by Fiona Faris
“What dae ye need?”
“Ma has asked that I take these to the castle and-”
“Nay, nay, nay. I have been there thrice in a row.” The words from the girls were still in her head. “I hate goin’ there. Ye ken this yerself.”
“I ken but I really have to show up early to help Doug on the farm. He’ll pay me real good. Please.”
Lorraine sighed. “Ye ken I find it hard to refuse ye.”
Maxwell grinned. “Many thanks. I will take over all yer errands to the castle for the rest of the month. Fair?”
“Deal.”
“The parcel is on the table.”
“Alright.”
Maxwell turned to leave but Lorraine called him back.
“Max?”
“Aye?”
“Dae ye ken if Laird Daividh is betrothed?” She tried but failed not to show concern.
To his credit, Maxwell said nothing of it.
“Aye.”
Lorraine felt her heart sink.
“He was betrothed to the Lady Alison but it ended earlier on.”
Relief as heavy as a flood washed through her.
“If he was promised to another, I would nae let him visit ye. I would care less about his station. Trust that.”
Too relieved to downplay the situation, she only smiled. “Thank ye, Max.”
Lorraine couldn’t say if she had picked the right time or the wrong one. She had taken the back route through the training grounds to avoid meeting anyone. It had worked perfectly and she had delivered the parcel. When she made the return journey, however, she realized that training had begun.
The training room was filled with guards and soldiers kitted up in their light armors. They were a sight to see. They were so many that she would stick out like a sore thumb.
However, there was a small hope. The men were so immersed in what they did that she hoped that she would be able to sneak past without notice. The training ground was a large room with a descending platform shaped in a circle. It was in that circle that the men faced each other. The rest of the guards and soldiers watched from the top.
Unwillingly, her eyes scanned the large room and found Daividh. Daividh wore his armor proudly. His sword was in its sheath at his waist and he had a dagger in his hands. Even from afar, he was a sight to see. She pitied whoever had to fight against him. He was deep in discussion with a guard and although he was close to the entrance and far off from the rest of the soldiers who watched the fight, she believed she could sneak past if she was smart.
“Men!” Daividh called, commanding the attention of the whole room. “Today, we practice survival.” He jumped down onto the main arena and dismissed the men currently fighting. “Ye will face battle where winning a fight is nae winning. Escaping the enemy’s territory is winning and so, with every fight, ye must try to conserve yer energy. How do ye fight such a battle?”
There was silence.
“Gordo!” he called.
A man jumped into the arena.
“Troy!” Daividh called again and another man answered.
“I will face ye both. Draw yer swords.” He slid his dagger away.
Troy was a bulky man. He wasn’t tall but he was very muscular. He looked like he could pack a punch. Gordo, on the other hand, had a sleek look about him. He was taller than Troy and had smaller muscles but looked like a calculative person who used his stature to his advantage.
“Glenn?” Daividh called.
“Aye?” the man he had been speaking to answered.
“Count us down.”
With him fully immersed in the fight that was about to take place, Lorraine hurried out the door but did not leave. From her safe spot, she continued to watch the fight.
“Three, two, one, and go!”
Daividh drew his sword from his sheath. The long and bloodthirsty blade had seen him through many victories. He clasped his sword in both hands as did the men he faced.
Neither of the men struck yet. Instead, they opted to circle around him. Daividh moved out of the circle they had placed him in. It would be too easy to get a knife in the back that way.
He crouched slightly, the arrogant smile never leaving his face. Silently, he studied his opponents and plotted their downfall.
Troy stuck first, bringing his sword down on Daividh with a force that would floor another man. The loud clang of the swords made Lorraine jump where she was. Easily, Daividh deflected it with the side of his blade and jumped back just in time to avoid the strike from Gordo’s sword.
He didn’t wait for them to strike the next time. His face was deadly and every man in the room knew they wouldn’t want to face him alone.
“Do nae hold back!” he told them as he attacked Troy.
He could not beat the burly man with strength. It had to be speed. He aimed a blow for the side of his sword but twisted just in time so it knocked Troy’s sword out of his hands.
Daividh sidestepped the blow from Gordo and went on to kick Troy in the back, further slowing him down.
Lorraine watched him move with her mouth agape. How could one so big and fierce be so fast?
With Troy on the floor, it was Gordo whom he faced but the same tactics would not work. While Gordo was not as fast as he was, he was smart and would not fall for the tricks that had worked on Troy.
Daividh clenched his sword harder and brought down his sword on Gordo’s with a heavy blow but Gordo had expected it and had readied himself for the blow. His reply was swift a quick blow and a side kick to Daividh’s stomach. The blow was unavoidable but the kick was not and Daividh blocked it by stepping aside.
Troy was up again and so the battle was once more uneven.
“Aye, this has been fun but I want this ended now!”
Fast as lightning, Daividh dished out a blow after blow. The blows descended with such a force that it became hard for a retaliation to be possible.
With his teeth gritted, he gripped his sword as hard as he could and brought it down on Gordo’s blade. He staggered back, giving Daividh the opportunity to drive his knee into his stomach and send him on his knees.
He released an oof as he knelt crouched. Lorraine knew there would be a bruise there.
With Gordo out, Daividh discarded his sword.
Troy’s sword hit to the left but Daividh sidestepped it. He struck to the right but Daividh was long gone. Daividh firmly grabbed his right wrist, which held the sword. He had his back against Troy’s chest. With his free arm, he drove blows into his neck and finally brought his closed his fist down on Troy’s wrist, knocking the sword out of his hands.
Daividh pushed Troy away from him before his fist could connect with his jaw. He attacked him with clenched fists throwing punches at a speed too high for Troy to keep up with. At last Troy fell to his knees, exhausted. The fight was over.
Lorraine watched in shock. Had the cocky and proud man that she had spent the day with plunged through two men like it was nothing?
He took off his armor, baring his bare chest, but she found that she couldn’t look away even though she blushed. His chest heaved and glistened with chest. His muscles stood out, proud and confident. Suddenly, she understood why he was so proud. It would be hard not to be if you could fell men like that.
“Now pair up in twos and work it down,” he ordered.
He reached for Gordo and helped him up then moved to Troy and did the same. Then he picked his dagger and sword and exited the main arena.
Lorraine watched Daividh walk out of the arena and to his friend Glenn. She could hear them clearly but they couldn’t see her.
“Ye are a blasted bragger,” Glenn said.
“Ye say this only because ye ken that I will floor ye.”
Glenn was not a small man but he was by no means as strong or skilled as Daividh.
“Perhaps. But I will leave my mark on ye,” Glenn said.
“Fair enough.” Daividh conceded with a grin. They had fought many times as children.
“Ye
seem jolly today,” Glenn noted.
“I am,” he grinned. “Things with Lorraine are going smoothly. Soon, I will have her genuine attentions and the rest would be history.”
“Ye sound pretty confident,” Glenn was grinning.
Lorraine felt her heart beat faster than she had ever remembered.
“Aye. There is nae a woman that can resist me.”
“What is she like?”
“Nae like any of the women I’ve been with,” he said, and her heart sunk, “She’s different and I respect it. She rides a horse better than ye.”
“Ye jest.”
“I do nae. She can take good care of herself too. Nae a woman to wait on a man.”
“She does nae crave babies? What woman doesnae want her own offspring?”
Lorraine felt her cheeks burn. How dare they talk about her in such a way? She had confided in him and he spoke about her to another!
“Nay, I reckon she does. She is great with the little uns.”
“So how’s it goin’?”
“She’s falling for me. Lassie doesnae stand a chance. I can feel it. I have nae a doubt that-”
Lorraine could take it no more. She came back through the door and walked right up to Daividh and Glenn. The look of shock and disbelief on his face gave her only a little pleasure.
“If I’m falling for ye, milord,” she said loud enough for Glenn to hear, “why then did I refuse yer kiss!”
She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, furious enough to actually hit someone.
“Shite!” he cursed to himself as he watched her walk out.
Glenn chuckled to himself but shut up when Daividh glared at him.
“I’d like to see ye fix that.”
“Shut up and let me think.”
He had to follow her. It was the only way, or she would never agree to see him again. He pushed towards the door, ignoring Glenn’s protest and went for his horse in the stable.
“Milord,” the stable boy greeted.
Daividh rushed past him and checked the stalls. Her horse was long gone and he cursed to himself again. What on earth had she been doing there?
He paused to calm himself and assess the situation, playing every single word they had said of her. After a while, he nodded. If he was smart, he could spin the situation around in his favor. Nothing had been mentioned of the bet, he had only sounded like a man bragging to his friends.
Daividh got on his horse and rode the route he had become suddenly familiar with. When he arrived at Lorraine’s house, he took a deep breath before knocking at her door.
The door was thrown open by her brother, Maxwell. In the young man’s eyes, he read displeasure. Although the expected respect was present, it was obvious he would protect his sister even if it meant defying him.
Daividh backed down. He had a sister himself and understood just how protective Maxwell felt.
“She is angry, is she nae?”
“Furious,” Maxwell replied.
“I see.” He nodded. “Tell her I came to see her. Perhaps she will be less angry some other time.”
Maxwell said nothing but nodded. Daividh turned away to leave but her voice came from inside.
“Who is there, Maxwell?”
Lorraine stuck her head out the door and soon, her eye met his. The once soft honey brown eyes grew hard.
“I’ll see him,” she said.
Maxwell looked like he wanted to argue but gave up and went inside.
“What de ye want?” she asked in a cold voice.
“I am sorry about what ye heard.” Suddenly he felt nervous. What exactly could he say? “Ye were nae supposed to hear that.”
“Nay, milord. Ye were nae supposed to say any of those things.” Her eyes flashed at his. “Ye asked for a friendship and I gave it to ye and yet ye speak about it in such manner.”
“I didnae ask for a friendship. I wanted more,” he tried.
“Well, ye said naught of it to me,” she said with a hard jaw.
“I’m sorry. Ye were nae supposed to be there or hear that,” he repeated tastelessly.
“Do nae say that to me. Ye need to watch yer tongue and not blame it on me.”
“Lorrai-”
“Nay. Do nae say my name. Do nae speak a word to me. I do nae want to speak to ye, ever again.”
She turned her back to him and walked inside her house, slamming her door as she went.
With gritted teeth, he turned away and walked to his horse. Daividh got atop his horse and rode away.
“Ye have terrible luck, Brother,” Kyla said, shaking her head sadly.
They were seated in her chambers and Daividh had taken his time to narrate the occurrences to her.
“She was nae supposed to be there,” he insisted.
“Ye cannae keep saying that. ’Tis the same as ye saying that ye are nae sorry for what ye said but ye are sorry that she heard.”
He nodded his head, realizing. Daividh gave out a loud groan. He had never hurt a woman before. The closest he had come to was Alison and he doubted she cared much. He had read the pain in her eyes and it made him feel terrible.
It was a delight to talk to her. Most women were feather brained. They wanted to speak on fashion, food, and other boring things. She made conversations interesting. He enjoyed the way her brown eyes sparkled when he spoke about something that she liked.
Even the bet wasn’t programmed to hurt her. He would win and leave her none the wiser of any of it. His plans had never included hurting her but somehow, that was what he had done.
“I am sure ye ken what comes next?” Kyla asked.
“What?” he asked in a defeated voice.
“Ye must apologize to her.”
“She will pay me no mind.”
“Tell me, Brother, all ye spoke tae Glenn, did ye believe it?”
He paused and nodded. “Aye.”
“Ye believe she was beginning to fancy ye?”
“Aye.”
“Then ’tis settled. Apologize to her. Ye will need more than the words, mind ye. How did ye apologize to Alison when ye goofed?”
“Apologize?” he scoffed, “Never.”
Kyla shook her head. “Ye are hopeless. Do ye have any ideas in mind?”
“I donnae ken. Women like perfumes-”
“Not women,” Kyla interrupted, “Lorraine.”
For the umpteenth time that day, he sighed. Then he took a calming breath and he began to speak.
“She will nae like perfumes or cloth. She is nae the type. Money would insult her too. ’Twould have to be somethin’ deep,” he sighed. “Perhaps I could get her a kitty. She likes animals. But Lorraine-” he sighed. “Buying her a thin’ with her current anger will anger her more. She will see it as bribery. I will have tae soften her with my words first and then the kitty can come.” He paused, lost in his own thoughts. “Yes, her brother must come in too. If he likes me, it will spur her forgiveness.”
When he looked up, Kyla was smiling. “’Tis good that ye take notice of her. Perhaps ye will make a fine husband indeed.”
He ignored her and stood to his feet. “Thank ye. I must go now.”
He left her room and walked down the hallway to the guard’s quarters where he knew he would find Glenn.
“Ah, there he is,” Glenn chuckled. “How did it go?”
Despite his annoyance, Daividh could not help a smile. “She hates me.”
“As expected. Are ye ready to concede?”
“Shhh,” he cautioned. “We will nae speak of the bet in public,” Daividh said in a lower tone.
Glenn nodded.
“And nay, I do nae quit.”
“Ye show resilience. I like it. I would like to see ye make this one work.”
“I will. At the very least to earn her forgiveness.”
Glenn nodded. “I see, but Lorraine is nae the reason ye sought me out, is she?”
“Nay,” Daividh shook his head. Then he looked around discreetly to be sure that they
were alone. “’Tis about the attacks,” he said in a low voice.
Glenn became more rigid, on alert, and Daividh felt grateful for his friend.