Free Highland Fires by Donna Grant

of the first he had made.
    “Will this do?” he asked and slid it toward
her on the table.
    She smiled, showing two missing teeth.
“’Twill do nicely,” she said as she placed it in the pocket of her
apron. “The stones are on the northeast side of the isle. If you
follow the coast, you won’t miss them.”
    “How long will it take to reach them?”
    “Depends on how fast you travel. If you walk
it could take up to five days. There is a ship that will take you
and get you there in three.”
    Lugus had already bartered three of his
weapons, leaving him with his sword and only two more daggers. He
had no wish to trade more, but their food was gone and they had no
coin in which to spend. It was either barter the weapons or barter
themselves.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    Ahryn stared at the big wooden tub that was
being filled with water. She couldn’t wait to lower herself in the
steaming water. It wasn’t the giant stone bath of her parent’s, but
it would do just as well.
    The young girl gave her a smile. “I will
return with your food and a gown later.”
    Ahryn nodded and kicked off her shoes. She
didn’t care about food at the moment. All she wanted was to wash
the grime and dirt from her body and hair. Her long hair had become
tangled and knotted so that she knew she would be combing it out
the rest of the night just to work out all the tangles.
    She dipped her toe into the water and hissed
as the heat connected with her skin, but it didn’t stop her from
stepping into the tub and sinking into the delicious hot water.
With a long sigh, she leaned back and let the water lap around her.
She closed her eyes and felt her muscles began to relax little by
little until she was nearly asleep.
    Leisurely, her hand reached over and grabbed
the bar of soap. She brought it to her nose, thinking it would
smell as wonderful as the soap that was made on her realm when she
got a whiff of the foul concoction. Holding it as far away from her
as she could, she lathered up and began to scrub her body. Twice.
Even then she wondered if she should scrub it again. Instead, she
dunked her head to wet her hair.
    She wiped the water from her eyes and looked
around for the bottle of hair wash. Seeing nothing but the
offending soap, she rolled her eyes and reached for the bar again.
As loath as she was to use it, she had to admit it seemed to get
her skin and hair clean.
    By the time she was finished, the water had
begun to turn cool. As she stepped out of the wooden tub and began
to dry off, there was a soft knock on the door, and Ahryn heard the
serving girl call out.
    “Come in,” Ahryn called and wrapped the
material around her body.
    The girl smiled shyly and set the tray of
food on the table before laying a gown on the bed. “I hope the
color suits you,” she said softly.
    Ahryn looked at the pale blue gown and
smiled. “I love the color. Thank you.” She waited until the door
closed behind the girl before she ran over to it and bolted it.
Only then did she let the towel drop as she reached for the new
chemise. She debated on whether to put the gown on since she knew
she wasn’t going out. She decided against it and sat down to
eat.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    Lugus walked woodenly back to the inn. The
night had not gone as he had planned, and his mood had soured
quickly. He didn’t even glance at the innkeeper as he walked in and
climbed the stairs.
    As he passed Ahryn’s door he saw light from
beneath it. He knocked softly and heard her hurry to the door.
    “Who is it?” she asked hesitantly.
    He rubbed his eyes and said, “It’s me.”
    A moment later, the door cracked open. “Is
everything all right?”
    “I need to come in and tell you the plans,”
he said as he pushed open the door and walked in. It never
registered in his mind that she might not be dressed, so when he
turned and found her in nothing but her shift, he could only
stare.
    She shrugged. “I tried to warn you.”
    He blinked as she walked to her table and sat
down to