Chapter Nine
Dyna
Dyna chatted with Avelina and Maeve while they watched the bairns in the bedchamber.
She’d decided that with the festival going on, she’d keep her three in one place and guard them herself with Derric’s help.
Lia and Magni were not coming, and neither was Rowan, so she was hoping to have a quiet night for the bairns.
Grant was sitting in his bouncy chair built by his sire, watching the other three play battle on the sea with their animals and carved wooden boats.
Derric stood guard outside the door of the bairns’ bedchamber, watching the show below. Dyna could hear Connor and Dermot arguing over something, but she wasn’t sure what. Sylvi stopped and moved over to the window, pulling the fur back to peek outside.
“What is it, Sylvi? You’re letting all the chilly night air in.”
Sylvi shook her head and mumbled, “Mama, there’s a storm coming.”
Sandor got up and began to run in circles, so she guessed Jake was chasing him again, something that happened on occasion, even though Alasdair and his family had returned to Clan Grant.
Derric opened the door and said, “Diamond, get out here.”
Tora tugged on her legging and said, “Mama.”
“Just a moment, lass. I must see Da about something.” Tora scowled but went back to playing with Grant.
Dyna stuck her head out and asked, “What is it, Derric?”
“Hagen. He took Sheona Rankin out for a stroll, and her father is telling him that he has to marry her on the morrow.”
Dyna’s head nearly burst open. “What?” She pushed past him and moved over to the balcony railing so she could watch the action in the hall.
Dermot bellowed, then her father got out of his chair and pushed Hagen behind him. “Go, Da,” she whispered.
Tora opened the door and said, “Mama.”
“Just a moment. Derric. Go see what she wants. I have to watch this.” Derric ushered Tora back inside, so Dyna’s attention went back to the show in the hall.
Everyone was watching. She could have fired three arrows into the tapestry on the opposite wall and no one would have noticed.
Logan came out of his chamber and raced down the stairs, bellowing this way and that. It was no surprise that he would get involved, but her father had to convince Dermot to leave Hagen alone.
Logan bellowed.
Dermot shouted and waved his arms.
Her father hollered.
Then someone mentioned Taskill, so Rut shoved past Logan and her father, her finger in Dermot’s face.
A rumble of thunder echoed, and the bairns shouted a bit, Sandor and Grant laughing at the brewing storm. There were three adults with them, so Dyna wasn’t worried.
She couldn’t hear the words, but Rut swung her arm back so fast that Dermot never saw the slap coming. Her hand struck his cheek hard enough that Dermot’s head jerked to one side. But that wasn’t as quick as the fire that lit his eyes at the assault.
The argument grew louder.
Tora opened the door and said, “Mama!”
Sylvi was behind her sister. “Mama!”
Dyna waved her hand and said, “I heard the thunder. Go sit with Da. I’ll be right there.”
The door closed again. Another bolt of lightning and a louder rumble of thunder, then Sloan grabbed his father, Lennox grabbed his mother, and Rut tried to kick Dermot.
The door opened, and Derric shouted, “Diamond. I need you in here.”
She stepped inside and Sylvi had both hands covering her ears, screaming, “Nay, nay, nay!” She ran in a circle, so Dyna tried to stop her.
Then Grant began to cry.
Sandor fell and screamed.
Tora yelled, “Mama!”
Dyna grabbed Sylvi and clutched her close while Maeve picked up Grant. Avelina reached for Sandor at the same time as Derric.
And Tora disappeared out the door.
“Derric!” Avelina had grabbed Sandor, so she shoved Sylvi into her husband’s hands and ran after their youngest daughter.
Tora raced down the staircase as fast as her wee legs would carry her, chanting to herself. “Gwandda, Gwandda, Gwandda …”
“Tora, come back. Please!” There were too many people down there. Lennox was shouting, Rut was fussing, Dermot was pushing and arguing with Sloan. Her father stood to the side.
Tora headed straight for her grandfather. She wove in between this person and that until she finally stood in front of him.
Dyna breathed a sigh of relief when Tora made it to her father because Dyna couldn’t move among the adults as easily as her daughter had. What the hell was wrong with Tora? And why was Sylvi shouting and covering her ears?
Tora tugged on her grandfather’s plaid. He looked down and swooped her up into his arms so fast that Dyna nearly sobbed with relief.
When she reached them, her father said, “What is it, Tora?”
Tora cupped his face with both tiny hands and said, “I don’t like him.”
“Who?”
“Him. He’s here, and he’s mean.” Then she pushed against him and headed back upstairs.
Dyna caught and picked her up, carrying her over to the side, her sire following. “Who, Tora? Who?”
“I don’t know.” Then she smiled. “I want to play again.”
Dyna stared at her father.
What the hell did that mean?