He followed the directions given to him by the guard and eventually arrived at the house. His gaze was drawn to two figures standing in front of it, deep in conversation. He couldn't see their faces from where he was, but he knew one of them had to be Bryce.
Ronin dismounted his horse and tied it to atree in the woods, keeping the horse hidden from anyone passing by. He traveled through the thick trees to finally reach the house, and he knew he was correct. Bryce was the man standing outside, but the woman was unknown. Ronin looked for a few more seconds before realizing it was most likely Edna's mother.
“I’ll wait for ye to come again, Bryce. Visit often,” she said, and Bryce nodded with a small laugh. Ronin knew he couldn't enter through the front gate and needed to find another way in. He circled the house, still obscured by the trees, trying to figure out which room belonged to Edna.
When he saw her standing at the window directly above his head, he couldn't believe it. She was staring at the starry sky, just as as she had done when he first saw her at the pub, and she looked just as beautiful. Ronin knew there was no one more stunning than her. To get her attention, he rustled the leaves beneath his feet.
She must have noticed because she immediately looked down, her gaze meeting Ronin's. Hewatched as her relaxed expression shifted to a blending of confusion and anger.
“What are ye doing here?” she whispered softly but in a way that was still audible to him.
“I needed to see you,” he replied, mirroring her tone.
“Wait by the burn to the east, I’ll come meet ye there as soon as I can,” Edna assured him. Ronin nodded and smiled, finally feeling hopeful and less restless. He knew he needed to thank her for agreeing to meet him, but that would have to wait until they met in person.
Heturned to go get his horse and head tothe river. He felt as if he had been waiting for this moment his entire life, and now it had arrived. He could hardly wait to see her again.
CHAPTERSIX
Edna wasn't sure if she'd made the right decision by asking Ronin to meether atthe river. She had wanted to see him, but only a few hours before, she had found him fighting with Bryce, her cousin who was like a brother to her.
“Nae, I must meet him for he is the only one that can give me answers,” Edna said to herself as she thought about how to escape. She needed to question Ronin about what had happened at the pub. Bryce had avoided explaining the situation and had handled it deftly. Edna knew it had appeared that everything was Ronin's fault, but that couldn't be true.
She was well aware of her cousin'sfiery temper, and she also knew he would go to great lengths to justify himself. She was aware that it wasn't Ronin's fault, and that Bryce had also taken part in this fight. She needed to know so that her opinion of himwasn't based on incorrect information.
Edna approached thedoor of her roomand pressed her ear against the frame. She could still hear her mother and Bryce conversing at the front door. She remained silent as her mother bid him good night. Herfootsteps were heard climbing the stairs and then moving in the opposite direction towards her chambers. She dashed back to thewindow to see if Bryce had already left. As he walked towards his own house, his tall frame faded against the darkness. Edna sighed in relief as she watched him walk away. This was her cue to escape as soon as possible.
Oh boy, this is scary,she thought as she stepped outside her room as quietly as possible. She'd never tried to flee her house at night before. She never had to. Her friends had done it before and told her about their exploits and adventures, but Edna was not the type to do so.
She descended the stairs one step at a time, afraid to make any noise. As she approached the door, she heard footsteps and felt as if time had stopped. She stopped breathing, but then the footsteps stopped too, and she realized they were just a figment of her imagination. She stepped outside her house and quickly made her way towards the river once she was sure no one was there. She dashed forward, her hair flying behind her.
She was panting slightly when she arrived at the river, and Ronin, who was waiting for her there, approached her immediately.
“Is everything okay? Are you alright?” he asked and she nodded; regaining control over her breathing.
“Yes, I ran so I am a little out of breath,” she explained. Ronin took her hand in his and led her to the large log that had fallen by the water. He made her sit and then sat beside her. Edna noticed he wasn't letting go of her hand, and she liked the gesture. She knew she needed answers and couldn't trust him like thatbut her heart told her he was notevil. His touch was soothing, and she gratefully received it. “Now tell me, why did ye wish to meet me like this?”
“I wanted to apologize for what happened at the pub earlier.”
“In order to apologize, ye will need to explain what happened precisely. One moment we were standing inside the pub, and a few minutes later, ye had a sword at Bryce’s throat. What was that about?” Edna asked; her annoyance and confusion evident in her tone.
“I was not completely at fault here, Edna. I did not have any other choice but to settle the matter with a fight,” Ronin explained, his tone somber.
"Bryce is like an older brother to me, Ronin. He is the only male relative in my life I can trust and who always supports me when things go wrong. I've already lost a brother when he was only a child, and I cannotafford to lose Bryce now. I was terrified and disgusted when I saw you holding your sword to his throat," Edna said, a single tear trailing from her left eye. Ronin quickly wiped itaway and took both of her hands in his — she did not resist.
“That was why I needed to see you, Edna. I wanted to explain that it was not entirely my fault. Bryce was begging for a fight. I don’t want your opinion of me to alter because of that one incident.”
“Why did ye fight?
"Bryce approached me and asked me to stay away from you, which I refused. He then made derogatory remarks about Lachlan and his family. I really didn't have a choice. Some unknown man had asked me to stay away from the one girl I knew I couldn't stay away from. It was absurd. I declined, and he insisted on a fight. "The only way to solve thiswas to fight as he wanted," heexplained, and shebelieved him. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was what had happened, and knowing Bryce the way she did, she wasn't surprised.
“Oh.”
“But Edna, I promise, I had no intention to harm him. I would have never indulged in this behavior, but he challenged me and I had no choice. I was merely protecting my honor,” he continued. She believed him. She knew he wasn't lying because honesty radiated from his voice and eyes.
“I believe ye, Ronin,” she said at last and watched as he sighed deeply in relief. His frown turned into a smile and Edna understood that he must have been really troubled at this prospect.
“So that means you have forgiven me?” Ronin inquired, and Edna was unsure whether she should forgive him. She didn't respond, so hegot down on his knees in front of her. He then heldher hands to his chest. "Believe me, Edna, it's not my fault. I came to see you to beg your forgiveness because I could notbear the thought of you being angry with me."