The long, agonizing moments stretched out for an eternity and then Malcolm finally did rest the head of his war hammer on the ground. He leaned against it like a cane, and the soft grass sagged underneath his weight. He sighed heavily. The roar of the battle slowly begun to turn to silence as the sight of Malcolm stopping spread as a wave across the battlefield. Everyone hoped that this time it would be for good. Enough blood had been shed.
“Ye can put yer sword away, Son. I’m nae gaeing tae fight ye. I cannae.”
He looked around him. He was an old man. His judgment was flawed. His son would soon be Laird, that was obvious now. “When yer ma died I lost a part of myself, but seeing the two of ye taegether makes me remember the way she made me feel. Aye…she hated me gaeing off tae war. She hated all of this.”
“Then let’s have peace in her name, Da,” Rhys said.
Malcolm nodded. The decision was already taken by his son. The feeling was bitter-sweet. He felt obsolete but he knew his son was a man of his own right and would lead his clan well. Both clans…
Malcom raised his war hammer, bellowing out in a booming voice that the battle was over and everyone should lay down their arms.
Relief swept over Rhys and he turned to embrace Caitlin. They held each other and kissed as their lives had come so close to being over. Their marriage had come so close to being ripped from the tapestry of the world, but they had proven themselves stronger than any force that could threaten them.
19
In the aftermath of the battle, the dead were gathered and mourned, while the living rejoiced in the fact that peace had broken out. Caitlin rode with Rhys back to the keep, clinging to his body as the horse galloped along underneath them. For a moment her life had flashed before her eyes, and the only thing that had been on her mind was Rhys. The way he spoke about their future together made her fall in love with him all over again, and she was eager to begin their married life in earnest after this unfortunate episode. She was able to leave behind her fear of Malcolm as they all returned and sat around a table to discuss peace.
Caitlin stood behind Rhys as the treaty was discussed and signed, with a few more clauses added given what had happened. The clans agreed to work together for mutual prosperity and to always be prepared to defend each other against threats to the clan. They pledged to share resources and to encourage more intermarriage between the clans, in the hope that the ties of blood would prove to make peace a lasting thing. Rhys and Caitlin were determined to do everything they could to make peace last as long as possible. With each other, they saw great hope for the future, one that was resplendent in glory and would lead to their clans being talked about in respected whispers, rather than ridiculed for being petty and bickering.
It was a time of celebration as the treaty was signed and Bryn and Malcolm clasped hands, properly this time, with no hint of deceit from either of them. Bryn then embraced Rhys, welcoming him to the family, while Malcolm stood in front of Caitlin. Although he was not holding the war hammer and the worst of her fear was behind her, she was still flushed with uncertainty about him. It would take her a little time to forget the terrible vision of him looming over her, madness and death in his eyes.
“Lass, I believe I owe ye an apology. Ye can be sure that naething like that is ever gaeing tae happen again. I want ye tae know that ye can count on me for anything. People used tae say that I was sae much of an animal nae fair woman would ever love me, but my Elsie did.” He smiled and his eyes glistened with the sadness of yesteryear. “She loved me in a way that I dinnae ken was possible, and I think ye are the same with Rhys. Take care of him. He’s my eldest boy and he means the world tae me. I can see that he means the world tae ye tae.”
Caitlin was moved by his words and encouraged by the fact that although they may have had their differences, they shared one vital thing in common: their love for Rhys. To mark the peace, Caitlin ignored her reservations and flung her arms around her father-in-law, which brought the big man to tears. The clans vowed that they would never make war again and it was a promise they intended to keep with all their hearts.
The occasion was, of course, marked with a feast. Hostilities ceased and the mood was lifted by good food and a plentiful supply of alcohol. Minstrels played and this time the entirety of the Frasier clan was invited into the keep. Caitlin and Rhys were the center of attention and the driving force behind the good mood. They danced and encouraged everyone to have a good time. Caitlin watched as her brothers joined in, although she wasn’t sure she liked the fact that Rhys’s brothers were teaching them how to gamble. But they also caught the eye of some Frasier maidens, and all around the hall she could see people slowly starting to warm to each other. In a way, this process had begun when the Frasiers had first arrived at the keep. Over the course of the last few
