Murtagh POV:
It was a long disappointing journey back to my smithy, at least I had gotten to see Fergus again, the lad and certainly gown into fine man but I had wanted a bit of adventure this night and leaving that coach was bittersweet.
Trudging through the dirt roads towards my shop I am shaken out of my thoughts by a mighty wee thing, she nearly knocked me flat on my arse as she tried to make her way practically straight through me.
"Watch it lass!" I warned her but then as she looked up to see who she had run herself into I notice her damaged face, clearly she had just been knocked around and I looked back to see if anyone had been chasing her.
There was nought but clearly the lass was fleeing someone.
"Are ye alright lass?" I asked a bit more gently,
"Please release my arm I need to get out of here before they find him."
I hadn't even noticed I had her arm in my hand until she mentioned it, I looked down but as I released her something caught my eye.
I'd recognize my godson's ring anywhere,
just as quickly as I had released her I was snatching her again, this time I moved us off the road and behind a building.
"Where did you get this?!" I asked harshly thrusting her own knuckles in her face.
"Get off me, it belong to my mother if you must know and trust me you don't want to meet the same fate as the last man who tried to handle me thusly."
Her mother? No, it wasn't possible.
I took a step back but still had a hold on her, I examined her then more closely seeing beyond the blood and bruising, her firey hair and slanted blue eyes, suddenly it was hard to breathe... Ellen. She looked just like the only lass who I had ever given my heart to and suddenly I felt a man 30 years younger handing over the tusks I had worked into bracelets only to be rejected.
I forced the emotions bubbling in my throat down and asked the lass her name.
She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously but still gave me the answer I sought, "Brianna."
Fuck me, it was Jamie's daughter I had before me.
"How did you do it, did you come through the stones like yer mother?" I asked.
Her eyes widened, "what do you know of my mother?""
I released her fully now and removed my cap bending a bit in a bow, "Allow me to introduce myself, the name is Murtagh Fraser, yer Da is my godson."
The suspicion fled her eyes quickly and was replaced with relief and hope,
"Please you must help me," She said this time it was her taking a firm hold on my arm.
"Aye lass, just name it and I will lay down my life fer yers."
She seemed taken aback slightly by my vow but pressed on, "I'm in trouble," she admitted before taking a peek beyond the wall that hid us from the main road.
"Is it the bastard who did this to ye?" I asked as my hand gently cupped her face, for a moment she seemed to lean into my touch before remembering herself and taking a step back only to be met with the wall behind her.
"It was self defense, he would have hurt me... worse than a woman should ever be hurt, I fought back, I... I killed him, they'll hang me for it won't they?" She asked me, terrified of the answer.
"No, they'd have to get through me and that will never happen, come back to mine, we'll figure it all out in the morning but now we could both do with some rest, aye?"
She nodded and noticed I held my hand out to her, looking up again she placed her hand in mine of her own accord this time and together we navigated the dark streets back to my smithy.