Page 42 of Her Scot of Hereafter

“And thank you for saving a perfect stranger from a rival clan because you believed in love,” Ellie whispered, hoarse with emotion. “Above all, thank you for leading me back to my one true love.”

Their eyes lingered on each other for another moment before Marjorie and Grant turned and walked into the mystical woodland hand in hand, and everything returned to normal. Yet I knew as I looked at the others, they had seen what I had through my mind's eye because our dragons were connected, and there wasn’t a dry eye to be found.

There was, however, certainty in Willow’s eyes as she pulled their mother’s ring off her finger and crouched in front of wee Marjorie. “Given you are the true witch who descends from the Sutherland sorcerer, your grandmother would like you to wear her ring. If you’re willing to accept it, wear it in good health, and know it will protect you wherever life may take you.”

Marjorie blinked back tears, seeming to understand the enormity of making it hers. She looked at Blaze questioningly, as if he were the only one who knew whether she should welcome this commitment, because itwouldbe one neither could truly understand at their young age.

Or so most would assume.

“Aye, my friend,” Blaze said softly, if not sadly, withdrawing the Viking dagger. “As I, too, have my own path to walk.” He shook his head. “I cannot say if our paths will lead back to each other, but this is the way...our hope if ye choose to accept it.”

“Of course I do,” Marjorie said softly without hesitation. “Always.”

“Aye, then.” He held out his cupped palm to Willow. “If ye’re willing to part with it?”

Willow blinked back more tears and nodded, giving the ring to him before he turned to Marjorie.

“May this forever keep ye strong, my friend,” he said solemnly, sliding it onto her finger, only for it to mystically resize. He met her eyes and smiled, despite the same sadness in his eyes that was in hers. “Strong until we meet again someday.”

“I would like nothing more,” she whispered as the boy once again became a grey wolf pup. His gaze lingered on hers for a long moment before he trotted off into the sunset with the Viking blade in his mouth, before vanishing altogether.

Where we thought Marjorie would be distraught afterward, it seemed the ring showed her something we couldn’t see. Though sadness lingered in her eyes, so too did genuine happiness as she looked at everyone and wondered what the evening’s festivities would entail.

So it was then that we headed back to MacLeod Castle and straight into a Happily Ever After For All because the wicked witch and her evil son were no more.

Peace had at last settled over the land.

Powerful children would be born of dragon and witch blood, not separating the MacLeods and Sutherlands, but making them true allied Scots in every sense of the word, who would continue rallying for king and country far into the future.

Dragonly Scots who had leant magic and strength lost to the history books.

After all, history would unfold as it should, and Scotland would become the Scotland we know and love today.

And Ellie and her Scot of Hereafter?

We lived into old age alongside our kin, loving every precious moment. Not just that, but adoring our wee witchy dragonly bairns and then their bairns born into a future far brighter than we ever dared dream.