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The silence of the forest was broken by a terrible scream before Ronin could move his fingers upward to where she wanted them. They both stoppedas the loud, deafening scream rang through the trees, leaving them terrified. Shehad never heard anything like it in her life. Her heart started racing as she stared at himwith wide eyes.
“What was that?” she whispered, afraid to raise her voice.
“It was a woman’s scream,” Ronin answered practically; his eyes growing serious. He helped her stand up and stood up beside her. She clasped his hand tightly; suddenly afraid for her life. “Don’t be scared, Edna. I am here with you.”
Edna knew she was safe as long as Ronin was nearby. He was tough and skilled in battle. He would never let anything happen to her, which she appreciated. Despite the fact that the scream she had just heard refused to leave her mind. It was a cry of agony and intolerable pain. She had to figure out what it was and where it came from.
She carried her trusted dagger with her. She kept itat all times and knew how to use it effectively in the event of a threat. If the need arose, she could defend herself and assist Ronin in any way she saw fit.
“We need to see who it was. Maybe she needs our help,” she whispered and he agreed.
“You are right, let’s go,” he agreed as he marched towards his horse with her. He sat down and assisted Edna in climbing in front of him. All shecould think about as they rode on the horse in the dark night was who the woman could be and what would cause her to scream as if her life was being taken.
CHAPTERSEVEN
Ronin had no idea where the scream had come from, but he was alarmed. His heart was pounding as he galloped through the woods. He couldn't imagine who could have screamed in such agony that it sounded like a death cry.
“Where do ye think the scream came from?” he asked Edna who was looking left and right; trying to see if someone was around them. The woods suddenly seemed dangerous to him, and he didn't want herout there alone, especially at night. His only solace was that he was with her.
“I think it came from that side,” she replied; pointing left. He turned the horse in that direction without saying anything. The entire forest was deserted, just as he had predicted, and they found no one there. They searched as far as they could but eventually gave up. Ronin was still perplexedand wondered who the poor woman could be, but he had no answers.
"Edna, I believe whoever it was has vanished or left. Weshould return home.It's not safe for either of us to be out here in the middle of the night," Ronin said, coming to a halt.
“Ye are right. If someone was here, we would have found them by now,” Edna replied. He rode up to her house and stopped a short distance away so they wouldn't be seen.He assisted her in getting down and watched as she waved goodbye before walking towards her house. He remained until she had entered andknew she was safe.Only then, he turned his horse around and rode towards the castle.
He kept hearing that terrible, devastating scream in his head the entire ride back. What had become of the woman? How could she have disappeared so quickly? It was undeniably a woman, and she was clearly in pain. There was no way such a person could have gotten lost — notafter searching the entire woods. Ronin was puzzled and in need of answers, but he had no idea who to turn to. When he arrived at his castle, he noticed that the same lad was still on duty.
“Did anyone ask about me?” Ronin questioned.
“Nae,” the lad replied respectfully. Then he wondered if the scream could have been heard this far away. Even though Edna's house was quite far from the castle.
“Have you been here since I left?” Ronin asked and the lad nodded. “Did you hear anything out of the ordinary?”
“Nae, my laird,” the lad replied. Ronin nodded and led his horse back into the stable. The boy's response would assist him in narrowing his search. He crept towards his bedchamber, careful not to alert anyone to his absence so far.
When he returned to his bedchamber, he discovered that Lachlan had left. He had no idea where he had gone, but he could be sleeping in the bedchamber next to his. He decided not to getinvolved inhis friend's whereabouts because he was too tired. His mind was finally at ease about Edna, and he couldn't solve the mystery of the woman until the morning, so he knew sleep would come easily now.
He lay down on his bed, feeling as if the world around him had finally calmed down. His thoughts were still on her: her smile, laugh, touch, and voice. He was at peace. He did not know when sleep overtook him but he welcomed the darkness after such a long night.
* * *
Ronin awoke with a splitting headache after hearing an ear-splitting scream. He sat up in bed, opened his eyes, and looked left and right to see where ithad come from. As he regained consciousness, he realized he'd been dreaming. He'd been having nightmares about what had happened in the woods the night before.
He became extremely upset as he remembered the entire night: his fight with Bryce, the moments with Edna, and then the scream. The scream that had them looking for whoever was in so much pain and suffering. Ronin quickly emerged from beneath the sheets and changed into clean clothes. He knew he had to go out and investigate. He had called off the search and returned to the castle the night before because he knew the chances of finding the woman were slim, and he was scared because Edna was with him.
He wouldn't let the matter go so easily today. He had to know. He needed to know who she was and what she had gone through. He wondered if she was still alive. He shook the dreadful thoughts from his mind and quickly changed his clothes. He stepped out of his bedchamber, confused by the outside conditions. The entire castle was inundated with guards marching outside. He had no idea what was going on, but something didn't seem right.
“You, hold up,” Ronin quickly called out to the nearest guard who came rushing towards him.
“Yes, my laird?”
“What is happening here? Why is everyone moving about the castle like this?” Ronin questioned.
“We are securing the castle and preparing for a council meeting,” the guard explained and Ronin scrunched up his eyes in confusion.
“Why are we having an unannounced and sudden council meeting? Is something amiss?” Ronin asked again.
"Last night, a woman's body was discovered by the river. Her throat had been cut and she had several stab wounds. This is not the first time a woman has been murdered in this area, and the situation is worsening. The lairdess has called a council meeting to launch an investigation to find the murderer," the guard explained.
