Book 3
Battle for Aredor
Chapter 1
Aiden wrapped his cloak more tightly around him against the frigid winter air. He again scanned the forest as he waited. Another hour had almost passed when he finally saw movement through the trees. A solitary figure leading a horse emerged onto the path.
“I wondered when you were finally going tae show up,” he said.
Will released the hilt of his sword as Aiden pushed back his hood.
“Danny! How did you know I’d be coming this way?” he asked as they embraced.
“Well, I might have written tae a certain friend of mine…” Aiden said with a grin.
“The pair of you!” Will shook his head.
“What? I can’nae accompany my own brother home?”
“I hope you have a horse, because I won’t wait for you.”
“Aye, I left Narak just up the path.”
“I thought you’d still be on patrol,” Will said as they continued walking.
“It just ended, and I got permission from the captain tae wait here on the border for you,” Aiden said. He had decided to join the patrols of Clan Dyson. After much discussion and some arguing with his father and Ranulf, he had given Laird Dandin his answer. In the end it was the pirate Rufus’s words that swayed him. He knew there would be a war in Aredor soon, and he wanted to do his part to help Corin.
“I’m glad you did, brother,” Will said.
“Don’t tell me you’re nervous!” Aiden teased.
“It’s been almost three years. Don’t act like you weren’t worried when you came back!” Will returned.
“Scared stiff actually.” Aiden untethered Narak. “How are things in Aredor?”
“Quiet. No sign of anything. But Corin still has us on full alert,” Will replied.
“Aye, same here. Although I am starting tae regret joining a patrol in the middle of winter.”
“It’s bloody freezing! Why are we still standing here?”
They both mounted their horses and spurred them on to a brisk trot.
A few days later they paused at the top of Scodra valley. Narak whinnied as he recognized the end of their journey.
“Come on, I’ll race you down,” Aiden challenged.
The horses plunged down the snowy slope, slowing to a canter as they drew near the open gates of Scodra. Shouts went up from the guards as they recognized Aiden and Will. Their family came out of the keep as they rode in and halted at the foot of the steps.
Ranulf and Tam were the first to greet Will in a joyful reunion. They stood back with Aiden as Laird Gòrdan came down the stairs to meet his son. Quiet words were exchanged between them and finally an embrace.
Aiden felt a nudge at his hand. He looked down to see Illyria. He reached down to stoke her ears. The huge dog had taken to following him around when he was home on leave. Almost unknowingly, he had started talking to her when they were alone as the dog was more than content to sit and listen. Illyria licked his hand before padding away again.
“Did you hear that Skive is leaving Scodra?” Ranulf asked.
“No, where’s he going?” Aiden asked in surprise.
“He’s not moving far. Father gave him a piece of land in the forest. Jamey says it’s not far from him. He’s helping Skive build a house,” Ranulf replied.
“Why’d he decide tae leave?”
Ranulf shrugged. “Probably tae stop you from stealing his dog. You’ll have tae ask him yourself.”
The foreigner was not at dinner, but Aiden was fully occupied. Still not entirely comfortable with sitting at the head table, he would often move down and join Blair and Douglas. More often too, the warriors would come by and greet him, especially those who were at Scodra during the siege. And Artair would always find time to ask about his patrol.
It was moments like these, seated in the warm hall and surrounded by friends, that he almost regretted joining the forest patrol. But he couldn’t deny the freedom he felt every time he rode out.
After the meal ended, he went to his room and began to clean and inspect his gear as he did after every patrol. There was a knock on the door, and Ranulf entered. Aiden took his boot off the wooden chair and shoved it toward him. Ranulf turned the chair around and sat down as Aiden continued sharpening his sword.
“Danny, while you were gone, Father and I began talking with Artair and some of the other captains. Canich has not had a champion in years. The Clan needs a champion, and we want it tae be you,” Ranulf said.
Aiden paused momentarily, then continued working on his sword. Ranulf waited patiently until Aiden put down the whetstone and began polishing the blade.
“Why me?” he asked.
“Have you forgotten what you did for Scodra?”
“No, it’s just…I don’t think I’m the right one.”
“Why, Aiden?” Ranulf asked curiously.
Aiden paused before answering. “I know I have the skill, Davy, I just don’t think I have the heart. I’ve turned and run from so much in my life. Do you know me well enough now tae believe I won’t do it again?” He looked up to meet Ranulf’s gaze. He still felt lost, and he thought Ranulf might even understand.
“Is that why you haven’t spoken tae Rona since you’ve been back?” Ranulf asked.
Aiden nodded wordlessly. He had slowly begun to realize after the Autumn Festival that he was falling in love with the young woman.
“It was anger that drove me away, Davy. I can control it better now, but it’s still there. I’m afraid that I’ll hurt someone because of it. I’ve made my peace with Father, but I can’nae forget the way I felt for so long after I left,” Aiden said.
“But that’s in the past, Danny. You can’nae hold ontae it forever.”
“No, but some wounds take longer tae heal than others.”
“Aye, and Adalwulf left heavy scars among the Clan. Everyone respects you for what you did, Aiden. You stayed and fought when no one else would.”
“You would have too, Davy,” Aiden interrupted.
Ranulf smiled. “Aye, but it took someone more than me tae start the fight. Despite what you may think, you do have the heart of a Champion.”
Aiden again met his steady gaze. “When do you need an answer?”
“I take the torc in four days. That’s when we need a decision,” Ranulf replied.
Aiden nodded pensively. Ranulf rose and left the room. Aiden put his swords away and leaned back in the armchair. He had been afraid that something like this would happen.
The position of Champion was a high one within the Clan. He did not feel ready for the burden of its responsibility and felt as if he would fail and bring disgrace to the Clan. He rose and went to the window. The moon shone softly down through the tree that grew by the opening.
Aiden looked down at his old escape route from the keep. He had no reason to run anymore, but the gnarled branches tempted him as they once did. A muffled knock distracted him. He smiled as he heard it come through the wall from Will’s room beside his.
“If you can still open it, you can come in,” he called.
Will pushed part of the wall open with a faint click.
“I don’t think that was our old password,” he said.
“You never used it much anyway,” Aiden replied with a grin as he turned to face Will.
Years before, they had discovered the secret panel connecting their rooms. A narrow passageway slid between the walls, but it ended sharply and they never found the way to the rest of it. But the panel had remained their jealously guarded secret.
“It got too long and complicated after a while,” Will said with a smile. He leaned against the wall. “I figured you might want tae talk.”
“Were you listening?”
“No, Father and Davy told me earlier.”
“Why don’t they make you Champion?”
“I have been gone for a few years.”
“It’s not like I’ve been here,” Aiden replied, sitting against the
table. “I just don’t know if I can do it.”
“I think I might understand why,” Will said.
“You do?” Aiden asked in surprise.
“You seem tae forget who my captain is.”
Aiden smiled faintly. He knew Corin still struggled like him.
“Everyone must think we’re two of the strangest people they’ve ever met,” he said.
“I won’t deny that,” Will said lightly.
Aiden smiled again. “There is one person I wish I could talk tae.”
“Mother,” Will guessed.
Aiden nodded. “She always listened,” he said, feeling a quick pang of sorrow when he thought of her. She had always found him and comforted him after he and his father argued. She never stopped trying to bring peace between them.
“She always knew you’d come back,” Will said.
“I wish it would’ve been sooner. I miss her,” Aiden said.
Will agreed quietly. “It was partly for her that I decided I would try and find you again.”
“What do you think she would say right now?” Aiden asked, and Will paused for a long moment.
“I think she would tell you tae stop trying tae hide and tae accept who you are as a Laird’s son and as a warrior. You ran from it once, and I think you’re still trying tae. Stop, Danny, and let yourself come home,” Will said.
Aiden made no reply. He could almost hear his mother through Will’s words.
“And she’d tell you not tae let Rona slip away.”
“You too?” Aiden asked with a rueful grin.
“I’m not blind, Danny. Don’t lose her, or you’ll regret it forever.”
“I know. But I’d rather take one decision at a time.”
“Aye, well, I’d offer more advice, but I feel like I should start charging you for it.”
“You’ve done enough damage already,” Aiden replied. “Thanks, Will.”
Will only nodded and withdrew to his room. Aiden blew a heavy sigh as he felt his life changing irreversibly.
* * *
Aiden went to the forest the next day. It had been weeks since he had last seen Jamey, and he also wanted to find Skive. Jamey was not at his house and Aiden followed the tracks down a path until he heard the noise of axes against wood. Maon barked a greeting as Aiden entered a new clearing. Jamey and Skive looked up, and Illyria bounded forward to nuzzle Aiden’s hand.
“You found us,” Jamey said.
“You act like it would have been hard tae,” Aiden returned.
Jamey laughed, setting the axe down and coming to greet him.
“You two have been busy,” Aiden commented.
Felled trees lay on one side of the clearing, and Jamey and Skive worked to break them apart. The stumps would remain until the ground thawed enough to remove them.
“It is slow going,” Skive said.
“You need some extra hands?” Aiden asked.
Jamey looked to Skive, who nodded. Despite the chill air, Aiden took off his cloak and put it on a stump. He joined in as Skive directed.
“You could have as much help as you wanted if you asked,” Aiden told Skive as he took an axe and began to remove branches from the wide trunks.
“A man should build his own house. I am grateful to your father for his hospitality, but I want a more private place of my own,” Skive replied.
Aiden agreed. The hall seemed crowded, especially in the winter. “So, you’re planning on staying then.”
“Aye. You and I are both alike in that we have wandered far from our homes. But unlike you, I cannot go back,” Skive said.
“Do you miss it?” Aiden helped Skive drag branches away to a new pile.
“More than I can tell.”
“Would you go back if you could?”
Skive looked at him. “I think you know the answer. Why do you ask these questions?”
“I… things are turning out differently than I thought they would if I came back.”
“There are rumors that you would become Champion.”
“I don’t know yet.”
“You would make a great champion,” Skive told him.
The only sound was Jamey splitting another log. Illyria growled as Maon became too playful and bit her tail.
“Rona seems lonely of late,” Skive commented.
Aiden stopped. “Does everyone have an opinion on Rona?” he asked a little sharply.
“What bothers you so much about it?” Skive asked. “Why do you hold back?”
“Say I become Champion. What would become of her if something happened tae me?” Aiden asked.
“A warrior knows the risks of going to battle. She does too. There is something else?”
Aiden wished he wasn’t so perceptive. “The stories say I was born under a red star.”
“And so you bear the battle-wrath,” Skive finished. “I can see it in the way you fight.”
“It’s true,” Aiden said. “It used tae overwhelm me in battle, and I would not be stopped. I finally learned tae control it but I can always feel it lurking, waiting tae come. I feel like I’d only hurt her.”
“You’ve never hurt anyone you care about because of it, Aiden,” Jamey interrupted.
Aiden half-turned to see him standing behind them.
“But it has still caused their deaths.” Aiden couldn’t keep the sadness from his voice.
“The battle-wrath does not run as strongly in my veins. My wife did not fear it. She only knew that I would protect her,” Skive said. “The Clan looks to you to do the same. I do not think that Rona will be frightened of anything.”
“Do you think I should become Champion?” Aiden asked both of them.
“I can think of no one better,” Jamey said.
“You think you cannot, but nothing could be further from the truth. You can lead the warriors of this Clan to glory,” Skive said.
Aiden snapped a branch and tossed it away. “I hope I can do one fraction of what this Clan expects of me.”
The conversation was ended, and they turned back to work. Aiden was grateful to stay busy. He had too much to think over.
* * *
The next morning he rose early and walked to the far side of the frozen lake. The only sound was his footsteps crunching softly in the snow. Two stone pillars engraved with a wildcat fighting a raven marked his destination.
He passed through the pillars to the burial place of the Clan. The silence seemed magnified among the graves. He crouched and brushed snow away from the stone that marked his mother’s resting place.
“I don’t know what tae do this time,” he said softly. But Will had been right. He had hidden his tattoos while he was gone, not even showing them to Corin. He had always been afraid of being found out for who he really was.
“I don’t know why I still am. I came back, Mother. I’m home now, so what’s stopping me?”
He realized that it was the thought of having to stay. Once he took the responsibility he would no longer be able to leave if he needed…or wanted. He looked down at the gravestone. A lily was carved into the surface around the Clan’s emblem. How many more graves will I kneel in front of? He saw Dillon’s grave not far away. They were surrounded by many more. Some stones cracked and crumbled with age and others were so old that the stones had vanished.
“Stop running,” Will had told him. He never understood how he came to his decision crouching there in the frozen graveyard, but he knew he would take his place in the Clan.
He stood stiffly. He almost laughed as he saw a figure on horseback riding by the lakeshore.
“Will was right on both counts, Mother. I think you’d like her.” He left the silent stones and strode toward the figure.
* * *
Two days later, Ranulf stood before the Clan as Laird with his new bride beside him. Aiden knelt before him, dressed for battle. Placing his weapons at Ranulf’s feet, he swore the ancient oath of the Champion: to protect and serve his Laird and to uphold the Clan with strength and honor.
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Ranulf placed a simple bronze torc around his neck and slid a bronze armband onto his bare right arm above the new spiral tattoo. Brighde fastened a plaid cloak of the finest make around his shoulders.
The celebration was a wild affair as representatives from the other four Clans mixed with Canich. The champions of Strowen, Mavor, Gunlon, and Dyson welcomed Aiden into their midst.
He had managed to persuade both his father and Laird Dandin to allow him to continue with the patrol from Clan Dyson. They had reluctantly agreed with the condition that if no trouble came to the North in the next few months, he would return to Scodra. He accepted the decision with some relief. He was still not yet ready to settle down for good. Almost a week later, Aiden again accompanied Will back to the border, bidding him farewell before they each disappeared back into the forest.
Chapter 2
Gerralt made his way across the courtyard, clutching a bundle of papers as he sidestepped puddles of melting snow. Even though it was early morning, the barracks were already alive with activity. He pushed open the door to the office and halted in surprise. Corin was already there. He was slouched forward on the desk, head pillowed on his arms, asleep.
Gerralt paused, uncertain of whether to wake him or not. He set his papers down on his desk. His chair squeaked against a floor stone as he moved it, and Corin came awake. He closed the book that had been in his hand and rubbed his eyes tiredly.
“Morning,” he mumbled when he saw Gerralt.
The secretary returned it with his customary “Good morning, sire,” and then, seeing the flickering stub of candle, asked, “Have you been here long?”
“I was having trouble sleeping last night, so I thought I’d come down and get some of this taken care of. I felt a little guilty for not doing any of it yesterday,” Corin said.
Gerralt sniffed, still taken a bit off guard.
Corin shoved a stack of papers toward him. “These are finished. I’ve had no trouble going through this. Thanks for keeping it organized.”
Gerralt didn’t hear the usual note of impatient sarcasm and stammered a quick “You’re welcome, sire,” as he took the papers.
The Wildcat of Braeton Page 27