Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

S hade watched her husband lead Clan MacLeish as though he was born to it. He was stern and commanding when needed but also fair when needed. The people complied, understanding it was a ruse and their strong and courageous chieftain would return and save them from the inevitable evil of Lord Torrance. Even Witley and Monty played along though they didn't know it, obeying every word and command The Monk gave them.

The injured warriors were improving, regaining their strength and eager to do whatever was necessary to keep their clan from falling to Lord Torrance. So, the warrior The Monk yelled at for talking with a woman when he should have been alert while sentinel on the perimeter of the village, repeatedly offered his apology. The Monk ordered him to do extra guard duty since this was the second incident of him failing at his given task, and he warned the warrior that if there was a third time he'd spend a whole day in the stocks he had built for just such a purpose.

Shade was aware the incident had been planned. Quint wanted to see if Witley or Monty, or anyone for that matter would try and sneak past him and rendezvous with someone. Her husband had sent men out to see if Asher's men were lurking nearby, concerned about the incident with Brother Peter. Something had not set right about it with Quint, and he didn't want to take any chances.

When he finished giving the warrior a tongue lashing, he headed back toward the keep where she waited on the steps, but Bethy stopped him. She stretched her arms out for him to pick her up and he did.

Shade smiled when she saw the little lass whisper in his ear. It had taken several cleanings with her ear pick, but she finally got the little lass's ears cleared of all wax and she was able to hear normally. So, it made Shade happy to see Bethy whisper.

The little lass kissed The Monk on the cheek before he set her back down on the ground and she happily ran off. The more she saw how good Quint was with Bethy and how much he seemed to enjoy talking with her, the more guilty she felt about not bearing him a child.

She tried to convince herself she had time. There was always the possibility of her getting with child, but every time she rested her hand to her stomach after making love with Quint and finding it barren, her fear of never conceiving grew. And if she were honest with herself, she would admit she wanted a child as well. She wanted to be a mum and share many memorable moments as she did with her mum and her grandmother.

"Bethy took The Monk to task," Quint said when he reached his wife and quickly took her in his arms, wrapping his cloak around her.

Shade smiled, welcoming the warmth of his arms and cloak even though she wore her own. The chilly air had turned colder over the last few days and people were mumbling that an early snow might fall.

"She asked me why I was being so mean to the man. That it wasn't nice of me to do that, and I should tell him I am sorry."

Shade laughed softly. "Only one so young and innocent would have the courage to tell The Monk to apologize."

"She is so sweet that it was difficult to deny her request. I explained that he failed to tend to his duties, protecting everyone in the clan. And that she wouldn't want to see anyone get harmed. You know what she said to me?" Quint grinned, shaking his head. "She told me he is the one not being nice and she was going to let him know. Then she kissed my cheek and told me, The Monk, that I was a nice man."

"Young ones speak what they see."

Quint hugged her close. "And how do you see The Monk."

"As a man whose thoughts of revenge were placed aside to help others." Shade watched the blue in his eyes brighten in surprise.

"I suppose I have done that, but, in the end, my patience will bring the culprit to me, and I still intend to have my revenge—but not at the cost of losing you."

That brought Shade joy and relief as did his kiss. Revenge was always uppermost on his mind. It came before any thought of her. But now, he thought differently. He let her know that she was more important to him than the revenge that he once lived for.

"I love you so much," Shade said after he finished their kiss with a brush of his lips across hers.

"Enough to sneak away to our bedchamber when it is just past midday?" he asked and was about to nibble at her neck, well aware it always stoked her passion and she always surrendered easily to it, when her name was shouted.

"SHADE!"

They both turned and when Shade saw it was Ula and she looked upset, she hurried out of her husband's arms to rush up the stairs. Quint followed, mumbling to himself how he couldn't wait until they could go home.

"You need to talk with him. He is being unreasonable," Ula whispered as they walked through the keep, servants glancing at them with worried looks.

"You need to mind your tongue, Ula. People look with concern at us. They probably fear something terrible has happened to their chieftain."

Ula held her tongue until they reached the bedchamber. "See. See," Ula said, pointing to Caleb sitting on the edge of the bed. "He not only insists on getting out of bed, but he also wants to leave this room."

"I cannot spend another minute here. It's been neigh on two months and I know I still need to heal but I prefer to do it in my own bed, my own home, where my wife can tend to me and friends can visit. I will go mad if I am made to remain here much longer removed from all that goes on."

"But everyone thinks Chieftain Ryland lies in the bed. It cannot go empty," Ula argued.

"It can," Quint said. "With your husband's return, you will need to care for him, Ula, and no one would expect you to spend all your time here."

"If not me, then who?" Ula asked.

"Me," Shade said. "Not that I truly would. I would come and go, though it is a good place for me to blend my herbs. No one would disturb me since no one is allowed to enter except for a few who could do so now and again."

"Shade is right," Quint agreed. "It is not necessary for Caleb to remain here. We could sneak him out just before dawn when we are sure no one lurks about and plant him so that a sentinel discovers him and helps him into the village. It will give the clan hope that another of their warriors survived and made it home."

"It would be nice for us to be home again, living as husband and wife," Ula said.

"Aye," Caleb said. "It is what I want. What we both want and what we both need."

Quint wanted to claim the same and when Shade eased herself against him and he slipped his arm around her, he realized she thought the same. They both wanted and needed to go home.

"Dawn tomorrow," Caleb said.

"Nay," Shade said, shaking her head. "Your legs need to gain some strength if you are to climb down the stairs and walk through the village. Walk around this room, sit in a chair to rest and nap at least once during the day. In a few days, we will see if you have the strength to get home."

"He'll be ready," Quint said once they stepped outside the bedchamber. "He wants to go home that badly. He'll let nothing stop him." He took hold of her arm. "And nothing is going to stop us from going home once we are done here."

"I agree," Shade said.

"Yet you look worried," Quint said. "Come, we'll talk in our bedchamber."

Shade went to the hearth to warm herself, a sudden chill catching her.

Quint came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist so she could keep her hands extended to the heat of the fire. "I believe I know what troubles you. It was Brother Peter's remark about monks once again taking residence at Coggshall Abbey."

"Aye," she said, leaning back against him.

"There is no need for worry. You have me now to protect you."

"Monks can still make life unpleasant for me, asserting all sorts of things about me until people begin to believe it, until I am finally deemed evil. And what of you? How will they feel about the madman accused of killing their fellow monks living nearby and wed to the healer?"

"Worry not about me. I will prove my innocence and lay to rest the problem. As for you, you help far too many people and do good for too many for anyone ever to believe such nonsense. And such lies will stop fast enough since I will make sure of it. I will see that the monks discover it is wiser for them to befriend you rather than condemn you."

Shade turned around in his arms, a playful smile on her face. "And you have such powers to make this happen?"

He grinned. "I have extraordinary powers, wife."

"Prove it," she challenged.

"With pleasure." He chuckled and scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed.

"Please tell me that Chieftain Ryland has improved enough for me to pray with him," Brother Peter said, approaching Shade as she walked through the village toward the keep.

"I fear it will be some time before you are able to do that, but please continue to pray for him," Shade said and continued walking, her mind more on the pleasure she had recently shared with her husband and feeling guilty that she was caught thinking about it in the presence of the cleric.

"I understand and I am busy tending to those who seek counsel and absolution, and I am pleased there are no deaths to attend to. You are a remarkable healer, Shade. The monks who will make Coggshall Abbey their home would be wise to seek your skill when needed."

"Will they not have a healer of their own?" she asked, having learned from Brother Emmett that many monks studied healing.

"I'm sure not a healer as skilled as you."

She took advantage of the opportunity and asked about the monks who would arrive at Coggshall Abbey. "How many monks will occupy the abbey?"

"Fifteen to begin with, but there are plans to enlarge the abbey so that more monks can make their home there. I believe the intentions are to make it an abbey of knowledge. Where monks can go to study and become knowledgeable on various subjects."

While the abbey was still a good walk from her cottage, the idea that so many monks would be in the area left her feeling upset that her peaceful existence might change.

"Lord Torrance has been generous in supporting this endeavor."

"When are the monks expected to arrive?" she asked, hoping it wasn't soon.

"In about a full moon cycle's time."

"You will reside there?" Shade asked.

"My dear, I am proud to say that I will oversee Coggshall Abbey. So, you already have a friend there," he assured her with a gentle pat to her arm. "But I should caution you, there is talk that the church may seek punishment for the one responsible for the eight dead monks. I have suggested to The Monk that he seek absolution and be forgiven rather than condemned. You might want to advise him to do that."

"But would a confession be enough for absolution?" she asked, worried.

"The church believes that The Monk regretted what he did soon after he killed the eight monks since he blessed the monks with ashes and the blood on his hands mixing with it. He was remorseful and that is what matters to the church. Think on it, my dear."

Brother Peter turned away, a woman calling out to him.

Shade continued to the keep, doing as he said, thinking on it.

"You are sure he is ready?" Quint asked, keeping his voice to a whisper since servants were busy serving the sentinels who were arriving after their night shift to enjoy a hardy morning meal.

"It's been several days. I believe he has grown strong enough for the plan to work," Shade murmured.

"I will go talk with him and Ula and arrange his return for tomorrow morning and?—"

"QUINT!"

The sharp shout had Quint hurrying to his feet, knowing something was wrong since Nug had addressed him as ‘sir' since he took over leadership of the clan.

"A sentinel has been wounded and left for dead," Nug said between labored breaths.

Quint helped Shade off the bench and draped her cloak over her shoulders before grabbing his off the bench where they had left them, then they followed Nug out of the keep and through the village.

Quint did not stop Shade from rushing to the warrior lying on the ground since several MacLeish warriors surrounded the area. He turned to Nug as they walked to reach the fallen warrior. "Have the village searched to see if anyone is missing and ask if anyone has not been seen in a while. And find Dru and make sure she's all right."

"Aye," Nug said and motioned to Heath and quickly assigned him the task.

Shade moved the warrior's head to the side so she could see the wound and so that she could also see what damage may have been done inside his head. A head wound always bled more, so the pool of blood did not worry her as much as the young warrior not regaining consciousness yet.

"How is he, Shade," Quint asked.

"He took a good gash to his head and the sooner he wakes the better," she said. "He needs to be moved to Ena's cottage where she and I can tend to him."

While the men got busy moving the wounded warrior, Quint stepped beside his wife and whispered, "Did you see anything that might present a problem?"

"Nay. He has no bleeds within his head or swelling and both are good signs. I don't think he's been out long since no blood has dried, so hopefully he will wake soon."

"Go and see to him while I tend to this, but be careful, no rushing into anything since I do not know if someone left the village or that someone arrived."

"I will be careful," she said and hurried after the men who carried the warrior.

"Get one of your trackers on this," Quint ordered, "and have your men search the nearby area to see if they can find anything. And have Witley and Monty brought to the Great Hall."

Nug nodded and rushed off.

He was glad to see Dru approach him as he made his way back to the keep.

"The news spreads fast, I heard already. How can I help?" Dru asked when she reached him.

"Be my ears and eyes today. See if you hear or see anything out of the ordinary, anything that might be suspect, or anyone behaving differently than usual. You know what I mean. You have done it before."

"Aye, I'll see to it right away and check the spots I've come across where someone could easily hide."

"Take Nug with you when you do that and that is not a request," Quint said firmly, worried she might find the culprit.

Dru squared her shoulders and snapped, "Aye, sir!" Then she ran off laughing.

By the end of the day, Quint was furious. Nothing and no one could be found. There was no explanation as to what happened. Thankfully, the young warrior had woken and was doing well. The only thing he could tell them was that he heard what he thought were footfalls and went to see. That was when he was hit from behind unable to see the culprit. Quint could only surmise what had occurred and he shared it with Nug in the solar.

"I assume someone left the village to deliver or receive a message. The sentinel heard the person retreating and went after him and fearing the fellow might be caught and all revealed, the person who was returning to the village hit the sentinel with a rock."

"It can't be any of the clan members. They have been through too much together. They would never harm one of their own. That leaves four possibilities. Witley, Monty, Brother Peter, and Dru."

Quint looked ready to explode, he got so angry. "You truly believe Dru would have anything to do with this?"

"She is not part of the clan and when you sent word for me to go with Dru when she searched the hiding spots she knew of, she wasn't to be found. She didn't want me to go with her. Why if she had nothing to hide?"

"She is faster on her feet than you and it is no wonder she doesn't seek a permanent home here. It is obvious she is not welcome to do so."

"I say what I must to keep my clan safe. You may trust Dru, but she presents too many problems for me to trust her," Nug argued.

"Or is it that she gets the best of you more often than not," Quint accused.

"It is a thought we must consider like it or not," Nug continued to argue. "It is unlikely it is Brother Peter since he is a man of God and has administered endlessly to the people while here."

"Not all men of God are Godly, Nug."

"Still, the likely culprit is either Witley or Monty since they are mercenaries and work for whoever will pay them the most."

"Witley has found himself a woman and has been spending more time with her than doing anything else. She confirmed he was with her last night. And Monty is not the brightest warrior and since being here, he has been helping tend to the animals. He spent last night seeing to a sick horse, which a clam member confirmed. Monty also asked my wife if there was any help she could offer the animal. She examined the animal explained what to do and advised them both to stay the night and keep watch over the horse."

"I know you don't want to believe it, but after eliminating all those who possibly could be at fault, it leaves Dru. And with her being the only one who investigated the hiding spots or even knows they exist, then I'd say she is the guilty one. For the clan's sake, at least consider it."

"Leave me," Quint ordered and Nug left.

He grabbed his tankard of ale and went to the chair in front of the hearth to sit. He couldn't say he had known Dru for very long, but he felt he knew her well. She had spoken about wintering here and how Chieftain Ryland treated her well, but he could tell from her own lack of words that Clan MacLeish was not home to her, and now he understood why. She might laugh off Nug's insults, but they had hurt and had made her feel that she wasn't welcome.

He heard the door open. "Unless you are my wife, go away," Quint ordered.

"Then it is good I am your wife," Shade said as she rested her hand on his shoulder.

Quint placed his tankard on the table beside the chair and reached around to grab his wife by the waist and place her on his lap. "You, in my arms, is exactly what I need right now."

"No luck in finding the culprit?" Shade asked, settling herself comfortably in his embrace.

"Nug believes it is Dru."

Shade laughed. "That's nonsense."

"He insists all evidence points to her."

"Nug is wrong and please do not let him make you doubt Dru for a minute."

"I don't. I know Dru better than Nug."

"Then maybe it's Nug who is at fault. Maybe he wanted to meet with someone, and he didn't want you to know about it. Maybe he's worried you might try and rule the clan permanently."

"You are a wise woman. I never thought of that," Quint admitted.

She caressed the wrinkles between his eyes caused by his scowl. "This is not going to be settled tonight. Come to bed and think on it tomorrow."

He brushed his lips over hers. "Will you help me forget it for the rest of the evening?"

"I will do my best," she said and kissed him with a hunger that soon had his manhood rising and poking at her.

"Let's not waste a moment," he said and went to lift her off his lap.

"I almost forgot. Caleb hopes you haven't canceled his return home tomorrow with what happened today. We still see it done in the morning, right?"

"Aye. His return will chase the worries of today's incident and return hope to the clan." He swung her off his lap. "But right now. You are mine for the remainder of the evening."

He kept his arm around his wife's waist as he flung the door open.

Ena jumped back, having been about to knock. "I am sorry to disturb, but Dee, Liam's wife went into labor a few hours ago and I fear there will be a problem with the delivery."