Page 24 of Highland Storm

“It’s a mouse,” said Hawke, thinking that only Caleb would pick a rodent for a pet.

“It’s a vole, I tell ye,” said Caleb. “Ye can tell because its tail is shorter and hairier and its head is rounder.”

“Where the hell did ye get that?” asked Logan, laughing. “From the gong pit?”

“Nay.” Caleb frowned at his friends. “I found the little critter in my shoe this mornin’.”

Jack ran over and jumped up on Caleb. The vole squeaked and darted out of Caleb’s hands, hitting the floor. Then Trapper ran over and started barking. The vole took off across the floor, running out the open door with Trapper and Jack chasing it. Logan and Ethan laughed so hard that they were bent over and holding their stomachs.

“Caleb, pick another pet,” said Hawke. “Ye ken my hawk is only goin’ to eat it.”

“Och, I forgot about that,” said Caleb looking severely disappointed.

“How are you feeling today, Hawke?” came a female voice from the door.

Hawke looked up to see his grandmother standing there. “Better,” he admitted, yawning, feeling like he needed more sleep. “Have ye seen Phoebe?”

“Nay, not this morning,” answered Clarista. “I suppose she is still sleeping. I noticed the guard at her door when I walked by.”

“Let her sleep,” said Hawke. “But I’m starved and need food.”

“Now I know you’re feeling better,” said Clarista with a smile. “Come on down to the kitchen. The meal is already over but I had the cook put aside a big portion of skirlie as well as black pudding since I knew you’d be hungry.”

“Sounds guid to me,” said Hawke, thinking of adding an extra goose egg to the oatmeal. He stopped and turned back, looking at Caleb. “Did ye want to join me, Caleb? After all, ye might get lucky and find a goose that hasna been killed yet to use as yer next pet.”

The men all laughed, except Caleb who pushed past him and hurried out the door.

* * *

Phoebe hadn’t meant to sleep so late, but she’d been up reading by candlelight most of the night. The book that Orrick had loaned her was fascinating. She’d learned more about healing herbs than she ever thought she would.

After dressing, she reverently picked up the leather-bound book in two hands and gently placed it in her bag. Then she went back to the bed and slipped her hand beneath the pillow to collect the dried sprig of mugwort. She held it up and smiled. Orrick had told her that it would give her good dreams and possibly let her see the future. Well, her dreams had been about kissing Hawke all night long. Unfortunately, she knew that since they were enemies, it was not going to be her future.

She carefully slipped the herb into the bag, thinking of everything they did to heal Hawke last night. Orrick had given Hawke a tincture that had valerian mixed in, so that he would sleep and his wound could heal.

After putting the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she headed to the door thinking about Hart’s Tongue, Common Centaury, and the Isle of Kerrera. She had to find a way to get to the isle because the herb wouldn’t be blooming long and without it, her father might die.

She pulled open the door to find the guard standing there. Sighing, she realized she was never going to be able to escape if she were being guarded every moment of the day. “I need to use the garderobe,” she told him, thinking up a plan.

“I’ll escort ye,” said the guard, following her down the corridor to the opposite end of the castle where the garderobes were.

“There’s no need to wait for me,” she said, once they approached the door that led to the privy. “I’ll join ye down in the great hall when I’m done.”

“Nay. I have my orders and am no’ to leave ye alone for a minute.”

“Well now,” she said, clearing her throat. “I suppose that means ye’ll have to come into the privy with me and watch?”

The man made a face. “Nay. I’ll wait here. Just hurry.”

She turned and opened the door to the garderobe, covering her nose as she entered. One door led to six holes in a wooden bench with openings underneath. The urine and feces dropped down a chute and into an area behind the castle known as the gong pit that collected all the human waste. Once a week, a gong farmer came with his cart and shovels and rakes to empty it out.

In the hallway leading to the seats were poles with gowns and clothes hanging on them. By keeping the clothes so close to the smelly garderobe, it kept the moths away so the garments wouldn’t get ruined. She stopped just inside and looked back to see two men approach the guard and start talking. One of them held a bottle of whisky and handed it to him. When he raised it to his lips to take a swig, Phoebe snuck out and hid in the shadows. And when one of the men started talking about a naked blond and the men all leaned in to hear better, Phoebe used it to her advantage and snuck down the back stairs.

Hurriedly, she made her way outside, almost gagging from the smell of the gong pit as she passed by, making her way toward the front gate. She was sure to stay hidden in the shadows. If she took her horse, she would be spotted riding out over the drawbridge. So instead, she decided, she would have to find someone else to ride her horse out of the gate and she would sneak out on foot.

“Ye there,” she called out to a young boy playing in the dirt. He looked to be about six years old.

“Me?” the boy looked up in surprise.