Dawn turned a wide grin on him.
Elwin actually blushed. “If you hadn’t rescued Dorrie from the stocks and I hadn’t been sent to guard her, she would have never looked twice at me, though your unselfish actions certainly did much to change her selfish ways.”
Dawn’s eyes widened.
Elwin laughed. “I’m not a fool. Dorrie was selfish and cared for no one but herself, though not anymore. She’s different or maybe she just needed to be shown a different way, much like what Cree did with the men he gathered.”
Dawn had no time to consider Elwin’s words. He stopped and nodded. “They approach.”
She and Elwin stood off to the side not far from her cottage to watch the troop that followed Sloan and his men stop at the keep. Cree waited at the top of the steps, the breadth and width of him all in black sending a shiver through her and no doubt intimidating the small troop of ten men that stared at him.
Cree didn’t descend the few steps to greet them. He waited for them to come to him and Dawn wondered how one man could exude such power and confidence. She recalled the first time she had seen him being brought into the village, a captive, his wrists shackled. Even though a prisoner, he exuded the same power and confidence.
The warrior in the lead dismounted while the other warriors remained astride their horses. He was fairly tall, broad-chested, and had long hair as white as freshly fallen snow. He ascended the steps quickly and after what Dawn thought could be construed as a tense exchange both men smiled and the stranger called out to his men to dismount. They all filed into the keep and Dawn wished that she could be privy to what was going on. Not wanting to wallow in disappointment she decided to begin a routine for herself so that once again she was part of village life. She had already tasked herself with the chore of finding out who would want her harmed, but she would also like to find something that would keep her hands busy as well as help settle her overburdened thoughts.
She decided to visit with Lila. She would be happy, though more relieved to see that Dawn was feeling better and had finally gotten herself out of the cottage. She recalled Lila telling her that Cree had placed her in charge of weaving plaids for the villagers and had assigned her not only women to help but a separate cottage where the work could be done.
Dawn made a motion of using a spindle and distaff and shrugged her shoulders in question.
Elwin nodded. “You want to know where your friend Lila carries out her daily chore.” He smiled. “She weaves a fine cloth.”
Dawn agreed with a quick nod and followed next to Elwin. They came upon a good-sized cottage not far from the healer’s place.
Elwin gave a glance skyward and shivered. “A storm brews and a good one at that.”
Dawn shivered herself, though she didn’t know if it was from the impending storm or something else that brewed. But something was coming, she felt in her bones, as Old Mary would say.
She entered the cottage and Lila beamed with delight, quickly handing a smiling Thomas to her. Dawn eagerly took the babe in her arms hugging him tight and he gurgled and rubbed his face against her chest.
“That babe loves you dearly,” one of the four women working the wool said.
Dawn felt a flutter in her heart. She loved Thomas just as dearly and the thought that she would have her own babe to cuddle and love thrilled her. Lila was quick to show off the weave of red, black, and a touch of yellow that would become the new plaid for the Clan Carrick. The women talked and Dawn joined in now and again, Lila interpreting for her, though a couple of times it wasn’t necessary, the women understood her and that pleased Dawn.
Thomas fell asleep in Dawn’s arms and Lila had her place him in the cradle next to another cradle holding a sleeping babe. She told the women she’d be only a moment as she grabbed her cloak from the peg and walked with Dawn to the door. They told her not to rush and bid Dawn a good day and she smiled, nodded, and extended her hand and wished them the same.
Elwin took several steps away when the two women stepped out of the cottage affording them privacy.
“I’m so relieved to see you feeling good again. I have missed you,” Lila said, her eyes a bit teary.
Dawn patted her chest and grinned to confirm she was feeling mighty fit.
Lila lowered her voice. “I heard that Neil saved you from being harmed. Gossip is that Cree was so furious that the two captured men succumbed to endless hours of torture. I am glad you have Cree to protect you, so do not do anything foolish.”