Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

D awn loved waking in the morning cuddled against her husband. Only this morning an irritating pain disturbed that blissfulness. She intended to focus on her husband rather than the pain. She found comfort in his strong arms and the way he would squeeze her gently, in his sleep, as if reassuring himself that she was there. She enjoyed hearing his soft snores and hearing his heart thump against his chest when she laid her head upon it. It reaffirmed life ran strong through him. She could not imagine life without him, could not imagine waking without him beside her in the morning or not slipping into bed together at night. They had a bond that could never be broken, not in this life or beyond.

She breathed in deep, his scent as potent and seductive as ever, which was why they often began the day making love. She took another strong breath and scrunched her brow. There was a scent to him, familiar, but not to him. How had it gotten on him? Or was the scent coming from her?

Damp dog hair.

Wolves!

Her eyes shot open recalling where she was and what had happened yesterday, but it was her memory of last night that had disturbed her the most. She glanced up at her husband and was relieved to see he was awake.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

She cringed then held two fingers close together.

“It hurts but only a little,” he said, pleased her pain had subsided.

She nodded gently.

“The healer should return to the village today. If she says you are well enough to travel and the fog has cleared, we will take our leave and go find my men,” he said, anxious to do just that. Clan MacMadadh left him with an uneasy feeling, and he did not want to linger here.

She appeared as anxious as he was to leave here, nodding and frowning in response.

With Dawn not having a voice and unable to communicate as easily as most did, Cree had learned to pay heed to her movements, gestures, and her eyes. He had realized she spoke through all three and had come to understand that language as if she spoke it aloud.

“Something troubles you. I can see it in your eyes, and you twitched much in your sleep last night. Did you have troubling dreams?”

She nodded slowly, then switched to a shrug.

“You’re not sure?” Cree asked, concerned.

She shut her eyes tightly as if in deep sleep and cringed, then she opened them wide and looked around.

Cree understood her without a problem. “You are not sure if you were dreaming or if what you saw was real?”

She nodded and purposely sniffed.

“A scent?”

She nodded again.

“I caught a scent in here last night after returning from meeting the clan laird. It reminded me of Beast after getting caught in the rain… wet dog hair.”

Dawn’s eyes widened and she nodded.

He lowered his voice as if concerned about being overheard. “This is a strange place, Dawn.”

A sudden ripple of fear ran through her, and she snuggled closer to him and tapped his lips for him to tell her.

“We are at Clan MacMadadh.”

Her eyes rounded.

“You know it means clan of the wolf?”

She nodded and gestured, waving her hand repeatedly backward.

“Aye, you are right. Clan MacMadadh is an extremely old clan dating back to the early days of this land. I was surprised to hear the name since the clan was thought to have died out long ago, yet here it sits.” He went on to tell her about the wounded wolf cub he had come across and helped and then he told her about meeting Lord Tiernan.

“He says we are welcome and has been generous with his hospitality, yet I cannot help but feel this place harbors a secret. One I care not to know.”

Dawn tapped his chest then hers, then looked to the closed door as she quickly walked her fingers toward it.

“Are you saying we should leave?”

Dawn nodded hastily and it brought a cringe to her face.

“You need more rest, more healing time, and the persistent heavy fog prevents us from leaving,” he said, though felt the same unease as his wife.

Dawn held up one finger.

“One day may not be enough rest for you and there is still the problem of the fog,” he argued gently, clearly seeing she was upset.

Dawn pressed her finger against his nose with such strength that it almost flattened it.

“Are you being adamant about remaining here only one more day?”

She tapped his nose once instead of nodding.

“If the fog lifts in a day, we will take our leave and travel slowly and find my warriors,” he said to appease her and himself.

Dawn smiled and snuggled comfortably in his arms.

Cree kept his arm tight around her. The situation was a conundrum for him. It would not do his wife well if he left here before it was wise for her to travel, yet with his uneasy feeling about this place, he felt a need to take his leave as soon as possible. At least with daylight he could get a better feeling for the clan and perhaps alleviate some of his concerns.

“Olwen, the woman we met upon arrival, says she will send the healer to see you as soon as she returns to the village.”

The unease Dawn felt made her wonder if she would trust the local healer, but she supposed it would be wise to meet the woman and judge for herself. Besides, her husband would insist upon it since it was easy to see he was worried about her, and she did not want to give him more reason to worry.

A knock at the door had Cree getting out of bed.

Dawn understood her husband well. He left her side quickly to be ready to protect her if necessary. She smiled softly, her unease beginning to fade, knowing how capable her husband was of protecting her.

“Enter,” Cree called out.

Olwen entered. “I brought a bucket of water and clean cloths if you would like to freshen yourselves before the morning meal. Lord Tiernan is looking forward to talking with you again and meeting your wife, if she feels up to it. Otherwise, I can have food brought here for Lady Dawn.”

Cree understood it was a summons for him to join Tiernan and he had every intention of doing so, wanting to learn more about his host, as for Dawn.

He turned to her. “Do you feel up to getting out of bed and joining me?”

Dawn nodded her head slowly. There was no way she would remain sequestered in this room all day. She intended to see for certain that the fog persisted and to meet Lord Tiernan to judge the man for herself.

“I will return for you shortly to escort you to the Great Hall,” Olwen said and turned to leave.

“Did they find the young bairn? Tade, I believe they called him,” Cree called out.

Olwen swerved around a bit startled at his question and responded quickly, “Aye, my lord, they did.”

“Was he unharmed?”

“A minor wound, my lord,” Olwen said and hastily left the room.

Cree helped ease his wife out of bed and helped her to freshen her face with a splash of water before he saw to himself. He also examined the wound on her head.

“I believe the swelling has gone down,” he said and was pleased to see her smile.

He watched as she ran a comb that was left for her use through her hair, having offered to help her with it. She refused, naturally, since she could be stubborn at times, doing things for herself since those who did not know her believed that her lack of a voice also left her mind lacking. She continued to prove quite the opposite, having a sharper mind than those who had voices.

He detailed the events of last night to her as he admired the way her long, straight auburn hair began to shine with each stroke of the comb as did her beauty. While some thought her plain featured, he thought them blind since to him she was beautiful.

Dawn heard the concern in his voice as he spoke, telling her of the wolf that passed nearby where he sheltered his horse, the tenacious wolf cub he helped, and of his meeting with Lord Tiernan and a woman named Bridgid. She had missed much and was annoyed that she did. She had much to discover for herself.

After she finished combing her hair, she went to him, rested her hand to his cheek and kissed him gently. Then she pointed to his eyes and turned a seductive smile on him.

He chuckled as his arm coiled around her waist. “It isn’t that my eyes betray how much I want you, it is that you know I always want you.”

She laughed as well, though no sound was heard.

“But you need to heal and since this place makes me uneasy, intimacy will have to wait.”

Dawn pouted playfully.

“Do not tempt me, wife,” he scolded teasingly.

She smiled and they kissed, needing a touch of intimacy.

A knock at the door eased them apart.

“If I must leave your side at any time, you will either accompany me or stay put where I leave you,” he ordered.

Dawn gave a brief nod, and they walked to the door together.

Olwen led them to the Great Hall where Lord Tiernan stood in front of the dais.

Cree was impressed with the sizeable room and how well it was kept. Some Great Halls had onerous odors and lacked cleanliness, not so this room. The floor was clean of debris, tables were wiped clean, and a hint of pine could be detected amongst the delicious scents of the morning meal from the fresh pine branches that had been placed around the room. After hearing his wife’s stomach rumble upon making their way here, he was glad that such pleasant and inviting scents greeted them.

“Lady Dawn, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Lord Tiernan said with a respectful bob of his head. “Tales of Lord Cree’s lovely wife does reach this far north.”

Dawn smiled and bobbed her head as well.

Cree was pleased with the way Lord Tiernan greeted Dawn, acknowledging without saying that he knew she had no voice, leaving for no awkward moments.

“I hope you are feeling much better, Lady Dawn, and that you both slept well,” Lord Tiernan said.

“We sleep well thanks to your generous hospitality,” Cree said, “and I am eager for your healer to see Dawn and advise us on what would be best for her.”

“Our healer, Lynall, should return soon and will be only too glad to help in any way she can,” Lord Tiernan assured Cree and turned, extending his arm toward the dais. “The meal awaits us.”

Cree seated his wife before taking a seat next to Lord Tiernan and asked what was most on his mind. “Has the fog dissipated?”

“I fear not. It continues to linger this time of the year. It could be two or three days before you are able to travel safely, especially with the wolves on the hunt.”

“It must be difficult to live in an area so infested with wolves,” Cree said.

“The clan has come to understand them enough for us to reside in some form of compatibility. We do not bother them, and they do not bother us.”

“Yet they prowl your village. Doesn’t that disturb your people?” Cree asked, trying to make sense of the relationship Clan MacMadadh had with the wolves while trying not to visit the thought of werewolves.

“Knowledge of the wolves is essential to survival and Clan MacMadadh has gained such knowledge through the years and is able to live without fear of them.”

“A wise approach to the problem,” Cree said with a nod. “I am relieved to hear that the missing bairn was found.”

Lord Tiernan smiled. “Tade can be handful, having a mind of his own for one so young.”

Dawn appeared to pay attention to the conversation while she was actually watching Lord Tiernan. Having lacked a voice since birth, she learned at an early age that a person revealed much about themselves through how they spoke with others, their gestures, and their facial expressions. Most people, particularly women, would not see past Lord Tiernan’s handsome features, not so Dawn. She saw that he was a cautious man, careful of what he said, what he revealed, which meant he was careful what he said around strangers, or he harbored secrets that he made sure to keep hidden. It was easy to see he was a confident man, not easily intimidated, even by her husband, not easy to do with the size of her husband and a reputation that many feared. One thing that appeased her worry some was that she did not think him an evil man. Evil was difficult to hide. It showed itself in little things and she saw none of those things in Lord Tiernan. Still, there was something about him that was strange, and she could not make sense of it.

“I have one of those willful ones myself, my daughter Lizbeth,” Cree said with a smile, thinking of his daughter who was forever determined to have her way.

Talk continued of family, Lord Tiernan making certain to include Dawn in the conversation as they ate.

“I would advise you to remain in the keep until this fog lifts at least enough for you to see where you walk,” Lord Tiernan cautioned as the meal was coming to an end.

“I will not leave my horse untended, nor leave his care to another, especially in a place unfamiliar to him,” Cree said.

That her husband left no room to be denied spoke of his commanding nature and strength and she saw that Lord Tiernan had no intention of arguing with him.

“I will have someone take you to the stable after we finish here, so you do not get lost in the fog again.”

“I appreciate that,” Cree said.

Talk continued for a short while until Lord Tiernan offered, “I can have you escorted to the stable now, if you’d like.”

“Now would be good,” Cree said. “My wife can wait here for me.”

Dawn knew that was an order and she acknowledged her husband with a smile.

“You might be more comfortable by the fire, Lady Dawn,” Lord Tiernan offered. “There is a chill in the air today that warns winter might not wait for autumn to finish.”

Dawn smiled and nodded in agreement with him and took her husband’s arm after he assisted her to stand and escorted her to a table close to the hearth.

“I won’t be long,” Cree said, depositing a kiss on his wife’s cheek, then followed alongside Lord Tiernan out of the room.

“Is there anything else I can get you, my lady?” Olwen asked.

Dawn smiled pleasantly as she shook her head.

“Our healer should return soon.”

Dawn brightened her smile and nodded, wishing to gesture yet knowing her gestures might not be understood.

“If there is anything you need, please let me know,” Olwen said and with that she left the room.

“Olwen will provide you with anything you need during your stay here.”

Dawn was startled by Lord Tiernan’s sudden presence. She had not heard him return. She nodded her thanks and expected him to take his leave.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

She maintained her smile as she pointed to the bench opposite her.

Lord Tiernan sat. “I believe you would find the wolves in the area interesting.”

Dawn raised her brow and shrugged, hoping he understood that she asked why.

Lord Tiernan smiled. “For that very reason… your gestures and expressions. Wolves mostly communicate through their howls, but they also communicate through gestures and expressions. Baring their teeth, ears straight up, and a wrinkled forehead warns, nuzzling shows affection, a head held high shows dominance, and the position of their tails tells much. A tail not held high or tucked between the legs but somewhere in between is a threatening expression.”

Dawn creased her brow, then tapped it, and pointed to Lord Tiernan.

“You wonder how I know this,” he said.

Dawn nodded, realizing he was more observant than most.

“As I said before, knowledge of wolves is essential to surviving with them. When you live as closely with wolves as my clan does, we had no choice but to learn all we could about them. I have also come to respect the wolves. They protect their packs as we protect our clans. They mourn the loss of pack members as we mourn the loss of clan members. They rear their young to survive just as we do. We are similar in many ways even when it comes to mates. The female is well-loved and protected and she in turn gives the same to the male. They work in unison much like you and Lord Cree… from what I have heard about you and your husband. He is a lucky man to have such a wise and courageous wife.”

Dawn smiled and patted her chest just above her left breast.

Lord Tiernan smiled graciously. “Your gesture tells me that you love your husband very much.”

She nodded firmly, and the strong movement sent a shot of pain through her head, though she did not cringe. She would not show weakness in front of this man. Instead, she patted her chest again and pointed to him.

“You ask me if I love someone?”

Dawn nodded, this time slowly.

“I have not been as fortunate as Lord Cree to find such a powerful love, though I am sure I will one day.”

Dawn smiled softly and nodded just as softly. Lord Tiernan seemed nice enough, a mannerly man, though his intense eyes unsettled her. She felt as though he was trying to see inside her, gain a closeness that was for her husband alone and it caused her to shiver.

“You are chilled,” Lord Tiernan said and went and grabbed a cloak hanging on one of the many pegs by the door and stepped behind her to drape it over her shoulders.

He tucked it around her and gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze when he was done and, strange as it seemed, she could have sworn he sniffed her hair when he leaned a bit closer to tuck the cloak around her. She was relieved when he stepped from behind her and around the table to face her. “Please consider this your home while here. I enjoyed our chat, and I hope to talk more with you. Until later.” He bobbed his head and left.

Dawn shivered again. There was something about the man that unnerved her. She could not quite figure out what, but she intended to keep a keen eye on him and her surroundings.

Dawn sniffed, a familiar scent teasing her nostrils. She sniffed again, the scent a bit stronger. She turned her head and sniffed her shoulder. The scent was stronger there. It reminded her of Beast’s scent when she would hug him tightly and bury her face in his fur to let him know how much she loved him. Why would an animal scent be on the cloak instead of a human scent? And why had Lord Tiernan spoken about the wolves in such detail? It was as if he was preparing her for an encounter with them.

She shivered again and quickly slipped the cloak off her, placing it at the end of the bench. She did not know what was going on here and she did not know if she wanted to find out. She wanted the fog to lift and Cree and her to take their leave. She rubbed her head, a low pain lingering there, reminding her of her wound. She was not her usual self because of it, and that left her feeling vulnerable, not as strong as she usually felt, and at that moment she wished Cree was there with her.