Page 3 of Highland Guard
“Silence!” Una shouted as she backhanded Naomi. Naomi whimpered, bit her lip, and remained quiet. Hating herself for grimacing and showing any type of emotion, Naomi wished her father had taught her how to fight because, without a weapon, she was helpless.
“You need to understand that we will always hold the power here. Yesenda cannot protect you forever. In fact, after we finish with you, we are going to pay her a visit. She’ll be lucky we dinnae beat her to death for embarrassing us in front of Abbess Murdina.”
Naomi reacted then. She had only known Yesenda for a short time, but she would do anything to protect her only friend. “No! Leave Yesenda alone. The problem you have is with me, so do what you must.”
Eilidh walked across and pushed her to the ground, squeezing her neck. Naomi struggled to free her grip, but it was too tight. “How touching. Now we will hurt Yesenda, knowing that it pains you as well. You better worry about your own fate. Have fun here all night. Where the banshee will come for you.”
They moved away towards the door, and Naomi was frantic. Her terror of being alone in the dark was palpable. She could not hide it anymore. She screamed and bolted after them, but they laughed as they raced to the door and shut her inside. Naomi banged on the wooden frame. “Let me out! Let me out!” she cried as tears tracked down her face. “Please do not leave me here. Please!” But all she heard were their chuckles and footsteps running away. They took the lantern with them and plunged her into a terrifying darkness. Naomi shuffled backward against the wall and then she slid down, huddled in a corner.
The wind howled through the stone corridors, creating a chilling, mournful melody. Naomi’s imagination got the better of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and began chanting once more. “Keep breathing. You will survive. Just keep breathing.” It was frightfully cold, given her thin shift, and she shivered, imagining demons hiding in the shadows, ready to devour her. Her torment for the evening had just begun. She just had to survive till the morning.
Rocking herself back and forth to keep warm, Naomi felt something scurry across her feet. She whimpered and cursed the day she entered the abbey. Not for the first time did she wonder why she was in Scotland. It had something to do with the necklace, but she had spent six months ... waiting... but for what? and for whom?
She wished her father were alive so she could hug him once more and ask him so many questions. His words would haunt and confuse her over and over during the night.
I am not who you think I am.
They used to be my brothers.
I’m sending you to your mother’s familia.
But in all her twelve summers, Naomi had met no one from her mother’s side of the family.Who was she really?
Naomi felt the cold of the cell seep into her bones. She told herself she needed to be braver. Her father was the bravest of all and she had watched him fight. She prayed that someday she would be brave and protect others.
After what felt like hours had passed, the sound of footsteps startled Naomi. She braced in case it was her tormentors. She stood to the side trying not to tremble in case it was a ghost or a spirit of some kind. Naomi made the sign of the cross and waited. She held her breath when the creaking door swung open. A lamp light shone inside to illuminate a figure. A familiar woman had come to her rescue.
“Naomi? Lass, are you in here?”
“Badessa Murdina,” she cried out, then closed the distance between them and threw herself at the abbess. Her arms wound tight about Murdina’s waist, and her face buried in the abbess’s ribs. Then she burst into tears.
The abbess immediately wrapped her arms about Naomi and said, “Come on now, lass. Tis all right. I’m here, everything will be all right from now on. Dinnae cry. Did Una and Eilidh do this to you?” Murdina asked. Naomi noticed she had a murderous expression on her face.
Naomi nodded and tried to wipe her tears away. She had regathered her composure and took a step away from the abbess.
“Well, dinnae worry. They shall get their comeuppance. Let’s get you back inside the abbey.”
“They were going to hurt Yesenda. You must stop them,” Naomi pleaded.
“Aye, I will as soon as you are back in your cell.” With those words, they hurried up several flights of stairs to the main entry. Murdina bolted the door behind her and walked to Naomi’s cell. On the way, Murdina said, “Lass, you really need to learn to defend yourself. It will not do to have you helpless against those who mean to do you harm.”
“Si, I know I must try, but I do not know how. My father raised me to be a person of peace, not to battle.”
“Well, I suppose he meant well, but these are dark times we live in. There are many who do not believe in peace, and they will willingly steal yours.” The abbess stopped outside the door of Naomi’s room and opened it. She was about to leave but paused, as if contemplating something. Then she said, “Tomorrow, we will begin a training plan for you, but you must tell no one about it.”
“What type of training?” Naomi asked.
“The kind that will ensure the Unas and Eilidhs of the world never harm you again. But first I need you to choose a name that I can call you when we are outside these walls.”
“But I like my name. Especially Naomi. It was my mother’s middle name.”
Murdina gave her an understanding smile, then replied. “All right, lass, then what about a different last name? Augusto is too recognizable.”
Naomi replied, “Naomi Graham.”
Murdina smiled and said, “Naomi Graham it is. Now close the door behind me and go to bed. And dinnae worry, I will see to Yesenda now.”
Once the abbess left, for the first time in months, Naomi slept an entire night in peace.
