High on a Mountain (8 page)

Ailean knew one thing: he had to keep Mùirne
from marrying Latharn or his own life would be over.

____________

Mùirne rolled over and a rock prodded her
side. It penetrated her slumber. She awoke and sat up, looking
around in the early morning light at unfamiliar territory. The cold
air chilled her dew-dampened clothing and made her shiver. She lay
down again, moving closer to her mother’s warmth. Mùirne’s stirring
awakened her mother, and she sat up and yawned.

“We should be on our way. I don’t think it’s
much farther,” Dearshul said. She picked up her bundle of
belongings and trudged down the hillside with Mùirne following
close behind.

The sun traveled closer to its zenith by the
time they made their way onto the land of Clan MacNeachdainn.
Dearshul stopped at a cottage and asked the way to Raibeart
MacNeachdainn’s home.

Dearshul saw her older daughter from a
distance. “Elasaid!”

“Ma!” Elasaid shouted, left the sheep and ran
to her mother and sister. She threw her arms around her mother,
then embraced Mùirne.

“I’m so glad to see you. What a nice
surprise.” Elasaid beamed.

“You might not think it’s so nice when you
hear what’s happened,” Dearshul said.

“Let me bring the sheep to the house. I’ll
fix you something to eat and you can tell me about it.”

____________

Ailean left the house before breakfast and
climbed the mountain. When he reached his rock, he sat and looked
over the land below without seeing it, his heartache expanding and
threatening to choke him. His face felt swollen and bloated from
the effort of keeping his misery from overwhelming him, and his
breaths came fast and shallow as he struggled to keep his tears
from flowing. He couldn’t allow himself to give in to it. Warriors
didn’t cry.

He could control the tears, but he couldn’t
control his thoughts. They returned to Mùirne, again and again.

Mùirne married to Latharn? How could that be
true? She told Ailean she loved him, only him. She said she would
marry him.

Ailean closed his eyes and groaned at the
memory of holding her, kissing her. He remembered how she looked
when she said she loved him, remembered the excitement burning
through her eyes from her soul. Mùirne loved him, and he knew it.
Loved him like he loved her. How could she marry Latharn?

He opened his eyes and blinked to clear the
mist from them. Ailean gazed down at the glen, at the spot where he
planned to build a cottage for Mùirne. A cottage where they would
live a life filled with love and happiness. A cottage that would
never be. There would be no happiness, no golden days of love in
his future.

Ailean found it hard to breathe, as if the
life had been crushed from his heart. His dreams were destroyed and
scattered like ashes. And he could think of nothing to do to change
that.

____________

Latharn paced through the house, eager and
impatient, while he waited for his father to finish dressing. When
Eachann was ready, they left for the MacPhàrlain’s cottage.

Grandma MacPhàrlain met them at the door.

“I’m here to see Mùirne,” Latharn told
her.

“Mùirne’s not here,” she said.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know. I sent her away.”

“But, I brought my father to meet her. And he
and you can begin making the wedding plans,” Latharn said.

“She’s not here. She refused to marry you, so
I sent her away.”

“But she
has
to marry me. You
approved, you gave your permission,” Latharn said, the implication
of her words penetrating his mind gradually.

“Her mother refused, too. I’m sorry. You’ll
have to go,” Grandma said and started to close the door.

Eachann Cambeul elbowed his way past his son
and stepped in front of her, pushing the door wide open.

“Do you know who I am!” he thundered, his
face growing red, the veins in his neck and forehead bulging. “You
will not disrespect my son this way! I won’t tolerate it!”

He shoved Grandma aside and entered the
cottage, followed by Latharn and Odhran. He went through the small
dwelling, knocking over the pitifully few furnishings, smashing
some of them. He tore down the curtained partition, went into the
sleeping area and threw the heather bedding onto the floor. He
ground it underfoot. He opened the gate to the byre, released the
animals that were penned for the night and drove them outside.

“You haven’t heard the last of this, old
woman,” he wheezed, leaning over Grandma, glaring into her
face.

Latharn hovered at his father’s side, his
face a mask of concern. “Father, are you all right?”

Grandma’s breath came rapid and ragged
through her open mouth. Her shoulders sagged, and she leaned
against the wall for support.

Eachann turned and limped out the door.
“Come, son. We’ve spent enough time in this hovel. And forget the
girl. You can see what kind of stock she issued from,” he said,
gasping. He gave Grandma a piercing look. “She is beneath you.”

____________

“Why did Grandma want you to marry that man?”
Elasaid asked. “He lives not far from here, and I have heard bad
things of him. I wouldn’t let him marry one of my
sheep.
”

“I think…it’s because Latharn is rich,”
Mùirne said.

“What are you going to do now, Ma?” Elasaid
asked.

Dearshul shook her head, her face drawn and
haggard, worry written upon its wrinkles with a bold pen. “I don’t
know. I just know I won’t give my daughter to a man she is afraid
of, not for any amount of money.”

She looked at Mùirne and patted her hand. She
tried to give her daughter a reassuring smile.

“I don’t know where we’ll find another
marriage prospect for her,” Elasaid said. “There aren’t many
unmarried men around here. Except for a doddering old widower and a
few underage boys. There are some unmarried cottars on this croft
and the next one. But,” she regarded her younger sister with pity
evident in her eyes, shaking her head, “marrying a cottar—”

“Maybe I won’t have to marry a cottar. Ailean
MacLachlainn said he wants to marry me. He said he was going to
come speak to Ma,” Mùirne said. “But he doesn’t know where I am
now. If he did—

“Ailean MacLachlainn? That tall boy who plays
camanachd
so well? I’ve heard of him. Saw him play
once.”

“He is tall, truly. And he did say Latharn
became his enemy over
camanachd
.”

“Mùirne,” Dearshul said, her voice stern.
“How do you know this MacLachlainn boy? He’s never been to the
house.”

Mùirne’s face turned red, and she lowered her
head to stare at her hands, which were plucking and twisting at her
clothing. She didn’t answer.

“Tell me!”

“I…he comes to see me…”

Dearshul grasped Mùirne’s chin and tilted her
daughter’s face up, but Mùirne’s eyes didn’t meet her mother’s.

“Have you…has anything…has he done
anything?”

“He…the last time he came to see me, he
kissed me.”

Dearshul slumped into a chair, buried her
face in her hands. “I’ll never get you married now. I should have
listened to Ma and made you marry Latharn.”

“No,” Mùirne said. “Ailean will marry me.
Ailean…he loves me. He said so.”

Dearshul groaned.

“When Raibeart returns this evening, I’ll
speak to him about this.” Elasaid tried to reassure her mother. “He
can take his brother and go talk to MacLachlainn, tell him where
you are. We’ll see what happens.”

____________

“Hello the house,” someone called from the
hillside.

Aodh arose from his chair by the fire and
went outside. Two strangers descended the path toward the
cottages.

“Hello,” Aodh answered. “Who are you, and
what might your business be?”

“I’m Raibeart MacNeachdainn,” one of the men
said, “and this is my brother, Seumas. We are looking for Ailean
MacLachlainn.”

What has that boy done now?

Aodh shook his head imperceptibly. He sighed.
“Ailean is my son. What business do you have with him?”

“Is he here?” Raibeart asked.

“Aye.” Aodh turned to call his son outside,
but Ailean stood in the doorway already.

“I’m Ailean. What do you want with me?”

“My wife sent me to fetch you, if you’ll
come. Her sister, Mùirne, is at our house. She wants to see
you.”

“I’ll come with you,” Ailean said and went
inside to strap on his sword and don his bonnet.

NINE

Raibeart and Seumas struggled to keep up with
Ailean on the path along the shore of Loch Fyne. But after they
left MacLachlainn land and passed through Cambeul territory, he
slowed. And when they entered Clan MacNeachdainn lands, he hung
back so they could lead the way.

His inner turmoil mirrored the terrain they
crossed; his thoughts ascended, reached the pinnacle of his
desires…
she loves me, that’s why she sent for me, she’s still
mine
…then tumbled and plunged into a valley of
depression…
she’s marrying Latharn, she’ll never be mine, she
just wants to say goodbye.

Mùirne stood outside her sister’s cottage,
watching for them, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun. Ailean
caught sight of her flaming red hair from a distance and rushed to
her, once again leaving the MacNeachdainn brothers behind.

He wanted to grab her, enwrap her in his arms
and carry her away, but he slowed when he neared her, unsure of
what she would say. He stopped several feet away and stood looking
intently at her, breathing hard, as much from the tumult of his
emotions as from his physical exertion.

Mùirne stood before him, trembling.

“Mùirne. You wanted to see me?”

“Aye,” she said, a frown wrinkling her smooth
brow.

“Your grandma said you are marrying
Latharn.”

“No, no. I…Ma and I came here because Grandma
said if I didn’t marry him, we couldn’t stay at home with her any
longer. I’ll
never
marry Latharn.”

Ailean closed his eyes, turned his face
heavenward and said a silent prayer of thanks. He took a deep
breath, and some of the tightness that bound his body dissolved.
The heaviness that pressed down on him lessened. His shoulders
relaxed as he gazed at Mùirne. Her image blurred, and he blinked
his eyes to clear them. He took another breath.

“You still want to marry me?” he asked.

“Aye.”

Ailean took two steps, reached to take her in
his arms, but remembered that they were not alone in the glen by
Loch Lomond. He forced his arms to his sides and stood looking down
into her eyes. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I…I love you, too,” she said. She smiled,
took his hand and led him to the door of Elasaid’s cottage. She
dropped his hand and beckoned Ailean to follow her inside.

“Ma, this is Ailean MacLachlainn,” Mùirne
said, keeping her eyes turned toward the floor.

“Is it, now,” Dearshul said. “And what would
be your business here, MacLachlainn?”

“I…I—” Ailean stammered, blushing, at a loss
for words. He brushed his hair back, adjusted his bonnet, cleared
his throat and looked directly into Dearshul’s eyes. “I want to
marry your daughter.”

“Can you provide for her?” Dearshul
asked.

“Aye. I’ve asked the tacksman if I can have a
share on the croft, and he gave his permission. The other tenants
are agreeable. I will work hard to make sure we have enough to eat
and clothes to wear,” he answered.

“And your father has approved it?”

“Aye. He told me I can build a house beside
his, like my brother Coinneach did when he married. And I will have
a share on the croft. We’ve already decided which field will be
mine. I will be a tenant, like the others, not a cottar.”

Dearshul turned to Mùirne. “Do you want to
marry him?”

Mùirne was standing by the wall near the
door, listening and nervously twisting her fingers. Her head jerked
up, her eyes opened wide, startled by having the question directed
to her. She blushed.

“Yes, Ma. I do,” she said, her voice almost
inaudible.

“Then, young man, go build the house,”
Dearshul said.

“Thank you,” Ailean said. He smiled and
looked at Mùirne, wishing they could be alone so he could hold her,
kiss her and be reassured of her love for him.

“You can go home now,” Dearshul said. “And
tell your father I’ll speak to the parson, and I’ll plan the
wedding. When will he come here so we can meet him?”

“I…I’ll bring him soon.”

“You can go now,” Dearshul repeated, with a
smile.

Ailean hesitated, smiled at Dearshul and
glanced at Mùirne once more. She looked up at that moment and their
eyes met. Mùirne smiled at him and all his doubt and pain and
turmoil caused by Grandma MacPhàrlain’s words melted away as though
they had never been.

Ailean left the MacNeachdainn’s cottage, and
he wanted to run all the way home. The faster everything happened,
the sooner Mùirne would be his, safe from any claim of Latharn
Cambeul’s.

____________

Aodh and Brìghde met with Dearshul to
finalize the wedding plans. They decided to hold the wedding at the
church near the MacLachlainns’ home.

Although many of his clan were Catholic, Aodh
and Brìghde, like Dearshul and her family, had converted and become
Presbyterian. The church where they worshipped was a mile from
their home. The wedding ceremony would be performed there, and
Ailean’s parents would host the wedding festivities at their home
afterward.

Aodh and Bridghe agreed with Dearshul that in
addition to the Christian ceremony, the couple’s wedding should
include traditional Celtic rites, like jumping the broom, rites
handed down through countless generations from their Celtic
ancestors.

Dearshul liked Ailean’s parents and was
thankful that Mùirne would be marrying into a family of decent,
honorable people. The MacLachlainns were, like her own family, like
the people of most Highland clans, poor and hard working, eking out
a precarious existence on the beautiful but harsh Highland hills.
She watched them as they made their way along the path from
Elasaid’s home.