Rebel Warrior (Medieval Warriors #3) Read Online Free PDF

her ladies—busy themselves mostly with prayer and needlework. They might wave at the men riding out to hunt, but they do not ride with them.”
    Niall shot her a glance, amusement dancing in his eyes.
    “Well then,” she said, “mayhap ’twill be my brother who will fly Kessog most often in the time remaining before his summer molt.”
    Catrìona felt better for leaving her falcon in the care of another, knowing Machar and Niall would keep Kessog happy when she could not attend him.
    With a nod toward her brother, she left them to seek out her cousin. Her uncle had told her that she and Fia would likely share a small chamber in the tower, as did the queen’s other ladies.
    She entered the tower and stopped to admire the great hall. Two long trestle tables flanked a central hearth. At the head of the two tables was another table set upon a dais. The king’s table . All the seats were benches save two high-backed chairs on the dais where she imagined the king and queen would sit tonight.
    A servant, observing her looking around the hall, told her the ladies’ chambers were on the second floor as were the chambers of the king and queen and offered to show her the one assigned to her and Fia.
    Catrìona climbed the stairs behind the servant, who stopped on the second story where a long corridor with a window at the end contained many doors. When she asked, the servant told her the corridor wrapped around the square tower.
    The servant stopped in front of one chamber midway down the corridor and gestured to the door. Catrìona thanked her and entered to find Fia bent over her chest, digging through garments.
    Lifting one of her gowns, Fia looked over her shoulder to where Catrìona stood appraising the room. “They brought your chest,” Fia said, pointing to the end of the other bed. “There are pegs for our cloaks, too.”
    The chamber was sparsely appointed but more than adequate to Catrìona’s mind. Two narrow beds took up most of the space. Atop them were well-stuffed bed cushions lain with blue woolen covers. The only other furniture was a small table between the beds, a brazier for warmth, a side table and a stool. Catrìona walked to the one window. Its shutters open, she looked down on the burn that flowed around the king’s tower on three sides like a moat.
    “ ’Tis not as large as your bedchamber in Atholl,” she said, “but will serve us well.”
    “Aye,” Fia agreed. “ ’Tis clean and at least we are alone.”
    Catrìona sat upon the bed that would be hers, the one closest to the window. “ ’Tis comfortable.”
    “Mine, as well. Oh, a servant brought us water to wash.” Fia pointed to a pitcher and a bowl sitting on the side table.
    “I passed quite a few servants speaking English to each other on my way here,” Catrìona remarked. “I wonder why there are so many.”
    “Some English fled the Normans,” said Fia, “and thankfully, the ones I spoke with can speak a bit of Gaelic as well as the Saxon tongue.”
    Feeling quite gritty from the day’s ride, Catrìona walked to the side table and proceeded to wash the dust from her face. “I would love a bath but I suppose ’twill have to wait.”
    Fia refolded her gowns into the chest. “With so many lodged in the king’s tower, even with a great number of servants it must be difficult to provide baths for all.”
    “Mayhap there is a stream that affords privacy.” Catrìona spoke her thought aloud. The water would be cold but at least she would be clean.
    “With so many men around, only you would think of bathing in a stream.”
    Catrìona opened her chest, mumbling to herself about preferring to be clean even if she had to wash in the woods surrounded by men.
    Soon they were both somewhat refreshed and had helped each other to don proper gowns.
    “We do not really need a servant to help us dress,” observed Catrìona, “and I doubt one will be provided. Here, I will help you do your plaits and you can help me with