When I'd lost him the first time, before Culloden, I'd remembered. Every moment of our last night together. Tiny things would come back to me through the years: the taste of salt on his temple and the curve of his skull as I cupped his head; the soft fine hair at the base of his neck, thick and damp in my fingers … the sudden, magical well of his blood in dawning light when I'd cut his hand and marked him forever as my own. Those things had kept him by me.
In the narrative from "Written in My Own Heart's Blood," the protagonist reflects on profound memories of a loved one lost before the battle of Culloden. These reminiscences are vivid and intimate, capturing sensory details such as the taste of salt and the texture of hair, which serve to keep the person's spirit alive in their heart. The recollections stretch over time, each memory acting as a tether to their shared past.
The moment of marking their bond, symbolized by the blood drawn during a pivotal moment, stands out as a defining experience. This act immortalizes their connection and underscores the deep emotional ties that persist even after loss. The protagonist's struggle to reconcile with the absence is woven through these cherished memories, revealing how they provide comfort and a sense of permanence in the face of heartache.
