Highland Strength (Book 3)

Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Artair leaned against the rough stone of the curtain wall watched the people come and go within the village. Life carried on as it always did, no matter what was happening, life had to carry on. Emotions running wild, children running between cottages with mothers shouting after them. Males calling to one another and guards on watch with a wary eye as Robert’s men were still camp outside the village waiting for Kendrick and Cam to have finished questioning him.

The light of the day contrasted with the sombre mood within the Keep itself. A little over a week after they had managed to get a burning Sheena back, the fever had dropped off, and her breathing was a little easier, but the news Nessia had given that morn had hit Aonghus hard, and in turn Artair could not stay in the same room as his brother as his agony tore through both of them. Why had the Lord Almighty decided to do this? What had his brother or Sheena done that would warrant this? It was hardly fair after everything they had had to go through to be together.

Scrubbing his hands down his rough face, feeling the stubble of a few days growth on his cheeks and chin. Digging the tips of his fingers into his burning eyes, feeling the lack of sleep he had been through over the past days. He had tried to show as much support to his brother as possible, knowing if they lost Sheena then they wold lose Aonghus as well. The fever had raged so strong, none except Aonghus had expected Sheena to survive that first night, but every subsequent night a little more hope had been added, but at the same time, the longer the fever raged the more they knew how difficult it would be for her to wake.

A few hours before dawn this morn, the fever had finally subsided, Aonghus was ready to drop himself and Artair had managed to drag his brother onto a pallet someone had brought in at some point in the week, but he had not moved from Sheena’s side for more than a few minutes at a time. At the drop in temperature, Artair alone had managed to convince Aonghus to sleep laying down for once, and Aislinn had promised to sit beside Sheena and wake him if she awoke at any point. Up until that morn, she had only every opened her eyes in a fevered madness, shouting out odd words and phrases, making every heart break when she broke and sobbed every now and then. He had not been able to stand being with the room at those times, and Aonghus always looked so fragile when he managed to re-enter the room once more.

Having made sure Aonghus slept, and checking in on a slumbering Scottie, who had attached himself to Catriona over the last few days, not speaking to anyone but stopping at the door to where Sheena lay at least once a day. Never entering but as if hoping, before going to find Catriona once more. Artair had to admit, he did not care who the bairns’ father was, he belonged to Sheena and Aonghus now and he already felt like family.

Being unable to sleep himself, he had come to stand in the cool breeze atop the curtain wall, trying to feel and absorb the peace of the surroundings. His eyes stinging and gritty. Yawning in a jaw cracking movement, he rubbed at the back of his neck, and knew that the hours he had spent in this one spot may have made him ready for this own rest. But he was not quite ready to move just at that moment. Folding his arms upon the rough stone before him, he rest his chin upon his arms, and closed his eyes letting the heat of the sun warm him. Taking deep soothing breaths, trying, for a moment, to forget the anguish in the room he had left behind.