Page 77 of Desire of a Highlander

Ronan glanced over his shoulder. “Aye. And a benevolent laird seems a story too good to be true in these times.”

“You still want to stay?”

He looked towards David’s wagon. The exhausted children. The elderly people struggling to remain on their feet.

“I dinna think we have a choice. We need the rest.”

She nodded. “Then we’d best get busy.”

The riverside soon became a hive of activity. Blankets were shaken out, cooking fires prepared, water buckets filled.

“Elodie!” A small hand seized hers, and Elodie turned to find Morag grinning at her enthusiastically. “Come on! I want to show ye something!”

Elodie allowed herself to be pulled along the riverbank. They rounded a clump of alder trees, and Elodie heard voices echoing ahead. It sounded like children’s laughter, and she soon spotted what was causing it. A thick rope hung from the broad branch of an ancient oak that leaned over the river. A stout stick had been tied to the end of the rope as a seat to make a swing.

Half a dozen village children were taking turns launching themselves out over the water before swinging back again, shrieking with delight.

“Oh! I want a go!” Morag cried.

Without waiting to be invited, she joined the line of children waiting for their turn. One of the older girls grinned at her.

“Ye next!”

Morag nodded enthusiastically, grabbed the swing, and clambered up onto the stick seat. The other children gave her a mighty push, and Morag laughed with delight as she sailed high above the sparkling river.

Morag came swinging back and jumped off, landing lightly on the bank beside Elodie, one hand still clutching the rope.

“Here! Yer turn!”

Elodie backed off. “Oh no. I think I’m a bit old—”

“No, ye aren’t!”

The other children immediately joined in.

“Go on!”

“Have a turn!”

“It’ll be fun!”

Elodie sighed dramatically, realizing she wasn’t going to win this argument. “Fine.”

She grabbed the rope from Morag and climbed awkwardly onto the seat. She gripped the rope with both hands. “Not too high.”

The children exchanged mischievous looks. A tremendous shove sent her flying out over the river, and she let out an involuntary squeal. The water glittered beneath her, and the wind rushed through her hair. She swung back, then forward again, and she found herself laughing in pure delight.

For a few glorious moments, she forgot everything. She forgot about time travel and burned villages and politics, and danger. For those few moments she was a child again, and she was having fun.

As the swing slowed, she glanced towards the riverbank. Ronan stood watching, his arms folded. He wasn’t making a very good job of looking stern though, as a smile was pulling at the corner of his mouth. She waved. He rolled his eyes, then turned and walked back towards the camp.

Elodie was just clambering off the swing when one of the village women called sharply. “Oi! Ye lot! It’s getting late. Time to come in!”

The children groaned but didn’t argue, scattering obediently back towards the village, leaving Elodie alone on the riverbank. She sighed, releasing the swing and watching as it swung back over the water, empty this time.

She followed the children back towards the camp at a much more leisurely pace. It had been a long, exhausting day, and she wanted nothing more than to fall into her blankets and go to sleep. Although maybe not right away. She and Ronan would have a tent to themselves, and it would be a shame to waste the opportunity...

“Elodie!”