“Two men were found killed in the woods not far from the bridge. A merchant who stops here often found them and alerted Lord Torin to their location.”
“Is the merchant still here?” Flora asked, eager to speak with the man.
“Aye, my lady. Hadwin sometimes winters here, the snow making travel difficult. He always stocks up on favorite items of the clan. He brings wine, spices, cloth, furs. He even had a scroll with him once.”
“Scroll?” Flora repeated, excited at the prospect that there might be something for her to read. “Did Lord Torin purchase it?”
“Nay, my lady, none here can read.”
“Do you know if the merchant still has the scroll?” Flora asked anxiously, giving her a good reason to seek out the merchant, not only to find out about the two dead men but also about the scroll.
“I do not know, my lady.”
“Where can I find him?”
“Do you know your way through the village, my lady?”
Flora shook her head, annoyed that she had yet taken the time to explore the village. She had been too occupied with the keep. What was it her da had told her? Always make certain you know the lay of the land around you. You never know when you may need to leave the area in haste.
“Can you take me there, Anwen?” Flora asked.
“Now, my lady?”
“Aye. I am anxious to see if the merchant still possesses the scroll,” Flora said, making haste to the door.
Anwen trailed behind Flora as she rushed down the stairs. Flora hurriedly grabbed her cloak she had tossed on a bench earlier. Anwen scooped up her cloak and hurried instructions to a couple of servants about what needed to be done in his lordship’s bedchamber, then raced after Flora. Once outside, the frigid wind whipping at them and biting at their cheeks, Flora hurried her hood up over her head and followed alongside Anwen.
“Hadwin’s cottage is not far from Verena’s,” Anwen said and pointed to a cottage, a covered cart sitting alongside it. “There.”
Flora was eager to question him about the two murdered men in the woods but even more eager to see if he still had the scroll. She went straight to the cart, pulling back the covering that kept the elements off his ware.
She rummaged through the packed cart, appalled that the scroll could be among the mess. The man had no idea of the treasure he possessed. Not able to dig deep enough, she hoisted herself up on the wheel of the cart and leaned over, her rump raised up in the air as she foraged through the abundance of items.
“Stop! Stop! What are you doing?” a voice called out.
Flora paid the anxious voice no mind, though she did hear Anwen warn the man that he was speaking to Lord Torin’s wife. His tone changed, begging her to let him find whatever she was searching for.
Flora continued to pay him no heed. She was too excited to discover it for herself, and she did. Her hand touched a leather pouch and by the size of it knew it contained the scroll. She excitedly leaned further down to grasp hold of it.
She felt herself slip but did not care, her discovery more important.
However, she let out a grasp when someone grabbed her firmly by the backside to prevent her from toppling headfirst into the cart. Only one person would dare do that.
“Hold firm, husband!” Flora called out, “I almost have hold of it.”
She barely had time to grasp the scroll in her hand before she was yanked out of the cart.
“What the bloody hell are you doing, wife?” Torin demanded once he had set her on her feet in front of him.
“A scroll!” Flora said, holding it up victoriously.
Torin glared at his wife, her dark hair in disarray and a smudge of dirt on her cheek. How she could be more appealing so disheveled puzzled him, but damn if she did not stir his loins.
“You do not go digging in Hadwin’s cart,” Torin scolded.
“I would have fetched whatever my lady wanted, my lord,” Hadwin said with a worrisome voice.
“It was not his fault,” Flora said with a wave of her hand. “I simply could not wait. I had to see if he had a scroll. I have not laid my eyes on one in far too long.” She suddenly thought of why else she wished to see him. “Tell me of the bodies you discovered.”