Scottish Romance: Highlander Romance: Highland Whisper (Scotland Romance) (2 page)

He wanted to get up and continue on his journey towards the royal court but he could not move until the adder did. He was cold, hungry, and wet from the damp morning dew. A small part of him wanted to go home already as he pondered spending more than a week fighting his way to Malina’s home not knowing whether or not she would even be interested, but his love was too strong. He waited for the snake to move, praying it didn’t bite. After a few hours though, the adder slowly untangled itself away from his leg as Gavin held his breath. It finally slithered completely off and moved west. Gavin rose slowly and quietly before continuing east.

It would take Gavin nearly two weeks before he reached the royal court. Once there, Gavin felt shy once again. He was not sure how to approach the people of the court and ask where he might find Malina. What if there were multiple women with the name Malina? And what if Malina’s parents did not want her to marry him? He didn’t have much to offer her other than his humble good looks and kind nature. Would her parents think that was enough? Perhaps not.

“Excuse me, sir.” Gavin approached a man sitting in a corner of the bustling market. “Have you ever heard of a woman named Malina?” The man in the corner just stared at Gavin. “She would be about my age.”

“No. She hasn’t been here in almost a year.”

Gavin felt his breath leave him and he felt his knees weaken. His Malina had not been here in almost a year. What could that mean? Had she found someone else? The girl with the shimmering green eyes could belong to another man. Gavin hung his head. The man in the corner continued to stare and said nothing else.

“What are you doing here?” asked a man approaching Gavin. “You don’t look like you belong here.”

“I have never been to the royal court,” Gavin replied.

“Why are you here?” growled the man. “Get out. Go back to the highlands.”

“Sir, have you heard of a girl named Malina?” The man stared at Gavin as though he were being a petulant child.

“Malina?” the man croaked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Gavin responded. The man looked confused and mystified.

“She left about a year ago to find some man.”

“Yes?” said Gavin. “Do you know where she went?”

“To the highlands. Some cattle boy. She’s been up there ever since. We told her not to go, but no, she had to go looking for that boy. Probably died up there she did. Her parents were ready to smack her but she left anyway, she wanted to find that stupid boy, good-for-nothing cattle boy. No good, I tell you, no good.” Gavin could not believe his ears. His Malina was looking for him. She was in the highlands right now.

Gavin tried to put the idea of Malina being hurt out of his mind, but it still worried him. Maybe this man was right. After all, what did Malina know about the highlands? Was she prepared to live alone for a year? Why had she not found him? Where was she looking? Gavin’s head spun in circles as he tried to process this information. The woman of his dreams was out there looking for him if he could only find her before it was too late.

Before Gavin could leave, however, he was whisked away by another gentlemen with a silly hat and a long cape. This man introduced himself to Gavin as Blackwood, and pushed him off with a firm grip on his shoulder. Gavin was shoved around and taken in a hurry to a room within the royal court. Seated at a large table were two royal court figures. Gavin was not sure who they were or what they could possibly want with him. Maybe they wanted to inspect him because they had heard that there was an odd, poorly dressed man from the highlands walking around and asking everyone about a daughter of the royal court.

That was it. The two figures seized Gavin up and said, “We believe that you must be looking for our daughter, Malina. She is the only woman in the royal court with that name. We want to know what your intentions are.”

Gavin cringed. He knew that this couple would not approve of him in any way. He was much too poor for their daughter and he didn’t have the manners of the high court, but he had to make an effort for Malina’s sake.

“I intend to find Malina and I intend to ask for her hand in marriage,” Gavin stated with resolve. He looked both of Malina’s parents in the eye and let them size him up for the tenth time. Although he was shy, Gavin was determined to marry Malina and he wanted to present to them a picture of determination. He did not waver. “I have loved Malina since the moment we first meant.” He hoped that would mean something to them.

It did not. “We appreciate that you value our daughter. She is a beautiful creature and unique in the way that she speaks,” Malina’s father responded.

“She is most definitely special,” Malina’s mother chimed in. “She has had many applicable suitors ask for her hand in marriage and there is no shortage of those who cannot bring themselves to ask for fear that she will reject them.”

Malina’s father laughed heartedly. “Malina does seem to have a vested interest in turning all of the men down that we bring before her. However, we are not about to let her marry you, young man. We have no interest in seeing you with our daughter.”

“I’m sure you are a fine young lad,” Malina’s mother continued, “but we are looking for someone more substantial for Malina. She deserves to have someone who can attend the royal court with her and live here as one of us. You are not one of us.”

“And you never will be,” Malina’s father added. “Son, I am afraid that you are not a good match for Malina. Thank you for stopping by, but we will have to ask you to leave now and take your intentions with you.”

Gavin did not want to let Malina’s parents get the last word in so he said quietly but firmly, “I love Malina and if she will have me, I will marry her.” Without giving her parent’s a chance to respond, Gavin walked out. He did not want to speak with them any longer because it was clear to him that though they might not have been exceedingly cruel, they were not ever going to believe that he was a capable or worthy suitor for Malina. Gavin knew he needed to find Malina before she made her way back to her parents and possibly changed her mind.

Turning to leave the city, Gavin thought about Malina and wondered why her parents had never looked for her. Were they so stubborn that they would risk her death up in the highlands alone? He thought about how she must be confused and scared if she had survived this long. He hoped that her time wandering the highlands on her own as a teenager would have prepared her for a year up in the highlands, lost and lonely without a food supply source.

On the other side of the beautiful hills and mountains stood Malina, surrounded by creatures but without a person in sight. She wondered where Gavin was at this very moment and how she would ever be able to find him. She noted the irony that when they had met years ago it was she that had made fun of him for his ability to get lost in the highlands and she had been lost in them for nearly a year.

Malina had created a living space in the highlands several months ago when she realized that she was hopelessly lost and might not survive without a home base. She found a water source and a collection of trees that could act as a shelter. She sang every morning and searched for food each day. She ate only plants because she could not bear to harm a living creature. Malina was stubborn that way. Malina was stubborn in almost every way, but it snuck up on you because she wasn’t loud about it. Malina looked up that morning as a bird flew overhead and began to slowly circle around her. She smiled her little half smile to herself and took it as a sign that she would one day find him. Her sweet, strong, gentle Gavin.

***

It took Gavin several days to get back to the middle of the highlands. He barely slept and barely ate anything, stopping for nothing. He had to find her as fast as he could. Gavin did not go home first but rather started circling the highlands moving through them in a sweeping yet all-inclusive pattern so that he would not miss a single spot. He called out her name wherever he went hoping and praying that she would respond.

Gavin watched as this beautiful girl started to run her fingers through her hair. She seemed a bit nervous for some reason and he wasn’t sure why.

“Are you with someone?” she asked innocently. Gavin could not believe that she would ask something so personal so quickly after meeting and as a women, it was really forward of her.

“No,” Gavin said. “I’m not seeing.” Gavin stopped.

“Yes?” Malina asked smiling her little half smile.

“Oh. Anyone. I mean that I’m not. No one!” He stammered back before smiling bashfully.

Malina quickly reached out and grabbed his hand. Holding it with her long delicate fingers made Gavin want to kiss her but they had just met and he had never kissed a girl before. He had never really wanted to, but with Malina, she was the one. Gavin could feel it somewhere deep inside and it didn’t really make sense to him, but there was something about her that felt right and lasting. He did not say a word but he held her hand and he smiled. Malina smiled back. 

Gavin kept looking, calling, and searching. He was famished but he had to find her and there was no time to rest. And then all of a sudden he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw her. Malina. She was standing there smiling that little half smile and when his eyes met hers the smile grew.

He did not know what to do so he stood there, smiling back, in awe. Then he remembered the way that the two of them had held hands the night that they met and he reached out for her hand. She didn’t pull back. The two of them stood in silence holding hands and their love was complete.

Together Gavin and Malina held hands and sat quietly as the sun set. As the sun fell, a beautiful yet eerie peace befell the two lovers as their affection was celebrated by the moon and the stars. The animals left them alone and there was a feeling of completeness present in both Gavin and Malina. Without saying a word, the two knew that they were meant for one another and that they both wanted each other. It reminded them both of their first kiss at sixteen.

Sitting alone holding hands in the dark for the first time had been magical, but now Gavin wanted to kiss Malina for the first time, even though they had just met that day. He shooed his cattle to the side and focused on this beautiful young girl in front of him. He had never kissed a girl before but Marcus had told him all about it one day over lunch. He thought he knew what to do.

He moved towards Malina slowly by inching over to her side of the rock. He kept holding her hand and it wasn't as smooth as he would have liked, but she didn't seem to mind.

Malina looked at Gavin and smiled her little half smile to encourage him to keep moving closer. She wanted Gavin to kiss her. She had kissed other boys before, but she had never really wanted to or cared about who she was kissing. Now she did. Now she wanted to kiss Gavin and only Gavin.

He was now close enough to her to reach over and place his hand on her shoulder. His other hand kept holding her hand. He leaned over and placed his lips on hers. Her lips were soft and plump. He parted after a sweet peck to figure out his next move but Malina had other plans.

Immediately, she gently grabbed Gavin's shirt and pulled him towards her. She locked lips with him, hungrily, and kissed him passionately. She guided him and he willingly responded.

It was like nothing Gavin had ever experienced. He started feeling a euphoric sensation as he made out with this beautiful woman who he was sure he had fallen in love with. The stars came out and the two fell asleep holding hands.

"I missed you," Malina whispered. She was almost afraid to break the silence between them since it had been so long. She did not want the moment to be spoiled in any way. She didn’t let go of his hand.

Malina studied him. She noticed the way that Gavin's once short and curly hair was now long and wavy. It fell over his left eye whenever he looked down or shook his head. She noticed the way that his eyes were not only a bright blue, but also a rich, deep and dark blue. They made her feel calm, safe, comforted, and understood. Malina wanted nothing more than to be understood.

Malina looked at his crooked smile and noticed that little gap she loved between his two front teeth. She looked at his broad, defined shoulders and smooth skin. She looked down and noticed the way his body had developed. He had big feet and big hands.

Gavin had been studying Malina as well. It had been so long since they had last been together. He looked at her exquisite and inquisitive green eyes that seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. They made him feel lucky to have ever met her because she was so full of excitement, adventure, and genuine honesty. He loved the way she made him feel and he loved making her feel loved. He noticed her little half smile that melted his heart and he thought she seemed, in many ways, much the same.