“I’m Nora,” Nora responded, still somewhat baffled.
“And ye are part of the lass swap?”
Nora choked. “Lass swap?”
“Aye, the lass swap. Ye came here, and me cousin went to Keep Bryden.”
Nora paused, remembering the sharp-eyed, pretty young woman who was supposed to go back to Bryden. “That was yer cousin?”
Laurie nodded, a faint line appearing between her brows. It was an unsettling expression to see on such a young girl’s face.
“Aye, we swapped me cousin Skye for ye.”
Nora cleared her throat. “Well, Skye will be very happy, I ken that much. She might still come home, ye ken.”
Laurie shrugged. “Maybe. Skye will be able to look after herself, I kenthat. Crey said that I was to leave ye alone.”
“Crey?” Nora echoed, a little taken aback by the rapid change of subject.
“Creighton. Me brother.”
Nora blinked, sucking in a breath. It made sense, of course. Why else would the little girl prowl so confidently around the Keep? There was a resemblance between her and her older brother. They had matching dark hair and drooping brown eyes, although in Laurie’s face, those eyes gave her an almost puppyish look, sweet and childish. In Creighton’s face, his heavy-lidded eyes gave the impression of danger, of a coiled snake choosing the moment to strike.
No, that was silly. A silly fancy that had no bearing on real life. Nora cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders.
“I see. Well, I hope we’ll be friends, Laurie.”
“So do I,” the little girl chirped eagerly. She paused, plucking at her skirts. “Do ye like me dress?”
Nora eyed the dress in question. “It’s green. I like green.”
This was somehow the wrong response. Laurie scowled, folding her arms tight across her chest.
“It isteal.”
“What’s the difference?” Nora managed, bewildered. The last time she’d interacted with a child of Laurie’s age, it had been to set the child’s broken arm. And the child’s parents had been in attendance to manage any confusing rambling.
Laurie sucked in a horrified breath. “What do yemean, what is the difference? Can’t yetell?”
Nora focused on what really looked like a green dress, frowning. No, was it blue now?
“Aye, I can see what ye mean,” she answered lamely. It was, of course, a lie, but it seemed to satisfy the child.
“It’s one of me favorites,” Laurie explained. “In the top ten, at least.”
“Top t… How many dresses do ye have?”
Laurie stared at her as if she’d asked what the moon was really made of.
“What do ye mean? I have lots of dresses. I like pretty dresses. Where ye come from, do the lassies nae wear pretty dresses?”
This comment was followed by a long, pointed stare at Nora’s gown. Reddening, she looked down at her muddy skirts. At least the mud was only on the hem, except for a patch up the side where her horse had splashed through a puddle. There was no visible darning or patching on the garment.
“I daenae much care for fine dresses,” Nora confessed. “I am a healer, and fine dresses only get ruined.”
Laurie’s eyes widened. “Ahealer? Like, an apothecary?”
“Aye, something like that. I collect herbs and roots and other materials for medicines, and then I administer them when people need them. I can set broken limbs, bandage wounds, and even cut away dead flesh if I need to. I once picked wooden splinters out of a man’s side after he was injured in battle. It took hours, and we had to get them all out to be sure of avoidin’ gangrene.”
