“Do ye trust them?” Moira asked, seeking more than affirmation.
“Every one of them,” he replied with an oath-like nod. “I’d lay down me life for any brother without hesitation.”
His words stirred both admiration and guilt within Moira, recalling how she disappointed Brodie. As they left the forest’s shelter and approached the keep, her thoughts turned to mending the bonds between them.
Right before reaching the gates, Moira asked, “How does one right a wrong done in good faith?”
Kevin’s expression softened. “By showing courage to face it,” he advised and continued walking.
Determined, Moira whispered to herself, “Forgiveness is earned.” With resolve hardening with each step, she decided to prove her commitment through actions rather than grand gestures or eloquent words.
Once Moira and Brodie were in their chamber for the night, she once again apologized for overstepping and asking his grandfather to heal when it wasn’t her place.
Brodie listened intently as Moira apologized, his gaze steady but not unkind. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across his face, softening the angles of his chiseled jaw. When she finished speaking, a heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the crackling of the hearth fire.
“I understand why ye did it,” Brodie finally said, his voice low and measured. “Ye have a good heart, Moira. ’Tis one of the things that I admire most about ye.”
Moira felt a flicker of hope ignite within her chest. “But I should have consulted with ye first,” she admitted, her eyessearching his. “I let me impulsiveness guide me, and in doing so, I betrayed yer trust.”
Brodie sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “Aye, ye should have asked me first, but I cannae blame ye for trying to help another. Please only do so with me permission though.”
Moira was relieved he didn’t seem angrier. She walked to him and rested her head on his broad shoulder, sighing when his arms came about her. She would do better in the future. For she must.
