Finally, she wiped the tears from her face. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Gravely.”
“Why do you need one of my warrior women? You seem to be in fighting shape yourself.”
“I don’t need them to fight for me.” He tried to convey his reasoning with his gaze, but also knew very little emotion could be seen on his bear face. He couldn’t imagine what this woman would think of his expression. Likely that he was snarling at her as a beast would.
“Then why do you need one?”
“I can’t answer that.”
She furrowed her brows. “You want me to send one of my women to your home, for reasons unknown, so you can do whatever you want with her?”
“They will be treated well. Given whatever they want in my castle.”
“Castle now?” Scáthach tilted her head to the side and leveled him with a disbelieving look. “Since when do the dwarves have castles above ground?”
Since they were cursed by a Troll Queen who wanted him to marry her daughter. Since he hadn’t been given a choice where he lived because the blasted woman wanted to keep track of him. These were all things he couldn’t tell Scáthach, even though the truth burned in his chest.
Gruffly, he responded, “I can’t tell you anything, Scáthach. You know the reason why.”
He hoped at least. Most people knew that a curse could warp the tongue. She was a smart enough woman to be able to put the pieces together. He couldn’t tell her, no matter how hard he tried.
Scáthach licked her lips. “What do we get in return?”
“Nothing.”
“You want this for free then? Not even a favor to be called in at a later date?”
He shook his head. “I can’t offer you anything in return.”
“You want this out of the goodness of our hearts then?” She chuckled, leaning back in her chair and shaking her head. “This is a grave request for someone who has never done anything for my people.”
“The legends of you have spread throughout the land, Scáthach. You are a woman who enjoys helping others, someone who has created a legend of kindness and justice.” He slowly stood from his place at her table. “It’s my hope that you will continue that legend and assist someone who has begged for your help.”
She watched him with a narrowed gaze. He didn’t think she was questioning the truthfulness of his words. Instead, it seemed as though she were trying to weigh his soul.
“I will consider it,” Scáthach replied. “Now leave my keep before I make you.”
Nodding, he ambled out of the keep and back down into the training grounds. Would she keep her word? He had no way of knowing. Scáthach was an honorable woman, however, and he assumed she would at least consider it.
As he left the keep, his gaze shifted toward a particular headless strawman. The woman who had been standing there was gone, but the ghost of her remained. He still remembered the way the sunlight had bounced off the golden strands of her hair.
Would it be her? He highly doubted it. No one would spare such a capable woman when there were plenty of others who could be sacrificed to the beast of cold mountain.
Donnacha sighed and left Scáthach’s renowned home. His feet found the path that would take him back to the castle. His long journey would start again.
He’d done what he could. He hoped someone would arrive in Fuar Bheinn someday soon, and his suffering could finally end.
3
“You want me to what?” Elva asked, forcing her body to remain still when she wanted to rush at the woman before her.
Scáthach had been the woman to teach her independence. She’d done more for Elva than her own mother, but somehow, this was still the woman who wanted to take away her independence again. And after all they’d done to coax Elva’s mind to change. To tear her away from one terrible relationship, only to throw her to the wolves again.
Scáthach sighed, then nodded to the seat next to her at the head table. “Sit down, Elva. Let me explain.”
“I don’t want to sit.”
“And yet, you will.”
She knew better than to argue with Scáthach, but she wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to fly at the woman and scream in her face for daring to take away what she’d fought so hard to get. Her freedom meant more than anything else in this world.
Elva had struggled to gain every inch of this mindset. She had been so wrapped around Fionn’s finger that she hadn’t known who she was. Nor how to be a person who cared for herself even when other people needed her to be something different.
Gritting her teeth, Elva rounded the table and sat down next to Scáthach. If she hit the seat a little too hard, then it was merely because she’d been training all day, not because she was sulking. And certainly not because she was angry at the woman who wanted her to give up her life.
To a bear, of all things!
She didn’t want to know why the creature had been in their camp. It didn’t matter if he was cursed and needed her help. And she was certain that was the reason. Cursed creatures were easy to spot. They were like their animal brethren but…not. The bear had clearly been larger than any other creature she’d ever seen in the wild. His eyes were far too intelligent.
Scáthach pointed with a knife at the plate in front of Elva. “Eat.”
“I don’t want to eat.”
“How many times are you going to defy me when I order you to do something, Elva? I’m not asking you to eat. I’m telling you to do so. Now close your mouth for a few minutes and open it only to put something between your lips. Understood?”
Not really, but Elva did what Scáthach asked. She reached forward
