*
The second day, Catherin told Justin she wanted to bathe properly, so he arranged her privacy. He wasn't worried any of the men would look. None of them wanted to see the scars the scunner probably left on her. The second night, she slept like a baby. The third day, she talked more and worried more. What if they couldn't find Rachel?
Justin tried to ease her fears, but wasn't very successful. Then he found a soft piece of wood, sat down on a rock, took out his dagger and began to carve. The longer he worked, the more fascinated she became and before long, she was sitting on another rock not far from him.
Kevin found a second piece of wood and handed it to her. Then he offered her his dagger. She stared at the dagger for a long moment, decided it would be all right, took it from him and tried to learn how to carve.
The first time she made a mistake, she looked terrified. Yet Justin only laughed, so she finally relaxed and smiled. Every once in a while she would make what she thought was another mistake, look at Justin's reaction and smile when he laughed, putting a smile on all their faces.
In the afternoon, Kevin went to the pond to wash up and when he came back, Catherin was in a deep discussion with Justin. She was whispering and Justin kept shaking his head. "What is it?"
"She wants to ask about Anna, but she is afraid. I keep telling her there is nothing to be afraid of. She says Stoneham would not let her ask about either of her daughters."
"But why does she imagine we are the same?"
"She knows her husband was a MacGreagor."
Kevin took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He untied a leather pouch from his belt, reached in, felt for what he wanted and withdrew a closed fist. Next, he sat down on the ground in front of her. "Catherin, give me your hand." She looked like she had just been struck by lightning and he had to tell her three times before she obeyed.
When she finally reached out, he turned her palm up and dropped a beautiful blue stone into her hand. Then he closed her hand and held it between both of his. "This stone belonged to my mother and she told me these words: 'God condemns the soul of a lad who hurts a woman or a child.' If any lad hurts you ever again, you are to give this stone back to me and I will kill him. Do you understand?" He waited for her slow nod and then released her hand. Then he stretched out on the grass and began, "I will not lie, Anna was badly beaten and we thought she would die." He saw Catherin grimace when he began to tell her the extent of Anna's injuries, but it was better than letting her believe the beating was far worse.