Page 25 of The Unencumbered Warrior
“Nay. Nay. She’s not,” many called out.
“Chafton wants a witch,” Agnes said, “and if he doesn’t find one, he’ll return and make us suffer until we give him one.”
“Unless the witch Clan MacMunn hunts is found,” Tolan, the smithy, said.
“You mean an innocent woman is accused and made to suffer,” Ingrid said.
“Not if she’s guilty,” Tolan argued.
“That’s easy for a man to say,” Agnes snapped.
“Stop,” Ingrid said. “You are doing exactly what Laird Chafton expects. You are willing to condemn anyone to save yourself. If you give him that, our village will never know peace again. We will always look over our shoulder wondering who would sacrifice another to save themselves.”
“Ingrid’s right,” Agnes said. “We need to protect each other.”
“There is work to finish so we can have our celebration… our harvest festival,” Ingrid said with a forced smile. “We can worry over this another day.”
All seemed only too relieved to do as she said and people wandered off quietly, their minds heavy in thought.
“We will talk later, Ingrid,” Raff said, not leaving it an option.
“Come for supper,” she said just as eager to speak with him.
“Aye,” he said with a smile and a nod, having had supper with her most nights, but this night would be different. They would need to talk more seriously.
Ingrid’s glance followed him as he hurried back to his chores.
“You’re not the only woman who watches him.”
Ingrid turned, her cheeks holding a hint of color.
“It’s about time you admit how much Raff means to you.”
“It’s a meal, Edith, nothing more,” Ingrid insisted. “Besides, he has supper with me frequently.”
“It’s more than supper you should be having with him,” Edith said, “You should handfast with him before winter sets in, thenas soon as a cleric passes through the village, wed him. He’s a good man, don’t lose him.”
Ingrid smiled. “He is a good man.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Everyone sees how you look at each other, how you often clasp hands, and some have even seen you share a kiss or two. Be done with it and handfast. The man is completely irresistible.” She chuckled. “I don’t know how you can keep your hands off him.”
“He is a fine-looking man,” Ingrid agreed, her cheeks blushing since her hands did itch to touch him.
“Well, don’t you let that fine-looking man get away. The winter is drawing near, and I bet he’d set that empty bed of yours on fire when he crawled into it.”
“Edith!” Ingrid scolded, her cheeks flushing hotter from the image that struck her of Raff naked in her bed.
“Don’t take your time deciding about him or another woman will scoop him up fast enough,” Edith cautioned before spotting her husband and hurrying over to him.
Ingrid glanced around and caught many a woman, married or not, admiring Raff, and Edith’s warning lingered on her mind as she went to her cottage to set supper to cooking.
CHAPTER 12
The cold stream ran swift over Raff’s hands, its bite sharp as he cupped the water and splashed it over his face. The sun dipped low behind the hills, gilding the treetops in gold while shadows gathered beneath. He rubbed the back of his neck, water dripping from his hair, and straightened slowly, eyes narrowing, and ears picking up a rustle.
His warrior senses warned him that someone was nearby. He scanned the opposite bank just beyond the bend where the bracken thickened, and the pines grew close, and spotted a figure cloaked in black.
A chill threaded down his spine, not from the cold water dripping along his chest, but from the certainty in his gut.
