Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

C ree wasn’t surprised when the man who resembled Lord Tiernan was introduced as his brother, Sim or that Lord Tiernan had his brother escort him to the stable. It told Cree that more than an eye was being kept on him. But why? He posed no threat to the clan. Or did he?

The fog had dissipated a little or it could have been that it was daylight that made it appear so. He could at least make out shapes and the sound of people talking which meant the clan members managed to see to daily chores even in the fog.

“I am glad Tade was found,” Cree said, taking the opportunity to learn what he could.

“Aye, it is not the first time he has gone missing and probably won’t be the last.” Sim smiled. “Only four years, and he has a distinct mind of his own and an adventurous soul.”

“I have one like that, but she’s a lass,” Cree said, thinking of his daughter Lizbeth.

Sim chuckled. “Much luck with her.”

Cree laughed. “I need more prayer than luck. Did you find the wounded wolf cub?”

The smile that had lingered on Sim’s face after his laughter faded, vanished.

“Nay, we found no signs of him.”

“I thought I heard a wolf prowling outside the stable last night while settling my horse. Perhaps he came across the cub and returned him to the pack,” Cree suggested, to see if the man might agree with him.

“That is a possibility. The wolves have been known to prowl the village when the fog is dense.”

“It must be difficult to live with the constant threat of the wolves,” Cree said and waited to learn if his thought resembled Lord Tiernan’s, and it did.

“We don’t bother them, and they don’t bother us. Besides, wolves have no interest in humans. They mostly keep to themselves.”

“A good thing to know,” Cree said, wondering over the brothers’ shared belief. There didn’t seem to be a reasonable explanation as to why a wolf cub was hiding under the bed of one of the dwellings or why a wolf prowled outside the stable last night. He had a feeling that Clan MacMadadh harbored many secrets.

Cree’s horse was doing well and was being well cared for and he thanked Sim for that. He would normally want to explore more of a village unfamiliar to him, not that the fog would let him see much, but at least he could get a sense of his surroundings. Presently, he did not even know the way out of the village, the fog consuming all paths. The thought made him want to return to Dawn, feeling uneasy about leaving her alone in unfamiliar surroundings, especially with her wound robbing her of her full strength.

“I am sure you are eager to return to your wife,” Sim said.

Had his eagerness shown on his face or was Sim eager to return him to the keep?

“Sim,” a woman called out as she began to emerge from the fog. “Tade is doing well, a minor wound and it was wise of you to coat it with honey. Oh—” The woman stopped abruptly when she stepped out of the fog and spotted Cree. She appeared surprised and a bit confused.

“Lynall, this is Lord Cree. Brigid must have told you about him and his wife, Lady Dawn, who requires your healing touch,” Sim said and turned to Cree. “This is Lynall, our healer and a skilled one at that.”

Lynall bobbed her head. “I am pleased to meet you, my lord.”

“And I you, Lynall, though more anxious for you to tend to my wife,” Cree said, thinking the woman was too young to be an experienced healer. She had pretty features, green eyes, and long dark hair that did not want to remain piled on her head, strands falling where they pleased.

“Aye, I was headed to the keep to see Lady Dawn, having been advised of her arrival and need of a healer, when I saw Sim.”

“You must have exceptional eyesight to be sure it was him through such a heavy fog,” Cree said, finding Clan MacMadadh stranger the more he learned about it.

“When you live with as much fog as we do, you learn to make out familiar shapes and shadows,” Sim said.

Sim may have thought the explanation viable but not Cree, it made him more suspicious of this odd place and even more eager to leave it.

“Come, Lord Cree,” Lynall said, “and let me see how I can help your wife.”

Cree saw the relief on his wife’s face as soon as he entered the Great Hall, and he silently admonished himself for leaving her alone too long in an unfamiliar place. He never thought of her as different, having no voice, since to him she spoke loudly with her gestures, her expressions, and her touches. But here no one knew her, no one would hear her, and he worried it would leave her feeling vulnerable. Then there was her head wound that didn’t help any, robbing her of her usual confident self.

His suspicions were confirmed when he hurried to her, and she stood anxious to greet him only to wobble on her feet.

He rushed his arm around her, and she fell against him. “You’re dizzy, aren’t you?”

She nodded.

“You stood much too fast after suffering a head wound, feeling dizzy would be expected,” Lynall said with a pleasant smile. “May I have a look at the wound?”

Dawn nodded and Cree helped her to sit. It disturbed him when his wife grabbed his hand and wouldn’t let go. She was letting him know he was to stay there beside her. Dawn was a strong, fearless woman having survived many ordeals and made even stronger by each one. It bothered him to see her appear frightened. He squeezed her hand, assuring her that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“The bump isn’t too bad, and the wound is not deep and looks to be healing nicely. I have a salve that will help with the healing. It is good the fog prevents you from leaving since you need rest and traveling by horse or walking would not serve you well.”

“You are welcome to stay here as long as necessary for Lady Dawn to heal.”

Cree turned, annoyed that he had not heard Lord Tiernan enter the room. He was usually alert to all sounds around him, but then his only thought was for his wife and her well-being.

“I truly appreciate your generous hospitality,” Cree said.

“I would do nothing less for a man as well respected as you are, Lord Cree. Olwen, move Lord Cree and Lady Dawn to a more comfortable bedchamber and see that Lady Dawn is provided with a hot brew.”

“Aye, my lord,” Olwen said.

“Go with Olwen, and Lynall will bring you the salve you need,” Lord Tiernan said, his eyes steady on Cree.

“Again, my appreciation for your generous hospitality, Lord Tiernan. I am in your debt,” Cree said, and with a firm arm around Dawn, he followed Olwen out of the room.

Cree made sure to recall the way to the room from the Great Hall. He kept his arm around his wife when they entered their new bedchamber, a fire heating the large room, and the blankets pulled back on the sizeable bed, ready for Dawn to have a rest. But she leaned her body against him, preventing him from going anywhere and he took it as a sign that she didn’t want to rest just yet. So, he kept hold of her as Olwen pointed out jugs of wine and ale, logs to keep the fire burning and extra blankets stored in the chest at the foot of the bed since the nights got cold this far up in the Highlands this time of the year.

“What’s wrong?” Cree asked as soon as the door closed behind Olwen. He was suspicious as to why the housekeeper had talked continually until the hot brew arrived, leaving no room for conversation, and then she made a hasty exit.

Dawn shrugged and gestured.

“You don’t know, yet you are sure something is not right here,” Cree said to make sure he understood her correctly, and she nodded. “I feel the same, though I cannot say why.”

She laid her head on her husband’s chest, though she was unable to stop worrying. That she didn’t upset her since she always found solace in Cree’s strong arms. His embrace never failed to comfort, protect, reassure, and she needed all of that right now. Her wound had waned more of her strength than she cared to admit not only to herself but especially to her husband.

“It may sound strange, but I get the feeling that wolves rule here more than humans,” Cree said, skeptical of his own thought.

Dawn bobbed her head rapidly then cringed.

“You cannot bob your head like that, it does your wound no good,” Cree scolded, hating to see her in pain.

Dawn sighed, frustrated, and gestured as she stepped away from him.

“I want to go home as well, but your wound and the fog prohibit our departure.” He could not help but say, “I have rarely seen you this agitated.”

Dawn gestured again.

“You are uneasy here.”

She nodded and continued to gesture.

“Secrets? You think secrets lurk here?”

She gestured again.

“Dangerous secrets,” Cree said to confirm what his wife meant.

Dawn nodded slowly and drifted back into her husband’s arms.

Cree hugged her close. “I will let nothing happen to you.”

Dawn turned worried eyes on him and tapped his chest.

“Worry not about me,” he said, and she raised her brow. “All right, so we both worry about each other, but there is not much we can do about it right now. We are stuck here for two, possibly three days.”

Dawn held up two fingers.

Cree saw the stubbornness in her eyes. She would stay no more than two days, but if the fog didn’t cooperate, they would have no choice but to remain there. He didn’t argue with her. The only thing he could do was take one day at a time and get them out of there as soon as it proved possible.

Dawn fell asleep shortly after finishing the hot brew and he worried that the healer had put something in the drink to have her sleep. He wasn’t sure if he was pleased with that or not. Though he knew Dawn wouldn’t be. But perhaps the healer thought it best that she rested.

Cree pulled the blanket up to cover her shoulders and left the room to explore the keep and see what he could find. He did not know how long she would sleep, but he was sure about one thing, he did not want her to wake and find herself alone. So, he would hurry and make himself familiar with the keep then return to Dawn.

The keep was quiet, barely a sound stirring, a far different atmosphere from his keep. Talk and laughter were usually heard as well as his children running, laughing, and shouting throughout the keep or Beast’s huge bark was heard when he chased after them in delightful play. His keep was full of joy. There was no joy in this keep.

He explored the two floors above the bedchamber where he and Dawn had been moved to. Torches with dwindling flames sat in wall sconces and cast barely sufficient light along the winding staircase. He measured his steps carefully, not sure what each turn would bring. He yanked one of the torches out of the bracer to light the way as he explored. There were two bedchambers and a lady’s solar that obviously had not been used in some time since numerous cobwebs and a plethora of dust now occupied both.

He stopped when he heard something overhead. Were those footfalls he heard? Was Lord Tiernan’s quarters overhead? But why would quarters that hadn’t shown use in years be beneath his? Usually, a lord of a clan had quarters on the first floor above the main floor. It granted him easier access to whatever was going on below and provided a faster route to make an escape if necessary.

Cree heard the noise again and listened. It wasn’t footfalls he heard, and he listened more closely. What was the sound he heard? It came to him. It sounded like Beast’s nails when he failed to keep them trimmed and they could be heard scratching along the wood floors. But he had seen no signs of a dog’s presence in the keep, so where did the sound come from, or was he wrong about the sound?

He considered going and investigating, but he was a guest here and it would be improper to be caught exploring the keep without Lord Tiernan’s permission. And the sound was made by either man or beast, and it would not be wise to get caught by either.

Cree made his way below to the Great Hall, which was empty. He found a closed door behind a drapery that led along a corridor and at the end of it, he found himself facing a locked door. He was looking for exits besides the usual main entrance and exit. There was probably an exit through the kitchen, though he hadn’t found a corridor that connected the keep to it. A corridor kept the kitchen a safe distance from the keep, preventing any potential fires from reaching the keep. Although some keeps kept the kitchen completely separate with no attachment at all. He found that unlikely with the problem of wolves in the area.

“Can I help you, sir?” Olwen asked. “You appear lost.”

Cree hadn’t heard the woman approach him and not only that, but he also wondered where she had suddenly come from since he stood in a narrow corridor with no other doorway than the one at the end.

“I was looking for the kitchen to get myself a brew.”

“I can have that brought to you,” Olwen said. “Would you like it brought to the Great Hall or your bedchamber?”

“Point me to the kitchen and I will fetch it myself,” Cree said, so he could discover the entrance to the kitchen and another exit in case it was necessary.

“It is my task to serve, sir,” Olwen insisted. “Now where shall I bring it.”

Cree could have demanded, confident he would get his way, but not sure it was the wise thing to do, so he said, “The bedchamber.”

“Very well, sir. It will be there shortly,” Olwen said. “Can you find your way back, sir?”

Cree knew a dismissal when he heard one. He was to return to his room. He wondered if she didn’t like him roaming the keep. Or perhaps Lord Tiernan had left orders that he was not permitted to do so. If so, why? What could they be hiding? Though considering it, he would not want a guest roaming his home without permission.

He hurried back to Dawn to find her pacing the floor, annoyed with himself for lingering too long and not being there when she woke. She frantically gestured to him.

“Slow down,” he said, taking hold of her hands and pressing them against his chest and holding them there. “It is obvious you are upset that I left you. I planned to return before you woke, but you woke sooner than I expected. I wanted to find areas that would allow us to make a hasty departure, if necessary, not that I worry we will need to do so, but you know how I prefer to be prepared.” She nodded, accepting his explanation without question or worry and that bothered him. “Something disturbs you.”

Dawn nodded, closing her eyes briefly and eased her hands out of his to tap her brow.

“You had a dream?”

She shook her head.

“A nightmare?” he asked, his annoyance with himself growing for failing to be there for her.

She nodded and snarled soundlessly, baring her teeth.

“About wolves?”

She nodded again, looked down, and with her finger created an imaginary circle around them.

“Wolves surrounded us?”

She nodded and clenched her fingers.

“We were trapped?” he asked.

She nodded again and her gesture that followed was clear to him.

“We couldn’t escape,” he said and spotted a hint of terror in her eyes.

Again, she nodded and shivered, rubbing her arms.

Cree stepped behind her and eased her back against him to share his heat and rub her arms to chase away her chill along with her fear.

A knock sounded at the door, causing Dawn to jump.

“I requested a hot brew,” Cree said, hugging her against him. “I will tell you about my fairly quick search of the keep once we are alone again,” and he called out in a commanding tone, “Enter!”

“Enough for you both,” Olwen said after entering and sat a jug and tankards on a small table. “I fear with the fog there is little for you to do while you are here. Feel free to sit in the Great Hall if you grow tired of this bedchamber. Though Lynall did advise rest for you, Lady Dawn, so you will be ready to take your leave when the fog lifts.”

Dawn smiled pleasantly and nodded.

“Ask and I will do my best to get you whatever you need,” Olwen said and with a bob of her head, left the room.

Dawn stepped out of her husband’s arms and pointed to the brew and shook her head. She then pressed her hands together as if in prayer and held them against her cheek and closed her eyes.

“You think the previous brew put you to sleep?”

Dawn nodded.

“The healer did say you needed rest,” Cree said, and her glare had him quickly revising his comment. “Though she should have told you the brew would put you to sleep.”

Her glare vanished when she nodded in agreement. She gestured, letting him know she was eager to hear about what he found while exploring the keep.

Cree detailed his brief venture. “I found little of interest or anything strange and I cannot be sure if what I heard overhead was animal footfalls. I could have missed the entrance to the kitchen in my hasty quest to find what exits I could.”

Dawn dismissed his claim with a wave of her hand, then gestured.

Cree smiled at his wife’s praise. “So, you think I am too wise of a warrior to question my own skills and confidence.”

She nodded and gestured again.

“I, not we, will continue to explore and learn about what goes on here,” he ordered firmly and when she did not acquiesce, he spoke even more firmly. “I mean it, Dawn. You will rest so you are well enough to leave when the fog lifts.”

She went to him, knowing his arms would greet her, and they did, circling her in a soft embrace. With slow, meaningful gestures, she made her worries known.

Cree listened closely almost as if he could hear her, and she made him realize the truth of her words and his own worry grew. “I had not thought of that. If while exploring, something should happen to me and I didn’t make it back to you, you would be left here with strangers and odd strangers at that and none that could understand your gestures.”

She gestured, pressing her two fingers tight together, tapped his chest then tapped hers.

“I wish I could promise you that we will remain together while here, but it may not always be possible. We cannot stay ignorant of our surroundings. I need to make sure I know of exits if we must make a hasty escape or see where weapons may be if needed.”

Dawn understood the wisdom of his words, but they only managed to worry her more. If she felt her usual confident self, she probably wouldn’t be as concerned, but her head hurt, and she did not feel she had her full strength. How could she help her husband if he should need her when she lacked strength?

“We will stay together as much as we can and when that’s not possible, you will remain in this bedchamber.”

She shook her head and gestured that she would help. She would sit in the Great Hall and listen, watch, and discover.

“That may be helpful and with servants around I see no reason why you wouldn’t be safe. But there is one thing I intend to see done. Tomorrow morning I will take you to the stable where the horse is sheltered so you know where it is. If for any reason I don’t return to you while we’re here, you are to take the horse and leave.”

She shook her head.

Cree pushed away the few strands of auburn hair that had fallen loose around her face, then kissed her gently. “I will find you, Dawn. I will always find you whether now or through time, we will always be together.”

Her eyes grew misty with tears, and she was about to kiss him when the soulful howl of a wolf stopped her.

Cree pushed his wife behind him, the piercing howl sounding like it came from within the keep.