by Fiona Faris
“Who is present and who is away?” Onesmus asked.
“Julius and Lachlan are on patrol. Everyone else is in the compound,” Rebecca told him.
“You’ll get the women and children down to the dungeons?” Onesmus asked her.
Rebecca shook her head. “No. Emily will be more comfortable in her chambers with the wee bairn; she’ll have a rifle with her and Frances to watch over them. Alexander will never agree to sit this out and so we’ll give him a sniper rifle and post him on the turrets. I am not such an accurate shot but I can keep watch and barricade the entrances should they get past the gates.”
Onesmus smirked. “Very well then, let us get ready.” He turned to the other men, “The rest of you know what to do?”
The other men hummed their affirmation. They had gone through the battle plan many times. They were seven men on site and two on patrol as well as Alexander, Rebecca and Emily. Toby had at least a dozen men with him and who knew how many more out of sight. They were outnumbered, maybe outgunned but at least they held the higher ground.
“Right so the first order of business, seal all ways in and out of this place but one.”
Amos came limping forward, “There is a secret tunnel in and out of the manor house, do you think they know of it?”
Connell and Onesmus exchanged glances. “Show us,” they said almost simultaneously.
Amos nodded and began limping towards the basement. Both men followed.
Rebecca found Alexander limping slowly down the stairs rifle in hand. “Where d’ye think ye’re going?”
Alexander grinned at her. “The enemy is at the gates.”
“I ken it weel. Ye canna fight Alex. Go watch from the turrets and shoot them if they try to breach.”
Alexander nodded. “I will. But first I have to see to everyone.”
“Connell and Onesmus are doing that.”
“And who d’ye think they look to for guidance?”
Rebecca sighed, shaking her head and turned away. “Did ye at least leave Em with a pistol?”
“I left her with a rifle, and Frances to watch the wain. Amos should go up there too.”
“Aye. And then we can barricade that wing too.”
Alexander nodded. “Good idea. Where is he?”
“Showing yer deputies the secret tunnel.”
“Secret tunnel?”
“Aye. A way in and out.”
Alexander shook his head in bemusement. “Very well then. I shall await them in the dining room.”
Rebecca nodded. “I shall gather furniture to barricade the entrances.”
“Take Benjie with ye.”
Rebecca nodded in agreement and then turned back to the dining hall where Benjie was watching the other men sharpen and clean their weapons one more time.
“Benjie! Ye’re with me.”
He popped up at once. “Yes, ma’am.”
Alexander limped in after her, “Everyone in body armor.”
The sunrise that morning was as red as the blood. Chris's horse, loaned to him by the friar, trudged wearily across the plain of battle, bearing its master towards the immense fortress of Dun Alba.
He didn’t know if they were too late but he hoped not. Behind Chris rode a veritable army, Friar Kieran at their head. Men from the mines and the quarries, who were apparently willing to put down their work tools and follow the brother to this town half of them had never heard of.
He had mentioned that there were plenty of lands, without crofters to work them, and a village that could do with millers, builders, and traders. They were willing to trade their strength for a chance at a better life. It seemed that there were many who, like Chris’ father, had been disenfranchised by the lord. Chris felt as if he had come full circle, to be leading these people to a better life.
That, or to their deaths.
Friar Kieran reported that Toby had indeed gotten help. The worst kind of help; Killian’s son, Cid, who was said to be twice as ruthless as his father. There was no chance that they could avoid fatalities in this war Toby had started. The Killers, as Cid’s gang was called, did not take prisoners.
Their approach to the battle was heralded by some cheers and a few suspicious looks from the men who now camped around Dun Alba. It was clear that battle had been raging all night. The rising of the sun seemed to have led to a temporary ceasefire. Chris’ heart pounded with worry, wondering how well the manor had fared in this skirmish. He saw people from the village tending cook fires, while brigands boasted about their conquests.
When the men whose loyalties lay with Toby cast their baleful gazes upon him, Chris looked right back. He owed them that much.
I am sorry. I am so, so sorry. I tried to bring peace, and I could not even do that. He could not help but feel responsible for Toby’s fall. Onesmus was manning the gates and spotted him, opening it so that they could file into the compound, one at a time. They were clearly not risking being overrun.
The courtyard was alive with noise, as he had expected it would be. Everyone was chattering excitedly, none more so than his own men who were clearly happy to see him back and in one piece. He found the young lord himself with his battalion arranged behind him and Chris’ wife, arrayed at his side, watching him come.
“I see ye brought help,” Alexander was smiling slightly.
Chris turned back to the mass of people behind him, his cheeks coloring with embarrassment. “Yes I er, negotiated for help.”
Alexander lifted an eyebrow but refrained from further comment. Chris turned to the friar and beckoned for him to come forward. “This is my brother in law, Friar Kieran, and overseer of these lands.”
“Ah yes, MacTavish. I have heard of you.”
Alexander nodded. “I canna say the same.”
Friar Kieran smiled. “I’m sure we shall remedy that soon.”
“Thank ye for coming to our aid.”
The friar inclined his head. “I expect we shall be able to help each other.”
Alexander simply raised an eyebrow.
The friar clapped his hands. “But first, let us win this battle.”
The men they had brought were alighting from their horses, and gathering their weapons. Onesmus came to stand on one side of Chris, while Connell went to stand behind Alexander.
“What are our orders?” Connell asked Alexander.
He got to his feet, turning to Rebecca. “Can ye feed them all?” he asked.
Rebecca looked out at the newcomers assessingly and then nodded slowly.
“Good. Chris, Friar, follow me.” He limped his way inside.
Chris wanted to leave the meeting and go and find Rebecca. His skin itched with how long he had been away from her. Just five minutes for them to properly greet each other would be enough. He could hardly focus on what Alexander and the brother were discussing. He knew it was essential if they were to win this war but he also had great faith that Alexander and the friar were more than capable of agreeing on a strategy without him.
“So we are agreed then?” he heard Alexander say and tuned back into the conversation.
“Yes. We surround them and then give them a chance to surrender. If they are agreeable, we shall arrest them and take them to the nearest magistrate for sentencing.”
“As clergy can you not act as magistrate?”
“I can act as co-magistrate but they usually prefer the local lord to take the lead.”
Alexander nodded. “Indeed. Unfortunately, I am no titled gentleman.”
“That is indeed unfortunate. However, I know of a lord who can assist us.”
Alexander nodded. “Good.”
Chris took a deep breath. “Well, I shall take my leave of you as I have other business to take care of,” he said.
Alexander grinned. “I believe she went over to the pig pen.”
Chris nodded. “Thank you.” He turned to the friar, “Please be at home, Friar Sam.”
“Thank you.” The friar bowed to him and Chris left as fast as possible.
Chris heard the pig grunting long before he came to the pigpen. He searched for Rebecca’s short rotund form for a minute before he caught a glimpse of her robin’s egg blue gown. She was on the other side of the pen, staring off towards the woods.
He went to investigate making sure it was really her. Her back was straight and regal looking, her arms were folded, she looked lost in her own world.
What are you thinking about? he wondered. She turned to face him, probably hearing his loud step on the stones, and her face lit up. His heart clenched with uncontrollable happiness because Rebecca was here with him.
She seemed almost giddy as she stared back into his eyes. He could not believe he was back together with her after all this time away. He had been a little hopeless when he left but she seemed truly happy to see him. Unable to hold back any longer, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Rebecca!” he cried pulling her body against his. He breathed in the scent of her. “I missed you so much, Rebecca. I was afraid we might never see each other again.”
“Me too. Ye barely bade me goodbye and then ye were just gone with no word, no letter. We dinna ken what had happened to ye.”
“You sound as if you were truly worried. Does that mean what I think it does?” His voice was shakily held together, waiting for the reply.
She smiled up at him and then her brow furrowed. “What d’ye think it means?”
“That you choose me.” His heart pounded, feeling ready to burst out of his chest with emotion.
“Yes, I choose ye. I do. I dinna ken how we will manage but I choose ye.”
They stayed locked together for a time, just holding each other, until Chris leaned in, joining their lips.
His tongue reached out tentatively, asking for permission to explore her mouth. She parted her lips and he pressed closer, hungrily, seeking to connect not just with his body but his spirit too. She clung to him, her knees going weak.
His arms came around her back, holding her clothes, while her hands found and fiddled with his collar. Her hands were hesitant but grew increasingly sure. He could not help but moan into her mouth. He had never felt anything like it before. A mixture of relief, affection, joy and the pain of reunion.
She sighed happily, snuggling her head against his chest. “I am so happy ye’re back. I admit I was worried.”
“I know. I could see it in your eyes when we arrived. It seems unbelievable how right it feels to hold you.” Staring down at her, he declared, “Rebecca, I love you.”
She had known that he did for a while, but it was the first time he had said the words, and they filled her with pure joy. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Thirty
Two hours later a bugle blew and all of Chris and Alexander’s men stood in formation by the gates, awaiting the signal. Behind them, seated in a wagon in front of a contraption of the Friar’s own making, was Alexander. He let off a volley of arrows from the contraption and the resultant furor on the other side of the gate was their signal to attack. The gates were flung open by Benjie and Frances and the men advanced forward to face Toby’s people. From the surrounding forests, the other men who had come with Chris and had concealed themselves around the manor house flanked the rebels on all sides. Toby was in the middle of his gang surrounded by men carrying weapons, half were mounted while the others were on foot.
They had the rebels effectively surrounded.
Chris walked to the front of the line, and came to a stop, his eyes on Toby. “We have you surrounded Toby. Give up this foolishness now and we can all walk away unhurt.”
Toby snorted, coming forward to stand at the front of his men. “Did you really think that you could just leave it all behind, Chris? That woman’s pussy has you pretty deluded.”
Chris’ fist had reared back in preparation to smashing into Toby’s face before he could think. Toby raised his hands. “Ey! Relax. No need for that. Look, I’m sorry. I take it back. You’re not deluded.”
Chris socked him in the jaw and Toby staggered back, a wide grin on his face. His teeth were stained with blood that dripped down his lip onto his jaw but he just kept smiling.
“You can hit me all you want, but it won’t help you in the end. Cid is coming for you. You killed his father.”
“Cid I can handle. But what are you doing on his side? His father made your mother a whore.”
Toby lunged at him. “My mother was never a whore!” he said as he grabbed onto Chris’ middle and tried to squeeze the life out of him. The scraping sound of a sword leaving its scabbard made him freeze and he looked over Chris’ shoulder to see Onesmus poised to strike. He stepped back quickly and then suddenly opened his mouth and shouted, “Charge!”
And all hell broke loose.
Rebecca stood behind the balustrade, watching anxiously as the two sides came together in battle. She could see her brother, using the weapon given to him by the friar to good effect. His arrows flew over the heads of their own men to land indiscriminately among the enemy. No doubt, some of the wounds would be fatal but she prayed that most were not. For sure, some of those people in the melee were their villagers, and they had a duty of care towards them even if Toby had managed to mislead them.
She saw her husband leap forward as the cry to charge went up and then he promptly disappeared in a sea of bodies. She was hard put not to scream with fear and run to him. She did lurch forward, trying to get to the courtyard but Benjie pulled her back with surprising strength and held onto her grimly.
“Let. Me. Go!” she growled, trying to pull away from him.
“No mistress. You can’t. Your brother and husband would kill me if anything happened to you.”
“I don’t-” she stopped short with a gasp, seeing Onesmus drag Chris’ prone body towards the safety of the balustrade, “No…” she whispered, her hand on her throat, voice completely disappearing. Then Benjie was no longer beside her. He had run forward to help Chris with his burden.
“Oh God, please don’t let him be dead.” She pleaded.
Brilliant hazel eyes flashed open. There was one brief second when Chris’s whole being tensed to turn and leap before he recognized the arm holding him close and rolled over instead.
“Take care,” Rebecca cautioned, as Chris raised himself on one elbow, “yesterday reopened yer wound and ye lost more blood.”
“But not the town.”
“No, not the town.”
“The rest doesn’t matter.”
“Ye matter. Ye are my husband and I almost lost you.”
“No, you didn’t. I would not have let that happen.”
For Chris, there was never any doubt.
“Will ye ever heed warnings?” It’s not as if ye dinna ken the risks; it isna as if there wasna another way.”
Chris assumed she was referring to how he had leaped at Toby as soon as his erstwhile ward had yelled ‘charge!’. A knife to the side was the reward for his trouble and his ankle was trampled by a horse.
There was no heat to Rebecca’s voice, though. It was not as if she did not know the man she was married to. He was a leader through and through and did not ask anyone to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. He was lucky that Onesmus had immediately waded in, running Toby through with his sword and dragging Chris out of harm’s way.
There was a reason Rebecca had vowed to stay by Chris’s side to the day he died – the same reason the Brigands had vowed to serve Chris … had followed him all the way here from wherever they had joined him and won the battle for him. They had had to cut down a few men but many put down their weapons and surrendered when they realized Toby was dead.
Not all, however. Amongst Toby’s men and the villagers were members of the Killer gang, sent specifically to bring Chris’ head on a stick to Killian’s son. They had fought until the last man causing tremendous injury. Amos had stepped in front of Benjie, taking a sword to the heart in his stead as Benjie had dragged Chris behind the safety of the barricades. His funeral was scheduled for the nex
t day.
“There is no gainsaying one’s destiny,” reminded Chris. “Besides, I can rely on you to look after me, no?”
He leaned across, pressing his mouth full onto the lips of his wife. Rebecca relaxed into it, pulling Chris close by twining her legs around his. One hand stroked down his torso and cupped his groin.
“I will surely always look after you.”
Both their eyes gleamed.