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“The greater service will be to see Kin tended to,” she said, and her father shook his head, cursing himself as he did so.
“I am sorry, Murdina–I should have believed ye, I should have believed him,” he said, but Murdina took him by the hand and gave a weak smile.
“I wouldnae have believed me either, Father. Tis’ nay shame in it. But please, let us get him inside and warm,” she said, and her father nodded.
“I shall send for the healer. Hurry now,” he said, barking orders at the servants.
Murdina watched as Kin was carried inside, and she followed, the party making its way to chambers on an upper floor where Kin was laid on a bed and a fire kindled in the hearth.
“I should dress the wound. Help me,” Murdina said as the servants hurried back and forth at her bidding.
Kin was still unresponsive, and Murdina cleaned his wound, bandaging it with clean strips of cloth before the healer arrived with herbs and medicine.
“Tell me he will live,” she said, and the healer sighed.
“We can only dae what we can. He has suffered a serious injury. But the wound is cleaned, and this tonic will help soothe him,” she said, applying a few drops of a sweet, scented liquid to Kin’s lips.
At this, he murmured, opening his eyes, and gazing up at Murdina with a pained look on his face.
“Murdina,” he gasped, and she clasped his hand in hers.
“I am here, Kin, I am here, and we have bandaged yer wounds. The ointment will help soothe ye,” she said, and he nodded, trying to sit up, even as he winced with pain.
“I… did…” he began, and she nodded.
“All is well–Freya is safe, and those fiends are safely in hand. Ye need worry nay longer,” she said, and he nodded.
“Then we have prevailed. The cause has prevailed,” he said, and she smiled.
“It has–we have. And even my father has admitted he was wrong,” she replied.
Kin smiled, wincing again as he laughed.
“Then I am truly honored,” he said.
“Ye can be at peace now, yer family–they are avenged. Murdoch and Iver will be imprisoned for their crimes. Tis’ known what they have done, and they will nae get away with it this time. The brotherhood will see to that,” she said.
Kin nodded, squeezing her hand, as he smiled weakly up at her.
“And we have prevailed together, Murdina. Ye and I, together,” he said, closing his eyes.
She leaned down and kissed him gently on the forehead. He was soon asleep, but Murdina stayed at his side, keeping vigil as night fell and the fire dyed low in the hearth.
“Ye must get some rest, Murdina,” Cillian said when later he brought a tray of food for her.
She looked down at Kin and nodded, loathe to leave him but knowing Cillian was right.
“I have a lot to tell ye–what adventures we have had,” she said, and he smiled.
“We have all had. But come now, rest a while. I shall keep vigil at his side. Yer father and yer sisters–they are waitin’ to see ye in the laird’s parlor,” he said, and Murdina rose to her feet, thanking him again for his faithfulness to her.
“Ye and I will always be friends, Cillian. Ye have stood by me through so much. I have much to thank ye for,” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“I am only glad I have proved myself to yer father–and the clan. Just as ye have proved yerself. Nay one will doubt that ye are the finest of swordswomen and a match for any man who dares to challenge ye,” he said, grinning at her.
“Ye did nae need to prove yerself to me, Cillian. I always knew ye had the heart of a lion and that yer loyalty was unquestionable,” she said, as Cillian now took his place at Kin’s side.
Murdina lingered for a moment, watching Kin lying motionless on the bed. His breathing was heavy, but the ointment seemed to have brought him peace, and she nodded to Cillian before leaving the room and closing the door quietly behind her. The morning seemed an age ago, another life in which so much was different. As she came to the door of her father’s parlor, Murdina paused, sighing, as she thought back over all that had happened between them. Her father had been blinded by his loyalty to the cause, a loyalty which had made him believe the lies of traitors. How close Murdina, too, had come to disaster, and she could only be thankful for her own stubborn nature.
