Highlander's Promise (8 page)

Cree offered his arm to her. “We greet our visitors together.”

That Cree took pride in her, though she could not talk, made her grateful every day that he had come into her life. To him, she had a voice, and he helped her to let it be heard.

They waited on the top steps as the King’s guard approached. Two enclosed wagons trailed the first troop of about twenty men and twenty more men trailed behind the wagons. Several more troops remained in the distance.

Cree and Dawn walked down the steps when a guard walked to the first enclosed wagon and placed a set of steps in front of the door before opening it. Cree was not happy to see Mathias Obern descend the steps. He was one of the King’s most trusted advisors. He made sure that the King’s orders were followed precisely. He cared not for excuses or reason. The King’s word was the King’s word and all would obey it even if it proved wrong. That, and he never cared for Cree, since he had not always followed the King’s edict, made Obern a thorn in Cree’s side.

Dawn felt the muscles in her husband’s arm grow taut. He was not happy with the man who approached them. He did not appear formidable, not even reaching her height and with not enough weight on him to lift a Highland sword. His features were pinched, though haughty and one could see at first glance that he thought himself of great importance.

“Cree,” the man said, stopping in front of him.

It was not lost on those around them that the man did not address Cree respectfully.

“What message do you have for me from the King, Obern?” Cree said, dismissing him as unimportant.

“I warned the King that you could never be taught civility and I will be sure to let him know upon my return.”

“See that you do,” Cree ordered, “for it is not civility the King wants from me.”

Obern wrinkled his nose in distaste and turned his head away slightly. “We need to talk privately.”

“You speak of civility, yet you would be so rude as not to acknowledge my wife?” Cree snapped.

Dawn squeezed his arm gently, attempting to calm the anger she felt building in him. She did not care that the little man had not glanced at her once. She cared more about the message he brought from the King.

“I do not need to meet the peasant woman without a voice,” Obern said dismissively. “And do not think to threaten me, Cree, for I have the King’s guard at my side. My only concern is that the King’s orders are adhered to and I will make certain that is done before I leave here.”

Dawn let her hand slip off her husband’s arm and she gestured to him, then turned and with a respectful bob of her head to Mathias Obern, she hurried off.

“A peasant woman with manners, remarkable,” Obern said and walked up the steps past Cree.

Sloan quickly followed behind Obern, fearful that Cree would snap the man’s skinny neck.

Cree did not immediately follow the insufferable man. His eyes were on his wife as she hurried through the village. Obern’s slight had not bothered her. She was more concerned for him and that was what she had let him know. That and her playful warning that he better not fall asleep on her tonight.

In the middle of this dreadful ordeal, his wife found time for humor and he loved her for it. He turned and climbed the keep steps to see this done with Mathias Obern so that when Minnoch arrived he could kill him and be done with it.

Obern was already ensconced in Cree’s solar while the King’s guards were treated to a feast in the Great Hall.

Cree’s brow wrinkled when he entered his solar, thinking he may have entered the wrong room. Flanna had done well, making it ready for someone of importance. A table was laid out with the finest linen and an assortment of food was spread out atop it, the bowls and serving dishes placed at various heights to make it more pleasing to the eye. Decanters of fine wine were placed on a separate table along with pitchers of ale. But it was the table set with sweets that Obern seemed to be most interested in, though Cree knew he would not indulge until he made the King’s message clear.

Obern sat in one of the chairs that had been arranged near the hearth, extending his slim hands out and rubbing warmth into them. “The Highland weather can chill the bones.”

“The Highlands are for the hardy soul,” Cree said, taking the chair opposite the man.

“Hardy or not, I have been here long enough and wish to see this done.”

So Obern had been in the Highlands for a while, which meant the King had sent him to make sure things went as planned. Cree was not surprised since King Alexander did not care for the fact that the Western Isles continued to hold allegiance to Norway. He had attempted negotiations and possible purchase with the King of Norway, but met failure at every turn. With Minnoch pledging his allegiance to King Alexander and friend to King Haakon of Norway, it could very well help turn the tide in the next negotiations.

“King Alexander sent me to keep watch over your mission and to save it should it turn badly, which I warned the King it would most certainly do. And of course I was right.” Obern’s posture could not get any stiffer or his chin any higher when he asked, “Why in heaven’s name did you steal from Minnoch?”

Cree leaned toward the man. “Accuse me falsely as Minnoch did and the King will need a new advisor. And the question better asked is why would Minnoch see me, an emissary of the King, beheaded without speaking to the King first?”

“I have your word you did not steal from Minnoch?”

“Why would I steal a few gems when I have my own wealth and you well know that, Obern. And aye, I give my word and I never give my word falsely.”

“I know King Alexander trusts your word and therefore so must I,” Obern said a bit reluctantly.

“Yet you would stand by and watch me beheaded?”

“I would have stopped the beheading if I had been in the area to do so. Unfortunately, I only found out about it two days ago. And I must admit I was surprised to discover that it was your wife who rescued you from death.”

“Then you will understand when I tell you that I intend to kill Minnoch.”

“That is not possible,” Obern said, shaking his head and raised his hand to prevent Cree from speaking. “King Alexander needs Minnoch and his orders are that by no means are you to harm Minnoch. You are to welcome him into your home when he arrives.”

“Welcome the man who wants to behead me?” Cree asked not to mention what he had done to his wife and for that alone he wanted to see Minnoch dead.

“I will speak to Minnoch when he arrives and see that he makes peace with you.”

“There will never be peace between him and me, that I can promise you,” Cree said, trying to contain the rage brewing inside him.

“Peace or not, I will have your word that you will obey the King’s orders. You will not harm or kill Minnoch.”

“And what of Minnoch? The King needs him so he will not threaten him. I tell you now, I will not stand idle and let him harm my clan or my family.”

“The King does what must be done,” Obern said.

“Aye, and I do the same.”

“The King will have your word on this, Cree. You will not harm Minnoch and you will welcome him into your home upon his arrival.”

Cree remained silent.

“This is not negotiable, Cree,” Obern said sternly.

“You are right, it is not,” Cree said, though he doubted Obern understood what he meant. “The King has my word.”

Chapter Nine

Dawn was walking up to Old Mary’s door when it opened and Elsa came out, shutting the door behind her.

“She is getting some much needed sleep, after a full meal,” Elsa said. “Have you rested well and eaten yet this morning?”

Dawn pressed her hand to her cheek, wondering if her harrowing ordeal had left its mark on her.

“Others may not see the toll your adventure has taken on you, but I do.” She hooked her arm around Dawn’s. “Rest is called for and food to help restore your strength.” She lowered her voice. “There is no telling what will happen with the King’s guard here and Minnoch on his way.”

Someone shouted out for Elsa and she waved to let them know she would be right there. She turned to Dawn. “Rest when you can, for who knows what the next few days will bring.”

Dawn watched her walk off and as she did, her eyes caught what she had been too preoccupied to see... the village was preparing for battle. The younger bairns were huddled in a circle listening to two women tell an adventurous tale of a mighty warrior. It was what was done if battle might be imminent. This way the two women could easily herd the young ones into the safety of the keep. Several lads carried long, narrow baskets and laid them to rest in various places throughout the village, an innocent enough task. But those baskets held arrows and had been strategically placed for the archers who would need them.

She had known a battle was possible, but watching the villagers prepare made it seem that they sat on the brink of war. She shivered at the thought and prayed that Cree in his strength and wisdom would see a way to avoid it.

Her stomach growled and she realized that with the unexpected arrival of the King’s emissary, she had neglected to eat this morning and now it was nearer to mid-day. She paid heed to Elsa’s warning. She did need to eat and keep up her strength. If battle did break out, there was no telling when next she would be able to eat.

Dawn noticed the villagers hastily stepped out of the way of the King’s guard as a few of them walked through the village. The soldiers made the people uneasy and Dawn could not blame them. They held the authority of the King, which meant they held authority over Cree and that could prove troublesome.

She hurried toward the kitchen in the back of the keep. A few people called out greetings, though most simply waved, too busy with their chores to stop and chat. She rounded the corner of the keep and as soon as she took two steps, she was snagged around the waist and yanked against an unfamiliar body.

“So Cree brought you home and cleaned you up.”

Between his slurred words and his breath heavy with ale, it was easy to surmise the man was well into his cups. What startled Dawn the most was what he had said. He had to be one of Minnoch’s men and one that was there in the dungeon when she had been brought in. But what was he doing here? Minnoch was a day’s ride yet from here, unless he had sent some soldiers ahead to see what they could find out.

“Since you are all cleaned up, how about giving me some of what you gave to Cree?”

Dawn cast an eye to the kitchen door. Why was it closed? It was usually open, but then with all the King’s soldiers roaming about, Turbett probably did not want them disturbing him.

“Come on, we will find a place where no one will bother us,” he said and burped loudly.

The awful stench drifted down around Dawn and she gagged. She did not wait another minute. She brought her heel down on the man’s foot as hard as she could and when he let out a yell, she rammed her elbow back into his gut with a force that sent him tumbling. She turned and ran, but his hand snagged her ankle and she went down hard.

“You’re going to pay for that, whore,” he said and scrambled over her as he fought off her flailing hands.

This is when she wished she had a voice so that she could scream, but there was no point in wishing for something that would never be. And she was not about to rescue Cree from the likes of Minnoch and his soldiers only to fall prey to one of them again.

She made a tight fist and swung with all her might, connecting with his jaw. He toppled off her and she scurried to her feet and made a run for the kitchen door. It flew open just as she was about to grab the latch, her momentum propelling her through the opening and sending the person there tumbling to the floor along with her.

She heard someone yell to get Cree and when she looked to see who she had fallen on top of her eyes turned wide. Spread out beneath her was Mathias Obern.

“Get off me!” he screamed in Dawn’s face.

Dawn was about to comply, worried that she had caused a bigger problem for her husband when she was suddenly lifted off him. She was relieved to see it was Cree who had hold of her.

“Get Elsa,” he shouted, ignoring Obern’s complaints as he struggled to get to his feet. “Your wound bleeds. What happened?” Fury rose up in him when he had entered the kitchen and saw his wife on top of Obern and when he had yanked her up and saw that her bandaged was soaked in one area with blood, his heart had slammed against his chest.

Dawn took a moment to catch her breath, though as she did, she pointed outside and gestured at being grabbed.

“Someone attacked you?” Cree asked his anger mounting.

“What is going on?” Obern demanded.

Cree did not answer him. He cast a quick glance to Flanna and said, “Watch her.” Then he walked outside and over to the man who was stumbling around, trying to get to his feet.

Flanna kept a firm hand on Dawn as they walked out of the kitchen, Obern following behind them and the servants behind him. Sloan hurried past them all and a couple of the King’s guards came to stand protectively beside Obern once outside.

“Here let me help you up,” Cree said and roughly yanked the man off the ground. When he saw who it was, one of Minnoch’s soldiers who had striped his wife naked, he let loose with a vicious punch and sent the man flying several feet.

Cree was on top of him before he could get up, dragging him to his feet. “What are you doing here? Did Minnoch send you?” He did not give the man time to answer. He punched him again. This time in the stomach and he doubled over and fell to his knees.

“Stop! Stop this at once!” Obern ordered.

Cree turned such a vicious scowl on him that the skinny man stumbled back away from him.

“This man dared to put his hands on my wife and he dared to spy on my clan. He will get what he deserves.”

“You will not harm one of Minnoch’s men,” Obern ordered.

Cree cast a look to Sloan and he walked over to stand next to the kneeling man while Cree advanced on Obern with fast strides.

The two King’s guards stepped in front of the quaking man and Cree did not hesitate to shove them out of the way, sending them stumbling. Cree’s warriors had gathered around and stepped forward to make sure the guards did not get in his way.