My Highlander: A Cree & Dawn Novel, page 23
“Finding Dawn here gave you the information of where to begin your search for the man you had hired. Why not let things be and take your leave?”
“I never got to ask Dawn one important question.”
Dawn tilted her head in question at Tarass while Cree waited for him to continue.
Tarass looked to Dawn. “Did either man ever mention the name Slatter?”
Dawn scrunched her brow, giving it thought until she finally shook her head.
“Are you sure? Think on it more,” Tarass urged.
“Dawn has given you her answer,” Cree said, annoyed that Tarass sounded as if he badgered her.
“She may not remember,” Tarass snapped.
“Dawn remembers everything,” Cree argued
“She does not remember struggling with me when I tried to get her wet garments off and striking me repeatedly. I do not know where she got the strength to battle me as she did. The exhaustion from her ordeal and her expending the last of her strength on me took its toll and she once again fell unconscious. I hurried to strip her and get a blanket wrapped around, then myself since by that time night had settled in with a chill and I was growing cold. I wrapped myself around her still having a bit of body warmth left and knowing the fire would warm me even more and in turn warm Dawn as well.”
Dawn nodded, gesturing to her one arm, running her finger up and down it, then pointing to Tarass.
“You remember that,” Tarass said, pushing up his shirtsleeve.
Dawn nodded staring at the drawing on his arm and cringing as if in fear.
Cree could understand why. There on Tarass’s one arm was a drawing of an arrow, the head of it reaching just below his wrist, pointing to the palm of his hand.
Cree understood the significance of it immediately. “In your confused state, you thought an arrow was ready to strike you.”
Dawn nodded, remembering, and rolled her finger around and around.
“Repeatedly,” Cree said and Dawn nodded again.
“I never thought of that,” Tarass admitted. “My sleeve got snagged on the branch when I pulled you out of the water and tore it clear off. You saw only the arrow again and again.”
Dawn nodded and tapped her head.
“You remember that now,” Tarass said, understanding her.
Dawn gestured again and this time Tarass looked to Cree to interpret.
“My wife says she now recalls how when you left her side to keep the fire going strong, she would shiver and was glad when you returned to keep her warm.”
Dawn gestured again and from where she pointed and then shook her head it was easy to understand what she said.
“I am glad you remember that I never touched you improperly,” Tarass said. “I am not the kind of man who would force himself on a helpless woman, only a coward does that.”
Dawn crossed her hands over her chest and patted it, then pointed to Tarass.
Her gesture did not need interpretation, but Cree wished to add his own words. “My wife thanks you for saving her life and I am glad to know you are an honorable man.”
“Then we are friends?” Tarass asked with a sly smile.
“We shall see,” Cree said.
Tarass turned to Dawn to ask again, “You truly do not recall any mention of a man called Slatter?”
Dawn thought again on the name, but shook her head, expressing her regret that she could not help him.
“Worry not, I will find who I look for,” Tarass said.
Cree held his hand out to his wife and Dawn took it and got to her feet.
“There are some things I need to discuss with Tarass,” Cree said.
Dawn nodded and cradled her arm.
“You go to the twins,” Cree said.
Dawn nodded again and thanked Tarass one more time.
He stood. “I am glad you survived and reunited with your family.”
Cree spoke after Dawn shut the door behind her. “Since you finally turned civil I will share news with you that may help you.”
“Any help you can give me would be appreciated.”
“My warriors captured one of Dawn’s abductors, Bram is his name. The other one is called Gillie from what Bram told me.”
“Gillie is the one I hired,” Tarass confirmed.
“Bram claimed ignorance. According to him, Gillie was the one hired to abduct Dawn and asked him to help. He had no knowledge of the man who had hired Gillie. He did, however, know Gillie’s whereabouts. My warriors have taken Bram there to collect Gillie and bring them both here. They should return soon. If you wish to remain here until then, you are welcome to.”
“I am grateful for your offer and accept it.”
“This man Slatter, you look for, could he have anything to do with Dawn’s abduction?” Cree asked.
“Anything is possible when it comes to Slatter. He is an evil man in many ways. He can talk anyone into anything. He charms the women and uses them, pits people against one another to gain power, and lies with every breath he takes.”
“He has harmed you in some way?”
“He has information I need,” Tarass said, “or I would not bother with the likes of him.”
One more thing,” Cree said, “You do not strike me as a man who lets his pride get in the way of anything. So, tell me the real reason why you were such an arse upon discovering Dawn here and that she was my wife.”
“You are an observant man, Cree.”
“The same can be said of you.”
Tarass nodded. “True enough.”
“So why act as you did? Why provoke me as you did?”
“When Dawn told me that she had been abducted, but evaded my questions about her husband, I wondered if it had been her husband who had arranged the abduction and eventually what would lead to her death. I thought perhaps that her husband did not care for a wife who could not speak. It was obvious she was a brave woman and I wanted to make certain no harm came to her. I wanted to return her home and see for myself that her husband wanted and loved her.”
“So you provoked me to see how I would respond?”
“I had little time to make sure Dawn would be safe here. There was no other way, though I admit, seeing you two together, it appears that you truly love each other.”
“But you needed to be absolutely certain,” Cree said.
“I did.”
“Which is why you attempted to speak to Dawn alone when you could have easily asked her that question in my presence.”
Tarass nodded. “I knew your warriors would see me speaking to her and go straight to you.”
“They alerted me immediately.”
Tarass rubbed at his bruised jaw and winced as he smiled. “And I got a definitive answer. You love your wife very much.”
“I do, though I need not prove that to you. You came close to losing your life,” Cree said.
“At least I know when I leave here that I am leaving Dawn in the arms of someone who would give his life to see her safe.”
Cree held his hand out to Tarass. “Now we are friends.”
Chapter 24
“A day’s time you say,” Cree said as he returned to the village from the fields with Sloan the next morning.
“That was the message received,” Sloan confirmed. “And from what our warrior said our men will be glad to be rid of the two since they squabble worse than two women.”
“Has Tarass been informed?”
“Aye, and he was pleased with the news. I believe he is eager to take his leave.”
“Have you learned much about Tarass?” Cree asked.
“His warriors are tight-lipped, though several of our warriors have caught Tarass’s warriors speaking the Viking tongue. They change tongues quickly, and none, not a one of them, offer a word as to where they come from or anything about Tarass.”
“He has taught his men well,” Cree said.
“Do you trust him?” Sloan asked.
“I trust that he means us no harm. I wonder, though, of his plans for those clans that surround his land and what will happen if they show him no friendship.”
“You think he would war with them?”
“It would be no war. He is a fearless warrior as, I believe, are his men. Victory would be his soon enough. I would hope he would show some diplomacy, but I think because of his long absence, he is more prone to a hasty solution. It is not for us to interfere and he offered me his support if needed, which I accepted.”
“But that would mean he would expect the same of you.”
Cree nodded. “Aye, it would, which is why I agreed.”
“You would go fight with him?”
“I would go and make certain things did not escalate, elsewise, I would have no say in the matter. But if I raise my sword alongside him, then I can speak my piece.”
“A wise move.”
“How goes the search for the worn cloak?” Cree asked, having given orders to see if the mysterious tatty cloak could be found.
Sloan shook his head. “Impossible. I and several of our sentinels have seen cloaks with worn hems. Even though the people have been given new cloaks, they still cling to their old ones as if waiting for them to wear out completely. But then they had been a deprived clan before we came along so I cannot blame them for clinging to whatever little they have.”
“Keep note of all those you have seen with tatty hems. It may lead to something.”
“Already done,” Sloan said.
“What is on your mind that you are not saying, Sloan?” Cree asked, stopping and walking off to a more private area to talk.
“You read me too well.”
“It got easier and became more pronounced when you set yourself the task of finding out about the man Lucerne had planned to wed. Though, from the start it was actually to sabotage her plans since you refused to admit that you loved her.” Cree smiled. “But then she refused to admit she loved you as well. Dawn and I enjoyed watching both of your antics during that time.”
“I saved her from a man who did not love her,” Sloan argued.
“Nor did she love him no matter how she tried to convince herself and everyone else, mostly you though. She made you jealous enough to finally admit to her that you loved her. Not an easy thing to do for someone who had no intentions of ever falling in love let alone marrying.
“I never was partial to the whole love and marriage thing, especially spending the rest of one’s life with one woman. It never made sense to me until I met Lucerne. Well, not when I first met her. She was a nightmare, though through no fault of her own. Having been fed a potion by her mother that made her ill, only to find out the woman was not her true mother had to have been devastating. It was the strength I saw in her in the time that followed her ordeal that made me see her differently.”
“And now you would do anything to keep her from ever suffering again.”
“Aye, I would, which is why I am desperate to find two women who can replace Lara and Ann. Lucerne wakes with a sour stomach every morning and still she goes and helps Elsa. Sometimes she is ill throughout the day and into the evening as well and does not eat. I worry over her and our bairn. I do not want to lose either of them.”
“Have you spoken to Elsa about this?” Cree asked.
Sloan shook his head in frustration. “Lucerne will have a fit if I did that.”
“You are her husband. It is your right and your duty to make decisions for her when she is too foolish to do so herself.”
Sloan chuckled. “And how has that worked for you with Dawn?”
Cree stopped himself from responding in haste, his brow crunching in thought.
“You have to think about it,” Sloan said, chuckling again.
“Women,” Cree said, shaking his head.
“My point exactly,” Sloan agreed.
“I have spoken with Flanna and she knows of three women who have expressed interest in working with Elsa. I will speak to Elsa about them without making any reference to Lucerne… for both our sanity,” Cree said.
“You are a wise man,” Sloan said relieved.
Cree spotted Old Mary making her way slowly toward them.
“I should have listened to her when she kept telling me that Dawn was not dead that she would have known if she had died. I thought she could not accept her death.” Sloan looked to Cree. “Much like you who continued searching, not giving up, continuing to hope.”
“Until I finally did.”
“Not that long before Dawn returned and besides, I always believed you were too stubborn to ever truly give up hope that Dawn would return to you.”
“I begged for a miracle,” Cree admitted.
Sloan slapped Cree on the back. “And you got your miracle, but then I do not think the Heavens want you and the devil sure in hell wants nothing to do with you.”
Sloan acknowledged Old Mary with a nod when she got close and slipped away, leaving her to talk with Cree.
“Something troubles you,” Cree said, seeing her concern in the way she worried her gnarled hands.
“There is something in the woods,” Old Mary warned with a shudder.
“What,” Cree demanded, ready to dispatch his men.
“I do not know. I saw nothing but I felt it.” She shuddered again. “Danger lurks there as if in wait.”
“I will send my warriors.”
“I do not think you will find anything. I warned Dawn since I saw the twins with Nell at the edge of the woods. She ran to collect them.”
Cree left Old Mary without a word, his stomach twisting in fear as he hurried to join his wife, to protect his family.
His heart slowed its pounding when he saw his wife holding each of the twins’ hands and walking them away from the woods. She looked as relieved as he felt when she spotted him and he hurried his steps to his family.
Cree was proud of his son, holding his sword up as his eyes scanned the area. He was ready to fight, ready to protect even as young as he was. Lizbeth on the other hand was pouting. He scooped her up as soon as he got close.
She pointed back over his shoulder. “Woods, Da, flowers.”
“No woods,” Cree said firmly.
Her pout grew.
He ignored it and turned to Nell who walked to keep up with them. “The twins are not to go into the woods or at the edge of the woods. And no woman will go into the woods alone until I say otherwise.”
“Forgive me, my lord, I thought it was all right to take them there since Ina has brought them twice now,” Nell said, a tremble to her voice.
“No more,” Cree said with a strength that made Nell shudder.
“Aye, my lord, I will make sure of it,” Nell said, then rushed to say more before her courage failed her. “You should know, my lord, that Ina went into the woods to get other types of flowers for Lizbeth.”
“I will see to Ina,” Cree said and turned, hearing his daughter’s whimper. As soon as he did, Lizbeth broke into tears.
She sobbed between trying to say flowers, which sounded nothing like flowers, though Cree understood her. He felt for her, but it mattered not. He would see her kept safe.
“No tears, Lizbeth,” he said. “Da will take you, but not yet.”
His words did nothing to temper her tears. Instead, they increased.
Cree ignored her as they walked back to the keep, not so Dawn.
She grabbed her husband’s arm stopping him, turned a scowl on her daughter, slapped her hands together loudly and gave one sharp snap of her finger at Lizbeth’s face. The little lass’s tears stopped immediately. Dawn took hold of her son’s hand again and walked ahead, though Valan turned to send his sister a grin.
Cree followed behind her, Lizbeth’s head going to rest on his shoulder and her little arms slipping around his neck, and he tried to keep from smiling. His wife might not have a voice, but she certainly made sure that the twins heard her and obeyed her.
Dawn set a quick pace to Old Mary’s cottage. She had to speak to her and set her own suspicions to rest. The twins had been settled in their room and Cree was busy leading a small group of warriors into the woods not only to locate Ina but to see what he could discover for himself. He also had Sloan busy spreading the word that no woman was to go into the woods alone. Of course, that created a stir among the people, keeping gossiping tongues busy.
Old Mary was sitting on the bench, Paul had made for her, braced against the cottage wall not far from the door. Her head was bent, her attention appearing focused on her lap and she did not raise it as Dawn’s approached.
It was strange to Dawn that the woman did not move, did not seem aware of her presence. It was unlike Old Mary not to realize that she was there, a short distance from her, waiting to greet her.
It was not until she stood in front of Old Mary that the old woman lifted her head.
Old Mary patted the spot beside her on the bench. “Sit. I know you have questions, I do myself, but Fate refuses to reveal them.”
Dawn sat, her hands resting in her lap, ready to listen.
“There was a darkness—no—an evil in the woods I could not explain. It surrounded me suddenly and I feared I could not escape it. Then it either released me or I escaped it, since I could not truthfully tell you if I had taken a step or I had been frozen in place. Something lurks there, but how to find it, I do not know.”
Dawn patted her chest.
“I wondered myself if it could have anything to do with your abduction, if the evil has returned to attempt once again to claim you. But I cannot say. It is not clear. Fate will not show me, though I wonder if Fate cannot see through the heavy darkness herself.”
Dawn took Old Mary’s hand and gave it a squeeze, attempting to reassure the old woman who had done the same for her countless times.
“I know one thing,” Old Mary said with certainty. “This darkness comes and goes at will. There one moment and gone the next. How can something so elusive be found?”
Dawn stuck her chest out and held her hand up high, signifying her husband, and nodded firmly.
“Cree is a wise warrior and I know he has faced evil before, but this evil is different,” Old Mary said, shaking her head. “Far different. It cannot be seen. It evades the eye.”
