Page 6 of Cree & Dawn and the Wolf

She tapped his hand twice.

“Maybe later,” he said, worried that she did not want to eat, not even a small bite of something since it had been sunrise when they had last eaten.

With a tender touch, he turned Dawn onto her side and placed a pillow behind her back to keep her rested there. Then he got the crock of honey and spread a generous amount on the wound to help heal and seal it.

“Once we return home, Elsa can see to you,” he said, wishing his healer was here now. He gathered the dirty cloths in a pile and left the wet ones in the bucket with the dirty water. He soaked a clean cloth in the fresh bucket of water, rinsed it andplaced it over his wife’s brow. “Hopefully this will ease your pain some.”

He watched her body sigh for a second time, and it was only a short time later that his wife’s gentle breathing told him she was asleep.

Olwen returned as promised with wine and tankards.

“Did you leave your horse out in front of the keep?” Olwen asked.

“I did. Is he not safe there? Is there a place I can shelter him for the night?” Cree asked, his concern turning to his stallion.

“The wolves are active when the mist is heavy.”

“They come into the village?” he asked, surprised and alarmed at the prospect of such danger to the clan.

“They have on occasion. There is a stable to the right of the keep when you are facing it. He will be safe there. I can take you to the front door now if you’d like and wait to escort you back here, so you do not get lost.”

Cree was good with direction and could easily find his way, but Olwen seemed anxious, and he was eager to get his horse to safety after learning that wolves might prowl the village.

He went to his wife and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders. He did not like leaving her here alone in a strange keep even for a short while, and he intended to hurry and finish the chore.

“Lead the way,” Cree said, keeping focused on his surroundings so he could better understand the layout of the keep and learn to maneuver it himself.

Once at the front door, Olwen opened it a sliver and mist rushed in as if waiting to gain entrance.

“Hurry and be done, my lord,” Olwen said anxiously and reached for a torch in a metal sconce attached to the stone wall. “It grows late, and the mist will thicken with the night.” Sheopened the door wide enough for him to step out and handed him the torch.

He had never heard that before, but she was more familiar with this part of the Highlands than he was.

He stepped out the door and stopped to ask, “What clan has been so generous to me and my wife?”

“Clan MacMadadh,” she said softly as she closed the door.

Cree stood there, a chill racing through him as he whispered, “MacMadadh, son of the wolf.”

CHAPTER 3

Night had fallen and the thick mist remained. Cree’s horse’s snorts led him to where he had left him and he ran a gentle hand down his side to calm him, then took hold of his reins. He kept tight to the side of the keep following the directions Olwen had given him, taking no chance of getting lost in the mist and leaving Dawn alone in the keep. He made his way slowly along the stone wall keeping alert for sounds, particularly the howl of a wolf.

When he reached the end of the wall, he peered as best as he could into the mist and caught sight of something looming large a few steps away. He kept his eyes on it as he made his way towards it, his horse following behind, his gait agitated.

Cree made it to the building and pushed open the wide door and once his horse was inside, he hurried and closed the door. He spotted a sconce attached to a wood post and made his way to it to set the torch’s handle in it.

“You will be safe here and you are not alone,” Cree said to his horse as he eyed the four stalls curiously. Two were occupied and two sat empty.

He walked his horse to the empty one nearest the door in case he had to leave hastily. He would be easier to reach and tobe on his way with Dawn if a quick departure proved necessary. The thought that his wife was alone in an unfamiliar keep had him hurrying to see his horse settled comfortably and safely.

Cree heard it as he tended to his horse—a low growl. The other horses’ sudden uneasiness told him they had heard it as well. It was a growling rumble, and it sounded like it was close to the stable.

He stilled and listened, but the horses remained agitated, snorting and stomping the ground with their hooves. He made no move to console them. It would be a worthless effort with wolves roaming nearby.

The door creaked as if someone or something pressed against it and this time the growl was distinct. A wolf prowled outside.

How had wolves entered the area? Where were the clan warriors and the torches that kept unwanted animals at bay?

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