Off the coast of Scotland
10 years later
Finally, I can breathe again.
No more gasping for air.
Free again.
The cold, crisp air of Scotland sent chills down ada spine, the fog of the morning glided across her bear arms causing the hairs to stand at attention.
Ada McKay felt as if it had been fifty years instead of ten since she had truly felt so free and happy, not that Ireland was not pleasant but there was no substitute for her homeland.
She was stronger here.
Her spirit was calm here.
Her heart jumped as her friend Emma suddenly appeared out of nowhere to plop her arms on the ships mass next to her "so before we dock I have a very serious matter to discuss with you."
"Very well?" she said smiling at the serious tone of her friend's voice.
Emma looked around, and then leaned close to her ear "is it true about what they say about Scottish highlander's kilts?"
Ada's eyes narrowed "what do they say?"
She looked around again before leaning in more "you know….about them not wearing anything under there kilt... you know free to swing."
"EMMA! You shouldn't talk of such…"
Emma slapped her hand on her mouth "shhh not so loud, loud mouth" she laughed.
Ada swatted her hand away "where did you even hear that?" Not that the topic was surprising considering her friend was very fond of the opposite sex.
With her large curvy body, amble bosom, oval face, and long raven hair all men seemed drawn to her. Ada had herd from one of the housemaids, that she seemed to bewitch all with her lavender eyes. She believed it she sow how her friend's eyes glowed brighter when she was around men.
"Angie."
Ada snickered "Angie? Seventy-year-old, blind as a bat Angie? Why would she be talking of that?"
"I heard her talking to one of the wash maids about your trip and she huffed and said something about the highland barbarians don't even wear coverings under there kilt and that it's no place for a sweet young lady" she whispered.
A bright grin covered Ada's face "aww she never told me I was a sweet young lady, she always said I was a stubborn shrew."
Emma laughed, "Well that holds true also."
"Hey!" she said as she slapped her shoulder.
"ok ok! You're an angel. Goodness, the truth hurts" she said with a pouting face.
"So she said that and you didn't have the tongue to ask her how she knows that?"
Emma smiled wickedly "she says they wear nothing because they have to be able to rut at any time, with any woman without undressing and they are never… satisfied."
Ada grimaced "how sad… And chilly for them" she giggled.
"That's my thoughts to! Especially since the cold is a man's worst enemy."
Adas brow lowered as she cocked her head to the side "why is that?"
Emma gasped, "You've never seen a man's part in the cold? How is that possible you're a healer?"
"I dealt with necked men but I wasn't looking ... You know down there."
"Maybe you should have, you can't stay a virgin forever," she laughed.
Ada shrugged "if a man claims to really love me as I am, then he won't demand my body before our wedding night, but from my experience men are selfish, cheating horned devils, much like Lady Donnell's. So the chance of a man truly loving me as I am and me him is very unlikely."
Emma looked at her with a cocked eyebrow "nonsense just because James was soft headed enough to sleep with the lady devil doesn't mean all men are dunder brained donkeys, and you can't compare everyone to him, that's unfair."
Just talking about her former employer and causen gave ada a bad taste in her mouth. She would have rather stayed with her father and gotten the Black Death, then been sent to her mums cousin, Lady Donnell of Kildare Ireland ten years ago. She had not been welcome the day she set foot in the Lady Devils house.
She was the daughter of highlander barbarian after all.
Even with her father giving her a large amount of coin, she still put her in the position of a kitchen maid, which had bothered her at first but after the servants welcomed her as if she was there, long lost family she began to enjoy herself.
"Me and mum have told you over and over again that you can't let one donkey of a man decide the fate of your future white knight," Emma said.
Ada smiled Milly, Emma's mum and the Earl of Kildares house healer, welcomed her into her home, kept her fed and helped her learn all she needed to know about healing and growing herbs. Emma's dad, Kane the commander of the guard made sure that he thought his two girls how to defend themselves from any and all men, with swords, rooks, or fists.
He kept them both well trained.
Which came in handy when James, the sweet young warrior that trained beside them decided that there love was moving to slow and he wanted her to move faster.
She refused.
He did not take it well.
Ada touched the side of her head where her hair was shaved to a few inches long, where her right side still hung long past her shoulders, her left side served as a constant reminder of what she had to do to escape James grasp.
Well he got what he deserved.
He could still be a warrior with one hand, not that he had much a choose... now.
Ada smiled "unfair or not, there not to be trusted. They are creatures that only care about getting what they want, one way or another."
"Sounds like something they say about us" Emma laughed.
Ada shook her finger "we are different. If we don't get our way we simple find a way to get our way, because we are always right."
She shrugged "True. Well as horrid as he was at least you got a unique hair style out of it."
"Yes, makes me feel like a Viking from years past" ada laughed.
"Yes, yes, now… is it true?"
"What?" ada asked.
Emma rolled her eyes "under the kilt?"
She grinned and crocked her finger to beacon her closer "well…" she looked around , then leaned in real close "I have no idea, I was only ten summers when I left and I never thought to look."
Emma frowned in disappointment.
She snickered as she patted her back "you can ask someone when we get to my clan. I'm sure one of the men will help you."
Emma smiled and sweetly waved to someone behind her. Ada turned to see one of the crew, a shirtless, dark skinned man, with long dreads smile and wink at her as he wrapped the rope around his arm.
Ada rolled her eyes, as she turned back to her friend "I said when we get there, not now."
Emma's eyes glowed "oh I intend to find out, one way or another. I just need a willing subject."
"Do you ever not think about men?"
She gave her a shocked look "why would I ever do such a horrible thing? That's like you wearing a fancy gown without your tights hidden underneath."
"Now that is scary!"
She hated skirts.
They got in the way of everything. When she became the healer's helper, she decided to start wearing men's leather tights, with a long tunic, and a belt and boots, however today she wore her clan's plaid today for her trip home. She was not afraid of what other thought. She could ride better, run faster, and spend more time in the garden in her tights and as long as she was comfortable with herself, she did not see the need to change.
She just hoped her father would not mind.
Ada looked up and spotted the outline of the docks. The morning rays starting to thin out the fog "home."
As they drew closer, she spotted two familiar faces on the dock waving in their direction. She smiled as she waved back "look! I see Angus and oh, goodness is that thane? He's as big as a bear."
Ada turned to Emma and pointed, "Those are my father's men. They are going to escort us to the keep."
Emma smiled when she sow the young, blond warrior in the distance. His hair hung down past his wide shoulders, and framed his strong bearded jaw. With his leather armor, white tunic, kilted waist and boots he truly looked like a highland barbarian "Very fine bear. Nice knees. Is he married?"
"I hope you are talking of the younger lad, thane. My da did not mention him married but he say he is very loved by the lasses."
Emma sent thane a sweet wave, which caused thanes smile to widened even more "I'm liking Scotland more and more then closer we get, my lady."
Ada felt the ship gently halt next to the busy village of Mulls wooden dock.
Ada bent down and grabbed her healing bag as she herd the bang of the plank as it was low ered "I asked you to keep calling me my name did I not?"
Emma shook her head as they brushed past the crew toward the gangplank "we are in Scotland now and you are a lady, not just another maid, and if I am going to be your lady's maid then I will call you 'My Lady' weather you approve or not."
Ada rolled her eyes "so pigheaded."
"You? Oh, I agree. You will get over it and do not worry; I will still tell you when you are wrong. Now let's go meet the highland barbarians so I can start my kilt research," she giggled.
"Have fun with that. Uncle Angus!" she yelled as she ran down the plank into the beefy, hairy arms of her fathers most trusted warrior.. ... to be continued
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