Branded by a Warrior

by Andrea Thorne

  After an entertaining lunch, it had been decided that Elisabeth would indeed teach Isobel, and Broderick would make Isobel’s new bow as soon as possible.

  Watching her throughout lunch, he could tell she was still shaken up from earlier, whispering into his wife’s ear after they finished lunch, “Would you like to go for a ride lass?” Under the table he ran his hand up her thigh as he gave her ear a soft kiss.

  Nodding, “Oh I’d love that Broderick,” she whispered.

  Broderick excused them as he linked hands with his wife. Waving goodbye, they walked out of the kitchens, in search of the stables. Broderick and Elisabeth walked through the warm castle and back out the door towards the stable; he thought it best to keep his mouth shut as he could tell his wife’s mind was racing. He learned long ago from his father, to wait until the lady told you what was on her mind versus trying to guess. Arriving at the busy stables, both of their stallions were saddled and waiting for them. Tossing her up into her saddle he walked over to his tall horse and easily pulled himself up, “Where would you like to go my love?”

  Adjusting the black sable fur over her shoulders she looked over at Broderick, “Surprise me, I’ve only been out of these walls twice. A nice brisk ride will do me good, I feel out of sorts.”

  Nodding, they walked their horses to the drawbridge, which lowered quickly as the guards saw their Laird approaching. Behind them, as always the wolfhounds followed. Once the drawbridge was down, both Broderick and Elisabeth spurred their horses into a gallop and flew into the frozen forest that surrounded the castle. They rode for over an hour before Broderick finally slowed his mount and eventually brought his horse to a stop, turning to his wife, “Tell me what is wrong Elisabeth, I know you well enough to know something is upsetting you.”

  Bringing her horse next to his, he watched as she pulled off her leather gloves and sat them on her lap as she stretched her fingers, reluctantly she looked into his eyes, “I’m fine Broderick,” her voice was shaky.

  Shaking his head and taking the reins from her hands, “Don’t lie to me woman, tell me what is upsetting you!” he demanded, the tension in his voice crackled.

  “I do not have to tell you everything that is on my mind simply because you demand it!” swiping her leather reins back out of his hands she slipped on her gloves and glared her husband, “It isn’t lying if I do not want to talk about it Broderick, you might be Laird, you might be my husband, but if I do not want to discuss something you cannae make me!”

  Alone in the frozen woods, Broderick and Elisabeth sat upon their tall stallions and glared at each other as the snow began to lightly fall. Broderick reached over and ran his hand over her jaw, “I dinnae mean to demand lass, I worry about you. Ever since I mentioned children you turned white. If you do not wish to speak about it, I will honor your wishes, but please know I am here whenever you care to share your worries with me.”

  Lifting her hand up, she placed it over his and leaned into his warm hand with her face, nodding she whispered, “Thank you Broderick.”

  “Lets ride home love, the weather is starting to turn for the worse to the north,” he said as he winked at her and allowed her to lead them back home. He wanted her to learn his lands like the back of her hand so she would never get lost. His land was the most remote and vast of all the clans in the Highlands; it was easy to get turned around.

  Thundering through the woods, Elisabeth navigated the trails effortlessly as she brought them back to the castle, behind her Broderick and the hounds trailed closely. The storm clouds were brewing high in the mountains; the sky had turned a menacing gray as they sped over the drawbridge. The massive wooden bridge was raised as soon as they cleared it.

  Riding into the stable Elisabeth slipped off her horse before Broderick could assist her, her thoughts were troubling her greatly. She had been grateful she led so Broderick could not see her face. The entire ride she battled her internal demons over the thought of a child. Tossing her reins to the stable hand, she started to walk to the castle without even waiting for her husband. The entire ride she struggled with her heart, in one hand she vowed to avenge her fallen family and clan, in the other hand she had a duty to her husband, the man she desperately loved. Being with child would prevent her from riding next to Broderick when they headed south after the thaw. Elisabeth felt placed between her deceased family, and the family she never thought she would have.

  It tore her in two; years ago she tossed aside the idea of a family, of children. She had pushed the idea of marriage and children aside when she chose to fight with her father and brother. A breeding woman would never be allowed to ride with the army.

  She had been so swept up in recovering, in falling in love with Broderick she forgot the way of life. Sex with him meant the very real possibility she would conceive. She very well could be carrying Broderick’s child now, the thought of a child nearly brought her to tears. She had always wanted to be a mother, yet duty and honor and her choice to ride next to her brother had made that an unreal possibility. Now, she was married. She could be, or would be with child soon enough. How could she seek revenge for her fallen family and clan if she carried Broderick’s child?

  Rubbing her palms up her face, she flicked her braid over her shoulder as she walked towards the castle, the wolfhounds following closely at her booted feet.

  In the blowing wind she could hear Broderick call for her, refusing to look back she bit her lip and continued walking. She was holding on by a thread, she couldn’t look or talk to Broderick right now without completely losing her composure. Holding herself together the best she could as she passed her people, she quickened her pace. She needed solitude.

  The large doors of the castle opened before her as she walked in and nodded to the guards, quickly passing them she skirted the kitchens and made her way up the winding staircase to her solar. With every stair she climbed, the tears of reality sunk in. Throwing the solar door wide she allowed the dogs to follow her in before shutting the massive wooden door behind her.

  For the first time, she threw the lock. Unchaining Broderick’s sable fur from her shoulders she tossed it on her chair. Completely in a daze she watched the fire dance in the hearth as she pulled out her weapons and sat them down on the beautifully carved table next to the bed.

  Running her hand over her abdomen she closed her eyes and sank into the leather chair before the fire, her tears could no longer be contained. Safe behind her door, she let all of her emotions come to the surface in her quiet room.

  She thought of her parents, and Duncan, her slain clan members and all of the innocent women and children who had died at Kincaid’s order. How could she honor her vow to avenge their lives if she was forbidden to ride with Broderick and his army?

  If she wasn’t already with child, it would only be a matter to time before it would happen. The thaw was only a few months away; preparations were already being taken for their campaign south to Douglas lands for war.

  She was too slim to hide a pregnancy for too long; she knew doing so would be tantamount to lying to Broderick. If he ever found out she intentionally concealed that information from him so she could join the army as they waged war on Kincaid, he’d never trust her again.

  She loved her husband far too much to lie to him, even if it meant to avenge her family. She would have to find a different way, a way where she could have it all, a family and revenge. She had no other choice; she refused to allow Broderick to ride without her when they descended upon Kincaid’s lands in a few short months. She knew denying her husband his rights would never work, she craved his attention. Pushing him away would sever the tight knit bond she cherished so much.

  She sat in her chair staring at the dancing flames; she had no idea how long she had been sitting there when her dogs captured her attention. Conn and Isla perked up their heads and looked towards the locked door when she heard the soft knock, followed by Isobel’s sweet voice, “Aunt Elisabeth, would you like to come help make my bow with Uncle B
roderick in the armory?”

  Standing up, she quickly dried off her lingering tears as she walked over to the door and opened it, kneeling down so she could look into Isobel’s face, “Aunt Elisabeth isn’t feeling well my love, how about you and Uncle start without me,” she stated as she tucked a curl behind the young lass’s ear that had escaped.

  The little blonde flung her arms around Elisabeth’s neck and squeezed her hard, “You are sad, aren’t you Aunt Elisabeth?”

  Closing her eyes and embracing the small child, “Aye Isobel, my heart hurts,” kissing the top of her golden blonde head as she sighed. Tears rolled down her face as she held the sweet child, she couldn’t help but imagine what her daughter or sons would look like some day. The innocent embrace of this sweet child nearly broke her, gently kissing the top of Isobel’s head, she stood and wiped off her tears and directed Isobel back downstairs, “Go see Uncle Broderick my sweet; he’ll make you a wonderful new bow. I’ll see you at dinner tonight my dear, have fun with Uncle Broderick, make sure he lets you help!” smiling down at Isobel she gently turned the five year old back down the stairs, “take the hounds with you my love, they’ll keep you better company than me.”

  Isobel simply smiled and nodded her head once. Tapping the side of her leg to call for the hounds, she blew Elisabeth a kiss and started back towards the armory, Conn and Isla following directly behind her.

  Closing the door gently behind them, Elisabeth walked back into her solar and spied her bed. Exhausted, she slowly walked over to the elaborately carved bed and crawled in. Pulling the covers over her head she tucked into a ball and wrapped her arms around herself. Closing her eyes she sighed sadly as another wave of emotions rolled over her yet again. She wished she could speak to her family once again she longed to hug them. She knew she would never be able to live with herself if justice was not brought down upon Kincaid’s head. She had to find a way.

  On the other side of the vast castle, Broderick was in the armory waiting for his niece. He had seen a crack in Elisabeth’s façade as they rode back into the castle grounds today; she was on the verge of tears. When he saw her quickly dismount and toss her reins over to the stable hand, he slowed his horse and let her flee. It was clear she needed solitude. On the ride he gained some perspective that gave him peace, Elisabeth always told him what was on her mind. He knew how forthright Elisabeth had always been; this was something that had shaken her to her core. Since she had been here, her answers flowed freely whenever he asked her a question. This was the first time she had chosen to not answer him. It bothered him greatly. Yet, he understood. Often in his years of controlling the vast majority of the Highlands he too had came across issues that demanded lengthy deliberation.

  Instead of running after his emotional wife, he sent Isobel upstairs after a while in search of her Aunt. He knew how much Elisabeth loved her. Isobel had been flourishing under Elisabeth’s tutelage. Broderick knew whatever she was going through was because he mentioned a child, was she unable to have children? Would she choose her blade over a babe? Sitting down at the design table in the armory he ran his hands through his hair, placing his elbows on the large wooden table. She had been magnificent this morning; he had seen the most battle-hardened warrior in his clan pay Elisabeth respect during training. He had seen so many sides of her, the lover, the wife, the warrior and the nurturer. Today had been exhausting. He hated how fighting with her felt. His entire world felt askew. He did not like the tension; he hated how he could not fix her problems if he didn’t know them. He felt shut out.

  Agreeing to allow her to have her space, for now, he inspected the piece of fir he had selected for little Isobel’s bow. He thought of his parents, he had seen many times when his father would give his mother a wide berth; their marriage was built on love and respect, exactly what he wanted with his new bride. His mother had taught her sons how to be good men, how to treat woman with respect, especially Broderick, as it had not came as naturally as it did for Kendrix.

  Fiddling with the long strip of wood in his hands, he sighed deeply as he thought of his parents. He knew if his mother was alive she’d have plenty of wisdom to bestow upon him regarding his new wife, and how to handle every situation. Without her here, he had to figure it out on his own. He cared far too much for Elisabeth to allow her such distress. He would find a way to make it right.

  In the far distant hallway he could hear his niece talking to his dogs, leaning back in his stool he looked out the door. Seeing Isobel and his wolfhounds, his heart sank a little. No Elisabeth. Surely that was not a promising sign for his night to come.

  His dogs noticed him well before the rambling five year old. The two great wolfhounds trotted over to him; sitting down at his feet they put their heads in his lap as he watched Isobel cross under the large stone archway into the armory.

  “Hello lass, where is Aunt Elisabeth?” he asked as he scratched behind both dogs ears. Climbing up into the stool next to him, Isobel replied, “In the solar room, crying.” She sighed as she picked up the piece of wood, “She said her heart hurts, can you fix her?” she asked innocently, looking up at him. It took everything he could to do hide his reaction to his niece’s words. Isobel's innocent words told him so much about Elisabeth's current state.

  Sighing heavily, “We have to remember Aunt Elisabeth lost everyone she held dear, the pain still hurts her,” he knew well enough that wasn’t exactly why she was crying, it was something more, but he didn’t need to explain that to a five year old.

  Isobel looked up at him and blinked, letting out a sigh, “You’ll fix her Uncle, just like you did when you saved her life, I just know it.” She sat smiling brightly up at him as if he could conquer any foe, her faith in him was endearing. The two of them sat alone in the large armory, their voices echoing off the stonewalls, handing the raw wood piece to Isobel he asked, “Ye ready to make your bow lass? We can carve it right now and let it dry for a few days before we string it up.” Clapping with delight, Isobel smiled brightly at him, “Aye Uncle Broderick!”

  Broderick and Isobel worked on her bow for hours, they talked about Elisabeth and Isobel’s mother. They talked about the wolfhounds, and how she wanted her very own wolfhound pup. Broderick taught her the steps in creating and shaping a bow, how to measure for size and fit. His little niece sat next to him for hours and happily chatted away while they talked and made the bow. Isobel kept Broderick busy, he had lost track of time, Kendrix eventually had to come searching for them. Her bow had been intricately carved, and hung up to dry by the time Kendrix came to collect his daughter.

  Waving goodbye to the two, Broderick watched Kendrix and Isobel head to dinner as they walked out of the armory together. Cleaning up his workspace, he adjusted his tartan and locked the armory behind him as he left. His thoughts were once again on his beautiful wife.

  Night had came calling while he and Isobel worked away in the armory. A light winter snow fell from the sky as he adjusted his new fur over his shoulders before walking out into the courtyard towards the castle. The walk was a lengthy one that took him through the rows of huts that led up to the castle. Late in the evening, families were having dinner and warming them by the fire, there was not a soul to be found as he walked up the well-worn path to the keep.

  Hearing his name behind him he stopped in the darkening courtyard and turned to see Siobhan running to catch up with him. His hounds stood beside him and growled as the woman approached, they never had liked her. He agreed with their intuition. Seeing his one time betrothed waving him down, he stood perfectly still and waited for her to catch up with him. He was in no mood to argue with her.

  “My Laird, thank goodness I found you! This letter just arrived, ‘tis for your wife, I assume you are heading up to see her,” lifting the sealed envelope from her tartan she smiled at him.

  Swiping it out of her hands with a scowl, Broderick turned to walk away when he heard her say, “Curious, I could have sworn the guards say it was another Douglas courier for her, no
t the first one that they’ve received. Curious your wife corresponds with the same man Fiona did. I told ye should never have married her, you’ll be seen as a fool yet again Broderick.”

  Turning around, his fist tightened as he looked at the raven-haired beauty, “Watch your mouth Siobhan,” turning back towards the castle he seethed as he stomped through the winter courtyard. He recognized the writing on the missive. It was from Kincaid. Since she had been here, he had never once received a letter directed to her, all communication had been sent to him. Did his wife really communicate behind his back? Was it possible she was another female spy like Fiona had been all those years ago?

  Behind him a Siobhan stood perfectly still, crossing her arms a wicked smiled appeared on lovely face as she watched him walk away as she stood in the snowy courtyard of the castle. Everything was going as planned.

  Bursting into the keep he marched straight for their rooms, his dogs ran ahead of him towards their mistress. Taking the stairs two at a time he was seething by the time he reached her solar door, opening her door with force he looked around to see the room devoid of her presence. Turning around he walked across the hall and kicked his door open, sending it bouncing against the stone.

  Turning at the sound of the large wooden door bounce off the wall, Elisabeth turned quickly to see Broderick in the doorway, her hand on the handle of her sword. Standing before the fireplace, Elisabeth cast her gaze over her husband. After a long nap and good cry, she had changed and came into Broderick’s room awaiting his return. She had much to talk about with him, she knew she had to open up and share her worries with her husband. Able to see only his shadow she starting walking closer, as the light hit his face, her heart sank, “What is wrong Broderick?”

  She watched as he walked into the room, slamming the door behind him. Unchaining his new black sable fur he tossed it on their bed. His eyes were cold, his jaw was clenched, and his posture told her something was seriously wrong. He had not addressed her, or even acknowledged her presence.