She did not know what gave her the temerity to step forward, perhaps it had been all she had been through lately or perhaps she did not fear Cree the way she once did. Whatever the reason, the one small step was liberating.
She began gesturing with her hands, no doubt too fast for him to understand, but her intention was to show him that he was not the only one annoyed.
“Enough,” he warned frustrated. “I asked Sloan to explain, not you.”
Dawn slapped her chest several times and tapped her mouth repeatedly, then stamped her foot.”
“That I understood and I do not care if you want to speak for yourself. I asked Sloan to explain—”
Dawn shook her head and pointed to Sloan. How could he explain? It hadn’t happened to him; it had happened to her.
“Be quiet,” he snapped.
She caught her smile before it could surface. Never had she been told to be quiet and it thrilled her.
Sloan wisely spoke before Dawn could object. “Dawn had gone to collect heather and was abducted.”
“Tell me that her guard was killed trying to protect her because if he wasn’t, I’ll kill him myself.”
He wouldn’t, Dawn thought but the murderous look in his eyes told her otherwise.
Sloan shook his head. “She had no guard.”
That brought Cree off his horse to stand directly in front of Sloan. “You failed to carry out my orders?”
Dawn tapped Cree on the arm.
“Not now,” he snarled, his eyes fixed on Sloan.
This time she gave him a shove and it did the trick. He turned slowly to glare at her.
“Did you just shove me?”
She nodded, pointed at him, pointed at her ear, and then to herself.
“I should listen to you.”
She nodded.
“Is that an order?” he asked caustically.
She gave a sharp nod of command and Sloan laughed, unfortunately not soundlessly.
Cree turned on him. “I’m not finished with you.”
Sloan respectfully and wisely bowed his head.
Cree signaled to a warrior who stood nearby and Dawn realized that there were always warriors near Cree to do his bidding. He directed the man to take care of his horse, and then he grabbed Dawn’s hand and dragged her alongside him. Sloan followed.
Dawn didn’t have to be told where they were going. She knew he was taking her to Lila so that she could interpret. It annoyed her that he felt the need to do so. He had understood her gestures well enough and with time… perhaps he didn’t plan on spending that much time with her. And the thought saddened her, which troubled her all the more.
People were clustered in small groups as they passed through the village and one look from Cree had them scurrying off. Lila stood just outside her open door with baby Thomas cradled in her arms sound asleep. She stepped inside at their approach and once they entered Dawn yanked her arm free and started gesturing before Sloan even had a chance to close the door.
Dawn let all her frustration loose, letting her friend know what a stubborn fool Cree was and how he refused to listen to her, or take the time to become familiar with her gestures, that all he truly was interested in was satisfying himself between her legs. Her last complaint broke her tirade and she shook her head, she wasn’t being fair to Lila. These weren’t things she should be saying to Lila, at least here and now, in front of Cree.
Pushing her frustration aside she began to explain what happened and Lila with a look of relief interpreted.
“A warrior followed behind her and she assumed that he had been assigned to protect her. He waited for her to finish collecting heather and told her it was time to go. That was when he slapped the basket out of her hand and dragged her into the woods.”
“Did he say anything else to you?” Cree asked and her body responded by turning rigid. “Tell me,” he urged his tone less angry. He watched her gestures as Lila spoke.
“When he forced her to the woods, she looked around hoping someone would see them and he told her—” Lila stopped her eyes filled with sadness and shook her head.
“Lila,” he said curtly, anxious to know what had stopped Lila and filled her with such sorrow.
“He told her that she was the devil’s whore and no one would help her.”
Rage roared like a fiery blast through Cree. He kept his lips firmly locked so that it would not erupt and clenched his fists eager to turn his wrath on the man. He tempered his anger before he said, “He was wrong.”
Dawn thought she saw pain in his dark eyes, but it was so brief that she couldn’t be sure.
“How did you escape?”
“She threw a handful of dirt in his face and took off running and ran right into me,” Sloan answered to Cree’s surprise. Sloan pointed to Dawn. “She told me about it while the men went after the culprit.”