“I do not know, but he stops, watches, and listens and sometimes he will simply sit on the steps of the keep and stare into the darkness almost as if he is waiting for something to emerge from it.”
A sound turned both silent and with gentle, slow steps they went in search of it. The two quickly moved into the shadows when they heard the sound again and watched as a cart meandered past them. They waited until the sound of it was a safe distance away, then followed, staying in the shadows.
“That is Aggie’s cottage,” Seamus whispered as the cart came to a stop in front of it. “She was old long before age got me. Glynnis always looked after her and she misses the lass terribly.”
Heather and Seamus watched as the two men disappeared inside.
“The old ones are worthless to the Dragon. He is doing away with her, he is,” Seamus said, choking back his tears. “Soon the cart will come for me in the middle of the night.”
The cottage door opened and two men helped a crying Aggie out and into the cart.
“God bless her.” Seamus sniffled back his tears. “She was a good woman.”
The old woman’s tears broke Heather’s heart and without thought to her actions she stepped out of the shadows, demanding, “What goes on here?”
Seamus stayed where he was frightened if he showed himself that he too would be carted off, but his chest went out and a smile spread across his face, seeing how brave Lady Heather was to confront the men.
Both men stared at her as if they were seeing a ghost.
“I am Lady Heather, you will answer me,” she demanded.
“They answer only to me,” —Rhys stepped out of the shadows— “as do you.”
The darkness seemed to cling to him as he walked toward her, making him appear as if giant wings extended from his sides. The two men stepped around the cart, keeping it between them and the Dragon.
“What are you doing out here this late and how did you get past the guard this time?”
Anger was strong in his voice, though Heather was not sure if he was angry with her or the guard that evidently left his post. “I did not know the lateness of the hour when I came in search of you and there was no guard at my door to stop me.”
“No guard?” he asked as if he had not heard her correctly.
She shook her head and repeated, “No guard.”
He stepped closer to her, his arm going around her as if shielding her and he looked to the old woman. “It will not be long now.” He nodded to the men. “Take her.”
Heather went to ask him where the men were taking the crying woman, but he called out to Seamus before she could.
“Show yourself, Seamus.”
The old man did as he was told.
“You will breathe not a word of this, Seamus, or I will no longer allow you to walk the village at night.”
Seamus’s eyes turned wide.
“You think I do not see you watching me, do not hear you? Do you think my men do not watch you? Go to your daughter, Seamus, before I change my mind and have you taken away with Aggie.”
Seamus hurried off and she could see by his expression that the old man liked the Dragon even less now. And for a moment, she wondered if she could be wrong about his true identity. Quinn would never be so unkind to an old warrior.
She could not stop herself from saying, “It would be better if you befriended him than frightened him.”
“There is no room for friendship when you lead.”
“Pitt is your friend.”
“And Pitt knows my leadership comes before our friendship, but enough questions.”
Rhys kept her close against him as he hurried her inside the keep and straight to his solar.
