There was a lot of commotion in the castle. People were walking around, all of them carrying something, anything from food and wine to decorations for the celebrations.

Peigi had had something to do with all of that, but it was mostly because of Mrs. MacLeish that the feast for celebrating Hendry’s fifteen years as the Laird of clan Dunbar would be so grand. Peigi refused to take credit for it; besides, she spent most of her time with their three children, running around behind them and making sure that they behaved or that they were not running around the castle with dirt on their faces.

It was another one of those days, though it was easier than most. Peigi had taken the children to the edge of the forest near the castle grounds where they could play and also help her gather everything that she needed. Every now and then, she still gathered some herbs, some leafy greens, and some snails to take back to the castle and cook herself, and she was still met with the same resistance from everyone but her husband when it came to eating them.

Mrs. MacLeish kept reminding her there was no need for her to cook such things anymore; in fact, there was no need for her to cook at all. Peigi had always liked it though, and she wasn’t about to stop doing such simple tasks simply because she was the Lady of the clan and she could have someone else do them for her.

She smiled as she watched her two eldest, a boy and a girl, run around the clearing as they played. Her youngest one, another boy, was in her arms, as he was still too young to join his brother and sister, but he also seemed happy to watch them.

As with every child, a fall was inevitable, and both of her older children fell down as they chased each other, which forced them to erupt into wailing cries.

“Ach, ye wee ones,” Peigi said, standing up from the rock that she was using as her seat and walking over to them. She made sure that they weren’t hurt, and soon enough, they had both stopped crying and were smiling again, the shock of falling already forgotten. “Shall we go to papa?”

The children shouted their agreement, and she followed them as they made their way back to the castle, always keeping a close eye on them. She had never stopped being paranoid, not even after all the years she had spent without seeing her father or anyone from the Black Stags. In fact, there had been few threats since Hendry had defeated the brigands, as everyone had learned their lesson; no one could be his match.

When they were back at the castle, the children ran to Hendry, who was speaking to a merchant in the courtyard, and he picked both of them up, one in each arm. Peigi joined him, pressing a kiss on his cheek, and their two children did the same, making Hendry laugh in delight.

“Where have ye been?” he asked. “Did mama show ye the forest?”

The children started babbling excitedly, the older girl talking about the woods while the younger boy struggled a little to find the right words, his vocabulary still limited by his age. Their son, the one that Peigi had in her arms, was cooing softly, and Peigi held him close to her, rocking him gently as she did.

“Are ye ready for the feast tomorrow?” Peigi asked. “Beitris sent a letter that I just received this morning . . . she said she’ll be coming. In fact, she said she wouldnae miss it for the world.”

“Ach, that’s a relief,” Hendry said. “I feared that she would send her brother instead . . . or worse, her father. I cannae imagine what I’d do if I opened the gates and saw him.”

Peigi laughed, shaking her head at her husband. “Dinnae be rude, Hendry. Besides, I ken that yer fonder of him than ye say ye are.”

Hendry neither confirmed nor denied that, but Peigi didn’t need him to do either. She knew her husband too well for him to lie to her. Besides, before either of them could say anything, the gates to the castle opened once more, and a medicinal cart led by a cloaked figure entered the castle grounds.

Peigi frowned as she gazed at the figure, unable to make out any features, even in broad daylight.

“Who is that?” she asked Hendry, who seemed to be just as confused as she was.

“Shall we find out?” Hendry asked as he walked towards the figure, Peigi following close behind.

“M’lord,” a voice said from under the hood, before the figure pushed the hood back, revealing the youthful, though rugged face of a man with dark hair and blue eyes. It was no one that Hendry or Peigi recognized, which could only mean that he was a traveler. “I come to ye seeking a place to stay and a place to work.”

Peigi looked at Hendry expectantly. After all, she had once been in the man’s shoes, not that long ago, and Hendry remembered that.

“All travelers who seek help are welcome in my clan,” he said. “Come . . . tell me where ye come from.”

Peigi walked back to her two children, taking the younger by the hand as the oldest followed close behind, the four of them walking back to the castle.

In the distance, she could hear Hendry laugh.

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