, my husband." He smiled at her with a look of such adoration and unconditional love it prompted her to strain her neck up to meet him and he met her halfway to her to kiss her.
He laid his head back on his pillow and said, "I wish I had a ring te give ye. It doesna feel right te be able te call ye me wife wi'out somethin' that says yer mine."
"I don't need one."
"But what if while I'm gone, ye meet some other lad who tries te claim ye, thinkin' yer free?"
"Then I punch him in the neck and send him running." He laughed. She then thought of something they could use. "Here." She sat up, not bothering to hold up the blanket to cover her chest. She held onto the charm on her necklace, that even now she was still wearing, and took a breath. She kissed it and then unclasped the necklace, taking it off. She looked back at him and saw he was sitting as well. She moved herself so she was facing him and held it out to him. "You can wear this while you're gone."
He looked slightly shocked at her offer. "Yank, that's the necklace yer mother gave ye. In all this time I've known ye, ye've never once taken it off."
"I know that, and I want you to wear it."
"I canna ask ye te-"
"You're not asking me, I'm telling you." Before he could object again, she reached around his neck to put it on him. "This is my wedding ring to you, for the time being at least. When you're all alone on the road, you'll know that even though I'm not physically there with you, I'm wishing I was and that I'll be thinking about you every minute of every day until I'm holding your hand again." He grasped the charm in his fist, not taking his eyes off her. "Also," she added, laying down on her back, "it's a good way to tell any bonny lasses you meet that you have a wife waiting for you back home."
"I willna even look at any other girl until I am wi' ye once more." He kissed her again, then laid next to her, propped on his elbow.
She stared at him, taking in just how lucky she was to be able to call this man hers.
His hair had come out of his classic ponytail at some point during the workout they just endured, so she tucked some strands that were falling in his face behind his ear and ran her fingers through his red-blonde waves. She rarely saw him with his hair down and she loved it when he did.
"You have beautiful hair," she told him.
He smiled at her and replied with, "Ye have a beautiful everythin'." He moved on top of her and started kissing her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut and she held onto his back. She could feel on his shoulder blades where her nails had dug into him earlier.
She quickly rolled them over so he was under her and continued to makeout. They could feel themselves starting to heat up again.
"You know," she said, going to his neck and kissing or biting him between nearly every word that followed, "as amazing and wonderful as that was, there's always room for improvement." She moved to the other side of his neck. "And the only way to get better at something is to do it again and again and again." She brought her face back up to him. She touched his nose with hers and kept her lips hovering just above his own, barely brushing them together.
"So, what yer sayin' is," he said, his eyes going black again, "we should keep tryin' until we get it perfect." He dragged his hands down her back until they were gripping her butt.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
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Skylar snuck back into Brianna's shelter as soon as the sky turned from black to dark blue so she would be there when Murtagh woke up. But the next few hours of that morning had a heavy feeling. Everyone was solemn, wary about what was coming.
They were all making sure everything that needed to be packed and put on the horses and in the wagon was done.
Ian and Skylar were taking some time on their own before they had to leave. They were standing a ways away from everyone else and just held each other, not saying anything. Skylar was trying with her entire being not to cry. Last night had been so unbelievably perfect, she didn't want to ruin the glow they still felt from it. Instead, she just tightened her hold on him.
"Na caoin mo ghaol," he whispered into her neck. He could tell she was holding back tears. "We'll be together again soon." He stroked the back of her head, trying to comfort her, as well as himself.
"Skylar! Ian!" Jamie called to them. "It's time te go."
Instinctively, they squeezed each other harder, not wanting to let go. They pulled from their embrace and stared into each other's eyes. Their mouths met and they kissed fervidly, as if they would die without the other's lips against theirs.
They kept their foreheads pressed together when they separated. Ian kept a firm grip on her hips and Skylar closed her arms around his neck.
They stayed like that for a couple extra minutes, and shared another long and loving kiss. They then made their way, slowly, to the group, hand in hand.
She walked with Ian to his horse and they knew this is where they had to part.
She placed both hands on his chest and he held onto her upper arms as she said, "You come back to me, Ian Murray. Promise me that you'll come back."
"I promise ye, my love. I swear it." He cupped her face and went on, "I give ye me word on it, as yer husband."
"I can't lose you again." A couple tears trickled down her face.
He wiped them away with his thumb. "Ye willna. I will return te ye, and then I will never leave ye again."
"I love you, Youngin'."
"I love ye, mo bhean."
Skylar kissed him deeply once last time, committing the feeling of his lips on hers to memory, and then made herself walk away. She needed to just rip off the band-aid or she never would. She could feel him watching her as she did, but she kept herself from looking back at him.
She got over to the others in time to hear Jamie say to Brianna, "I will find him, lass. I willna rest until I do. Ye have me word."
"I'll hold you to that vow," Brianna replied, her voice and expression cold towards him. He looked at her for another beat then turned his gaze to Skylar.
Skylar took a breath then hugged him, Jamie hugging her back.
"Please be careful, Dad" she said to him. "If anything were to happen to you…I finally have a father. I can't lose you now."
"Dinna fash, Skylar. I promise I will return te ye in one piece." They pulled apart and he gave her a small smile. He touched her face very fondly then went to his horse.
She walked with Claire and Brianna over to the wagon where Lizzie stood.
"You take good care of my daughters, Lizzie," Claire told her, wrapping her arm tight around Bree and taking Skylar's hand tight to squeeze it.
"Aye, Mistress. I will," Lizzie promised, then took her place in the wagon.
Claire turned to Skylar to say goodbye and hugged her. Skylar couldn't help but cry. She had arrived in this alien-like world knowing no one and alone, and now the ones who took her in and called her their own were leaving. It was only for a while, but she still didn't like it.
"Darling," Claire said, pulling back, "you're going to be in very good hands. I promise, we'll be back before you know it."
"I know," she replied. "But I'm still going to miss you."
Claire gave her a long kiss on her forehead. "I'll miss you too. And please, take care of yourself. You know he's safe this time," meaning Ian. Claire was worried that not knowing where Ian was would make her spiral back to bad habits from the Artemis.
She nodded. "I will. Just make sure he doesn't get himself killed." She chuckled, half-joking.
Claire smiled. "I will do my best." They hugged again, then Skylar climbed on the wagon.
She didn't hear the tearful and heavyhearted goodbye Claire and Brianna shared. She had looked up from where she sat and her eyes locked with Ian's on his horse from across the yard. Even now, when she knew they were about to be without each other for an unknown amount of time and her heart felt it was going to break in half, he still was able to calm her down without doing anything but just being there.
She placed a long kiss on her hand and held it towards him, as if to send it to him. Not breaking his gaze from her, he wrapped his hand around the charm on her necklace that he was still wearing and that he would not take off until he was back with her.
The wagon lurched forward as Murtagh urged the horses to go. She didn't tear her eyes away from her husband until he was out of sight.
GAELIC
Na caoin mo ghaol – do not cry, my love
Mo bhean – my wife
