Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Shade quickly folded the blanket over her arm and was surprised to see a young lad emerge from the woods. As he came closer, she realized she’d been wrong. It wasn’t a lad. It was a lass and a dirty and smelly one at that.
Quint scrunched his nose and shook his head. “Good, Lord, Dru, are you rolling around in that stuff?”
“As often as I can,” Dru said and gave a nod at Shade. “I came to see the healer.”
Shade shoved the folded blanket against Quint’s chest, forcing him to take hold of it and approached Dru. “How may I help you?”
“My arm isn’t healing like it should,” Dru said, sticking her arm in Shade’s face.
Shade did her best not to gag on the foul smell that consumed the young woman or show her worry over the filthy bandage on her arm. “Come into the cottage and I will tend to it.”
“Nay!” Quint said. “She will stink up the cottage.”
“A good washing will take care of that,” Shade said and Dru quickly moved away from her.
“I’m not washing. Men gag at my stink and leave me alone and that’s the way I like it. I’m here for your healing skill. Quint told me that you’re a good healer.”
“Quint is a friend of yours?” Shade asked, curious.
Dru shook her head. “Quint doesn’t have any friends.”
“He does now. I’m Quint’s friend,” Shade said with a smile. “And I am pleased that he considers me a good healer.” She pointed to the bench by the cottage. “Go sit and I’ll have a look at your arm.”
“We will talk when Shade is done with you,” Quint said with a look at Dru that meant it was not a suggestion. He sent a quick glance at Shade as he headed to the cottage door. “I will get your healing pouch and cloths for you.”
She joined Dru on the bench after filling a bucket with water, her stomach turning from the stench that drifted off her.
“So, you befriended Quint,” Dru said as Shade began to remove the soiled bandage from her forearm.
Shade chuckled softly. “We sort of fell into friendship.”
“How do you fall into friendship?”
“One day you’re strangers, the next day you’re not and you don’t know how it happened,” Shade said and examined her wound before placing her arm in the water up to the elbow to soak. “How do you know Quint?”
“He saved my life.”
Shade waited to hear more but Dru said no more about it.
“Quint is a good man. You need to always remember that,” Dru said.
“It is not something I am likely to forget.”
“What aren’t you likely to forget?” Quint asked, handing Shade a small stack of cloths and placing her healing pouch on the ground beside her.
“What a good man you are,” Shade said, and the bridge of his nose wrinkled as if in distaste and his response surprised her.
“There is a fine line between good and evil.”
“And there is not one among us who hasn’t walked that line,” Dru said.
Shade sensed from the glances exchanged that there was more between Quint and Dru’s friendship, but she wasn’t one to pry. If either of them wanted to tell her they would. One thing was clear, they protected each other. The question was… from what?
“Would you like some food and cider while I tend to your wound?” Shade asked, having heard the young woman’s stomach gurgling in hunger.
Dru’s eyes turned wide. “That would be generous of you.”
“Keep your arm in the bucket of water while I go get you food and drink and I have freshly made oat cakes if you’d like one or two.”
“Two,” Dru said quickly. “I love oak cakes, but I haven’t had them in a long time.”
“Then three might be better,” Shade said and hurried into the cottage.
“She is a generous woman,” Dru said, not taking her eyes off the closed door.
“Shade has a good and caring heart which makes her a good healer.,” Quint said and sat beside Dru on the bench. “You’re here for more than your arm.”
“Aye, I followed that lead I had and discovered that a man fitting the description of the man you search for was seen speaking to Lord Torrance.”
“Do you know why or how they know each other?” Quint asked. “And what of his name?”
Dru continued to tell him what she had learned. “I can’t be sure about either, though tongues wag enough about it to know that the truth lies somewhere in the gossip. The man, Asher, is to take control of Clan MacLeish, after he completes a mission for Lord Torrance, and keep the clan in hand until Lord Torrance arrives and issues orders. From what I heard; he is far from a kind man.”
“It appears that Lord Torrance has confidence that he will win the battle against Clan MacLeish.”