Highlander's Winter Tale Read online

  “What nonsense do you speak?”

  All color drained from Flanna’s face upon hearing Cree’s irate voice and her body trembled as she turned to face him. Her voice quivered as she went to explain, but Cree’s sharp words prevented her from speaking.

  “Watch your tongue, woman, or I will see it—” Cree stopped himself from saying what he knew would disturb his wife and tried to temper his anger.

  Flanna remained silent and fearful.

  Dawn stepped beside her husband and laid a gentle hand on his arm and when she had his attention, she gestured.

  Cree listened, watching his wife’s hands speak and said nothing until she finished. “You may have asked Flanna what she knew of curses, but I will not tolerate anyone believing you were cursed.”

  Dawn turned to Flanna and took her hand, then looked to her husband and shook her head.

  Cree glared at Flanna. “My wife defends you. What have you to say?”

  “I beg your forgiveness, my lord. I never meant to offend, only to help. I do not believe Lady Dawn is cursed, but many once did.”

  “Be grateful my wife calls you friend or I would see you punished. Now go and do not let me see your face for the rest of the day,” Cree ordered sharply.

  Dawn took hold of Flanna’s arm when she went to hurry off and gestured for her to remain where she was.

  “I gave an order,” Cree commanded.

  Dawn could tell that her husband was angry, but being angry in return at his harsh command would do no good. Besides, it was obvious to her that his potent anger had been brewing over something else and had finally bubbled over with Flanna.

  Dawn kept her gestures gentle and watched the scowl on her husband’s face begin to soften.

  “You do not need to remind me of what a great help she was to you when I first arrived here and how she continues to be of help to you. But I will not tolerate anyone even suggesting such nonsense that a witch robbed you of your voice.”

  “I am truly sorry, my lord, I meant no harm,” Flanna apologized again.

  “Then mind your tongue and suffer the minor punishment without complaint.”

  “As you say, my lord,” Flanna said and bobbed her head and went to take her leave once again and once again Dawn stopped her.

  “She will do as I say, Dawn, now let her go,” Cree warned then turned to Flanna. “Remain out of my sight before I inflict a harsher punishment on you.”

  Flanna bobbed her head and hurried off.

  Cree glared at his wife. “Never use my own orders against me, wife. If she is the one you must tell where you go to next, then you will instruct her to have someone else deliver the message to me. Do not fail to obey me on this or Flanna will suffer for it.”

  Dawn nodded and gave her word, then laid her hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze as she shrugged and raised her brow, wanting to know what troubled him.

  It took a moment before he grudgingly said, “You are much too astute.”

  She tapped two crossed fingers to his chest, after tapping them to hers.

  He ran a tender hand down her cheek and along her chin. “Aye, it is like you and I are one, hearing what the other one thinks or will say before words are spoken. We need to talk.”

  Dawn nodded, agreeing with him and listened closely. She did not like the worry she heard in his tone or the way the lines that fanned out from the corner of his eyes deepened. Something was wrong and she knew without him saying that it had something to do with Alexander.

  “We will talk in my solar.”

  Dawn followed along beside him, passing through the Great Hall to reach his solar. Everyone appeared terrified, tears filled many eyes and all of them followed Cree, as if begging him to save them. Terror had replaced fear and it frightened her, for it could mean only one thing.

  Evil was about to strike again.

  Chapter Ten

  Cree turned after closing the door to find his wife right there in front of him, a questioning look on her face. “We will sit and I will tell you everything.”

  That he suggested they sit frightened her all the more, for it meant the news would leave her limbs too weak to stand.

  Cree placed his hand to her back and eased her over to the chairs in front of the hearth. He saw the fear in her dark eyes and he worried that it would grow once he told her all. Terror was already growing amongst those in the keep, the warriors who had kept a keen ear outside the door of the tower room as Cree and Alexander spoke had been quick to spread the word...there was no stopping the evil man of Winter Tale.

  Dawn urged him to speak, anxious to hear what he had to say, yet frightened at what she would hear.

  Cree explained it all and Dawn asked a question she feared her husband could not answer.

  “How do we defend against him is the question I keep asking myself and one I intend to find an answer to. Though time is of the essence, for he will continue to toy, frighten, and influence us and take great pleasure in doing so.” He reached out and took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers with hers, feeling their warmth, their softness, and their strength. “There is something I have not told you.”

  Dawn titled her head in question, worried over what he would say.

  “Alexander says you will surrender to him, for he can give you something that I could never give you.”

  Dawn shook her head and gestured.

  Though her gestures were quick, they were clear to Cree. “I have given you everything you have ever wanted.”

  She nodded and smiled.

  Cree waited a moment before he spoke again. “He says he will give you a voice.” He felt his heart swell when without hesitation he spoke her response aloud. “You already have a voice. I helped you find it and allowed it to grow strong. Alexander has nothing to offer you that you would want.”

  She nodded vigorously, then frowned, pointed at him, and tapped her temple.

  “Of course I already knew that, but I wanted to hear you say it.”

  Dawn got up from her seat and moved to sit on her husband’s lap, her arms going around his neck and her lips settling gently on his in a kiss. She loved him so very much, for he truly had helped her to find her voice and have it heard, and she was grateful every day for him and the love they so generously shared.

  After a tender exchange, Cree tightened his arm that rested at her waist. “I will see this done. I will destroy him.”

  A sudden burst of laughter filled the room, sending a shiver through Dawn and rushing anger through Cree.

  “You heard that?” Cree asked.

  Dawn nodded and patted his chest.

  “Aye, I heard it as well and I believe I heard him once before in our bedchamber.”

  Though, Old Mary had warned her against telling Cree how Alexander could hear her thoughts, she felt now was the time for him to know. She explained it all to him, even Old Mary’s warning of telling him for fear the clan would think their chieftain possessed by evil.

  “I am glad you told me. We will need to be vigilant of our thoughts and though it is not something I would have ever thought to say to you...you must not think before you speak.”

  Dawn nodded with a smile.

  Cree kissed her softly, then whispered, “I am going to make that bastard suffer for what he has done.”

  A heavy pounding at the door startled them both.

  “Cree, hurry you are needed in the Great Hall,” Sloan shouted.

  Dawn hurried off her husband’s lap and followed him to the door.

  Cree threw it open to find Sloan pacing in front of it. He stopped and shook his head. “Madness has struck the Great Hall.”

  Dawn hurried along after her husband and was shocked to see all those in the Great Hall arguing with each other. Not one of them stopped or acknowledged Cree’s entrance. They continued to squabble among themselves, some even shoving one another.

  Cree stepped up on the dais, behind the table, and his strong voice thundered throughout the room when he shouted, “Silenc
e!”

  The Great Hall turned silent instantly and wide, frightened eyes turned on Cree.

  His angry, strong voice boomed throughout the hall. “I will not tolerate foolishness. Behave properly or I will see every one of you punished.” His fist came down on the table with a mighty blow and it sounded as if the wood cracked. “I rule here and you will obey me or suffer a far worse fate than the one you believe has been delivered upon you.”

  Dawn watched their frightened yet hopeful faces. They wanted to believe that Cree would keep them safe and rid them of the evil that had descended upon them, but they also feared the evil too strong for Cree to defeat.

  “You will all busy yourselves in tending the ill and helping the servants who have tended to your needs since this has begun.” His fist came down on the table again. “Do not make me return here again or you all will regret it.” Cree turned to Sloan. “Have Flanna see this done, and then meet me in my solar.”

  Sloan bobbed his head and Cree walked out of the hall, talking his wife’s hand as he went. They returned to his solar and once he entered, he went and poured himself a tankard of ale. He raised it to his lips, though it never touched them. He slammed the tankard down hard on the sideboard, the ale spilling over the sides.

  “What am I failing to see?” he said angrily.

  Old Mary had said the same. What were they all failing to see? Something in the curse or the tale itself? And why had Alexander said that when the snow melts all that was Cree’s would belong to him when he would once again disappear...or would he?

  Dawn did as her mum’s words had reminded. She stripped away the nonsense and was left with one burning question. Why did evil follow Alexander? No evil-doing was mentioned in the curse. On the contrary, love was to seal his fate. He would find no peace or rest until then.

  A knock sounded before Sloan entered and Dawn took her leave, letting Cree know that she was going to see how Old Mary fared.

  “Keep me apprised of your whereabouts,” he reminded.

  She sent him a nod as she walked out the door, and then hurried up the stairs and prayed that Old Mary was awake. She was disappointed to find the old woman still slept.

  “She had not stirred since you left,” Bessa said.

  Dawn walked over to Neil and pointed to Elsa.

  “She rests comfortably, though I worry she will not wake.”

  Dawn shook her head and wagged her finger, reminding him that he should not think that way.

  “It took me a long time to find a woman I could love and I do so love Elsa.”

  Dawn gestured slowly to Neil, urging him to have faith.

  Neil nodded. “She is a strong woman. Even when they accused her of being a witch she had remained strong and tried to make them see reason. But fear has no room for reason. Not even when she held a talisman in her hand that repels witches did they believe her.”

  Elsa stirred and Neil was right there to assure her all would be well, though he was not sure of his own words.

  Dawn left them alone after telling Neil if Cree came looking for her that she went to speak with Flanna and hurried down the stairs to the Great Hall. It was calmer than before and everyone was busy. No doubt due to Flanna who stood in the middle of the room issuing orders as sharply as Cree. Dawn waved her over and Flanna directed one of the warriors to take her place. His voice boomed as strongly as hers had.

  “You need something?” Flanna asked.

  Dawn nodded and gestured.

  “Aye, I have both talismans with me,” Flanna said, patting the pouch hanging from the belt at her waist. “After speaking with you, I fetched the pouch from the kitchen where I kept it.”

  Dawn patted her chest and held up one finger.

  “You need one?”

  Dawn nodded, holding up one finger to confirm, then gestured again.

  “You want the one for a witch?” Flanna asked surprised.

  Dawn bobbed her head.

  Flanna opened her pouch and withdrew a bunch of small oak sticks held together by a worn strip of wool and handed it to Dawn.

  Dawn took it and pressed a finger to her lips, letting Flanna know she was not to tell anyone about this.

  Flanna nodded.

  Dawn’s hands spoke once more.

  Flanna easily understood. “The talisman that captures a witch’s power is a stone that has a hole going through it. When the stone is held in front of a witch, the hole draws the power out of the witch and into the stone. The stone then must be broken, breaking the witch’s power forever.” Flanna shook her head. “It is not only difficult to find such a stone, but even more difficult to break it and both must be done by the person who found the stone.”

  Dawn tapped her head, pointed to Flanna, then shrugged.

  Flanna shook her head. “I do not know of anyone who has found such a stone.” She paused a moment, a look of fright in her eyes. “Do you think—”

  Dawn once again pressed a finger to her own lips, warning Flanna to remain silent, then hurriedly gestured that she was going to join Cree in his solar.

  Flanna nodded. “Be careful.”

  Dawn gave her a hasty hug and hurried off.

  “Lady Dawn!” Bessa called out, stopping Dawn before she reached the solar. “Old Mary is crazy with fever.”

  Dawn flew past the lass and up the stairs to Old Mary’s room. She paused a moment upon entering, staring at the scene before her. Neil, his face wrinkled with fear, stood with his eyes fixed on Old Mary thrashing around in the bed, her arms swinging wildly and though she talked, she made no sense.

  Dawn hurried over to her, hearing prayers on Neil’s lips as she passed him that Elsa would not suffer a similar fate. With some difficulty, she got hold of Old Mary’s thrashing hands.

  Old Mary glared at her. “No sense. Nothing.”

  Dawn tapped her chest gently, letting her know it was all right.

  “No! No!” Old Mary insisted her eyes wild with fear. “Evil.” She gasped. “Cree must save us!”

  Bessa started wailing. “We are doomed. We are all doomed. The devil will get us all.”

  Dawn looked with pleading eyes at Neil and he hurried over to the lass and slipped his arm around her, comforting her enough that her wailing subsided. Try as she might, Dawn could not calm Old Mary and as she continued her tirade, it grew more senseless.

  “You know! You know! Hurry!”

  Dawn let go of her arms, afraid her old bones would break if she kept tight hold of them. Instead, she bathed the old woman’s head, fighting to get the fever down.

  Finally, Old Mary calmed and seemed lucid for a few moments. “No time left. No time.”

  Dawn stared at Old Mary as she fell into a restful slumber. After seeing that she would remain so, Dawn turned to Bessa.

  “That is our fate...to go mad,” the young lass cried.

  Dawn was grateful that Neil silenced her. “Hush now. That is not our fate. Lord Cree will keep us safe.”

  Dawn nodded in agreement, then gestured to Neil that she was going to speak with Cree.

  He gave her a brief nod and kept his arm wrapped around Bessa, speaking soothingly to her.

  Dawn closed the door behind her and was about to hurry to the stairs when she saw Alexander standing in front of them.

  “It is time to meet your fate, Dawn,” he said with a smile and started walking toward her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Dawn waited until he was a few feet away from her before she pulled out the talisman she had tucked in the shoulder of her tunic and held it out in front of her.

  Alexander stopped abruptly, his smile fading. “You discovered my secret.”

  You are a witch!

  “I am, but how did you know?”

  Dawn spoke as she always did...with her hands. She refused to let him into her head, and she purposely gestured rapidly to see if he could follow her.

  Alexander’s smile returned. “You have a strong mind. You lock me out of your thoughts and you realize what others have f
ailed to see all these years. Some believed it was revenge I was after, but from whom when the woman who cursed me was dead?” He shook his head. “No, it was not revenge I wanted.”

  Dawn gestured again.

  “Aye, you are right, it is power I searched for and gained through the years. You truly do have a wise mind; we could do very well together.”

  Dawn posed another question to him.

  “Of course you would be curious to know the truth of the tale. I will tell you, and then it is finally time for me to create my fate and yours as well.”

  Dawn did not like the sound of that, but she made sure not to think on it or the fear that was turning her skin to gooseflesh.

  “People can be made to believe anything, especially when it comes to love. Glenna is the woman spoken about in the Winter Tale. The one I supposedly loved. Though, it was not a battlefield where I found her, but a small skirmish and it was Glenna who found me beneath those bloodied corpses. What she did not know was that it was me who took those lives. When I learned she was a chieftain’s daughter I saw an opportunity and I began to bend her to my will. Her father was not quite as trusting as his daughter and not as easy to influence. He stood in the way of my plans,” —he grinned— “As does your husband.”

  Dawn struggled to keep her fear from surfacing, knowing he would feed off any he sensed. Though, she could not stop the already creeping gooseflesh from continuing to crawl further up her body.

  “I planned on wedding Glenna and becoming chieftain, but then I realized that she was growing skeptical of me. She was wiser than I thought and an excellent healer, which made her more aware than most others. Too late, she discovered I was a witch. By then, I had convinced her clan that she was the witch and that she must be banished. But my dear Glenna was so much wiser than I thought. She left her clan only to return years later when I was wed and had her clan well-in-hand. It was my turn to learn too late that she had acquired the skills of a witch and attempted to free her clan of my hold over them. Naturally, she could not match my skills, though I must say she surprised me in the end when I had her hung. She was skilled enough to curse me, though foolishly left my fate to love. Love can never overpower evil. Her weakness in letting me survive year after year allowed my power to grow even stronger, and too wait for such a moment as this. I will finally be able to free myself of endless slumbers and walk the earth once again with far greater power than ever before.”