As Katelynn lay on her cot that night she thought of what Charles had told them as they sat around the hearth after the evening meal. Could this be true that this man Lord Drasken was only trying to take back what had been taken from him? What would she do if the same had happened to her? As she drifted into slumber she was still thinking these thoughts. And she dreamed, now as her dreams unfolded they were different. The man in her dreams began to look like Bryon. She was standing beside him on the hill over looking her village. Then when she turned to look at him it was Charles. He reached for her hand and she took it. He embraced her and she responded to the embrace and they kissed a long passionate kiss. Katelynn awoke from this dream it had frightened her. She lay awake the rest of the night trying to figure out what the dream had meant. She did not have those feelings for Charles so why was she dreaming of them being together. Katelynn now was beginning to wonder if what she felt for Bryon was not just fascination with the fact he was a stranger and had told her of all the beauty of his homeland.
What was she going to do? Could she have been so wrong about Bryon? What if Charles had came to their village first? He was very handsome also, but there was something about him that Katelynn could not explain. Maybe it was only because she first thought he was Lord Drasken.
Katelynn saw it was beginning to get light out and thought she might as well get up for she knew there was no sense in laying here and thinking about it anymore. As she came out of her room she saw Charles was already sitting at the hearth. He looked as though he was deep in thought. She walked over to the urn to get a drink and saw it was almost empty. Charles had heard her come into the room he knew it was Katelynn for he could feel her presence.
As she sat the urn back down he said, “ I was going to go get some water. Would you like to walk with me to the stream?”
He wondered if she would ask him any questions. He had thought out how he would answer as he had all the other questions they had asked.
Katelynn answered, “Yes, A morning walk would help clear my head.” Clear her head of what thought Charles? He knew she had not slept much he had heard her tossing and turning on her cot most of the night. Had dreams of him disturbed her sleep just as dreams of her had kept him from sleeping as well? Or was it that she did not trust her feelings now and was disturbed by this.
She went to pick up the urn and Charles said, “I will carry that.”
“Thank you,” replied Katelynn.
As they walked she started wondering about her dreams again.
And she said to him, “This man Lord Drasken, My father asked you about. How is it you know so much?”
“All the people of the lands to the south know of him,” he replied. “It was not that long ago that this had all happened and was still fresh in the minds of the old and young in his homeland.” He could tell by the look on Katelynn‟s face this had satisfied her for now. They walked the rest of the way to the stream in silence.
Christine was surprised to see her daughter not there and neither was Charles. But then she saw the urn was gone and decided they must have walked to the stream to get water.
Just then Richard walked into the room and said, “Why do you look so worried my love?
You thoughts have been in another place as of late. And I am not sure why.” She looked at her husband took his hands and said, “ I only worry for our daughter my love. For this will be a very trying time for her. She will feel and see many things differently and I am just afraid for her that is all.”
“Oh,” Richard replied, “I was starting to wonder if you now had any regrets of leaving your homeland and coming here with me. Since these strangers have come into our village you seem to have changed but now I understand. Your worries are for our daughter. She has a very strong will and I think she will make the right decisions.” Christine knew her daughter would make the right decisions but how would they be influenced. She saw the look in her daughter‟s eyes after Charles had told them of what he knew of Lord Drasken. She herself now wondered would she not feel the same as he did if it had been her in his place.
By the time Katelynn got to the stream she was very thirsty she bent down to get a drink.
Drasken watched as she cupped the water in her hands and began to drink. If he could only tell her the truth maybe she would understand. But he did not want to risk that yet. She still did not trust him he knew this. He still had a few days Bryon had been gone three days he was not even in the highlands yet. The man that Eric had sent had told him it would take them four days to get there if the weather held up. Drasken thought on this and knew he still had at least five more days before he must decide what to do. But for now he would concentrate on winning this beautiful woman‟s trust.
He knelt down beside her and started to fill the urn. The more he moved it around on the bottom of the stream the dirtier the water got.
Katelynn began to laugh and said, “ I am glad I came with you or we would be drinking dirty water today. Here let me show how to get the water in the urn without all the dirt.” She reached down and made a depression in the bed of the stream and waited for the water to clear then put the urn into the depression. Before long the urn was full.
Drasken picked up the urn from the water and sat it down on the edge of the stream.
He then said, “If you would like to go on back now I will bring the water when I am done.”
“I will wait for you,” said Katelynn. “ You do not plan on bathing do you?”
“No,” said Drasken. “I do not plan on bathing I thought I would sit here for awhile. It is so peaceful here with the sound of the water running over the rocks.”
“I like coming here,” said Katelynn. “ To do the very same thing. I lie on the grass there and close my eyes and just listen to the sounds all around me. It seems to soothe me somehow.” They both then lay down and closed their eyes. Katelynn had not thought she would drift off but she did. Charles heard her breathing slow and was in rhythm with the sound of the water it seemed. He sat up on his elbow and looked down into her face. How he wanted to kiss those lips and run his hands up her thighs and make her beg for him to take her. Before he knew what he was doing he was kissing her. She awoke and pulled away.
He was shocked that he had not controlled himself and said, “Please forgive me I do not know what came over me. You looked so beautiful lying there sleeping. And I have wanted to kiss you since I saw you tending your garden.”
Katelynn did not know what to say. This was the second man in a week that had told her the same thing. Her mind was racing what was wrong with her. She thought she loved Bryon but Charles had just kissed her and she could not tell him not to do it again.
She got up and said, “I think we need to be getting back. Mother and father will be up and wondering where we have gone off to.”
Charles got up not feeling to good about what had just happened he could not read her thoughts. He should not have let himself lose control that way. He wanted her to want him as he wanted her. He picked up the urn and put it on his shoulder. How strong he was Katelynn thought. And she found herself wondering how it would feel to have his arms embracing her.