Free Donna Fletcher Short Story Collection by Donna Fletcher Page B

move
them for a minute just to stretch the cramps out of them and then
return them where they were... safe and sound wrapped in Royce’s
legs.
    Help.
    Was that whisper Royce? She looked up from
where she rested, tucked against her husband’s chest to see him
sound asleep.
    Help.
    There it was again, though a bit stronger
this time and it came from the foot of the bed. She didn’t want to
look fearful of what she would see. She poked her husband’s chest;
he didn’t respond.
    Help.
    She poked much harder and Royce sat up in a
flash taking her with him.
    He looked at his wife and her eyes were so
wide that he feared they would pop from her head. He followed her
glance and his eyes widened though his hand also reached for his
sword, though what good it would do against a ghost he had no
idea.
    The apparition of a man stood at the foot of
the bed. Tall, lean, fine features, a cloak draped over his broad
shoulders and with his arm stretched out and his finger pointing at
Brianna.
    With a crook of his finger he beckoned her to
him.
    ~~~
    Brianna watched her husband pace in front of
two guards who had come to speak with him in the Great Hall.
Something was amiss and she could see from his scowl that he was
not happy about it. The servants went out of their way to avoid the
trio, though mostly their laird.
    She could not blame them. He was a fierce
looking warrior when angry and his temper had surged upon entering
the hall an hour ago and learning that news of last night’s
apparition had spread like wildfire and along with it... fear.
    The ghost had certainly frightened her but
Royce had been quick to act. He had vaulted off the bed, the
apparition disappearing as he clamped his arms around the
evaporating mist.
    The two guards had stood with shocked
expressions. She believed more so from seeing their laird fearless
enough to attack a ghost rather than seeing the ghost themselves.
Royce had ordered them from the room and told them to be off that
they were no longer needed for the night. He had also warned them
to hold their tongues about what they had seen but Brianna and he
knew it would do no good. The entire village would hear of the
ghost by first light. And they had been right.
    Royce walked over to her running his hand
lovingly over his daughter’s soft thatch of hair. She sat content
on her mother’s lap trying desperately to get the attention of an
old hound that slept in front of the hearth.
    “King is old and does nothing but sleep,
sweetheart,” he said and kissed her plump cheek. “It is a puppy you
need.”
    “What is wrong?” Brianna asked knowing her
husband delayed speaking with her.
    “A fierce snowstorm has hit and a group of
travelers will not make it to the village before nightfall and that
means...”
    “They will surely freeze to death if they are
not helped.”
    He hunched down in front of her. His daughter
smiled, gurgled and her tiny hand swung out to grab his braid that
hung down the side of his head and onto his shoulder. She was quick
but the mighty warrior was quicker. He grabbed her hand and gave it
a kiss. She turned her attentions back to the sleeping hound.
    “I do not wish to leave you. I wish to settle
this ghost matter once and for all,” he said.
    “As do I but the travelers need our help,”
she said with more courage than she felt. She would have preferred
that her husband not leave, but she could not be selfish. He was
the laird of the Campbell clan and had his duties to attend.
    “I wish I could say I will not be long but
the snowstorm rages and while the group is not far, the storm will
prevent easy and fast travel.”
    She knew what he was trying to tell her.
Today was Christmas Eve and if they did not rid the keep of the
ghost before midnight tonight he would disappear and return next
year at this time to haunt again.
    “You must go,” she said.
    Royce hated to leave his wife. She needed him
and he needed to banish the ghost as he had promised her. But she
was right, he