Page 46 of Cherished By A Highlander

“Are you familiar with any of the mercenaries who fought for Lord Torrance?” Quint asked, wasting no time in finding out any information that might help him locate the man who hunted him.

“They are all the same to me. Men who care for nothing but coins and hold allegiance to no one. There is a group of mercenaries who often do work and favors for Lord Torrance. They are led by a man named Asher, and I pray he doesn’t send him here. Lord Torrance can be cruel, but Asher,” —Nug shook his head— “I have never known of a man who gets such pleasure from causing others pain, except maybe The Monk. It is said he is a madman and kills with no remorse or regret. Our clan could use his help, but I believe everyone would be too fearful to have him here.”

Quint was glad he kept that he was The Monk a secret upon his arrival. He didn’t want his presence to cause any more problems than Clan MacLeish already had. What caught his attention was the man, Asher. Dru had mentioned him, and he believed there was a good chance that he was the man he was searching for and who was hunting him.

Quint didn’t intend to discuss The Monk with him so to avoid any more talk about him, he asked, “Would you know if a ragamuffin of a woman called Dru has arrived here yet.”

“You mean the little thief,” Nug said, shaking his head. “I don’t know why Ryland lets her stay here. She can be a pain in the arse.”

Quint couldn’t help but chuckle. “That she can be.”

“You know her?”

“Aye, I saved her arse one time.”

“More the pity,” Nug said.

“You bloody hell know why Ryland lets me stay here. Go on and tell him.”

Nug cringed and scrunched his shoulders as if the sound of her voice was too irritating to bear.

“Go on, tell Quint,” Dru said, emerging from the shadows and plopping down beside Nug on the bench. She didn’t wait for Nug to answer. She grinned. “I did for Nug what you did for me, Quint. I saved his sorry arse, and Ryland was so grateful he told me I could stay here whenever I wanted as long as I didn’t do any thieving, and I gave my word I wouldn’t.”

“Dru saved your life?” Quint asked, looking from the tall, lean-muscled man to the petite, grimy woman. “How did she do that?”

Dru elbowed Nug in the arm. “Go on, tell him, unless you want me to.”

“Nay,” Nug snapped. “You always elaborate and make it more a tale than the truth.”

Dru tilted her head to look at him, her eyes wide with glee. “Did I or did I not save your life?”

Nug looked at Quint. “I got into an altercation with a traveler who stopped here for the night. I didn’t see his dagger. Dru spotted it and threw herself at the guy just before he was about to stab me in the back.”

“Suffered a slash on my arm, I did. I even have the scar to prove it,” Dru said ready to pull up her sleeve.

“Quint doesn’t need to see it,” Nug said.

“A mystery solved,” Quint said, holding back a chuckle. “I wondered why your chieftain let her stay here, though I will say that when Dru gives her word, she keeps it.”

“Ryland reminds me of that often enough,” Nug said.

“Admit it, Nug, you like me. You’re just upset a woman, a petite one at that, saved your manly arse.”

Nug turned, jabbing Dru in the chest. “One of these days I am going to give you what you deserve.”

“A kiss for saving your life?” Dru roared with laughter.

“I’d rather kiss a pig,” Nug snarled.

“With some of the women I’ve seen you kiss, I’d say you already have,” Dru said and continued laughing.

Quint couldn’t hold back his laughter. He had forgotten how entertaining Dru could be with her quick retorts.

Nug stood. “This is no time for laughter. If Chieftain Ryland dies, you will have no place to stay, and when Lord Torrance’s mercenaries arrive it definitely won’t be safe for you to stay here. Though your foul stink will probably keep the men away.”

Dru chuckled, “I don’t know about that. Some of the men stink worse than I do.”

Quint half listened to the banter between the two, his thoughts on his wife. He would give it a while longer than he intended to go see how she was doing, though it was more that he missed her, and that revelation surprised him.

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