Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 101336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Sky continued through the village, keeping a welcoming smile on her face, hoping that someone might return it. No one did, so she made her way back to the keep, around the side, to the kitchen to return the two unused bones to the basket to collect again another day.
She scooped Angel out of the makeshift pouch and placed her on the ground to explore while she looked over the kitchen garden. It was large and probably took several people to keep it so well-maintained. Growth was well-established in some places while other places sprouts had only recently broken through the ground.
She explored along with Angel until she heard the approach of voices busy in talk. She hastily snatched up the kitten as a small group of men and women came around the corner of the keep. They stopped and stared at her.
She took a chance that one of them might speak with her and said, “It is a lovely garden.”
One lass smiled, but a warning look from the others caused it to vanish.
Sky hurried off, hugging the kitten against her cheek to whisper, “At least I have you, Angel.”
The day wore on and Sky was beginning to feel imprisoned. There was nothing for her to do and with the forest off limits, she felt trapped. It also didn’t help that she had no one to talk with, which made her miss her sisters even more. If she felt this way after only two days here, how would she ever endure spending the rest of her life here as Slayer’s wife?
Sky left Angel in the bedchamber sleeping curled in a blanket in a basket near the hearth for extra warmth. Supper had finished, Angel her only company, and night had yet to fall, and Slayer had yet to return. She could not face another sleepless night, another night without her husband to curl around. So, she decided to wander through the village in hopes it would exhaust her enough to sleep at least part of the night.
She made her way through the village, taking note of faces and names being spoken, noticing how the dwellings were well kept, not a hole in any thatched roof, and watched with envy as women congregated in small groups sharing the day’s news. None invited her to join them. Her heart heavy, she turned to make her way back to the keep and the company of Angel.
The sudden screams tore her out of her musings and warriors began running past her. Instinct had her following them. She joined the mass of people running, fear shivering her when she realized where they were headed… the wolfhounds’ pen.
“Let me go! Let me get Oona!” a woman screamed as two men held her firm, preventing her from going anywhere.
“Nay, Glynis, the hounds will tear you apart,” one of the men holding her warned.
“Better me than my daughter,” Glynis cried out.
Gasps and wide eyes stared at a young lass who laid unmoving in the wolfhounds’ pen. The two large hounds stood over the lass snarling and snapping, appearing as if they were fighting over who would eat her.
“What happened?” a Gallowglass warrior demanded.
Glynis continued to cry as she spoke. “Oona was beside me one minute and gone the next. She is so fast for one so young. I couldn’t catch her before she reached the pen and climbed the fence and fell in. Oh God, they are going to rip her apart.”
“You’ve got to save her,” someone called out.
“Do something,” shouted another.
“They listen to no one but Lord Slayer,” another cried out.
Sky did not hesitate. She pushed past everyone and went to the fence and climbed over it before anyone tried to stop her. Not that anyone did. To them, she was not worth saving.
She kept her voice even and soft. Not a tremble or fear could be heard in it. “You have done well protecting the little lass and I am grateful to you both, but you must step away from her now and let me take her. Will you do that for me?”
One of the hounds backed away while the other eyed her skeptically.
Sky turned her hand palm up and keeping it low reached out to the hound. “I mean her or you no harm.”
A collective gasp sounded when the hound’s mouth looked about to clamp down on Sky’s hand, but the large hound sniffed, then licked it, and stepped back.
Sky crouched down slowly to see the little lass’ eyes flutter. She would wake soon and if she cried out, the hounds might believe she was hurting her and attack.
She lifted her gently, then glancing at Glynis called out as softly as she could so as not to upset the hounds, “Walk slowly and come take her from me.”
Glynis did as Sky said and took the lass from her just as she woke and cried out.