As the night grew late, Laird Lindsay showed Moira and Brodie to their quarters. The room was simple but comfortable, with a crackling fire in the hearth and soft furs on the bed. Moira sank onto the mattress, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle upon her.
Brodie hesitated by the door, his expression unreadable in the flickering firelight. “I’ll take the first watch,” he said quietly. “Ye need yer rest, Moira.”
She nodded, too tired to argue. As Brodie slipped out of the room.
As she lay in the darkness, staring up at the rough-hewn beams of the ceiling, a soft knock sounded at the door. She wasunsure if Brodie had finally decided to join her, or if someone else was knocking.
“Come in,” Moira called, sitting up in bed.
Elsa slipped into the room, a single candle casting a warm glow across her face. “I couldn’t sleep,” she confessed, perching on the edge of the bed. “I keep thinking about what lies ahead, and I fear for what the future may hold.”
Moira reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. “I know, Elsa. The road before us is uncertain and fraught with danger. But we have each other, and we have the strength of our clans behind us. We will face whatever comes, together.”
“I cannae wait until ye are at McAfee Keep, and ye can meet me sisters. It’s odd that we’ve been friends for years, and ye’ve never met the two of them.”
Elsa smiled. “Meeting them will be a true pleasure. I dinnae know if Father wants me to join him at yer keep, but I think there’s strength in numbers, and I will push him to do so.”
“We cannae let years go by when we don’t see one another again,” Moira said. “Ye will be very welcome in me home.”
