The Scottish Feud [Private/Mature]

Alec chuckled as she eyed him. This woman had fire, the same fire that his mother seemed to have. He heard the stories of his mother and the fire she possesed. Going off to war with her husband, his father. How she had tended to wounded saved many lives.

Maybe one day, if Adriana stayed long enough he would be able to tell her.

"We would have camped either way, but we have a tent for you"

Adriana arched a brow. "a tent for me when you planned on me refusing to go with you on this little adventure?" she asked him, her hands pulling the plaid closer to her body. "my how you flatter me."

Alec grinned "Ahh my Lady I had planned on you coming either way" He nodded to himself. "My brother will not have his wife upset" He saw her pull the plaid closer and sighed "Are you getting cold Lady Adriana" He was trying to lesson the gruff in his voice, his father had talked to him before he made this trip trying to let him know that he should be more gentle with females but Alec was certain he was being more gentle.

Adriana's cheeks blushed, that did rather annoy her. "you would have forced me to come? My lord, my friend would have been far more upset had you dragged me against my will, your logic is not sound." she sighed and relaxed a bit. "no i am not cold, I just like the way it feels."

Alec let out a booming laugh then. "Me thinks that you would have not told your friend so not to upset her, therefore my logic is solid" He winked at her. Yes this woman was a fireball, much like his mother. It was going to be an intresting ride.

After a bit he called for a hault and he dismounted then helped her dismount. "Go and freshen up I shall set up your shelter. His men went to imediant work and started a fire while Alec set up her shelter with furs and plaids in there to hopefully keep her warm.

"I would have told my friend that you were a pompous, arrogant jerk the whole entire trip," she told him with a huff. "and she would have you shunned you, laird or not." a smirk played across her lip.

When he called the traveling party to a halt, she was pleased, and a bit relieved. Adriana flashed him her sweetest smile, as he helped her down, then wondered off to the creek, and cleaned herself up a bit, just to wash off some of the dirt and sweat.

Alec had to chuckle again as he thought back on her boast. Duncan a travelmate came up to him. "She is a fire ball what did she say to you that made her smile as such" Alec raised a eyebrow. "She boasted that Elizabeth would have shuned me if I would have forced her to come" Duncan laughed and slapped Alec on the back.

"Aye you want her" Alec looked at him "She is English" Duncan smiled "Yes but your mother was a lowlander" Alec glared at him but Duncan just chuckled "Fine if its no big problem she can ride with me tommrow"

Alec shook his head "No she will be staying with me" With that he pushed passed Duncan and went to check on Adriana. "Lady Adriana are you hungry?"

Adriana splashed water on her face as she sat by the creek. She had taken her shoes off and put her feet in the cool water. She was lost in thought when she heard him behind her. Turning slightly, she looked up at him. "maybe a little," she replied softly.

"I know you want to be proud, but no use making yourself ill over it" He smiled then turned back to the camp and got a peice of the bread and cheese and meat and prepared it for her in her tent so that when she came back it would all be ready.

He took the sadle off the horse and brushed him down and fed him and petted him down then turned to his men to make sure they were all taken care of then he leaned up against a tree at chewed a peice of the meat.

Adriana got up slowly after a moment, slipping her shoes on, and making her way back to the camp. Her gaze shifted to the men, then to the tent that was out up. Pausing, she glanced to Alec, a bit startled that they put a tent up for her.

Watching as Adriana made her way back to their camp. He watched her and then smiled "Lady Adriana the tent is set up with some furs I do hope it is warm enough" He ignored the smiles from his men. He knew that they were all thinking the same thing that the woman was lovely. But Alec also knew that all of his men were well dicplined.

He walked to her "I left your food in your tent not knowing if you wanted some privacy, but you can come sit by the fire if you want"

Adriana smiled and blushed a little. "thank you, that's considerate of you," sue stated softly. It was a bit surprising, this show of kindness, when he acted so gruff before. She came over to the fire, and sat down slowly.

Alec watched her sit down. He also watched his men elbow eatch other for a chance to sit beside her. Alec shook his head at the undisplined actions of them. He cleared his throat and shot them a glare and they all quickly sat down. He noticed that they all couldnt keep their eyes off of her.

Alec sat down beside her "So Adriana I and my men are wondering how you became friends with a highway woman did the peace have something to do with it" He paused "My parents went into England and made peice with many villages, My own mother has a family memeber married to a English lord, one that saved my mother when she was kidnapped"

Adriana looked at the men, seeing how they all wanted to sit by her. Did they always act like love sick puppies? she wondered, not sure if she should be flattered, or uncomfortable. Her gaze shifted to Alec as he sat beside her. "I met her when we were children, i was four, she was five. We first met at the border, during the highlander festivals, I suppose the peace allowed me to be able to go to the border," she told him, softly. Hearing him mention his mother, intrigued her. "Oh that's good that she was saved."

Alec grinned. "Ahh yes the festivals" He leaned back slightly and sighed. "My mother was from the Lowlands, and my father came to her homestead, by decree of the King, to pick a wife, my mother so I am told stared him down, and impressed him from the very beginning, when he went into England my mother went along, she started saving the lives of the men, English and Scotish" He paused. "Well some people didnt like it, and my father was captured, my mother went after him. So they each took turns saving each other."

He looked around the fire at men they all had heard the story before but they all seemed to love it . Alex and his twin sister were so much like their parents getting into trouble. The stories never seem get borning there were so many.

"Well as gruff as we are I do hope you feel safe nothing will happen" He knew he sounded a bit funny talking like that but his father had taught him how to talk to the fairing sex.

Adriana listened to his story about his mother, interested. "Oh your mother seems lovely," she stated softly, happily. "It is so sweet how she saved your father. Not all women have that courage."

Folding her hands in her lap, she smiled softly. "Oh, I do believe I feel safe," she told him. "You aren't so gruff that it's scary."

Alec laughed a hearty laugh "Ohh Lovely, I do belive my mother was discribed as a feisty headstrong woman," He and his men laughed one spoke up "You and your sister were the same, I do belive we drew straws and the shortest one would have to tell your parents about your latest adventure, what was the one that caused the most uproar" Alec blushed slightly and the man continued,

"Ohh thats right, your sister won the archery competion and you punched the boy who claimed that she cheated." Alec nodded. "Well I didnt mean to break it" He turned to Adraina "We were close, twins we are"

((Hmmm wondering if you are still intursted))

( yeah. I'm still interested. was on my way to reply to reply right now. I got busy with my Spanish class. bleh summer classes)

Adriana smiled as she watched them, listening to them, finding amusement. "Aw, protecting your sister," she replied. "She sounds really nice, and fun."

( sorry its short.)

Alec sighed yes he was close to his sister .He then stood he looked into her eyes then shook his head "It is time to retire" The fire was dosed and Alec turned to Adriana "Time for you to go to bed we will wake you with the sun" His voice was gruff again as he stood and walked to a tree and sat down and rested his back aganinst the tree trunk and crossed his arms.

Life was going to get complecated. The woman was beautiful but he couldnt be thinking about that sort of stuff right now. He needed to get him and her and his men saftly to the highlands.

Adriana looked up to him when he stood up. Frowning a little, she wondered if she said something wrong. But she didn't question him as he seemed to shut down and go back to being so gruff. "alright, well good night then," she replied softly. Pushing to her feet, she made her way to that tent they put up for her, finding if really weird they did that.

Alec knew he was being gruff with Adriana but he couldnt stand looking at her anymore with out pictureing he with out her clothes on and it was not proper. He needed to have more dicepline. One of his men sat beside her and chuckled.

"You find her tempting" Alec glared at him and the man ignored it and continued. "She is very beautful, but does she have the fire to servive the highlands?" Alec punched the man in the arm

"Go to sleep we wake and move at dawn"

When dawn came Alec rose after only sleeping a couple hours and made a fire and cooked up some spiced meat and went to he tent.

"Lady Adriana, it is time to wake"

Adriana fell asleep as soon as she laid down and curled up under the blankets. When he woke her up, she groaned, and pulled the covers over her head. "Just a few more hours," she stated, not a morning person, and she was stubborn.

Chuckiling Alec shook his head. "And here I thought you would want to see your friend as soon as possible." He glared at her. Today he was shirtless showing off his muscles and scars all over his chest. His arms glistened and his hair was down pass his shoulders. His kilt touched his knees so his legs were bare.

He again gently shook her. "Trust me Milady we best get going, we are not on friendly grounds.

Adriana opened her eyes slowly, and she sighed deeply. She looked at him. Oh wow. He was handsome. A blush graced her cheeks and she sat up slowly. "Alright, i'm up, i'm up."