Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Spring Interlude at the Loch
Excited to see Cailean again, Elayne arose early, washed, and dressed.
Then she placed a pot of water on the hearth.
Later, they would have hot water for tea and washing.
Elayne drank a cup of water and walked to the forge, eager to start her day.
She wished Cailean could see her in a pretty dress before leaving on his long journey, though she didn’t know why.
After lifting the bar on the door to the forge, she swung it open.
Elayne went to the well with a bucket to fill it with water to cool the iron.
She tied the well’s length of rope to the bucket and then dropped it into the well.
Then she heaved it up, hand over hand. Elayne made several trips, as she did daily before beginning her work.
Later, she stoked the fire on the forge, carried armloads of wooden logs, and placed them in the forge.
Using the bellows, she made the fire hotter and brighter.
Clad in a leather apron, Elayne secured her braid down the back of her clothes and put on her leather gloves. Then she grabbed a piece of the iron from the large oak barrel and placed the iron bar in the fire with tongs.
Elayne watched the flames lick the cold metal. When the temperature had increased and the metal glowed hot, she placed it on the anvil and pounded it into shape, making more short nails.
When done shaping them with a square-shaped peg at the top to hold them in place, she whisked them into the water bucket to cool. After a while, she retrieved the cool nails and placed them on wooden boards to dry as the sun shone into the forge.
Elayne hoped the extra work would not make her shoulders too sore. Even so, it was a small price to pay to see Cailean.
Her father was amazed to see how much she had accomplished before he joined her. After greeting him, Elayne took a few moments to drink cool water and grab an oatcake to eat.
“Ye are up early, daughter. I may join ye tonight to help Duncan.”
“I ken he will appreciate yer help. The farrier has agreed to give me extra iron on top of his usual pay. With eight nails for each shoe and thirty-two for each large stallion, he needs many nails. It takes time to trim the horse’s hooves, and nail the shoes into place.
“With help, he can shoe many more horses, ensuring the captain of the guard and the laird’s pleasure. The farrier takes almost an hour to shoe each horse, while his apprentices are much slower. It will take several weeks to shoe all the warriors’ horses.”
“Aye, daughter, it is a monstrous and tiring task. The farrier will appreciate the extra help. Thank ye for negotiating more iron from him.”
“After finishing this batch of nails, I will also start making more horseshoes. Otherwise, we will soon run out.”
“Aye, thank ye, but I will start on the horseshoes to save time. Even though he has stockpiled what we made over the winter months, he already needs more.”
Elayne and her father each began their tasks, working in unison.
Clang, clang, beat, beat, hammer, hammer, clang rang out from the forge as people awakened and went about their tasks.
Soon, the sounds of the market engulfed them.
Elayne heard the bells ringing on the cows and the bleating of the sheep.
Elayne marveled at the early morning as dawn painted a rosy picture in the sky.
She drank a cup of water and appreciated the beauty of the sunrise in the spring sky over the castle’s towers as she gazed up at the mountains in the distance.
Sighing, she wondered about the outcome of Mrs. Logan’s discussion with her father.
So far, he had not said anything. Elayne would give him nae more than two days to tell her that she had a free afternoon. Then she would use other arguments to persuade her father to let her go.
Her time with Cailean was limited, and she did not know when he would leave for his brother’s wedding. He would be absent for a long time.
Elayne returned to work and hammered away all afternoon, taking a break only for water and using the outhouse behind their house. She washed her face and hands and joined her parents for dinner.
Once Elayne finished her dinner, she excused herself. “I will see ye later at the farrier’s, Papa, and I will let him ken ye will join us to make more horseshoes. Good night, Mrs. Logan, and thank ye for the delicious dinner.”
Elayne breathed deeply the fresh spring air before sunset as she left the forge and walked to Duncan’s.
The tools and equipment she needed were ready for her.
Elayne greeted him as she donned a leather apron and gloves.
“My father will be here soon to help ye by making more horseshoes. Ye will need many more.” The stalls were filled with headstrong, mighty stallions.
The grooms were busy leading the horses to and from the stables.
The beautiful and powerful horses made Elayne miss their horse all the more. Galloping on a horse with the wind in her face made her feel free. Elayne missed those days. Besides seeing Cailean, swimming in the loch and riding had been what she looked forward to each summer and autumn.
The horse was gone. Soon Cailean would leave too. Elayne’s heart sank with so many losses but wouldn’t let anyone see her tears. With so much changing in ways she didn’t like, Elayne felt out of sorts this spring.
Elayne chafed at being inside, like a horse confined in his stall when he wanted to run free and wild.
Did Cailean react the same way? Although the weather affected her, inspiring her increased need for free time, she suspected it had more to do with his kisses unleashing a passion she had never experienced.
Frustrated, Elayne hammered and pounded forcefully into the metal, hoping to calm the rage that burned inside her.
She prayed silently, I am grateful to my papa, who loves me.
Papa has been a patient teacher, and I enjoy helping him.
I would just like some time for pleasure and happiness. Please let me go to the loch.
Other women had it just as bad as her. Women labored on a farm in the fields from sunup to sundown or toiled in the castle laundry.
Elayne enjoyed embroidery, but only in small doses.
Would she enjoy cooking all day? Then she remembered the sweet berry tarts Cailean had shared with her—mayhap it wouldn’t be so bad.
But in truth, his kisses were even more delicious.
The farrier interrupted her daydreaming.
“Elayne, lass, are ye angry at someone? Ye are pounding that iron with a mighty force. I’m afraid ye will tire yerself out and be too sore to work in the forge tomorrow or help me afterward.
The horses are not going anywhere. I appreciate yer help and determination, lass. But take yer time.”
Her father, with his powerful muscles, bulging biceps, muscular forearms, and broad chest and shoulders, could make five horseshoes an hour.
Whereas Elayne completed four, pounding as hard and fast as possible.
Life wasn’t fair. As a woman, ye always work for someone else: yer father, brother, or husband. Ye are their property.
Elayne ken her father would let her keep the extra money earned from helping Duncan. But she didn’t know how much fabric she needed for a dress or the cost. Elayne hoped to earn enough in the next few weeks to purchase the material soon.
Elayne tired of wearing old drab patched clothes. She didn’t own one nice dress. She strictly wore boys’ clothes while working in the forge the next week to underscore her need for new clothes to her father. If Elayne was lucky, her father would insist Mrs. Logan sew her a new dress.
Before bed that night, Elayne rubbed liniment on her father’s shoulders and applied it across her own shoulders. They’d both worked hard at Duncan’s that night. Her father had stayed after her to join the men in drinking whiskey.
In her bed in the kitchen, she thought about what her life would be like after Cailean left. It would be lonely without him again. What caused her more incredible pain was thinking about the women he would meet, dance with, or kiss during his journey away.
What if he fell in love with one of them?
Elayne didn’t think men thought about kissing like women.
Kisses to women meant more somehow. For men, kisses seemed something to do.
They claimed a woman and used it to boast about later.
Whereas for a woman, kisses were heartfelt and memorable to hold to one’s heart.
Elayne awakened early again and worked as usual. She hoped today she could meet Cailean at the loch and ride with him. More than that, she secretly hoped Cailean would kiss her again. Would it be as magical as before?
Her father awakened a short time later and saw her hard at work as he entered the forge. He had tools to make today, more axes to fell trees and chop wood to replenish the hearths in the castle and kitchen.
“Ye have been working hard. Duncan is grateful to ye. So am I. Why don’t ye take the next afternoons for yerself? I asked Mrs. Logan to sew ye a couple of new dresses since I ken yers are worn, and ye need new ones, as any lass does. Ye and Mrs. Logan can decide on the style of the dresses.”
Elayne laid down her tools carefully and then threw herself into the arms of her surprised father. “Thank ye, Papa. Thank ye, I can’t tell ye how much it means to me to have new clothes. And I’d love to walk to the loch again.” Elayne couldn’t wait to go to the well to meet Cailean.
Elayne threw herself into her work until lunchtime, when Mrs. Logan stopped by with a midday meal for them.
“Did ye hear, Mrs. Logan? Papa said I could go to the loch every afternoon and have new dresses. Papa said we could decide on the styles. Oh, thank ye for helping me. Can we start on the dress tomorrow?”