Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 104340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104340 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Paul took Dawn by the arm and ushered her over to Lila, then hurried both women away and didn’t stop until they reached the relative safety of his and Lila’s cottage.
He turned to Dawn. “I will walk you to the kitchen, and then later I will come and walk you home. Don’t go anywhere alone.”
Dawn knew why Paul warned her not to venture anywhere by herself. He worried that some would blame her for Cree’s escape and see that she suffer for it. Though he probably worried more, just as she did, that Colum would blame her and punish her, and his punishment would be far worse.
Flanna was waiting outside the kitchen door for her and Paul stopped a distance away and waited until she reached Flanna, then he turned and ran off to hurry to the fields.
“In the kitchen and stay there,” Flanna ordered obviously thinking the same as Paul.
Dawn didn’t argue. She’d keep to herself and tended to her duties; she preferred it that way. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried over Cree’s escape. Would Colum somehow blame her? Would he punish her? And what of Cree? If escape was so easy for him why had he waited? Why hadn’t he escaped his first day here?
Something nagged at her, but she couldn’t quite catch hold of it. She lost herself in her work not wanting to think of what might happen. All the while that nagging bit of something jabbed at her.
Night came but Colum and his warriors had not returned. Paul came for her as he said he would and he tried to convince her to spend the night with him and Lila. But Dawn wanted time alone and insisted she would be fine, he was not to worry.
She made herself a hot brew, slipped out of her clothes and into her night dress and dropped down on her sleeping pallet. She was exhausted and though she fought to remain awake and see if she could discover what it was that she nagged in the recesses of her mind, she couldn’t. She fell asleep as soon as her head rested on the pillow.
The next morning she popped up in bed and realized what had plagued her. It was the drawing Cree had made in the dirt. She recognized the area and she realized that the drawing had been a plan of attack and she, not realizing it, had helped him strengthen his forces’ positions to attack the Village Dowel.
She jumped out of bed and dressed quickly. She wasn’t sure what to do. Would anyone believe her? They would want to know why she hadn’t said something sooner. She wanted to protect her village, but she feared no one would pay heed to her warning. And yet if she didn’t, what would be the consequences?
Would there be anything left once Cree got finished with the village? What of Lila, Paul, and their unborn baby? She had to at least warn them. She opened the cottage door and stood staring. Villagers were rushing past with worried expressions.
Was Colum returning? Had he recaptured Cree? Were her worries over or were they just beginning?
She followed along with the crowd, Lila and Paul joining her when she reached their cottage. The villagers lined the entrance waiting to greet their liege lord but this time he was not returning the victorious hero. Colum and his warriors looked worn and defeated.
Silence followed the troop, not a word was whispered, not a sound heard. Dawn feared that Colum would lay blame on someone and that someone could well be her.
Colum halted and glared at the sea of faces, many turning away in fear. “You’re a worthless lot. Get to your chores now.”
Everyone scurried off keeping their distance from Colum as he and his men traveled on to the keep. They all knew someone would suffer for this and many an eye turned on Dawn and whispers followed her as she walked along with Paul and Lila.
Paul could not walk with her to the kitchen. He had to leave with the other men who worked in the field. But he urged her to be careful and warned his wife that she had the babe to worry about, fearful that she would do something foolish in defending her friend.
Dawn was nearly to the kitchen when she heard the first scream. She turned and her blood ran cold. Charging down the hill was a troop of warriors their faces streaked red and as they reached the bottom they were joined by two other troops charging in from the right and left.
And in the lead rode Cree.
Chapter Twelve
Dawn’s first thought was of Lila. The workers in the field would have been the first to spot the approaching warriors. Paul could have had time to get to his wife. She prayed that he did as she ran to find her friends.