[Dunskey Castle 07.0] Leif Read online

  Once a MONTH?

  Chapter 8

  Jessica woke at dawn to see that Senga had turned the featherbed over where it hung near the fire and it was nearly dry. The industrious older woman was in the kitchen making breakfast already. The smell of homemade bread baking was heavenly.

  Everyone on the furs was still snoring, and Amena must still be asleep too, it was so quiet.

  What an odd dream! But then again, everything that had happened yesterday all seemed like a surreal dream adventure.

  However, in the clear light of day Jessica couldn't deny that she had traveled back in time. The prevailing scent in this nice house — wood smoke — punctuated that fact nicely. Feeling the call of nature and groaning at the prospect of tromping to the outhouse for the third time since she arrived, she had the notion to ask Lauren to design a simple wooden water closet that could be inside.

  As she dressed, she looked around the house, thinking of a dozen things she could do to make it a more pleasant home. More rugs could warm the cold wooden floors. Some fabric tacked in the windows would let light in but keep bugs out. Some flowers would make the table more inviting...

  But this wasn't her home. She was just passing through. The best thing to do would be to clear her head of all these homemaking schemes and try to wrap it around the reality that magic existed: time-travel magic.

  Senga smiled and nodded as Jessica went out the back door toward the privy.

  When Jessica’s necessities were done, she headed down the hill instead of going back into the house. A walk was just the thing she needed to clear her mind of all the remodeling ideas that sprung up uninvited. They had only started with the water closet. Her next idea was to get Lauren to build a Franklin stove in each room to use instead of fireplaces so that the smoke left, but the heat stayed. She was sure they could find the materials at the nearest blacksmith shop...

  No! Must stop thinking about that house. No amount of avoiding the idea of magic is going to make it go away. Magic got us here, and magic needs to get us away from here. But how can magic exist?

  She was down the hill now going through the barley fields, and someone else had gotten up early and was approaching her on the path from the village.

  "Good morrow!" she called out to him with a smile.

  Amena’s room could do with a few toys, some building blocks at least. Maybe we could make a checkers set, or even a chess set. And we could make watercolor paints with some of the plants around…

  Huh!

  Now that he was close, the man didn't look at all friendly. He was leering at her and getting ready to reach out and grab her!

  Her heart took off, pounding so hard she could feel it in her ears. Adrenaline surged through her.

  If she screamed, would anyone hear? No, not from the village nor from all the way up at the manor house. Trying to ease her fear, she veered off the path around him, quickening her step toward the village. There had to be other people about. She smelled breakfasts cooking in the distance, and the sun had been up for twenty minutes or so.

  The stranger turned and walked beside her, but not with her.

  "Ye will pardon me if I'm not too trusting of ye, coming on foot from nowhere with yer two friends — three lassies traveling alone. Sae suspect it is, the three o' ye talking yer way into the house o' the wealthiest family in toon. It reeks o' suspicion, it does. Makes a man wonder what sort o' lassies ye are, ye ken?"

  Jessica reached into her bag and closed her hand around her can of pepper spray. She had never used it except in training, but this situation made her more uneasy than any other ever had.

  But all he did was talk ugly at her until they were in the middle of the village.

  Her hand relaxed. Whew.

  There was a woman drawing water at the well. Jessica headed straight toward her, studiously ignoring the man who kept blathering on.

  “Ye came from the direction o’ that druid castle, ye did. Aye, everyone kens it. Same direction those two men came from who were the death o' Leif and Taran’s parents. Aye, everyone kens that as well. Dae ye ken what I think? I think it best ye get out o' toon before something evil befalls ye. Go back where ye came from and leave us alone."

  They had arrived at the well. Jessica tried to meet the eyes of the woman drawing water there, but without success. Each time the woman was about to turn toward Jessica, she looked down instead. Finally, she grabbed up her two buckets and hurried away, turning her back on Jessica and plainly not inviting her company.

  Desperate now to return to the manor house but not wanting to turn toward the hostile man who was still talking at her, Jessica kept on going through the village, planning on circling around near other people, where hopefully she would be safe. She was jogging now – not easy with this much clothing on, but easier in a leine than it would have been in the long skirts she'd seen Lauren wear when portraying an English woman of these times at her Renaissance faires.

  Relief washed through her.

  Her follower had been hailed by another and stopped to have a conversation that didn't involve her. She nearly fell down, the relaxation was so pronounced. Slowing down to a walk, she made a half turn toward the path back up to the house, splitting the difference between going through the woods and going back toward the hostile man.

  So some people know about magic.

  Yeah, but they don’t trust people who use it.

  She didn't wish to have anything in common with that frightening stranger, but she did agree with him on one thing: magic users shouldn't be trusted.

  Uncomfortable thoughts begone! Look at this village. The number one thing they need is proper sewage procedures. The stench wasn’t so bad on the other side of town yesterday, but downwind here? Ugh!

  As if thoughts were wishes, a small garden with a rosebush presented itself to her on the other side of one of the small village houses, and she plucked a rose, careful to use her sleeve to guard her fingers from the thorns. Holding this close to her nose to hide the smell of the sewage, she plodded along, almost to the path that would take her up to the manor house. Almost back to Lauren and Katherine and Leif.

  The absence of the stench from the sewage and the path being in sight lightened her step, and she was walking along almost happily.

  Three men in woolen leine came out of nowhere and cornered Jessica against two houses close together. She had no escape. She had to speak with these men, if speaking was what they wanted.

  They were awfully surly for first thing in the morning, too.

  “What disease hae ye brought with ye, eh?"

  "Every time a stranger comes intae toon, more o' us come doon ill."

  “Aye, we need tae put an end tae this."

  “We wull start with her."

  Jessica’s knees weakened, and her pulse soared again.

  She slowly put her hand back into her bag and closed it around her pepper spray, but she wouldn't be able to get all three of them with it. Two if she was lucky. Best to concentrate on one. Take him out of the picture for certain. That one on the end first. Then the middle one.

  But relief washed over her once again.

  Leif’s voice cut through the crowd of people who had come from nowhere to watch the spectacle.

  "This lass is under my protection, and ye wull answer tae me if any harm comes tae her, dae ye hear? Dae ye hear? Go on back tae yer homes. Mind yer shops and yer stalls."

  This was said at great volume, and finally it caught the attention of the villagers. They startled and turned toward Leif.

  He stormed up with thunder in his eyes, moving them all away with his momentum and the tension in his arm with his hand on his sword. He'd never looked so handsome, and he stayed that way, on high alert with his hand on his sword and all his muscles flexed until the people had dispersed and the two of them were alone there in the corner.

  Even then, he watched the people awhile, not letting his guard down the slightest bit. Only when they were all minding their own business did he
turn halfway toward her.

  "Are ye hurt? If any o' them touched ye, point him out tae me."

  She shook her head no, but then realizing he was still half turned away from her and couldn't see, she spoke up. Her voice sounded unnaturally weak and shaky to her, and she worked to make it stronger, the way they had taught her in public speaking class.

  "I'm fine. Nay, na one touched me. Thank ye. Thank ye sae much."

  Still watching everyone, he reached out his hand for her to take, the way her father used to when she was little and they were going to cross the street.

  "Katherine's tale o' where ye came from becomes more and more believable by the moment, Ceàrd-ruadh. I pray ye will na take it amiss when I say that a lass who is a stranger here simply canna be out walking by herself here — nay, na even three lasses unbeknownst tae us should be walking outside with nary a male escort anyplace."

  She grabbed his offered hand firmly and held on, gently squeezing it once in gratitude. But even as she did so, her mind fished for a way to change the subject, shying away from what he had just done for her and what it might cost him in terms of good will among his neighbors.

  "Sae ye call me a brown craftsman? And I hope ye willna take it amiss when ye find out I hae tae learn everything the hard way."

  He hooked her hand through his bent elbow and latched it onto his forearm, patting it there to emphasize, she knew, the fact that she needed to keep it there while they were out in public.

  "Ceàrd-ruadh ye are, a traveling tinker, mind. Also called a Highlands Traveler. I hope ye will trust my word if I tell ye some aught must na be done."

  Clinging to his arm, she let him lead her through his ‘town’ toward the path up to his house, nervously chatting the whole way about this home or that shop.

  "This is where the miller lives with his wife and their three daughters. He complains o' how far ‘tis from the mill, but he should be thankful that his home is up sae far from the river. The auld miller's house washed away during a flood, Father says… wull, he used tae say."

  The miller’s door opened then, and a woman Jessica's age came out. In one arm she held an infant, and her other arm was drawn back to hold the hand of a toddler. A young girl of about four could be seen in the background sitting at the table eating.

  The mother smiled tentatively at Jessica.

  "And who is this then?"

  Leif lightly pressed Jessica’s hand into his forearm.

  "Jessica, this is Devany. Devany, this is Jessica. She and her two friends are staying with us for a while and are under oor protection. Please tell the other lasses o' the village tae mind their manners aroond them, eh?"

  Devany pressed her lips together and looked doubtful, but then she met Jessica’s eyes and nodded once.

  "I shall relate your message, Leif, but it would be best if ye were with her from now on when she walked through the village, ye ken?"

  Leif looked significantly into Jessica's eyes for an uncomfortable period of time before she realized what was expected of her.

  "Aye," Jessica said with as much decisiveness in her voice as she could muster. "'Tis sorry I am. I hae never been sae far from home. I forgot myself. It will na happen again."

  With a look that told Leif perhaps Jessica was daft, Devany turned and went back inside her house. Her toddler kept peeking out at Jessica until the door shut.

  Jessica felt a little bit like an animal in a zoo cage. How strange she must seem to these people, because they seemed very strange to her. She was used to walking around alone, at least in the better parts of town. She expected equality with men, but Devany very obviously deferred to Leif, even while she maintained a strong personality.

  They approached a bunch of men in what passed as the street, with sewage flowing down it. Unsure if any of these men had been in the crowd that had pressed her into the corner, Jessica fused herself to Leif’s side, consciously stiffening against the trembling that threatened to take her over.

  But she needn't have worried.

  The highlander’s steps were confident, commanding even, as he steadfastly strode up to these men with her displayed proudly on his arm.

  "Jessica, this is Aiden, Jared, Ian, and Angus. Men, Jessica here is under my protection, along with her two friends recently come tae town. See that ye tell the other men, aye?"

  While he was speaking, their faces at first were suspicious, but gradually they softened into objection and finally a grudging acceptance.

  Emboldened by this, Jessica spoke up about something that was troubling her deeply.

  "If ye want tae get rid o' the disease that plagues ye, the best place tae start is with this sewage that ye hae running openly doon yer streets. Dae ye na ken 'tis full o… contagion? Dump yer sewage even twenty steps away from the village — and away from the river, mind — and ye will go a long way tae lessening the amount o' disease in yer… toon.”

  They all stood aghast, marveling at her words.

  Something occurred to her.

  “Ye use animal dung for fertilizer, dae ye not?"

  Now looking at Leif with questions in their eyes, the men tentatively nodded, hands on hips, ready to rebel against this imposter.

  But Leif remained stalwart. If anything, he drew her even closer into the aura of his protection. If he had been any lesser man, Jessica thought the others might scoff. But there was something about Leif. Maybe it was just confidence, but more likely his family’s position.

  Satisfied with just that little bit of agreement from the men and knowing she would get no more, Jessica went on with enthusiasm.

  "Wull, use yer human sewage for fertilizer too. Ye are letting it all go tae waste out here in the street. Kill two birds with one stone. Put yer waste in a compost pit and let it ‘cook’ for a year, and then give it tae the plants that like it."

  At this point, she lifted the rose and took a deep breath to emphasize the stench was another worry. But she didn’t say anything about it because obviously none of them were bothered by it.

  "Lessen yer exposure tae contagion and heighten the fertility o' yer growing lands in one fell swoop.”

  The men were casting about for excuses to leave.

  “No charge for that advice," she added with the best entrepreneurial air she could manage under the circumstances. It galled her that these people resisted sensible advice.

  Except for Leif. He alone seemed to be pondering her advice as he stood there firmly holding her arm in the crook of his elbow, still facing them down with his staunch protection. When he spoke, it was with that same commanding presence, almost palpable.

  "Aiden, get a crew and dig a pit waste deep and three men wide."

  Aiden cast his eyes tentatively about and then seeing no real challenge to this order among the other men, he saluted and turned to run off.

  "Aye, Captain. I shall dae."

  Captain?

  At this address, Jessica turned her head and gave Leif a quizzical look.

  He widened his eyes, and his meaning was clear: ‘Interrupt now, and you'll ruin everything. Ask me later.’

  She nodded and turned to watch the rest of his performance, which rivaled anything she'd seen on the stage anywhere. She knew he wasn't acting, but he had such an air of command — and he could put it on at will.

  He turned to the next man.

  "Jared, run out tae the fields and explain what we plan tae dae, and why. Make them understand. Ye hae a way o' explaining things sae that people agree with ye. Use that."

  Jared agreed faster, nodding and giving his ‘Yes, Captain’ before he even turned around to run off.

  Leif addressed the other two.

  "Ian, explain tae the houses on the west side what we are aboot and why. Coordinate with Aiden tae get the pit dug. Angus, take the east side o' toon and dae the same. Start now, ye ken?"

  “Aye, Captain,” they said in unison before they split up and ran off to opposite sides of the village.

  Jessica smiled up at Leif.

&n
bsp; “‘Tis good tae see that na everyone in these times has a hopeless backward attitude.”

  Still supporting her on his one arm, Leif looked deep into her eyes, bringing to mind the fantasy she’d had when she first laid eyes on him.

  “‘Tis difficult tae maintain any attitude at all under yer fierce determination tae save us all from the plague.”

  He maintained that deep eye contact for a moment.

  Her knees went weak again in a good way.

  But then he abruptly turned them both to continue walking.

  The sound of a hammer hitting metal gave away the next shop they approached well before they arrived.

  Leif raised an eyebrow and chuckled a bit.

  "I hae never seen a lass so gleefully approaching the smithy afore. I pray ye tell me why this brings ye such joy, sae that I may share in it."

  She tugged at his forearm so that he turned to look at her face again before she spoke. When she did, she surprised herself by speaking her earlier thoughts as if they had been plans all along.

  "I ken I shall need the services o' the smithy. I hae sae many ideas o' what tae improve in yer house, let alone in this village, and I am overjoyed tae see that there's a smithy right here sae I willna hae tae travel far tae find one. Moreover, judging by how ye handled those other men, ye will be able tae persuade the smithy tae help me. Mostly, I am pleased tae be able tae be o' use tae yer toon, and tae yer brother and sister. Sae bear all this in mind when ye introduce me tae the smithy. Make it extra good. I wouldna mind at all if ye explained my inclinations tae him sae he could see right off why I want tae be his friend."

  Leif twinkled his eyes at her in open admiration, and his half smile made having eye contact with him almost unbearably wonderful.

  She had to keep reminding herself she was on a trip someplace and she would never return here. But she wanted to lean into those wonderfully twinkling eyes and plead with her own until his lips met hers …

  She forced herself to stand up straight and withdraw a bit before they made a spectacle of themselves.

  He looked away toward the smithy.

  "’Tis good if I introduce ye tae as many o' us as possible. Mayhap it would help if ye telt me some o' yer ideas, sae I could explain tae him the type o' help ye desire."