"The protection of my body.’ The phrase struck with particular impact, her eyes fixed on Jamie’s form. The image of his broad shoulders and the memory of his skilled swordplay under the moonlight flashed through her mind. He meant it, and young as he was, he knew what he meant and bore the scars to prove it. He was no older than many people who had fought in the war and knew the price of his commitment. It was a pledge not born out of romance, but rather a raw and honest promise to safeguard her at the cost of his own... and Claire pledged that as long as she was with him, she, in turn, would protect him at all costs.