Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98745 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“This is a battle of a different kind,” Leora said softly so no one could hear since people stopped and stared at them, but not a soul offered a single greeting.
A battle not familiar to him, Noble thought. He could easily handle a surge of warriors coming at him, weapons drawn, and effortlessly subdued them. These people had already been conquered. It was on him to see them rise from defeat.
Leora was not surprised to see that the keep was a good size and in good shape and well-maintained. She waited for her husband to help her off her horse. It was important for the clan to see he was in charge and that his wife respected him.
Noble set his wife on the ground beside him and turned to Finley. “Send a hunting party to hunt and return with sufficient food to feed the clan. Have six warriors follow me into the keep, and you come as well. There is much work to be done here and we start today.”
Finley turned to speak to several warriors and Noble turned to his wife.
“You will remain beside me and hold your tongue while I deal with the two men attempting to claim the title of chieftain.”
“What—”
His fingers pressed firmly against her lips to silence her. “You will hold your tongue and remain beside me, for I don’t know what awaits us. Am I clear, wife?”
“As you say, husband.”
His eyes shot wide and if Leora didn’t spot a teasing glint in them, she would have thought he was surprised.
“An obedient response… miracles do happen,” Noble said with a smug grin.
“Only when I grant them,” she said with a brilliant smile and with a slight lift of her garment, walked up the keep steps like a regal queen.
Noble hurried after her, shaking his head and wondered why she bent down when she reached the top step and heard her say, “You poor, little thing you.”
Leora turned to her husband when he reached her side. “A starving pup. He can barely hold his head up.”
His wife gently cradled a small, black pup, except for one paw that was brown, in her hands and she was right, the pup looked to be starving.
“I must get him fed,” Leora said, thinking of her sister Sky and how she would have seen to the tiny pup’s care. She recalled how Sky tended to the young pups and kittens in need. “Milk. I must get the pup milk.”
“We will get the pup milk once inside,” Noble said and placed his hand low at her back to usher her through the door after opening it.
Shouts and fists pounding on a table greeted Noble and Leora as they entered the Great Hall, a fair-sized room. Two men stood at the far end in front of the dais, yelling in each other’s face, each one slamming their fists on the table in between shouts.
“The clan rightfully belongs to me since Argus claimed me chieftain before he died,” the gray-haired man yelled.
“Bloody hell Argus did,” the shorter man shouted. “You weren’t even here when he died. I am rightful heir to Clan Skirling being a distant and only relative to Argus.”
Leora cared not about the two arguing men, her only concern was for the weak pup. She called out to a nearby servant lass. “Fetch me a bowl of milk.”
“Begone with you woman, you have no right to give orders here,” the gray-haired man shouted without even turning to look at Leora.
Noble’s angry voice boomed throughout the Great Hall. “My wife has every right to issue orders here since I am Chieftain of Clan Skirling!”
CHAPTER 9
Both men turned with fiery glares in their eyes and hands on the hilts of their daggers ready to challenge the claim. The shorter man’s hand instantly fell away from his dagger upon seeing Noble, not so the gray-haired man, his hand gripped the hilt of his dagger even tighter, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Leora tilted her head toward her husband and spoke low. “I will sit by the hearth with the pup while you deal with these two fools.”
Noble almost smiled, that his wife made a point of letting him know what she thought of the two men. He was not surprised they were of like minds and again his wife’s astute nature impressed him.
Noble’s strong voice continued to boom in the Great Hall. “Lord Slayer has appointed me the new Chieftain of Clan Skirling.” He snapped his hand at the servant lass. “Do as my wife says and fetch her a bowl of milk for the pup.”
The servant lass hurried off before someone could say otherwise.
“Lord Slayer has no such right to appoint Clan Skirling’s chieftain, and you have no right to dictate here,” the gray-haired man argued. “Argus passed the title to me on his deathbed. Clan Skirling is mine.”