Page 48 of The Defiance of a Scottish Heart
He was going to Iona Abbey on the morrow.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sheona
Two days had passed, and Sheona was beginning to feel comfortable at the nunnery. Brynja and Hildi were wonderful friends and extremely patient with her. She’d learned to throw the spear farther each day.
And she loved her new hairstyle. It gave her confidence—it made her feel like a different person.
She wondered what her sire would think of her hair.
She wasn’t particularly fond of their time in the chapel as she found it boring. And she hadn’t quite decided how she felt about God. She believed in God, but she didn’t believe He was paying much attention to her. So then, why pray if He ignored her prayers?
But she decided to make the most of the sennight she was here.
When they exited morning prayer, Hildi said, “Come. We’re going to visit Ionaland. Ada said we have vegetables for them, and we’ll see what they have to share with us.”
“Do you like Ionaland?” Sheona wondered if the two Norse lasses preferred to stay at the nunnery.
Brynja replied quickly, “It’s my favorite place of all. I love the bairns. You’ll see.”
They set off for their destination down the isle a ways, not too far, but enough to give them time to chat.
“Why do you like it there?” Sheona asked.
Brynja said, “I love the wee ones. Magni is my favorite.”
“Magni? He is friends with my nephew, Rowan. Do you suppose he’ll stay there forever?”
“Aye, they found his parents, and they decided to live there. They adopted Tenney too. He’s adorable.”
Brynja added, “I like it best when Simone is there. I love to talk with Simone and Beatris. They are both married, and I’ve learned much from them about men.”
“What kind of things?”
Hildi whispered, “The kind of things the nuns won’t mention. The things men do to women.” Then she giggled. “Do you know of what we speak?”
Sheona nodded. “I’ve heard of it. I heard it is verra painful for women.”
Brynja moved closer to Sheona. “That’s what we thought. Our mothers warned us of men who take lasses and force themselves on them. Said it’s horrible, but Simone says it shouldn’t be. She said it’s a crime calledrapewhen that happens.”
Sheona was more confused than ever from that explanation. She needed to speak with someone. After all, Marta had bairns and wanted another. Why hadn’t she asked her sister about it?
They were nearly there, the sack of vegetables they each carried on their backs growing heavy. She could tell by how their trek slowed compared to how they started, but Sheona was hopeful they would see this woman called Simone. She needed to talk to Simone.
“Brynja!” a lad called out and raced toward them as they approached the small group of cottages near the shoreline. A wee lad toddled along behind the older boy.
“Greetings to you, Magni. We brought a friend, Sheona.”
“Greetings, Sheona. I’ve seen you before. Where?” The lad with the head of dark, tousled curls stared up at her.
“I’m from Clan Rankin. Rowan is my nephew.”
“He was kidnapped with me once. When Meg saved us.”
“He was, but he’s afraid to leave now. He prefers to stay at home.”
Magni scowled. “Me too. I stay here on Ionaland where it’s safest. God lives over there in the chapel and with the monks, so no evil men will steal us away.”
