My Highlander: A Cree & Dawn Novel, page 22
“Fetch Beast, he guards the twins,” Cree ordered and wait outside the door until summoned.
“Aye, my lord,” Sloan said.
Dawn threw the blanket off herself and her husband as she went to slip over him and out of bed, but his strong hands clamped around her waist, stopping her.
“I do not think Tarass means you harm, but I will take no chances. You will give me your word that you will keep Beast close at all times and you will not venture out of the village.”
Dawn nodded, crossing her heart in a promise.
“Where is Lila? Can she help you?” Cree asked annoyed at himself for having yet to get Elsa help. He would talk with Flanna. She would know who would make good helpers for Elsa.
Dawn cradled her arm carefully as if holding something tiny.
“She is with Dorrie and the new bairn,” Cree said and Dawn nodded.
Dawn felt his reluctance to let her go, his grip a bit snug at her waist. She understood his worry and shared it. Only time would heal what her abduction had stolen from them.
She tried to assure him that she would be fine and that he was not to worry.
“Keep Beast with you,” he reminded and after a quick kiss released her.
Cree opened the door after they were both dressed to find Beast sitting there and Sloan beside him.
“Guard Dawn well, Beast,” Cree ordered firmly.
Beast barked and moved to stand beside Dawn.
“Be safe, wife,” Cree said, kissed her again and watched the pair disappear down the stairs.
“Dawn is safe in the village, especially with all the warriors about,” Sloan said, “and with their show of weapons. I think that has impressed and warned Tarass’s warriors more than we realize.”
“I am glad of that, but the memory of losing her lingers and strikes fear in me when she is gone from me too long.”
“I understand that fear now that I have Lucerne,” Sloan said. “Your warriors know without it being said that she is to be watched over. She will have many eyes on her in the village today.”
“I have no doubt of that,” Cree said and headed to the stairs, still he would make sure to check on his wife himself, more so with Tarass here.
The sky remained overcast throughout the day, but Dawn paid it little attention. She was far too busy tending to those in need, mostly minor issues. She had stopped to see how Dorrie, Elwin, and their tiny daughter were doing and was pleased to see that all was well and that Elwin had gained more confidence in holding the little bairn. She was also pleased that Lila suggested she help Dawn, since Dorrie was doing fine and the other women who helped with the birth would continue to look in on her.
Dawn returned to the healing cottage every now and then to let Elsa know how things were going and to ask for advice even though she had not needed it. Lila also chatted with Elsa, detailing all they were doing and keeping her talking while Dawn collected what they needed.
Neil had ushered Dawn quietly outside the last time they had stopped, Lila and Elsa too busy chatting to pay them heed.
“I want to thank you for returning here now and again and let Elsa know what goes on. She would be lost without tending people and you stopping to ask her questions, get her advice, has helped to ease her concerns and allow her to rest comfortably. It does her well to know you will seek her out when necessary.” He smiled. “And sometimes when it is not at all necessary.”
Dawn had smiled and patted her chest and pointed at the healing cottage, hoping Neil understood that she was saying she was glad to be of help.
“We appreciate the help,” he said.
Dawn’s smile spread, pleased he had understood her.
More villagers began approaching Dawn when word finally spread that she would be tending those in need today, more so since Lila had joined her making it easier for Dawn to be understood.
“Do you realize your husband has made his presence known around you four times now since I have joined you,” Lila said in a whisper, though Cree was too far for him to hear her.
Dawn smiled, nodded, and waved to catch her husband’s eye as they made their way through the village.
He waved back and Dawn almost chuckled, knowing he had been watching her out of the corner of his eye the whole time. He returned talking with Sloan, but Dawn knew his eyes followed her as she and Lila continued walking.
Dawn would not have spotted Ina walking through the village if she had not felt Beast’s wagging tail brushing against her leg and looking down to see what had caught his eye that pleased him.
“What is Ina doing about? She should be with Nell tending to the twins,” Lila said and when she saw Dawn’s eyes narrow in concern, she called out to the woman. “Ina.”
Ina stopped and seeing Dawn, hurried over to her. “I have a sour stomach, my lady, and thought Elsa or Lucerne might be able to help me.” She shook her head and a smile lit her face. “My own fault since I indulged in the sweets the twins did not finish last night.”
“Neither are up to tending anyone today. Dawn is seeing to those in need,” Lila explained and smiled. “And I would indulge myself in anything that Turbett made.”
Dawn reached into the healing basket, picked out a small pouch, and handed it to Ina, then gestured.
“Make a brew from some of these mint leaves,” Lila interpreted. “It should help your stomach as will rest. I will find someone to help Nell with the twins for the remainder of the day.”
“Are you sure, my lady, I can return to the keep after a small rest,” Ina said. “It is my fault and I should not benefit from being foolish.”
Dawn shook her head, then smiled softly as she gestured.
Lila continued to be Dawn’s voice. “No, rest and feel well and return in the morning.”
“I am most grateful, my lady,” Ina said and after a respectful bob of her head to Dawn, walked off toward her cottage.
Lila poked Dawn in the arm with her elbow. “Look at the way the men watch her. I am surprised she is not wed by now. Though, I do recall hearing she is fussy when it comes to a man. Wants what she wants.” Lila shrugged. “But then why not? I wanted Paul and only Paul.” She grinned and poked Dawn again with her elbow. “And I got him.”
Dawn nodded and laughed, happy Lila had joined her and brought humor to the task.
When all was finally done, no one left to tend, and Lila gone to retrieve Thomas, visiting with Old Mary, Dawn spoke one last time with Elsa.
Her head pained her and she asked Dawn to brew her a tankard of chamomile. She did and settled Elsa in the bed for the night, and told the couple that she would have Flanna send them supper.
“You do not have to fuss,” Elsa said.
Neil was quick to disagree. “Nonsense, we cannot refuse such kindness.”
Elsa laughed though winced a bit as she did. “You just want Turbett’s food.”
“Of course, I do,” Neil said, grinning and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Neil thanked her again after stepping outside with her and watched as she and Beast walked off.
The village was quiet, but then the overcast sky had darkened bringing with it the chance of rain. She was eager to return to the keep, see the twins since she had barely seen them today. A friend of Nell’s, Bartha, had approached her and offered to help with the twins. Dawn had been relieved to have that settled, knowing the twins could be a handful for one person. She was also eager to see her husband, and she smiled at the thought.
Her mind was so busy with thoughts of her family that it startled her to hear Beast growl and she almost bumped into him when he ran in front of her, stopping her from taking another step.
“He does protect you, but then it was me who ordered him to do so from the start.”
Dawn watched as Tarass emerged from the shadows on the side of one of the cottages.
“It is not easy getting a moment alone with you,” Tarass said as he approached Dawn.
Beast snapped at Tarass, warning him not to get any closer.
“You are a traitor. It is good to be rid of you,” Tarass snarled back.
Dawn pointed at Tarass, then at Beast, hugged herself, then shook her finger at Tarass.
“Are you telling me that I cared nothing for that dog?”
Dawn gave a firm nod.
“He is a dog. How much can you care for a dog?”
Dawn spread her arms wide, then dropped them to her sides before pointing to him, then to herself and gave a shrug.
“Let me see if I understand you correctly. You are saying you can care much for a dog, which is evident, and you are asking me what do I want from you?”
Dawn nodded.
“Again you speak to my wife without permission,” Cree roared after coming around the corner of a nearby cottage and took quick strides toward them, Sloan and two warriors following behind him.
“A friendly chat no more,” Tarass argued, annoyance sharp on his tongue.
“Good job, Beast,” Cree praised and the dog quieted as Cree stepped close to Tarass. “My home, my rules. Obey them or suffer the consequences.”
“Like your wife, I do not obey,” Tarass challenged, taking a step closer to Cree.
“My wife is not your concern,” Cree warned.
“I disagree. We spent time together and I got to know her well.”
Cree had had enough. He jabbed his finger in Tarass’s chest. “Not well enough since she recalls nothing about you.”
Tarass fisted his hand at his side. “Perhaps it is better that way or she would be disappointed on her return home.”
Dawn would have gasped if she could at such a blatant and challenging remark. She knew an altercation would ensue, her husband sure to retaliate, and possibly a full battle, warriors of both clans gathering along with the villagers. She quickly stepped between the two men, her arms stretching out from her sides, pressing a hand to each chest to keep them apart. She shook her head, warning them the best she could to stop.
“This is between him and me, wife,” Cree said.
“Aye, obey your husband as you first did me,” Tarass said with a snide smile.
Dawn almost got crushed between the two men when her husband lunged forward fast. She shook her head again and nodded toward the keep.
“Your wife is right. We should take this inside, a crowd gathers,” Tarass said.
Cree did not care who gathered around them. He wanted nothing more than to land a blow on Tarass that would knock him out cold, the bastard deserved it. Why he was taking a chance provoking him, Cree did not know and did not care. If Tarass wanted a fight, Cree would give him one and enjoy beating the hell out of him.
But not at the expense of his wife. Dawn was clearly upset and he understood why. This matter was private and should be discussed in private.
“My solar,” Cree commanded and placed his hand at his wife’s waist to ease her to his side.
“It is good you obey your wife,” Tarass said with a chuckle.
That was it, Cree had enough. He gave his wife a slight shove to move her out of the way, bringing his arm around with such force as he did that when it connected with Tarass’s jaw, he felt the blow clear up along his arm and watched with pure joy as it lifted Tarass off the ground and propelled him in the air to land with a hard bounce on the ground, knocking him out cold.
Chapter 23
“It was well worth it, leave it be,” Cree ordered as his wife fussed over his bruised knuckles.
He silently cursed his snappish remark, seeing the unshed tears that had lingered in her eyes since entering his solar. He reached out, his hand going around the back of her neck and brought her close to rest his brow to hers as he reassured her. “I am fine, wife, and all is well. Worry not.” He kissed her gently.
Dawn shook her head and patted her chest.
“This is not your fault. I will not hear that from you. You did nothing wrong. His own warriors did not even come to his defense when I hit him.”
That was something that puzzled Cree. There was only one reason why that would be since loyal warriors always defended their commander, and Tarass’s warriors did seem loyal, unless he gave orders otherwise. He puzzled no more on it when Tarass appeared in the open doorway.
“My warriors had orders not to interfere in any altercation between you and me,” Tarass said, rubbing his jaw that had darkened with a large bruise.
Sloan stood behind Tarass and Cree gave him a nod and he closed the door, leaving the three alone.
“Sit, wife,” Cree said, taking her hand and walking her over to one of the chairs by the hearth, having felt the chill in her and wanting to get her warm. “Tarass is going to tell us why he has been such an arse since his arrival.”
A knock at the door annoyed Cree. They were not to be disturbed, so who had dared to disturb them.
Flanna entered and gave a respectful bob of her head. “My lord, a hot brew for my lady.”
Cree nodded and was pleased she had thought of Dawn, but then they had been friends before he had ever entered their lives.
She was quick to give the brew to Dawn, squeezing her hand in a silent message of comfort and support as she handed her the tankard.
Dawn smiled and patted her chest in appreciation.
“I could use a drink myself, though preferably ale,” Tarass said.
Cree gave a nod to Flanna and she filled two tankards from the pitcher on the sideboard and handed one to Cree before handing the other to Tarass. With another respectful bob of her head to Cree, she left.
Cree took a deep swallow, needing to wet his dry throat, or was it that he needed to do something, anything, to avoid surrendering to the urge to beat Tarass senseless? It did help seeing him wince while drinking.
“Explain yourself,” Cree ordered.
“Explain how you let your wife be taken from you,” Tarass shot back.
Dawn bolted out of her chair to once again come between the two men as her husband lunged forward and Tarass jumped out of his chair. She looked from one to the other, shaking her head. The hand that rested against her husband’s chest, she moved to raise in a fist and shake her head, then tapped her lips with her finger and nodded. Then she turned to Tarass tapped her mouth, scowled, pointed around the room, and shook her finger at him.
“She is warning you to watch what you say in her home,” Cree said and was surprised when, in a way, Tarass apologized.
“You are right. I should not have provoked.”
Dawn nodded and pointed for Tarass to return to his chair while she remained by her husband.
Annoyance pinched at Tarass’s face, but he sat.
Dawn returned to her chair once he sat and gave her husband a gentle smile.
Cree was proud of his wife. Her actions made it clear that she defended her husband while chastising their guest for his rude behavior.
“This needs to be settled so you can take your leave at sunrise,” Cree said, letting Tarass know he was not welcome after that.
“My intentions all along,” Tarass said, then continued. “I was shocked to see that Dawn was your wife, though pleased to see she had survived, not so much that my dog had betrayed me. Beast, as you call him, was ordered to watch over Dawn, not take his leave with her the second time. But I should have known better. The dog had grown ever closer to her, never leaving her side.”
Dawn gestured at Tarass.
“My wife says that she tried to get him to return to you, but he would not leave her.”
“I do not know what it is the dog found in you that made him desert me, but he is more loyal to you than he ever was to me,” Tarass said.
A caring love, Dawn thought and felt pity for him that he could not understand that.
“Why did you not bring my wife home when she first asked?” Cree said.
“I had someone I had to meet and that meeting could not be delayed.”
“Why not let Dawn go when she left you the first time? She was nothing to you. Why waste your time chasing after her?” Cree asked.
The scowling pinch between Tarass’s eyes had Cree thinking the man was contemplating on whether to respond or not. Or was he conjuring a lie?
Tarass gave an almost unnoticeable shake of his head as if he was not pleased with what he was about to say. “She had information I needed.”
“Information?” Cree asked, thinking the information had to hold a good bit of importance to Tarass for him to go after Dawn.
Tarass nodded and seemed to surrender to the fact that whether he liked it or not he had to explain things to Cree.
“Shortly before Dawn took her leave from me the first time, I talked with her about her abduction. She drew a picture in the dirt of the two men who had abducted her. I recognized the one man as the one I had hired to get information for me on someone and had failed to meet with me. I needed to know where she had been abducted, so I knew where to start searching for him, but she would point in a direction, tap her lips, then walk her hands, which I came to understand meant she would tell me as we went. I understand now her reluctance to tell me and to name her family. She did not know if I was friend or foe of yours, though it would not have mattered since I knew nothing of your reputation until I returned home and learned that you are known as a powerful and fearless warrior.”
“Why did you not tell me this when you first saw Dawn?”
Tarass took a swallow of ale before answering. “I did not know you and I do not share private matters with strangers. Also my pride had been wounded. How would you feel if a woman bested you, a voiceless one at that and,” —he shook his head— “that she also made off with your dog.”
Cree looked to Dawn and grinned. “My wife is a remarkable woman.”
“I came to realize that quite early upon meeting her.”
