Bram looked nothing like what she had imagined him to be. She had assumed he was older by the number of battle wounds on his body. Last eve he had not looked nearly as handsome as now. Lara was quite taken by him. There was something compelling yet daunting about him. He stood well over six feet tall and was more than twice her weight. Had she not observed his docile demeanor last night, she would have certainly been frightened of him. She smiled at the sight of him.

Bram’s stomach rumbled with hunger when he smelled the scent of warm, freshly baked bread, as he walked closer to the croft. He would only stay for the meal and no longer. He had wasted enough time as it was. It was still too dangerous to be this close to the English border and he had no doubt that after the guards he had bested were discovered the English would send out a search party to find them.

He tapped on the door a few times but halted as the door flung open. Rowena greeted him with a wide smile and held her hand out to offer him entrance. The door frame hung so low that Bram had to slightly duck his head to enter. The room he entered was so small that it felt overcrowded. It was cluttered with tables and chairs, furs and fabrics, buckets and barrels. He wondered how anyone could move about in such chaos. He sat down on one of the chairs, fearful that his size would break it. Innes slid a mug of ale to him from across the table.

“It will take God Almighty himself to tear down that roof after all the hard work ye done to repair it,” Innes said.

“Perhaps we should hire ye to be our farmhand permanently. Then maybe more of the work would get done around here. Dinna ken how many times I have asked Innes to fix that darn fence,” Rowena jested.

“Now listen here, woman. I have told ye before. If ye wanted it done badly enough, ye could have done it. Then at least it would have been the way ye wanted it and I would no’ be hearing any of yer complaining,” Innes said as he playfully slammed Rowena’s backside.

“Innes McDonald, ye have no’ seen me complain yet,” Rowena sarcastically replied and swatted his hand away.

“I love it when ye get angry,” Innes said as his smile widened.

Both Innes and Rowena burst into laughter. Bram smirked at their playfulness. The way they acted reminded him of how his mother Kenna and father Duncan used to be before his father died. Since his death, he could not recall the last time his mother had a good hearty laugh. Lady Kenna gave up her duties as Lady of the castle. After giving up her primary responsibilities she took on the role of a healer and helped deliver bairns.

Rowena took a pitcher and refilled both Innes and Bram’s mug before walking towards the corner of the room where she began filling a trencher with bread and a few slices of cheese. Bram wrapped his large hand around the handle and chugged its contents until he had finished it. From the corner of his eye, he felt the sensation of being watched.

Bram took in a quick breath and held it as he looked over his shoulder. In the corner of the room stood a beautiful lass cutting a loaf of bread into small slices. It was Lara. Her hair was done up in braids, her pale face was rosy, and her lips were pink. She was a vision. Slowly, she came from behind the table with the trencher of bread in her hands.

“Good day,” she said with a soft smile on her face.

When his eyes lit up, he could swear that her cheeks turned a brighter shade of red. As she moved closer, Bram watched every move, every curve. The sway of her hips was enticing even though the dress she wore did not flatter her slim figure. It was dull and shapeless and had a cord of twine tied around her thin waist. As she came closer, Bram could see every feature of her face. From her small pointed nose to her sterling grey eyes. She was a natural beauty. He wanted to hit himself over the head for not noticing earlier how bonnie the lass was. She leaned in and placed the tray onto the table between him and Innes.

Nodding his head to her, he uttered, “Good afternoon. If I may say so, ye look like a lady!”

Her eyes widened by his failed attempt at a compliment. Giving her a sideways smile, he felt like a complete idiot.

“Was I no’ a lady before I bathed?” she replied raising an eyebrow.

Innes snickered. Bram could hear the sarcasm in her tone. Her words pricked him like the tip of a dirk. If he had insulted her, it was of his own doing; never had the beauty of a woman riled him so. He fumbled his words and could not think clearly enough to reconcile his attempt at a compliment. . He had only been thinking with his cock.

“Of course ye are a lady. That’s no’ what I meant. I meant to compliment ye. Ye are a…,” Bram searched for the right words to say, “comely lass.”

Lara brushed her hands down the front of her skirt her expression indicated she was about to reply when Tavish entered the croft.

“Mum, Da, I think the wolf is back. I am goin’ to set up a trap and get him this time!” he said as he held up a fist full of feathers.

“Brave lad,” Rowena said and held him in a motherly embrace. “Ach, laddie, ye are getting so big. Before I ken it, I will nay be able to wrap my arms around ye.”

Tavish smiled. He regaled them with the story of his adventures and coming upon the feathers, trying hard not to leave out any detail.

“One day, I will be a big and strong warrior like Bram,” he said pointing in Bram’s direction.

“A warrior, ye say?” Rowena repeated.

“Aye, he told me.”

Bram could feel the eyes of everyone in the room upon him. But it was their silence that made him uncomfortable. Thankfully, Tavish had quickly redirected their attention once more.

“The wench is awake!” Tavish exclaimed, pointing at Lara.

“Tavish!” Rowena barked and scowled deeply at him, horrified by what her son had just said.

“But da said…” Tavish tried to explain.

Lara’s face turned crimson with embarrassment. Did these people think she was a whore - or worse, his whore, she thought, as she looked at Bram in utter dismay.

“Never mind what yer da said,” Rowena growled giving both him and Innes a cautioning look.

“Da, are we still going to the market at Dumfries? Ye promised to take me wit’ ye today,” Tavish asked before his mother scalped him.

“I would, laddie, but there is much to be done ‘round here. I will take ye next time.”

“Is Dumfries a great distance from here?” Bram asked.

“Nay. Only a few hours north and west from here,” Innes replied.

“Thank ye again fer the food and fer allowing us to stay, but I am afraid we must be off. Lara, would you care to join me outside?”

Lara nodded and followed him out the door.

“My lady, we will be traveling to Dumfries. It should be on the way to yer home. I am friends with the Laird of Montrose just west of town. He can offer us supplies and safe passage through the Lowlands against the Campbells. My clan is nay an ally wit’ the Campbells and if we were to travel around their land it would take several days.”

“Must we stop? I am friends with the Campbells. Surely they would no’ attack if I am wit’ ye.”

“Aye, that may be true lass, but that dinna mean that they will nay try to kill me. I made a promise that ye will arrive safe at Stearns Castle, so I must do what is necessary. I can no’ promise ye that the journey will be wi’out danger. These southern hills are steep and dangerous to travel, and I dinna take too kindly to the southern clans. Many of ‘em are in support of the English.”

“I can hold my own. I am no’ afraid,” she said.

Lara wondered if going to Dumfries, or Montrose for that matter, was a good idea. She needed to get home as soon as she could to explain to her father what had happened. This detour would only delay her and she could not afford to waste another day for fear that Dermot would find she had escaped. But she knew that Bram was right. If they were to make this journey, and if he were to continue on to the Highlands, he would need supplies.