Page 27 of Highland Guard
The man growled, “I had a plaid but this bloody wench...ouch!”
“What did you call me?” Naomi glowered, digging the tip of her staff into his shoulder.
“I mean this, young lass, attacked me before I could reach for clothes. Tis over there by the boulder.”
Naomi and Dermid cast their gaze a few meters away, where there were indeed clothes spread out on the rock and a small bag beside it with a bar of lye soap. Dermid walked over to it, brought it to the man and dropped it near his feet. “Then you best cover up, tis cold out and we dinnae need to be watching your bollocks shrivel up.”
Naomi stood watching over the man, not taking her eyes off him.
“Do ye mind? I need a little privacy to dress.”
“Aye, we’ll leave you to it. But you best go before the lass hits you again.” Dermid clasped Naomi’s arm and started dragging her away as the man hastily dressed.
“What are you doing?” Naomi growled.
“Letting him leave.”
“You can’t. I still have some questions to ask.”
“Leave it be. You’re from the abbey, so you dinnae understand these things, but I ken he’s not a threat.”
“You’re wrong,” Naomi replied. “He was not here to merely bathe.”
“Whether he was or was not, tis best we leave.”
Naomi just shook her head. She had learned over the years that men like Dermid rarely listened to women. Still, she strode to the water’s edge to retrieve her horse. “If you will not listen to me, then there’s no point arguing. But we need to be off the road when they attack.”
“When who attacks?” Dermid asked.
“The person who sent that man to watch us.”
Dermid opened his mouth to argue, but once again, Naomi was already atop her horse and galloping away. He cursed, grabbed his things, and raced to catch up.
***
SEVERAL MILES FURTHERalong the journey. Naomi remained alert, but unfortunately Dermid had been busy chatting and not paying attention.
“And where do you hale from exactly?”he asked.
“An abbey.”
“Aye, but before the abbey?”
“Italy.”
“You are Roman?” he asked, making a face.
“No, I’m from Tuscany, near Florence.”
“He snorted. Pity. You’re a bonnie lass. Have you taken your vows?”
“No.”
“Really? Now that I find interesting.”
Naomi continued to scan the road.“Tell me Dermid, are all your clansmen as talkative as ye?”
“Only the braw ones. We are good with our tongues.”
