Page 36 of My Scarred Laird
Callum shook his head, “She is my distant relative of some kind. And even if she werena’, I wouldna want her anyway. She isna my soul. No’ like ye are. Ye are mine. Ye have always been mine.”
She looked up at him, cupping his scarred cheek, “As ye are mine.”
He kissed her palm, “Always. And forever. Ye are mine.”
He turned back to the room, “As ye can see, she is meant for me. Go abou’ yer day.”
Then he took her hand and led her from the room.
He brought her out to the yard, where his warriors filed out of the keep, grinning.
Egan stepped forward, then went down on one knee, his fist over his heart, “My lady. I am Egan. I wish for nothing more than ta keep ye safe. Ye, along with our Laird. We are all at yer service.”
She smiled down at him, and one by one the other warriors did the same thing.
She stepped forward, “I thank ye for accepting me inta your clan. For accepting me as the lady of the keep. I love Callum. I canna wait ta be his wife.”
Callum smiled, and he gestured for the warriors to stand.
Then, he left her side to shake hands with Egan and a few of the men.
One of the men came up to her, “I’m Fraser. I will help ta keep ye safe.”
“Thank ye Fraser. I’m Islay.”
“I ken. My brother once needed yer help when he was ill. He lived on Brodie land and sought the help of the healer at the keep. ‘Twas ye miss. If it werena for ye, my brother would have died.”
Callum walked over to them, “Wha’? Ye are a healer?”
Islay nodded, “Aye. I was. I learned a lot from my mother, but I stopped healing after a plague killed most of my people, including my father. And I could do nothing ta save them.”
Callum pulled her into his arms, kissing her head, “‘Twas no’ yer fault my sweet. Ye canna save everyone. Plagues happen.”
She shook her head against his chest, “I tried. I truly did, but nothing I did helped. They died and I left. I couldna’ face my shame.”
Callum cupped her face in his hands, “My sweet girl. Ye canna save everyone. No matter how hard ye try. No matter if ye are the greatest healer known ta man. No’ everyone can be saved. No’ every sickness is something ye can heal.”
She felt heat prick her eyes, “I wish that I did more.”
Callum shook his head, “As I said, ye canna save everyone. No matter how hard ye try. Some people are beyond saving.”
All the warriors around her started nodding, “We have seen healers on the battlefield try ta save men who were so badly injured we were surprised they werena dead right away, and yet they survive. And then we see them give help to a man barely wounded and that man dies. How does tha’ make sense? It doesna. We just ken that the almighty works in mysterious ways. If ye truly are a healer, I want ye on our side.”
Islay looked over at the man who spoke, a new man she hadn’t met yet. “If any of ye truly need my services, I would be glad ta help.”
Callum laughed softly, “There is my lass. Ye always wish ta help those in need.”
Islay smiled up at him, and one of the men, who she knew as Graham, stepped forward, “Can ye help me then my lady? My leg has been feelin’ poorly.”
Callum chuckled again, and Islay pulled out of his grasp, hurrying to the man who had a decent sized cut on his leg.
Callum walked up behind her, “Aye, ‘tis something ye need ta look after Graham.”
Graham nodded, “I didna wish ta bother anyone.”
Islay saw the cut was an angry red around the edges, and she tsked, “Ye need this cleaned out and medicine on it.”
Graham swallowed, “I doona have any.”
