*Warning*

Under aged drinking (because no one cared during Medieval times). 

This chapter is also a long one! 

I have wandered off from my original Swedish script somewhat and I am trying to find my way back to it, please let me know if there is anything wrong with this chapter! I am a bit insecure about how I will fix what I have done (lol). 

-Keegan-

Keegan entered the house first. He was still agitated and leaned against the door to his bedroom. His parents gave him a strange look when they noticed the grim expression on his face. 

He was fuming because the old teacher had thrown them out and accused Cara of being a witch. Nothing about her indicated that she had an evil bone in her. On top of it all the old bastard had taken all their coin after barely reaching her any useful parts of their language.

Cara walked in after him. He turned his eyes in a direction where she wasn't. Looking at her only made him even more agitated than he already was.

"How did it go?" His mother asked with a delighted smile on her face as soon as Cara entered her line of sight. She was standing by the counter, rinsing the meat they were having for dinner.

With three quick motions she dried the blood off her hands on the apron she had tied around her waist and walked towards them.

"He threw us out." Flynn explained when he walked in after Cara.

"Shut up, you idiot." Orla growled and Keegan agreed with a stern look in his brother's direction.

"Threw you out?" Their father, who was sitting on his arse at the table as usual, asked surprised. His seat by the table was the place he could be found after he was done with his work for the day. Close to his wife, and the food she was cooking.

"Yes." Keegan mumbled.

"What happened? Did he not teach her anything?" Their mother asked confused and her face turned displeased in half a second.

"He taught her some words. I'm not sure... then Orla told him that we found her in the woods." Keegan answered their mother and shot an annoyed glance at his sister.

"Where were you if you aren't sure?" His mother snapped, but before he could answer her ,she continued. "And what of it? It is not her fault that she ended up in the woods, naked and alone!" Their mother snapped aggressively, but it wasn't aimed at her children. It was towards the old man. "That is not Cara's fault!"

Her hands gripped her hips and she looked like she was about to leave and strangle the old man with those same hands.

"When he heard that we found her in the woods, he got scared." Keegan began explaining. "He is scared that she might be a witch." Keegan eyed Cara for a second. She was standing in the middle of the room, seeming very uncomfortable being the center of everyone's attention and their conversation.

"Your rude behavior didn't exactly help." Orla scoffed in a mean tone. 

"What came out of your mouth wasn't of any use either. since it got us thrown out" Keegan snapped with a venomous tone.

Orla's green eyes turned black, and without uttering a single word she warned him to continue. Her eyes didn't need words to make him understand that she would expose him to the rest of the family.

Keegan crossed his arms over his chest, narrowed his eyes and locked them with his sister's. Hers did not falter. She had nothing to lose, but he did. 

She is serious. He thought and felt a pressure on his chest. He looked away and gave her the victory.

"I have never in my living days heard something so absurd!" Their mother exclaimed in a fit of rage.

Keegan's brows shot upwards in surprise. His mother was a grounded woman, but she was also religious. He had been less surprised if she had been scared that Cara might be a witch, but here she was, proving him wrong.

"He doesn't want to teach her anymore so-"

Their mother burst right out into a short angry laughter that caused him to stop talking right away. Her right finger was raised in the air and waved foreboding as she walked towards the door without a word.

"That man will teach her, or I will have the Gods wrath hail down on him..." She growled. She ripped the door open and threw her apron on the floor and left. The door slammed so hard behind her that all of her children stared at in complete shock.

"That man should count his blessings before she arrives there... she will not be merciful. That finger is deadly." Their father grunted and got off his arse. "Deadly I tell you." He sighed to himself and it made Keegan scoff amused. His father had apparently seen more than his fair share of that finger.

"She's not going there on her own! Is she?" Flynn laughed, shocked and baffled by their mother's behavior. He seemed incapable of comprehending what he had just witnessed and looked at their father for guidance.

The answer he received was an expression that indicated that their mother was indeed going over to the old man to give him a piece of her mind.

"Go after her and see for yourself." Their father answered with his left eyebrow raised.

Flynn seemed to consider it, but then did the smart thing; he stayed out of their mother's way.

-Cara-

Miriam left after a short argument with her children and she left a dumbfounded bunch behind. They all looked shook and confused, except Georg, he looked amused. 

"What is your problem exactly? Why did you even bring the woods up?" Keegan hissed something quietly at his sister and Cara noticed how Orla thew her a look before answering him.

"Don't push me, Keegan. I will tell them. You know I will."

"Do it then, it is not true, so it won't matter." He growled back. His jaws were tense, and it added to the rough but extremely pleasant exterior he had. 

Cara studied him for a moment. Once again, she was taken aback by how uniquely red his hair was... well, if you didn't count the rest of his family's hair. She had never seen anything like it before... 

His body frame was muscle all together and she grew a little weak in the knees when she studied his thick arms resting strictly over his broad chest. The dirty white shirt he wore begged for mercy just like it had at the market and she could feel how a hot wave hit her all over her body. 

Lord have mercy... She sighed and felt like fanning her face, but she kept her hands by her sides. And those eyes... She mumbled internally and watched how they were fuming from what Orla had said. Stop it, you idiot. You don't belong here, remember?  You need to find a way out of this mess... and go home. Wherever that is...

"She looks at you the same way you look at her." Orla mumbled to Keegan. "Just so you know."

Cara woke up from her carnal thoughts. As soon as Keegan noticed that she was looking at him he redirected his gaze somewhere else.

What did I ever do to him? She wondered frustrated and quickly averted her eyes as well.  

Keegan had walked a couple of steps ahead of the rest of the group on their way back to the house. She had a feeling he didn't like her... and every time she looked at him, or in his direction, he diverted his gaze somewhere else. It almost seemed like it hurt him to look at her for some reason. Like now. 

"Leave it alone, Orla." Keegan growled. Cara looked at him once more and felt her heart stop. He was already looking at her. He cleared his throat, mumbled something before exiting the house.

"What was that about?" Flynn asked his sister something and took a seat at the table. Orla followed him and sat down as well. Their father joined them and shrugged his shoulders at Flynn's question. 

"Our brother is very troubled these days..." Orla purred and drummed the fingers of her right hand on the wooden table. From the smug sound of her voice, she knew something the others did not. Unfortunately for Cara; she would not find out even if Orla did tell them.

The only words the man had managed to teach her was things he had in his home... Cara remembered the word for 'book' but there was not a book in sight in the family's home. So, it was completely useless... For some reason, she had aslo picked up the word for 'stop', but it was because he asked her to stop talking so many times when she said something wrong. 

How am I ever going to be able to talk to them? How do you teach someone a language without even knowing what language they are speaking? And what of the grammar? She sighed heavily, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. 

"Someone is tired." Georg chuckled and winked at her in a endearing way. Kind of like how a grandfather does it; in a playful and sweet way. 

"I do not blame her... The poor soul sat there, repeating words with him for hours." Orla said and looked at Cara.

"That's all he did?" Georg scoffed. "For the coin your mother gave him?"

"What was he supposed to do?" Orla asked her father, her hand in the air, inviting him to suggest something better.

"All I am saying is that I could have done that, for free..." Georg chuckled. "Hell! Let's try it."

"Father you cannot say 'hell' in the house, mother forbids it." Flynn mumbled with widened eyes. He looked very uncomfortable.

"She is not here now, is she boy?" Georg muttered, looking very agitated with Flynn. 

"No."

"Then shut your pie hole and mind your own business."

-Keegan-

He walked outside to the back of the house to get some peace and quiet. His anger would not go away and he did not know how to fix it. Well, that wasn't true, he knew very well why it would not go away; he was still picturing the old man touching Cara. He just needed to be alone... that would hopefully calm him down.

He laid down in the grass, close to the stream near the house and listened to its music. Normally he would have fallen asleep in seconds, but he was wide awake. It did not matter what he did. He couldn't relax. His head was filled with what Orla had said earlier and the images from the man's hand on Cara's face. But after a while his anger changed into confusion caused by what Orla had said. 

Does she look at me? His heart had almost exploded when Orla had said that Cara was eyeing him down like he did with her. Is she really though? Why haven't I noticed it? It doesn't matter! She can't stay with us forever, and it would be a terrible idea to even consider starting something that is destined to die as soon as she realizes where she is from.

"I do not have feelings for her..." He muttered very quietly to himself and crossed his arms over his chest. If he managed to come to terms that she would never be his, then maybe it wouldn't be so hard to convince his sister that there was nothing to tease him about. "I just find her so-"

"Find her what?"

Keegan sat up instantly at the sound of Jared's voice. He was standing next to him and looked very interested in what Keegan was going to say next.

"What are you doing here?" He asked moody and looked towards the stream again.

"I am here to make sure you keep your promise, Ember. Especially now that we found her." Jared said.

He wanted those three tankards of ale and was obviously not going to wait a day longer than he had to.

"Find her what?" Jared repeated himself. "And whom do you find what, if I might ask?"

"My sister." Keegan lied quickly. "She is getting on my nerves." He continued and rose to his feet. It wasn't a lie, but Jared frowned in suspicion all the same.

"Hm..." He muttered.

"What?" Keegan snapped back.

"I would have guessed that you were mumbling about that little foreigner of yours."

"She is not mine and no... and why would I-"

The sound of his father's voice interrupted his train of thought and they both looked towards the house. 

From around the corner Keegan's father appeared and alongside him Cara walked. His father was saying things to her, waiting for her to answer and then either smiling when she said it wrong or clapping his hands when she got it right.

What the hell is he doing? Is he teaching her instead now? Keegan groaned internally and kissed his peace and quiet goodbye.

Not only had Jared come and disturbed him, but now his father had brought the very reason to why Keegan needed to be alone to where he was.

I cannot get a moment's peace!

"If you want those tankards, we are leaving now." Keegan growled and elbowed Jared to gain his attention. 

His friend did not answer immediately. He was studying Cara, closely. 

"Jared." Keegan spoke his name darkly, warning him to stop what he was doing.

"She sure is something... out of the strangest dream." Jared mumbled and glanced at Keegan while playfully biting his lower lip. "How do you do it?" His eyes were intrigued.

"Do what?" Keegan asked and did not like that his friend was looking at Cara they way he did. 

"Keep your hands off her." Jared chuckled impressed. "I mean, you have even seen her naked." 

I barely manage to keep my eyes off her, what would happen i I put myself in the situation of actually touching her?  Keegan wondered and allowed himself to look at her for a couple of seconds. It didn't look suspicious since Jared was practically drooling over her. Which made him so frustrated and he wanted to floor his friend where he stood. 

Cara's long dark hair surrounded her gorgeous face and she nervously grabbed it, twirled it into a large piece on her right side as his father continued rambling things for her to repeat.

"It's not that hard." Keegan lied when it pained him to look at her and not being able to succumb to the temptation of touching her. He needed to stay far away from her if he was to succeed in getting her out of his mind. "Do you want those tankards or not?" He reminded Jared of why he had come in the first place.

His friend lit up and looked more than ready to leave. They walked towards the house.

"Father!" He called out and they walked in his direction. To his heart's delight but his mind's fright Cara looked at him immediately when he had called out. 

When they reached them, Jared greeted Cara with a warm smile, but she merely faintly reciprocated the smile. Keegan grimaced and nudged Jared with his elbow.

"Leave her alone."

"I don't think she likes me." Jared chuckled and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. 

"Who does? You smell like shit." Keegan muttered. 

"Damn..." Jared chuckled at his retort. "Careful, I might tell on you to your mother." Keegan growled underneath his breath.

"What is it?" Keegan's father asked tiresome when they never stated their business.  

"We're going to the tavern..." Keegan answered. 

"You are not." His father told him as if he had asked for his permission. Keegan frowned. "Your mother will be back soon, and I am not going to tell her that you went out drinking before eating. You will go after dinner." 

"I am not a child." Keegan remarked.

He motioned towards Jared that they were leaving, and his father scoffed.

"Walk away from me, boy. I warn you."

Keegan stopped in his track. He recognized the warning tone to his father's voice. Even though his mother's voice was the one he usually heard, and it was terrifying all on it's own, it held nothing to his father's when he became angry. Which was very seldom. But he wasn't going to push his luck and make both of them cross with him.

"What does it matter?" He groaned and turned around to face his father.

"You're staying until after dinner." His father declared and waved him off. "And no, Jared. You cannot stay for dinner. Miriam is agitated as it is. She doesn't need one more mouth to feed tonight."

Jared scoffed in surprise at the rude comment. However, they all knew he was going to ask if he could join them. He hated his own mother's cooking.  Once he even begged Keegan's mother to let him eat at their house. 

"I guess I will be back in a couple of hours then." He said and left.

"Why?" Keegan sighed at his father.

"Why what?" He replied.

"Why do I have to stay for dinner?"

"Why do you want to go without it so badly?" His father asked and Keegan knew that this was a dangerous path to continue down on. If he pushed the old man too far he would start digging for things that were of none of his concern. His jaws tended and he left without a word. For the second time today.

.  .  .

After dinner Jared walked through the door like he was in his own house. 

"Jared..." Keegan's mother moaned but hid it in a barely welcoming tone. She gestured with her hands for him to approach them. "What can we do for you?"

"We are going to the tavern..." Jared answered politely and bowed playfully before her. "Your son owes me for the help he received in finding the girl." He pointed at Cara and grabbed the line of his pants afterwards, looking very pleased with himself and the thought of the tankards of ale he would soon be pouring into himself. 

"Isn't help supposed to be given and not purchased?" She muttered and rolled her eyes at Jared. 

"Call it a reward." He replied. "Keegan? Let's go." 

Keegan looked up from his plate, finished the last of his food and got up. He gave his mother a kiss on her forehead as thank you for the food. He snatched the last piece of Orla's bread on his way past her and she nearly managed to stab him with her fork. 

"You bastard!" She hissed but was immediately reprimanded by their mother. 

"Be home before dawn." His mother called after him when he placed his hand on the door handle. He murmured his reassuring response with his mouth full of Orla's bread. 

"Take the girl with you." His father suddenly called out. Keegan turned his panic-filled eyes towards his father.

"What?" Keegan and Jared asked in unison.

"Are you deaf? The both of you?" He snapped and narrowed his eyes. "I said; take her with you."

"To the tavern?" Keegan asked, not certain that he had heard his father. 

"It could be good for her. Besides, she cannot spend all of her time with your sister and mother. She needs to be around people her own age. Teach her some new words while you're at it." 

"It is perfectly fine by me." Jared said, he licked the inside of his chin in a disgusting manner. 

"Absolutely not!" Keegan's mother exclaimed when she noticed Jared's wandering eyes. She placed her right arm protectively in front of Cara. "I would not even send Orla with the two of you, and she could-" 

"It's settled then!" Keegan said and walked out before his family would say anything else. 

.  .  .

"Who is she?" Jared asked as he leaned back in his chair. Keegan placed the tankard of ale to his lips and wished that Jared would not have brought her up.

"I don't know." He muttered in response and drank a mouthful of his ale. 

"Speaking of... well not the devil... but look!" Jared exclaimed and pointed towards the door of the tavern. Keegan threw an uninterested look in the direction of the door. 

He immediately spit some of his ale out. 

Through the door his siblings walked in with Cara. 

"What the fuck? They brought her here?" He hissed and wiped his drink off his chin and around his mouth.

"Keep it in your mouth." Jared laughed and slapped him hard on the shoulder. From the sound of his voice he hadn't noticed that it was the sight of Cara that had made Keegan spit his drink out. 

"What is her name?" Jared asked. His eyes were locked on her. She stood with Orla at the counter. Just when Keegan looked at her she met his gaze and he averted his own immediately.

"It's Cara, and you know that already." Keegan answered and kept drinking. He would need another tankard, soon, if he was going to be able to relax now. 

"She's beautiful." Jared suddenly stated, like he was witnessing something he hadn't seen before. Keegan could hear a familiar tone. The one that signaled that Jared had found a new prey.

He looked at his best friend. Jared's eyes were locked on her and he didn't even notice Keegan's burning gaze.

"I wonder how-"

"Do not touch her." He hissed and hugged the tankard tightly with his right hand.

"Relax... I won't hurt her..." Jared stated, but Keegan could hear the nature of his intentions on his voice. Jared would have his way with her and throw her away in the blink of an eye when a new girl showed herself. Just like he did with every girl he got his filthy hands on. 

"I mean it. Do not touch her." He growled.

Cara stood to Orla's left side and threw a shy look in their direction and when she noticed that both of them were looking at her. She quickly looked at the counter again and Keegan's whole body longed for her. He studied how she nervously bit down on her lower lip and he wondered what it would feel like to kiss it. 

Heavens... why does she have to be so beautiful? He thought in anguish and inhaled deeply.

"Why not? Do you want her?" Jared chuckled, like he couldn't believe it.

"No." Keegan lied but then turned to watch her again. He made sure that Jared was already looking so he wouldn't notice it. 

He did want her. More than anything else he'd ever wanted and it scared him.

"Well, I can tell you right now that there are others, besides me, who are looking at her." Jared chuckled and finished his tankard sloppily. The last drops missed his mouth and trickled down his cheeks and down his neck.

"You're a pig. You know that?" Keegan growled and checked the room swiftly with his eyes. His best friend was right; he counted at least four other men eyeing Cara up and down like she was prey.

Keegan watched as Jared directed his gaze elsewhere. He was content as long as those perverted eyes weren't resting on the girl. The others he could take care of if the need for it came... For now, Cara was safe with Orla and Flynn. No one would ever try to approach Cara as long as she had Orla by her side. 

What he didn't want to admit to himself was that his sister was not only an obstacle for other men... She was also one for him, and his desire to be closer to Cara. 

-----------------------------

I hope you liked this chapter! 

I know that it is taking FOREVER for things to happen! But I PROMISE that things will get heated in the next chapter! AND I am almost back on track with the original script which feels sooo much better. 

Much love! 

Jenny