“What are the local customs that ye partake in up here in the Highlands?” She asked as a way to break the silence and hoped that it was a topic that Rory could speak on for a long time. She just wanted to hear his voice as he spoke about something that he loved.
He shrugged. “We have many, I suppose. The Beltane fires in the spring. Those are always a great reason to gather and celebrate. Do ye have them in the lowlands?”
She shook her head. “Mayhap others do, but we didnae celebrate Beltane at Auchenford.”
He pressed his lips into a thin line. Lips that had kissed her so passionately only a couple of nights ago. Without thinking, she brought her fingers to her lips. It was wrong that she wanted to feel his lips upon hers again. But she couldn’t stop the thought from constantly popping into her mind.
“I would think that the MacDonell celebrate them, but I make no promises.”
Her heart sank at the mention of her future husband. She didn’t want to think about him. The dread that had settled in her stomach was growing with each step closer they got to Caer Rannoch, and she only wanted to think of happy things.
“There are also lots ofceilidhs. Each clan will have them for whate’er reason. Though I am for certs ye have those down in the lowlands.”
“Aye. I have attended a few.”
“They are big affairs here. The clanfolk all gather and my ma and da make sure to host a grand meal. After e’eryone has filled their bellies with delicious food, the music starts and dancing ensues—with lots of drink, of course.” He wiggled his eyebrows, the gesture immediately lightening the mood. “There is always lots of drink on those nights.”
She smiled. She couldn’t help it. “They sound like a grand time.” She wished her parents had hosted such grandiose gatherings.
“Och, they are. Ye should—” He caught himself and didn’t finish the sentence, though both of them kenned what he was going to say. If only she could. If only their circumstances were different.
“But, some of our get-togethers are for serious matters,” he said,quickly changing the subject so neither of them lingered on things they had no control over.
She stepped over a fallen log, carefully maneuvering so she didn’t trip. “Such as?”
“When we gather for the honor oaths. Sometimes those are somber affairs, but no’ always.”
“Is that when a new laird is sworn in?” Alana’s father had been laird since afore she was born, so she had never had the chance to attend an oath ceremony.
“Aye. Not always. Sometimes ’tis when a clansman has turned his back on one clan to swear loyalty to another. Or when clans combine or enter into a partnership. There are many reasons.”
“Have ye attended many?”
Rory shrugged. “A few. The most recent was when my younger sister married, and she and her husband were gifted a parcel of land, and he received his title.”
She realized he had mentioned his sisters and brother a few times but had not really spoken about them. Alana found herself wanting to ken more about them. But not only them individually, but them as a whole family.
“Was yer sister the first of yer siblings to marry?”
He frowned. “Aye. She took us all by surprise by falling in love with our enemy.”
Alana’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Yer enemy? Really?”
He sighed. “Aye, but I must admit that her husband treats her verra weel. He loves her truly and deeply, and she the same. It just took us some time to get used to the idea of which clan he belonged to. We had spent many years sparring back and forth. But they’re coming together also brought our clans together and healed some deep-set wounds from generations past.”
“It sounds like it worked out weel for ye all in the end, then, aye?”
Rory nodded his head. “It did indeed. Come, this way.” He left thesomewhat worn path they had been following and moved deeper into the woods.
“Where are ye going?”
“’Tis just o’er here a ways.” He turned and paused when he saw her hesitation. “’Tis naught to be afraid of. I promise ye, ye will love it when ye see.” He wiggled his eyebrows as he had done earlier, and gave her that genuine smile of his, and she couldn’t help but feel a sort of excitement about wherever it was he was leading them.
Through the trees, the land opened up into a craggy meadow. But not just any meadow. Alana looked around in awe at the stones standing afore her.
There must have been at least twelve of them, standing tall against the backdrop of the trees. She approached them, reaching out her hand to run her fingers along them.
“Take care, Bluebell. Legend has it that if ye touch the stone and ye have the power, ye will disappear.”
