Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“He’s raised a large enough paid army,” Dru said, “though Chieftain Ryland is supported by most of the surrounding clans and even more clans to the north.”
“With the confidence Lord Torrance is displaying, I would say there is more to his plan than he lets anyone know, which could mean he does not intend to fight honorably.”
Quint stood and took the wooden bowl from Shade when she stepped out of the cottage. He placed it beside Dru on the bench and Shade added a tankard filled with cider there as well. He retrieved one of the other benches around the property and sat it in front of Dru, making it easier for Shade to tend to her.
Dru didn’t waste any time, she went for an oat cake first.
“Do you have a home, Dru?” Shade asked.
She shook her head and finished chewing the sizeable piece of oat cake before responding. “I travel from late spring through about now when I settle for the winter at Clan MacLeish. Chieftain Ryland lets me winter there. I’ll be headed there once I’m done here.”
Shade gently removed her arm from the bucket of water. “I have a good friend at Clan MacLeish, Ula. She wed Caleb, a member of the clan.”
“I was leaving the day Ula arrived and only saw her in passing, but I know Caleb. He is a good man,” Dru said in between stuffing food into her mouth.
“I will give you enough food to last until you reach Clan MacLeish,” Shade said, patting the lass’ arm dry with a cloth.
Dru stopped chewing and stared at Shade a moment, then with a mouthful she mumbled, “You have been generous enough, I cannot—”
“In exchange for delivering a message to my friend Ula. Please let her know that I miss her and if she needs me for anything to let me know and I will be there for her.”
“I can do that,” Dru said.
“You cannot do that,” Quint ordered.
“Aye, I can and will do it,” Dru argued.
“I don’t mean you,” Quint said with a quick glance at Dru before looking at Shade. “You cannot travel to Clan MacLeish, especially with battle on the horizon.”
“If my friend needs me, I will go,” Shade said with a stubborn lift of her chin.
“Nay, you will not,” Quint demanded.
“You have no say over me,” Shade said, as if dismissing his remark and continued to spread a salve over Dru’s wound.
“If you wed her, you would,” —Dru grinned— “have a say over her. That is”
Shade saw the way Quint’s body tensed at the suggestion. He was not ready to wed. She wondered if he would ever be ready, the memories of his wife still too fresh in his mind. She was a distraction from those memories and the reason why he cared for her. But she doubted he would ever love her and the more time they spent together the more she fell in love with him.
“I ran across a cleric not far from here,” Dru said.
Quint’s eyes narrowed as he shot her a look. “What is he doing in the area?”
Dru shrugged. “I don’t know. I only know he isn’t far from here.”
Shade didn’t want to hear any more about marriage. Quint had no desire to wed her and why would she wed a warrior who would barely be around? Or was that an excuse to ward off the pain of Quint having no interest in wedding her?
“Your wound will do fine,” Shade said, grabbing a cloth to bandage the wound. It is healing nicely, and the salve and a clean bandage will see to the rest.”
“You have a very gentle touch,” Dru said.
“I try,” Shade said with a smile. “Now, I am going to put a sack of food together for you and a clean cloth for when that one gets dirty. You can stay as filthy and smelly as you like, but you will keep your wound clean until it is fully healed. You can have Ula look at it when you reach Clan MacLeish and deliver my message. She knows enough about healing to tend to it for you.”
“You truly are too kind,” Dru said and shook her head. “Be careful, there are those that see kindness as a weakness and take advantage of it.”
“I have seen that for myself, and I do my best to avoid it,” Shade said and gathered up her things and entered the cottage.
Dru continued eating the food that was left. “You know you placed her in danger, don’t you? If you wed her, no one would dare touch her. They would be too fearful of the consequences. Besides, you’ll never find a woman who would willingly wed you.”
“Since you are so intent on seeing me wed, why not do the same yourself? Find a man and wed him.”
“You first,” she said and chuckled.