Page 4 of Highland Guard
***
Brother Mateo
SOME DAYS LATER, MURDINAmet her trusted friend. An Italian monk.
“Brother Mateo, I would speak to you about two of my charges. One is the daughter of a Scottish laird; the other is from your homeland. Her parents served in an abbey in Tuscany.”
“Then she is a long way from Italy. How is it she is here?” he asked.
“She is Florie’s daughter.”
Brother Mateo stilled for a moment, then replied, “That poses a problem.”
Murdina nodded. “Aye, she kens nothing of her lineage. From what I gathered from Father Nofri, her parents believed it best to leave their pasts behind.”
Brother Mateo shook his head and made a ‘tsk,’ sound, saying, “Rarely do the secrets of the past remain hidden. Where are her parents now?”
“Sadly, Florie passed away with fever years ago and theBrotherhoodrecently murdered Naomi’s father. He was ex-tagma. He kept them distracted long enough to ensure Naomi escaped with the amulet.”
Brother Mateo made the sign of the cross. “I am sad to hear of their passing. Where is the amulet now?”
“Hidden in a safe location, in a nunnery in Perthshire.”
“Good. Now tell me, Badessa, is she the one?”
Abbess Murdina sighed and nodded. “It would seem so. The amethyst changes color only when she touches it.”
“If theBrotherhooddiscover this, they will stop at nothing to possess it... and her.”
Murdina replied, “That is why, Brother Mateo, I need you to train her for battle. Prepare her for what inevitably will come.”
“We shall see,” he replied.
***
BROTHER MATEO SIZEDher up then asked her name,“Posso sapere il Suo nome?”
“Mi chiamo, Naomi,”she replied.
He nodded then introduced himself.“Molto piacere di conoscerti, finalmente. Io sono Brother Mateo.”
“Hello, Brother Mateo. I can speak English if it is better?”
“Si, we will use English for the benefit of others.” He paused for a moment, then said, “I am sorry for your loss. I never knew your father, but I knew your mother. You have her eyes.”
Naomi bit her lip so she would not cry. “Thank you. My papa used to say the same thing.”
Mateo nodded, then sized up the two girls Murdina had brought before him.
Yesenda MacDonald, the Scottish lass, he knew she would be a natural fighter. She had an innate confidence, a defiant spirit and protective instinct as clear as the trees in the field. But she would need to control her anger and emotions to be effective.
The part-Italian lass would require work. Naomi would need a little more care. Shrouded in grief, she had become used to being downtrodden. Mateo knew for Naomi to be effective, she would have to believe what he could see as plain as the sky above. Underneath her uncertainty and fear, beat a fierce warrior’s heart.
***
IT WAS THE FIFTH DAYof intensive training with Brother Mateo, and Naomi was still struggling to stay on her feet. “If only I had something stronger, it is not fair,” she whined.
Brother Mateo shouted, “Stop! Only weak people make excuses for not having what they ought. Your body is a weapon, Naomi. Your hands, your feet, your senses, your mind, your words. Do not cry about what you do not have. Focus on what you have, on who you are. This is how you survive in a world that willalwaysbe unfair.”
