Highlander Unchained (Highlander Trilogy 1)

A smile tempted her lips, recalling how Lila, her closest friend since her arrival at the village ten years ago had put a quick end to the insults. She had rounded the cottage unexpectedly and assaulted Dorrie with a stream of verbal arrows that hit well their mark. Dorrie had run off in tears, no one following her.

Lila had told Dawn not to worry that someday a man would love her, for he would see how very special she was. Dawn wanted to believe her, though recently turning ten and nine years without a single man having ever shown any interest in her, had her believing that her life was destined to be a solitary one. Fate had declared it so.

Lila was two years younger than her, ten and seven years and already round with child. Paul, Lila’s husband, two years older than her, had loved Lila as long as Dawn could remember. Paul, Lila, and she had fast become friends upon her arrival. They had liked the pictures she would draw in the dirt or on the sand along the shoreline. And it hadn’t taken Lila long to understand her hand gestures.

When Dawn’s mother died two years ago Paul made it known that he would look after her and that she would be no burden to the village. She had worried when Colum and his men had arrived a year later. She had thought for sure that the warriors would have their way with her. But as soon as Colum had discovered that she could not speak, he kept his men clear of her, declaring that none of his warriors would seed idiots.

Dawn did not understand why people thought her ignorant simply because she could not speak. She heard and learned so much by listening. And those who chose to converse with her found a way to do so.

She laughed silently thinking how perfectly matched Lila and she were, Lila an endless chatterer, and her unable to say a word. Paul often reminded her how blessed he was to have her in their lives, for Lila had someone who would never interrupt her never-ending tongue.

Dawn stretched out the ache in her back and a drop of rain splat on her cheek. Rain or not, she did not want to return to the kitchen, knowing a long night lay ahead, only to fall exhausted into bed afterwards, wake, and begin again tomorrow.

It would be such a pleasure to have a day to simply do whatever she wished, but that was a dream that surely would never see fruition.

“Dawn! Dawn!”

Flanna’s screech prickled her skin sending gooseflesh running over it. Dawn shuddered, grabbed the basket full of wild onions and before she could turn Flanna gave another shout.

“Hurry your steps; Lord Colum demands your presence.”

Dawn almost tripped over her feet and her stomach turned over. Why would he want to see her? It never bode well when Lord Colum demanded to see a villager. She struggled to recall if she had done anything to offend him.

Nothing came to mind and when but a few feet from Flanna, it suddenly struck her. Had Lord Colum or one of his warriors seen the way she had stared at the prisoner? How the heat had risen to blotch her cheeks? How their eyes had remained connected far too long?

Fear sent her hands trembling and Flanna saw it when she reached to take the basket from her.

“What have you gone and done?” she asked in a low voice so heavy with concern that it sounded foreign, and Dawn stared at her wondering if someone else had spoken.

Flanna grabbed Dawn’s arm and walked her far enough from the kitchen door so no one would hear. Her voice remained low when she said, “Tell me you have done nothing foolish.” She shocked Dawn even more when she grabbed at her hands and demanded, “Tell me.”

Dawn could not believe that Flanna wanted her to respond with hand gestures. She had never thought that Flanna had paid heed to them. Dawn tapped her chest and shrugged.

“You do not know,” Flanna said understanding.

She nodded to confirm, though wondered if her own folly was the cause.

Flanna genuinely looked worried for her and that worried Dawn all the more. She would have never expected Flanna to care and yet she did. The revelation startled her.

“Go wash your hands in the rain barrel and then crumple some heather in them. Lord Colum will not like it if you present yourself with the stench of onions.”

Her sharp tone had returned, though the worry remained.

Dawn nodded and went to walk around her to do as she had ordered when Flanna grabbed her arm once more.

“You come back here when Lord Colum is finished with you and let me know what he wanted of you.”

Dawn nodded and smiled, showing her appreciation the only way she could.