The Highlander

Chapter Four

Finlay

"She cannae stay with us!" Calum had resorted to shouting as I kept on ignoring him. After Graham, a fellow and close warrior of mine forced me to return to my bed however I couldn't not sleep. The though of the blonde beauty in danger scared me and made me worried. However I didn't not return to her side knowing Graham would give me a beating if I did; he was large for a warrior, larger than me. With a sword or axe I could beat him, but with fists it would be a bit of a unfair fight due to the fact his fists were nearly twice the size of mine.

"She is coming with us Calum, and that is final." I stated, my voice laced with boredom. I was stood around a pile of clothed on the floor, dressing as Calum continued to argue and fight.

Calum was a small man, my third in command because he was a skilful warrior with a spear and arrow. However he was an angry and jealous man. After my life was in threat due to a horrible disease at a young age, my father had no more sons and my cousin Calum would have been the next in line. After finding out about this when he was older he would secretly curse the disease for not taking my life. He thought I didn't know but he was terrible at hiding his feelings. Calum was four years older than me at twenty seven.

"But she will be a distraction to the men! Just look at her, her clothes were minimal, she's a whore and that's all she will be good for! Sell her to a slave master; let him do with her what he will.

I roared in annoyance and anger at Calum's statement, "she is no whore! She will travel with us, as far as she can until I find the safest place for her, a monastery maybe, until then ye will respect her as is she was a lairds wife or a kings queen, do ye understand me? Cousin or not I will have yer head if I hear of ye disrespecting or hurting her." My voice was low and filled with threat and dripped with anger.

Calum, his face contorted with anger nodded once before stalking out the tent, flinging the curtain door wide revealing the figures of Graham and the blonde beauty heading towards my tent. From the quick glance I got of her, I noticed she was wrapped in a fur blanket, covering her body. I didn't know whether or not to be happy the other men couldn't see her body or upset that it was hidden from me.

I questioned these sudden feelings towards the girl. She young, a good age for a whore, and she did look like she was dressed like one, so why didn't I sell her to a slave market or give her to my men? Whore or not, I would never disrespect her like that. For some reason a burning inside me at my core stopped me, telling everything about her was perfect, I had to agree.

I wondered why these feelings attacked me when I had just seen her yesterday for the first time. Was it the thought of getting a special intimate reward for saving her? Or just the adrenaline running through my body? No, it was something unexplainable. I just hoped the ride would be calm and safe.

The curtain opened and the mountain and the beauty walked in.

"Thank you Graham, you may wait outside."

The blonde beauty looked like she might protest to my orders, opening her mouth and her hand twitched as if to reach out to Graham but it stayed clenched around the blanket and her mouth closed.

"How was your rest?" I asked. The girl's eyes were glued to my naked chest. It was speckled with a few dark hairs and very toned. The muscles on my arms were large, however not insanely like Grahams. I only wore dark trousers with leather shoes.

"Fine." She whispered, it was the first time I heard her speak. He voice was a soft melody and every note captivated me. Just a whisper, just a word and I was hooked, if I could I would listen to it every second of the day, for the rest of the days in my life.