Chapter 18
CHAPTER 18
D anny was in the armory, polishing the blades. It was a chore often left to the newest recruits and one he didn't mind doing. He was mostly left to his devices except for the Guards, who came in to grab equipment for various tasks.
The armory held all the weapons that weren't used unless there was training or a battle. Every Guard already carried a sword, daggers, and the like, but these were additional supplies in case of emergency, or if a Guard didn't want to risk his blade being damaged in practice. The armory also held numerous wooden swords and sparing devices that were used nearly daily.
He had been good at keeping a low profile, as Graeme had told him to do. He had even stayed away from the dining hall since the last incident. He'd taken his meals with Eva, Finlay, and Mary most nights. When they were busy, he ate alone in his room. He did not want to cause another incident that forced the Captain or the Laird to intervene.
When he finished his task, he headed outside to the Guard’s office to speak to Kieran, the Captain of the Guard. He had just walked into the courtyard when a voice stopped him.
“There you are. I have been looking for you, thief.”.
Danny looked up to see Brody coming toward him, but he was not alone. He had two other guardsmen with him, and Danny knew this meant they were looking for trouble. He stopped walking and stood straighter. He would not run, even though he probably should since he was supposed to be staying out of trouble.
“I haven't been hiding. I've been doing my job, so you must not have looked very hard.”
“Watch your smart mouth before I wipe it off your face!”
“What do you want, Brody? I am on duty. Make this quick,” Danny said.
“Oh, we will make it quick all right, lad,” Brody said as he and his friends surrounded Danny.
Danny sized up the situation and then put his hand on the sword at his hip. He did not want to use it, as he had no wish to kill anyone. That would definitely get him sent to the dungeon or exiled from Dunscaith, which meant Graeme would be exiled as well, and he could not have that happen. Too much was at stake.
So he stepped forward, his chin high.
“Let's have at it then. What do you have to say to me?” Danny said.
“The same as I said to you before. Where is my lucky coin? I know you have it. Hand it over. Everyone knows you are the thief,” Brody said putting his hand on Danny's chest and pushing him backward. Danny stepped backward and planted his feet so he would not fall. But then one of Brody’s friends pushed him from the side and then the other did the same, keeping him off-balance, and soon, they were pushing him around like it was a game.
“Leave me alone, Brody, or you will regret it,” Danny said.
“Oh, the little lad is angry. What are you going to do? Your brother is not here to protect you,” Brody teased.
Danny's blood boiled. He could not contain himself any longer. He was tired of being called a thief when he was not, nor was his brother. But everyone had a brink, and this was it for him.
He made a fist, drew back his right arm, and punched Brody square in the jaw. Brody stumbled backward, a look of shock crossing his face as though he did not think Danny could pack such a punch, but Danny had learned early on how to fight, thanks to Graeme.
“Get him!” Brody said. The other two Guards tried to seize Danny by the arms, but Danny was quick and spun out of their grasp. A full-on brawl broke out, with Danny swinging when he could and ducking when necessary.
“Graeme, it's your brother!” Bran said, coming into the dining hall.
Graeme leaped to his feet and followed Bran out of the Keep and into the courtyard. As soon as Graeme saw what was happening, his blood boiled.
“Stop, all of you!” Bran shouted. But no one was listening.
Graeme was not a man of words. He recognized Brody and knew what this was about. He jumped into the fray and grabbed Brody, pulling him off Danny and punching him in the face. Brody fell unconscious to the ground.
“You come after my brother, you come after me,” Graeme said.
Dougal, one of the others who had hassled Danny, came at Graeme, and Graeme bloodied his nose, took. Then the second Guard, Niall, came at him, and Graeme kicked his feet out from under him, knocking him to the ground.
“Is this all you've got? Coming for a young lad? He is not the thief! You have been told before, and yet here you are. If you come for him, you come for me,” Graeme repeated.
“Stop this! Graeme!” Kieran shouted, coming into the courtyard.
Graeme turned to him and saw Bran coming over with him. Bran must have gone to alert the Captain and brought him over to stop the fight.
“What is the meaning of this? I told you to let it lie. I do not want fighting among you, but here you are, disobeying my orders,” Kieran said exasperatedly.
“I obeyed those orders, but these men did not. They went after Danny. Am I supposed to just let them beat him to a pulp?”
“No, I suppose not. But you and your brother are causing quite a stir, and many problems are coming from it. Look at this." He pointed to the three Guards on the ground. Now I have three Guards, injured by my own men.”
"And look at Danny!" Graeme said pointing to his brother, who stood nursing a fat lip and two quickly blackening eyes.
“I know you were defending him, but this cannot happen anymore. Guards,” Kieran called.
More Guards appeared on all sides, and Graeme's heart jumped in his chest. Surely, they weren't summoned for him and Danny? Somehow, he knew that was exactly what was happening.
“Take Graeme and Danny to the dungeon,” Kieran said. "Put them in the same cell. They are not to be harmed. This is not a punishment. Feed them well and provide them with clean water, but do not put them anywhere near the other prisoners.”
“What? Why? What is the meaning of this?” Danny protested.
Graeme did not protest. He'd seen this coming and was surprised it had taken this long. A part of him was almost relieved, because at least this way, it had been done, and they could move on.
“Sorry, lad, but I need to sort this out with the Laird. I cannot have you two loose until I know what is to be done. You two cause too much trouble." Keiran sighed. "Take the others to the infirmary, and then down to the dungeon as well. I will not have this kind of fighting."
"Aye, sir!" a couple of other Guards said, grabbing Dougal, Niall, and the slowly awakening Brody and starting toward the Keep.
"Keep them well away from Graeme and Danny!"
“Let's go, then,” Graeme said.
Graeme and Danny were escorted into the Keep, but the Guards' grips on their arms were not harsh. He knew they were just doing their duty. By this time, many of the staff had gathered to watch. News had already traveled through the castle, reaching Danielle and Finlay, who appeared just as they reached the midway point of the Great Hall.
“What is the meaning of this?” Finlay said to the Guards.
Kieran must have come in behind them because he answered, “Oh, here we are. Must you have words about everything, Finlay?”
“Indeed, I must. These are innocent men; why are you arresting them?” Finlay said.
“Graeme?” Danielle whispered softly.
Graeme saw the pain in her eyes. This was exactly what he did not want to happen. He did not want to disappoint her, and he did not like the idea of her seeing him being treated this way. He wished she was not there to witness such a thing. It broke his heart to see the look of sadness on her face.
“I am not arresting them, I am simply locking them up until this thievery business is sorted. They will be together away from everyone else down there and I promise they will be treated well. Once they are in the cell, I will speak with the Laird straightaway about the situation. It has gone on long enough, and something needs to be done,” Kieran said. “So leave it be, Finlay.”
“That is not in my nature, Kieran, as you well know. I will go speak to the Laird myself,” Finlay said, moving past them and toward the stairs.
Graeme sighed. At least they were not under arrest. He saw Kieran's point, but it did not make the situation any better.
Danielle could not believe her eyes. She knew that it was a possibility that Graeme and Danny would be arrested at some point because it had long been the rumor, but watching it happen made her heart sink. She thought about all the criminals she’d seen escorted from the courtroom to jail after the preliminary hearing. This was just like that. Being put into jail before the trial, simply to hold the person before any evidence was heard. It was unfair, and seeing it happen to Danny and Graeme broke her heart.
It was at this moment that she realized that she was in love with Graeme. She knew that he was innocent and so was Danny, but then why had the Captain gone to such extremes as to put them in the dungeon if he did not think they were causing problems?
She heard Kieran's answer to Finlay's question and relaxed a bit. They weren't being arrested, but they were still heading down to the cold dungeons to keep from being attacked. It was like blaming the victims!
Her sadness was overtaken by rage as the Guard continued to usher Graeme and Danny through the door that led to the basement levels of the castle. She marched down the rest of the hallway and up the stairs, knowing she had to figure out who the actual thief was so she could help the man who held her heart. The man she loved.