Shaw awoke to the sound of birds. Sunshine hit him in the eyes. He turned over on the pallet that had fallen to the ground and looked up to see the window wide open. Spring was not in bed and he wondered where she had gone.
“Spring?” he asked, sitting up on the pallet and looking around the room. Her clothes were no longer on the chair. After the night they’d shared together, he had hoped to wake up slowly and do it all again. He stood and stepped over the frame of the pallet, making a mental note to have Baen repair the bed.
He got dressed, thinking perhaps she took a walk to the garderobe. Sitting down on the chair, he started putting on his shoes when he noticed the bow and arrows were no longer hanging on the nail on the wall.
“Losh me,” he said, standing up quickly, fastening his weapon belt around him. Had she stolen his weapon and left the castle? Perhaps she’d gone back to her clan. This wasn’t good. Rushing across the room and pulling open the door, he stopped short as Leod stood in the corridor with his hand raised as if he were about to knock.
“Shaw,” said Leod with a slight bow of his head. “I was just comin’ to see if ye’d yet woken for the day.”
“Have ye seen my wife?” he asked frantically, his eyes roaming up and down the corridor.
“Nay.” Leod looked perplexed. “Isna she with ye? After all – it was yer weddin’ night.”
“She was with me, but is no longer.” He pushed past Leod and hurried down the hall. “Have the stableboy saddle me a horse and tell the guards to prepare their weapons. We’re goin’ after her.”
“Weapons?” asked Leod, struggling to keep up since Shaw was walking at a near run. “Are ye sayin’ she’s dangerous?”
“She’s up to somethin’, I’m sure of it. I wouldna put it past her to leave here to give her faither a full report of what’s goin’ on inside my castle walls.”
“The reason I came to yer chamber was to tell ye that the messenger returned this mornin’,” said Leod. “He said he was jumped by a man in the woods and, after he was beaten, the man stole the missive. He wasna sure who did it.”
“It’s obvious,” said Shaw. “It was the Gunns. After all, they were the only ones to arrive in response for the betrothal. Damn, I kent I shouldna have trusted them.”
They passed by the great hall and Shaw, seeing some of his men, called to them. “Archibald, William, James, follow me with yer weapons ready.”
“Aye,” they answered, jumping to their feet, drawing their swords. He headed out into the courtyard, collecting more men along the way. He called to his guards at the tower. “Be on the lookout for the Gunn Clan. We could be in danger.”
“Aye, my laird,” answered one of his men.
He was about to enter the stable when he heard the laughter of a girl. He stopped in his tracks and backed up to look over at his orchard. He’d purposely told Cromwell he didn’t have an orchard even though he did. He figured if the man had truly been in the orchard he would have known Shaw was lying. When he didn’t say anything, that told him Cromwell was making up the story.
“Hold up,” he said, lifting his hand in the air. He couldn’t see well from his position so hurried over to the orchard with his men right on his heels.
“Try it again,” said Spring, picking up the arrow that hadn’t gone further than the bow. Colina held onto the bow, laughing. Spring had been trying to teach her to shoot, but the girl couldn’t seem to get it right.
She heard a noise and glanced over her shoulder to see Shaw and a sea of plaid headed in her direction. Some of the men following him had their swords drawn.
“What’s goin’ on?” asked Shaw as he approached. She figured the little entourage was coming after her.
“I could ask ye the same question,” she said. “Do yer men always walk through the courtyard with their weapons drawn and ready for battle?”
Shaw’s eyes darted over to his men and then back to her. “Put away yer weapons and get out of here,” he told the men.
“But my laird, I thought ye asked us to –” started one of the men.
“I said, go.”
The sound of swords being sheathed filled the air as the men turned and walked away, grumbling as they went.
“Were ye comin’ for me with yer weapons drawn?” she asked, feeling like laughing it was so absurd.
“Nay. No’ at all,” he said, fidgeting with his plaid instead of looking at her.
“My laird, I’m here,” said Baen running up to join them. “I heard ye were askin’ for the men to bring their weapons and leave the castle with ye to look for the girl.”
“Enough,” Shaw warned him.
“The girl?” Spring asked. “So ye needed an entire army to come after me? I dinna understand. How dangerous do ye think I am?”
“I always want my men prepared. It was a trainin’ session, naught else,” he told her.
“Well, dinna let me stop ye.” She raised her arm, motioning toward the men. “Go on with yer trainin’.”
“I wasna told we had a trainin’ session today,” Baen broke in. “When was this decided?”
“Baen, go fix the bed ropes holdin’ up my pallet and stop all yer chatter,” said Shaw.
“Yer bed broke?” asked the boy. “How did that happen?”
Shaw’s eyes skimmed over his daughter and then ended up on Spring.
“The ropes were old and brittle, that’s all,” he said. “Now, please go and dinna make me ask ye again.”
“Of course, my laird.” Baen hurried away, shaking his head.
Shaw waited until he left and then he spoke. “Would someone mind tellin’ me what’s goin’ on here?”
“Spring is teachin’ me how to use the bow and arrows,” said Colina proudly.
“Nay, she’s no’.” He took the bow away from Colina, glaring at Spring. “What were ye thinkin’ puttin’ a weapon in the hands of my young daughter?”
“I was thinkin’ ye’d be glad someone was showin’ her how to protect herself,” Spring answered. “She’s much too old to have never learned how to fight.”
“My daughter is no’ a warrior. I’d appreciate it if ye didna take it upon yerself to train her as if she were a – a Viking like ye.”
Spring’s heart dropped in her chest. What happened to the closeness she’d felt with Shaw last night? He was so loving and caring then, but now he seemed cold and mean. Well, she could be that way, too.
“I am no’ a Viking, although I have Viking in my blood from my ancestors and I am proud of it.”
“I wouldna be tellin’ people that if I were ye. They willna understand.”
“What I dinna understand is why ye shelter yer daughter as if she’s a fragile flower.”
“That’s right,” added Colina. “I’m already twelve – almost thirteen. Spring was only ten when she got her bow and arrows.”
“It was yer grandfaither’s bow and arrows, and she stole it at the age of ten off his dead body,” he pointed out.
“Did ye really do that to my grandfaither?” Colina looked up to Spring in disappointment. It didn’t feel good. The girl had seemed to idolize her and now she looked as if she’d just lost her best friend.
“Yer grandfaither died at the hands of the English durin’ Burnt Candlemas,” Spring told her. “Didna yer faither ever tell ye about it?”
“Nay,” said Colina, shaking her head. “He doesna tell me anythin’. There are lots of things that I’d like to ken.”
“Then ask me and, mayhap, I can answer,” said Spring. “After all, I am yer mathair now.”
“Like hell ye are.” Shaw picked up the quiver of arrows from the ground and put his arm around his daughter. “I did no’ ask ye to teach her how to shoot. Now dinna do it again. Do ye understand?”
“I understand much too clearly.” Spring ran off toward the stables, wanting to get away before her emotions spilled forth. She should never have made love to Shaw last night because now she was feeling unsettled. Something about Shaw Gordon could bring out feelings in her that no one else could. She was a strong woman and not used to feeling vulnerable. Or as her father would say – weak.
“Why did ye send her away?” Colina asked Shaw as soon as Spring left.
“I didna send her anywhere,” he said.
“Ye shouldna have yelled at her, Da. She was only tryin’ to help me.”
“I didna ask her to do it and she had no right to get involved.”
“I’m the one that asked her to show me how to shoot,” said Colina, surprising Shaw.
“Ye did? Why?”
“Because, just like Spring said, it is time I learn to protect myself. Ye canna keep me a child forever, so stop tryin’ to do it and just let me grow up.”
“Colina, calm down. I’m yer faither and I ken what is best for ye.”
“Leave me alone. I have to go clean out the stables unless ye’ve forgotten my punishment.” Colina pushed away from him and ran after Spring. Shaw didn’t know what just happened. In the matter of a few minutes, he’d managed to get not only one but two lassies angry with him.
“She’s a lot like Alpina, that one,” came the voice of old Nairnie as she emerged from behind a tree with a basket of herbs in her hands.
“She’s nothin’ like my late wife and I’ll no’ have ye tellin’ her she is.” He looked across the courtyard as Spring stormed toward the stable. “However, she has me just as mesmerized with her after only spendin’ one night together.”
Nairnie started cackling like a crow. “I meant yer daughter, no’ yer new wife.”
“Oh, aye. Colina.” He nodded his head, feeling heat rush to his face. “I suppose ye’re right. She doesna like me tellin’ her what she can and canna do.”
“No lassie likes that, no matter what ye think, my laird.”
“I’m no’ sure what to do,” he said, shaking his head. “I thought by marryin’ again, I’d have a wife who could take care of my children, but that didna work out as planned.”
“Well, ye havena given yer new wife a chance yet. Let her be a mathair to yer children. Let her be the woman ye want.”
Now it was Shaw’s turn to chuckle. “Ye dinna ken what ye’re sayin’ old woman. If I let a hardened warrior like Spring mentor my children, they’ll all be wearin’ leather, raidin’ and pillagin’ everyone they meet. Nay, she’ll never be half the mathair Alpina was to the bairns.”
“And have ye been the shinin’ example of the faither they need and want?” she asked.
Shaw didn’t like her accusing him of not being a proper father. What man would? Ever since his wife died, he’d been trying harder than ever to protect his children. He had been doing his best to make sure everything was as it should be.
“Haud yer wheesht, old woman. I dinna care if ye raised me like yer own grandchild, I’ll no’ have ye tellin’ me I’m no’ a good faither and that my children dinna want me.”
“Why dinna ye let them tell ye how they feel for themselves?” she asked. “If so, I think ye might be quite surprised by what ye find out.”
“I dinna need to ask. I ken my children and what they think and what they need.”
“Then I suppose ye have no problems.” The old woman picked up a sprig of sage and twirled it in her fingers.
“Nay. I have no problems, now leave me be.” Shaw turned and headed away from her, suddenly questioning everything in his life.