Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Behind you!” her da called out.
Cavell was already turning, having heard someone approach rapidly, his body shielding his wife from the warrior running wildly toward him. Elsie had barely enough time to retrieve her husband’s sword off the ground and Cavell grabbed it from her and greeted the stunned warrior with a sword through his gut.
Elsie rushed to wrap her arm around her da and hurry him up the stairs as fast as she could and once there, she turned to see her husband about to enter the fray once again and fear gripped her so tightly that her breath caught.
Her da said what she feared. “There are too many of them.”
Tears welled in her eyes, fearing for her husband and fearing that her clan would fall today.
Suddenly vicious roars filled the air as another troop of warriors entered the village and her fear soared until… Gallowglass. The warriors were Gallowglass.
“Gallowglass!” her da cheered.
Elsie cheered with him and let her tears fall in relief.
“Listen to your husband, get inside,” her da ordered.
“You as well, Da,” she ordered, and they entered the Great Hall together.
Seeing Elsie’s tears and gripping her torn garments, the other women looked at her with fright. She quickly reassured them, wiping the tears away and smiling. “Tears of joy. Gallowglass warriors have arrived to help us.”
Shouts and cheers filled the room and bairns began to smile as their mums explained that all was well.
Elsie prayed that she or any of the women would not become a widow today as she raced up the stairs to change her garments, leaving her da in Ann’s care. She changed her garments quickly and returned to the Great Hall.
She waited with the women, cringing along with them when the clash of swords turned louder and time seemed to go on forever. She feared as they did that things might have worsened for the clan, but she fought against the fear and kept reassuring them that all was well.
A sudden pounding on the door, had women clutching their bairns while others took up arms ready to defend.
“It’s over! You are safe! Open up!” Melvin demanded and everyone cried out in relief.
Melvin glanced around quickly but May spotted him first and hurried to him.
“You’re hurt,” she said, seeing the blood on his face.
Melvin grabbed her wrist before she could touch his face. “We need help with the injured. Besides, the blood is not mine,” Melvin said.
“And the dead?” one woman called out fearfully.
“None of ours only theirs, though there are wounded. Our clan fought well,” Melvin announced proudly.
Cheers sounded and the women hurried from the keep with their children to find their husbands.
Elsie wanted to do the same but spoke with Alda first. “Food and drink, and sweets for the little ones, as much as you can prepare. All will need it, but first, let those with loved ones go see that they are well.”
The servants who rushed from the room thanked her profusely as they hurried past her.
“Go and see your husband, Elsie,” her da said.
“You should not have even given thought to entering the fight, Da,” Elsie scolded, seeing he did not have the strength to protect himself.
“I will not die a coward in my bed. I will take up arms against anyone who dares to harm Clan Murdock whether I have the strength for it or not,” her da argued. “Now go. Ann will look after me.”
“Aye, that I will, worry not, Mistress Elsie,” Ann assured her.
Elsie left the keep, relieved that her da would be well cared for and reached the village to see dead warriors being dragged away and the less seriously injured warriors being tended to by their loved ones and May tending to more serious wounds. Her search for her husband was delayed since she stopped to help those in need and when she saw Mab and Clara doing their best to herd the young ones together so their mums could help with the wounded, she hurried to them.
“Alda has sweets waiting,” Elsie called out with a smile and nodded to the two older women.
“I’m going to get there first,” Clara shouted and made ready to run.
The children squealed and took off running except Kara, she stood looking at Elsie a bit dazed.
Elsie went to her and bent down in front of her. “Are you all right, Kara?”
“I counted them,” Kara said, nodding. “Twenty in the clan were wounded, twenty-five lay dead, many more ran away from what I heard said, and fifty warriors arrived and only five were injured.”
Elsie could see the task Kara had set for herself had left her upset and the only way to help her was to set her to do a pleasant task.
Elsie stood and took the little lass’s hand. “You did excellent, Kara, but I need you to do more counting for me. Can you do that?”