Good with a weapon.That was flattering.Especially in a clan full of warriors good with weapons.“Who will I be fighting for?”
“You’re not going to like it,” she warned, “though it may make your vow of chastity easier.”
His frown returned.God’s bones.Just how much worse could this day become?He sighed.“Where do you plan to send me, Mother?”
“To Kildunan.”
“What’s Kildunan?”
“A monastery.”
He blinked.
A monastery.
A quiet, dull, boring place where he would be surrounded by quiet, dull, boring men who led quiet, dull, boring lives without so much as a glimpse of a woman?
No doubt his mother expected him to explode with rage.Shewould have.Indeed, she’d already moved one hand to the hilt of her dagger, as if anticipating his resistance and planning to convince him at the point of a blade.
But Hew’s spirit was too weary for resistance.Too broken for outbursts.
He’d jested with Logan about taking a vow of chastity.Now it was no jest.
“Perfect,” he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.“When do I leave?”
A fortnight later, on a cold and drizzly day, a quiet, dull, boring abbot with sparse white hair welcomed Hew to Kildunan monastery.Kildunan was exactly what Hew expected.Remote.Isolated.Lady-less.
At least he wasn’t expected to actually take vows as a monk.He was only feigning an interest in the monastery with an eye toward higher ranks in the church.
The abbot had secretly requested a skilled warrior to deal with the thievery that had plagued the monastery for months.First, the silver cross upon the altar had gone missing.Then the gold chalice used for wine.A jeweled Bible had been taken from the nave, as well as several pieces of jewelry donated by wealthy nobles seeking to secure their place in heaven.
No one had been able to catch the elusive thieves.No one had even seen them.So the abbot had decided to use intimidation tactics.He figured a warrior from the Rivenloch clan would do nicely.
The abbot’s eyes lit up when he saw Hew’s mighty axe—sharp, gleaming, and deadly.And the generous donation of silver Hew brought from the Laird of Rivenloch only added to his enthusiasm.
The abbot knew if the thefts became common knowledge, nobles would begin to distrust the monastery.And if that happened, donations like those from Rivenloch would dwindle.Despite taking a vow of poverty, the monks depended upon the generosity of patrons for their sustenance.
The abbot needed Hew to quietly apprehend the outlaws and, if possible, secure the return of the valuables.In exchange, he’d give Hew a private cell, two meals a day, and safe haven should the king’s men come knocking.
His cell was a tiny, sparse enclosure with a straw pallet, a scratchy wool coverlet, a hook for clothing, and a single candle.Hew shivered as he dropped the satchel of his belongings onto the rush-covered clay floor.At least the room was dry.But with no hearth, it was as cold as a buttery.
Supper was barley pottage in a trencher and a cup of ale.He could have eaten twice as much, but the rations were scant.He made a mental note to snare a rabbit or two and see if there was a loch for fishing nearby to supplement the monks’ stores.
After supper, he returned to his cell.There he huddled, fully dressed, under the thin coverlet.His feet hung off the end of the pallet.His teeth chattered.His bones ached from the cold.
What he really needed more than anything, he decided, was a woman to keep him warm.
Chapter 2
“Good morn, Hamish,” Carenza softly cooed.
One big brown eye peered at her through the shaggy black strands of hair as Hamish plodded forward.His heavy hooves made dull thuds on the damp sod of the ferme.
“That’s a good lad.”
The other cattle, two dozen in all, followed behind Hamish, nodding their heads.
An outsider would have been horrified at the sight.The great dark beasts had horns almost as wide as Carenza was tall.The cattle descended upon her like a black cloud now, enclosing her with their enormous bodies.
