Highlander Unchained (Highlander Trilogy 1)

Most of all she wondered what she had done that upset him so much that he had thrown her out. She worried that it was because she had touched him. She had meant no harm by it. She couldn’t explain why she had done it. She only knew that she could not stop herself. It was as if he needed her comforting touch.

She entered her cottage to find a crying Lila and Paul there.

“Are you all right?” Paul asked.

Dawn nodded. She could tell that he was upset and knew why. He had felt helpless to help her and had to restrain his wife from helping her for her own good and all of it did not sit well with him.

“I’ll leave you two to talk,” he said and stopped next to her to give her shoulder a squeeze. Then he whispered, “Thank you, Dawn; you are a true friend.”

She understood that he thanked her for shaking her head at Lila, warning her not to interfere and her eyes grew misty. As soon as the door closed behind him Lila flew at her and they hugged tightly.

“I feared greatly for you and for me, for I do not know what I would do without you,” Lila cried.

Dawn kept hold of her. She needed Lila’s comfort as much as Lila’s needed hers. Lila often spoke for Dawn especially when she had been taunted by others. Lila was always there to verbally defend her with remarks that struck as sharply as an arrow’s point. Dawn on the other hand had been there for Lila if anyone should attempt to physically taunt her. Being taller than most women had helped intimidate which usually resolved the issue. But there were times when they were young that they both got into scuffles, neither ever leaving the other to fend for herself.

That was why this was so hard for Lila now. There was nothing she could do to help Dawn and that was precisely what Dawn explained to her in gestures that Lila easily understood but objected to.

Dawn in return patted Lila’s protruding stomach.

Lila sighed. “I know, Paul reminds me of the same, the babe comes first.”

Dawn nodded vigorously.

“At least let me tend your wounds,” Lila said.

Dawn nodded and smiled. It would do them good to share this. It would make Lila feel that at least she had done something to help Dawn. And Dawn needed this calming and caring time with Lila before she faced Cree once again.

Unfortunately, Flanna burst through the door out of breath. Lila and Dawn helped her to a chair and she struggled between breaths to deliver her message.

It turned Dawn pale when Lila said, “Cree wants her now?”

Flanna quickly explained that Colum searched for her. And that he was pleased that the prisoner Cree had requested her return. He had ordered a basket of food to be prepared quickly and that candles were to be added to it. He had then sent Goddard to the kitchen to collect Dawn. When he didn’t find her there someone in the kitchen suggested that she was probably at Flanna’s cottage. As soon as Flanna had returned to the kitchen and heard she had rushed to Dawn.

Dawn wanted no contact with Goddard and saw she and Flanna immediately left Dawn’s cottage and hurried to the kitchen. She snatched up the waiting basket and was on the way to Cree when she met up with Goddard.

He sneered at her and leaned close to whisper, “The scent of him better be strong on you along with some information or you’ll soon find my scent heavy on you.”

She didn’t acknowledge his remark with a nod or a gesture; she simply continued walking, her legs trembling terribly.

John, the guard, said nothing to her when she stopped in front of him. He opened the door and kept his distance from her letting her enter of her own accord and then closed and latched it behind her.

Dawn heard Cree stir in the corner where he usually sat. The food she had placed on the blanket was still there, though barely touched. He didn’t acknowledge her presence and so she moved to the blanket and began gathering the food to place in the basket she had left there. Keeping her hands busy also kept her mind occupied since she would rather not think of what was to come.

Rain clouds had fast moved in obliterating the sun and promising rain possibly for the remainder of the day. That meant the hut would lack light and though she had the candles she didn’t know if she should use them. She feared that the more clearly she could see Cree the more frightening he would appear.

The decision was made for her when she removed the candles from the basket to get at the meat pie beneath. Once Cree saw them he grabbed them.