Highland Dream (Book 1)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Aislinn could feel the muscle under her hand and the heat coming off of Camdyn’s body as he pulled her closer. The heat made her feel more comfortable, especially here in the highlands after a storm and in the middle of the night. They headed through the trees and Aislinn hoped that Camdyn knew where they were, for she could not have remembered the direction for the life of her.

Camdyn was heading for a small clearing he knew of not too far away from where they had set up camp. A stream was to one side of it and during summer months if his men stopped here it was usually to take a dip in the water to wash off the dust and dirt of travel. But today, just after the storm, that stream would likely be swollen but there were some areas to sit there that were not on the muddy ground.

The silence that surrounded them was calming, putting them into their own world, separate from everyone else. No one could touch them here. Most would not see this as any sort of romantic setting, the ground was soft, slippery mud that every so often would not release a foot without effort. The sky was not starry with a large moon, but was heavy with dense cloud that still threatened rain. As they entered the small clearing, the stream which would have been a gentle, tinkling, trickle of water to pleasantly watch had become a torrent of raging water bringing the excess water from the mountains around them. For Aislinn and Camdyn though it allowed them to be themselves with a person who did not expect them to be anything else. Though neither would have admitted that to the other.

Camdyn stopped at a small boulder and directed her to sit upon the damp rock. He decided she might be more comfortable without him looming over her, and took the boulder adjacent to hers and angled his body so he could view her, and the forest behind her to check for any danger to come their way. Most of his attention, however, was on the woman before him. She seemed familiar in some way, but he truly had never met her before, of that he was sure. Maybe it was how comfortable she made him feel he hadn’t felt this at peace with another person since his mother had left this world.

“You want to know why I was in the middle of the forest, during a storm and on my own. Or did I guess I wrong?” She looked out towards the water, her face in profile as the corner of her mouth lifted in a sad facsimile of a smile. He wanted to let her know that she was no longer alone. He knew though, if he distracted her with touch she may not speak as he wanted her to. “I think it may help me to protect you. You may think it is only your physical wellbeing I have sworn to protect, but for you your emotions are a big part of you, and if your emotions are not protected, I have a feeling you will let that after you physically. Like whatever it was that made you wander into the forests alone before a storm.”

She nodded at what he was saying but surprised him by her next words. “Not just before the storm. Months I have been on my own in these forests. Though this last storm was the worst.” She went silent for a moment, and Camdyn worried if she would be able to get through this unscathed, he knew by the end of this tale something would be different though he couldn’t tell how.