“Why dinnae ye ken how tae use a sword?”
Seamus tilted his face up and blinked at him. “I had fallen ill when the plague ravaged our village.” His gaze dropped to his hand as he frowned furiously at it. “While the disease didnae kill me, my sister wouldnae allow me tae engage in mock battles with the other lads. Sae this is why I never learned how tae do it.”
“Pick up your sword and get up,” he said.
Seamus stood up, and held the weapon awkwardly in one hand. He was a lanky lad who was a head shorter than Donnell. In a few more years he would grow taller and his physique would fill out. Once the youth learned coordination and mastered the basic thrusts and parries, he could be a force to be reckoned with.
Donnell fixed his scrutiny on the lad’s hand. “Your first mistake is that ye need tae hold the hilt with both hands,” he said, frowning. “And then ye bring the blade across like this.” He demonstrated, cutting the blade through the air and finishing it with a strong follow-through.
The lad followed his form.
“That’s better,” Donnell gave him an approving nod. “Ye will need tae bend your knees, and make sure that your stance is solid.”
Over the next hour Seamus practiced his thrusts and countermoves. Soon his motions appeared more fluid and polished.
“Excellent work,” Donnell said.
Seamus wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned. His demeanor had changed as soon as he understood how to properly handle the weapon.
“Thank ye for the lessons.”
“Dinnae thank me yet. Ye now have tae block my attacks.”
Donnell swiveled, raising his sword above him. In the next moment he brought his blade down. In reflex Seamus lifted his sword to deflect the blow. Some men from the Company shifted over to watch them. No one laughed at the lad any longer, and there were varying degrees of admiration on their faces. But Alisha’s brother was focused and didn’t appear conscious that he had an audience. He lifted his blade, instinctively blocking one thrust after another.
After a while, Donnell backed away and lowered his sword. The lad followed his example.
“That’s enough training for today,” Donnell said. “Ye will be sore when ye wake up, but I expect ye tae show up for more practice in the morning.”
“I’ll be there,” he promised.
“Do ye ken how tae use a bow and arrow?”
“Nay.”
“Then ye will learn archery tomorrow.”
***
As the men broke from their training, they headed toward the inn. Everyone filed into the common room and found their seats. The space began to resonate with laughter and conversation, and the air was filled with the heady scent of stew.
“Seamus, do ye ken how long we’ll be in this village?” Alisha asked.
Her brother was listening to Hamish tell a battle tale, and her question pulled him out of the story. “What did ye say?” he asked, an irritated edge sounding in his voice. Alisha repeated her question.
He shrugged. “All I ken is that we’re tae wait for the scout tae return tae the village.”
Alisha bit at the bottom of her lip. She recalled overhearing Blane say this, but she hoped that Seamus might be privy to more information. She had only a small sum of money in her pouch to cover for food, and she was reluctant to spend it all at once. Still, she couldn’t allow her brother to starve. Alisha called over the server and ordered some oat bread and a bowl of stew for Seamus. When the order came, she broke off a part of the bread and handed the rest to her brother. She then pushed the bowl over to him.
“Are ye nae eating?” he asked.
“Nay, I’m nae that hungry,” she lied, taking a small piece of the food and placing it in her mouth. She chewed on the bread as long as she could before swallowing it.
Her stomach protested as two bowls of stew passed by her table. Unable to help it, her gaze followed the server as the woman set the containers on the table that Donnell and his friends occupied.
Alisha wondered whether she was wrong about Donnell. Earlier she had watched him approach Seamus. At first she believed that his intent was to berate her brother for his lack of fighting finesse. Instead, Donnell astounded her when he patiently taught Seamus the fundamentals of combat. Her brother’s depressed demeanor seemed to lift. Since his illness, she had never witnessed a change this drastic in her brother, and she was grateful to Donnell for his part. More and more her thoughts drifted to the mercenary, and she didn’t know what to make of it.
She started to pinch off another piece of the bread when she sensed someone observing her. Alisha raised her eyes and blushed when she met Donnell’s gaze. She averted her face only to see the young widow at his side. Her pretty cheeks were flushed and there was a lively sparkle in her eyes. Bending down, the woman whispered something to the soldier. And then in the next moment, she giggled and sat on his lap.
That same awful feeling Alisha experienced earlier surged to her chest. She pushed the rest of the bread into her mouth and forced herself to concentrate on chewing. But somehow the bread tasted like a mix of sawdust and dirt. Suddenly, she no longer wanted to be in the common room. Dusting the crumbs from her hands, she started to get up from her seat.
“Here,” a voice said above her, stopping her movement.
His brogue washed over her, leaving her feeling hot and cold. It was Donnell. Her heart stilled, and she was afraid to look up in case that she only imagined him. But the bowl of stew that sat in front of her was real enough. The steam came off it and the smell was wonderful. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that it was empty. But what happened to the widow? Alisha glanced over and saw that the lass had found a new man to tease.
“Alisha says she’s nae hungry,” Seamus said, spooning a chunk of meat from his bowl and shoving it into his mouth. “She usually disnae eat much.”
“Take it,” Donnell said again.
Alisha hesitated for a moment before she settled back down on her seat. While she wanted to refuse his offering, it was impossible to ignore her hunger. That small piece of bread wasn’t enough to satisfy it, and if she left now, she would suffer hunger pangs during the night. She took the spoon and dipped it into the thick broth. As soon as the stew touched her tongue, she closed her eyes, savoring the rich texture of the meat and vegetables. While they traveled, they had eaten mostly oatcakes and the occasional meat that someone caught, but nothing compared with the hot food prepared in a tavern.
Alisha could feel Donnell’s gaze on her so she opened her eyes. “Thank ye,” she said. “It seems that I’m hungrier than I realized.”
“That’s what I thought,” he said before returning to his table.
She watched his retreating back. The widow at the table also studied Donnell, but he sat down and resumed his conversation with his friend Blane.
“He’s a decent man,” Seamus said, indicating Donnell. He finished the last spoonful of his meal and let the utensil drop into the wooden bowl. “He says that he’ll teach me archery tomorrow.”
“He will?” she asked, surprised. Donnell had already spent the day teaching her brother sword techniques.
“Aye, I’m tae meet him at the edge of the woods. Ye can come if ye want.”
***
Right after the morning meal, Alisha went with Seamus to his archery lesson.
When they arrived at the location, she saw that Donnell had taken a haystack and set it in place. He had found a red cloth to serve as a crude target and attached it to the hay.
Standing several feet from the mark, Donnell demonstrated his adeptness and accuracy. He handed the weapon to Seamus and instructed him on how to draw the bowstrings and shoot the arrows at the haystack.
After an hour of practice, Seamus stopped. “I dinnae think I like archery.” He lifted the longbow and shook it a bit. “This weapon seems entirely too flimsy.”
“Something this flimsy can easily end a man’s life,” Donnell said.
“I prefer something heavy,
something that I can smash and cut.” He shrugged. “I think I’ll join the others at the village green.”
As Seamus walked off, Donnell started to disassemble the target.
“Do ye think ye can show me how tae use the longbow?”
The question startled him, and he looked up at Alisha in amazement. “Why would ye want tae use this dangerous weapon?”
Alisha tilted her chin in defiance. “Since the war is coming our way, I want tae ken how tae protect the people I love.”
She was aware that not many women fought in wars, but if she was forced to defend herself, then she needed to know how to wield a weapon. It was unlikely she would be able to handle a heavy sword. If someone gave her a claymore, she would perform worse than her brother. Holding a bow, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter.
He examined her face as he pondered her answer.
“All right,” he said finally. He picked up the weapon and demonstrated. “Ye place the shaft here and pull it back. Now keep the bow steady, and when ye are ready, let the arrow loose.”
The sharpened shaft released from the bow, sailing through the air to hit the center of the target. He handed her the curved rod. “Here, now ye try.”
“Ye make it appear easy,” she said.
“’Tis easy.” His eyelids hooded slightly as he watched her lick her dry lips.
Alisha took the weapon from him and copied his stance. The string was taut, and she had a difficult time keeping it in place. When she finally held the arrow steady, she released it. It fell a short distance from her feet.
Alisha made a sound of disgust. “At this rate, it disnae look like I’ll be able tae protect anyone.”
“Ye need tae hold the bow still.”
Donnell circled behind her and settled his hands over hers. He was so close to her she could smell his unique male scent, could feel herself molding against his muscular form. His warm breath brushed near the top of her head, and a flush of heat coursed through her while every part of her body prickled with awareness. She tried to push away the dangerous thoughts. Obviously he wasn’t affected by their close contact, and she needed to center her attention on the lesson.
Donnell released the arrow and it easily struck the target.
“Now ye do it by yourself,” he said, stepping away from her. “Concentrate on the mark. And when your mind is clear, let go of the shaft.”
Alisha did as he instructed, confining her focus to the piece of red fabric attached to the haystack. And when she let loose the arrow, it flew to strike the edge of the target area.
“I did it!” She spun around and quickly hugged him. With her hands grasping his thick forearms, she leaned back and laughed. “Maybe ‘tis nae sae hard...”
The rest of the sentence died in her throat when she saw him gazing at her lips. When he stared into her eyes, she saw that his pupils were dilated.
“Tell me why I shouldnae kiss ye right now,” he said, his voice low.
“’Tis probably nae a wise idea,” she said slowly. Until this moment, she had never considered kissing Donnell. But even so, the thought seemed very appealing.
He bent his head closer. “’Tis a terrible idea, is it nae?” he asked as she felt his hot breath on her lips.
As if he held some sort of power over her, she found herself swaying forward to touch his scalding lips to hers. His sinewy arms circled around her waist, molding her to his solid frame. At the same time she felt her heart pounding while streaks of energy zipped up and down her body.
In the past couple years Alisha had been too busy caring and worrying about Seamus. Then when they moved to Newtonburgh, she busied herself with the various tasks that Father Cormac assigned to her. There was no time to think about her own needs, and stealing kisses or anything else was the furthest thing from her mind.
But now was her chance to find out what she had missed. Donnell’s lips tasted of dark secrets and sinful delights, and her body yearned to know more. Her arms instinctively entwined around his neck as she pressed closer to his taut body. His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer until she felt something hard push against her belly. It was at that moment when reality crashed over her. Panic and apprehension seized her, and she abruptly pulled away.
“I thank ye for the lesson,” she said, taking a step back. A blush bloomed on her cheeks. “But I should get back tae the inn.” Then not waiting to hear his response, she spun around and ran from him.
Chapter 9
Seamus had decided that he preferred sleeping in the stable with the other men, and Alisha couldn’t persuade him otherwise. Getting her brother to stay out of trouble was becoming harder and harder, although she still tried her best. During the days as they waited for the scout to return, she spent her time visiting the parish church and assisting the preacher and his wife with godly works. It was enough to keep her busy until she had to return to the inn to eat. Luckily she no longer had to worry about sustenance for her and her brother. Since the first day they stayed at the village, Donnell had generously paid for their meals.
Alisha looked up when the smoked venison she ordered arrived. She was eager to dig in. Picking up her bread, she began to eat it with a piece of the smoked meat. But as soon as she took a bite out of the meat, she spit it out.
“This tastes awful!” She snatched her cup of ale and downed it in attempt to get rid of the foul taste in her mouth.
“I’m nae surprised,” Will said beside her. “I only have tae look at it tae ken ‘tis spoiled. The meat is supposed tae dry for months yet this piece appears moist and sticky on the outside. Next time, ye should just stick with the stew.”
He must have seen the question in her eyes, because he shrugged and said, “My father was the village butcher.”
There were a few men around her who had ordered the smoked sausage as well. However they were busy laughing and talking as they ate the cured meat. As far as she could tell, there was nothing wrong with their meals. Perhaps she was the only one who was served the rancid food.
Alisha started to signal for the server to come to their table when a man walked into the inn and headed straight toward Donnell and Blane.
“Erik is back,” Alisha said, recognizing the younger warrior.
A murmur went through the people in the common room. The three men got up and walked a few paces away from the group.
“What are they talking about I wonder,” she said out loud.
“It seems we’re just about tae find out,” Will said.
Sure enough the men disbanded and headed back to the tables.
“A troop of fifty knights are three days out and headed toward the village,” Blane said, his voice booming across the crowded room. All conversation ceased as everyone looked over at him. “Get your gear together. We leave now.”
***
Donnell had a terrible time trying to get the dark-haired beauty to exit from his mind. The opportunity was there, and he couldn’t stop himself from sampling her sweet lips. But it was a mistake. Because now it seemed that she was everywhere he turned. Even the widow with the generous figure held no appeal to him. He preferred that Alisha stayed in the village so he could forget about her. Unfortunately she had put up a fuss and insisted that she accompany her brother. In the end, he and Blane decided to allow her to travel with them rather than lose valuable time with needless arguments.
A loud curse disrupted his thoughts, and he turned in time see Coinneach scramble off his mount and rush over to the bushes. With his hands pressed tightly to his stomach, the mercenary bent over the bare shrubs.
“Ye need tae stop,” Alisha said, turning to look at Donnell.
When he halted, she slipped down from the mount and rushed to the warrior. In the next minute Blane and another man dismounted and dashed to the shrubs. Alisha studied them, concern and alarm on her compelling face.
Donnell came off his steed and walked over to them. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded.
“I sus
pect that they ate the rancid meat at the inn,” she said.
Blane let out a long groan, confirming that she spoke the truth.
“We cannae go any farther until they’re well,” she said.
Donnell frowned when Coinneach leaned over and heaved again. This wasn’t good at all. Their illness would weaken them, and they wouldn’t be in the best condition to confront the enemy. The sickness would also require recovery time and delay his mission.
He raised his eyes the sky. “This cannae be happening.”
“I think I can help,” she said.
“Ye can?” He looked at her doubtfully.
Alisha nodded her head. She walked to a clump of dead heather and grass that grew between a handful of rocks. Bending down, she snapped off a piece of the dry weed.
“The flowers have fallen off and the plant is dormant, but I’m certain that this is tormentil.” She plucked off more of the dried leaves. “I only have basic knowledge of herbs, although from what I recollect this plant can heal stomach ailments. They grow everywhere.” She gestured all around her. “When my mother was alive, she had me pick them since they’re sae handy tae have. All we need now is tae boil these plants and their roots in water, and make a healing potion for the men.”
“We passed a small burn,” one of the warriors said. “If ye will wait here, a couple of us can ride back and get some.”
“Aye, ye do that, Calvin,” Donnell said. “Take Will with ye.”
The two warriors took off while the other men stood nearby, relieved that they had the good fortune to avoid the spoiled food. Blane meanwhile leaned his head on a tree trunk, his breathing shallow. Every once in a while one of the three men rushed over to become sick in the bushes again.
“Damn that cook for serving us bad food,” Blane said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. “I was hungry and dinnae think they would give us rotten meat.”
“’Tis unfortunate luck,” Donnell said. And it was a damn inconvenience, but he didn’t say this out loud.
Until Calvin and Will returned with water, there wasn’t much they could do to help the sick men. He ordered a few of the warriors to gather wood for a fire.
Highland Rogue Page 7