Highland Dream (Book 1)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Walking from where Camdyn had left her to the corner tower, where they were to climb up to the walkway, Aislinn had been informed that Minna was Iona’s cousin via their fathers and Iona’s elder brothers were in fact the twins. Iona had also informed her of the fact that she had decided Aislinn was going to be her friend and that was that. Aislinn had never smiled so much in her life. The vivacious pair were a joy to be around. Climbing up the spiral stone steps in single file did not manage to dampen Iona and Minna’s conversation. What Aislinn did not understand was how they were still talking about her encounter with Camdyn. She decided just to wait them out, they would realise nothing was going off between them eventually.

Reaching the tower door the brisk wind at this elevation was bracing and she was grateful when Minna produced a cloak for her, though where she had managed to pull if from was completely unknown. The soft fur lining stroked the skin that was bared by the dress as she tied the laces together and gathered it before her in her hands. Together they walked to the wall facing the battle ground and took up positions at the opposite tower to the one they had entered the walkway from. Huddled in the corner between the outer wall and the tower, getting to know each other, as they watched the men below them preparing their weapons and splitting into two sides. The excitement on the parapet was bubbling over, now this would be the ultimate entertainment.

Isla shielded her eyes for the courtyard below. Spying her charge, she was satisfied to see the cloak she had managed to get to Minna, just before she climbed the tower, was comfortably around Aislinn’s shoulders. And the girl was smiling like a fool, along with the two girls she was with. Isla was glad she had found good people to help ease her into clan life. Satisfied she would be sufficiently looked after adequately by the girls, and for the duration of the battle she would be entertained, Isla turned back to the Keep. She had a job to do, and information to uncover, that was looking to be almost decades old. And she knew just who to intimidate first.

Larena looked over the parapet at the people of her clan. The prime position, in the weak sunlight and wind that was becoming bitterly cold, was in the corner where she stood. The imposter who had managed to convince her imbecil of a brother and the old witch that SHE was a Lady. What a joke! You could tell from miles away that she was no lady. She had nothing to her name except what had been stolen from her. But where had she gotten that cloak from, it was not hers, however, it was too sumptuous to belong to anyone but the upper echelons of society.

Jealousy streaked through her, which had to be fur lined. How dare SHE have what only Larena in this clan deserved? Larena was under no impression that the girls that surrounded her were her friends. She only used them to lord over her wealth and possessions, and they used her for the status she gave them by having them in her personal group. They would as soon stab her in the back if something better came along, which Larena had no intention of happening. This imposter had to be shown for what she is. The only issue she had to find her way around, well a rather large, bull headed issue to be exact, was her brother. The thorn in her side. If he had his way, she’d be married to an ugly, smelly old Laird of a crumbling keep somewhere.