Chapter 31
Nella saw the young faces of the three lads newly introduced in haste on the secluded stable aisleway before she heard Callum declare, “I believe there is only one way to escape this bailey.” Her knight inclined his brow toward the watchtower. “Straight through the portcullis.”
Keithen made a grunt-type chuckle. Callum narrowed his gaze while tightening his grip on the foe.
“You find jest in such a plan? Then once we are free from here and away to Perth you shall be laughing with glee, Benefactor.” Callum looked to her.
“Forgive me, my lady, forthwith much of what is required shall fall upon your shoulders.”
Forgive him? There was nothing to forgive. This was a chance for redemption at her witless ways which had landed them all here! She raised her chin. “Pray tell.”
Her knight darted his gaze at the group gathered.
“Lord MacMardan is taking leave for a twilight ride with his guard.” He nodded toward all those already gathered who wore surcoats and cloaks and helms with a spike covering their noses while they held reins ready in hand.
“The Benefactor is seeking some time with a lady.” Callum with regret written in his eyes met her gaze.
“The lord is so eager to show her the estate, and all he has conquered since his late sire’s death.
In evening’s last light she rides tucked close behind him on his mount.
Her arms snug about his waist while her hand is concealed in his cloak with a dagger pointed near his waist. Positioned right between his ribs.
Lord MacMardan, we cannot kill you brisk enough if you choose to warn the guards with a telling unspoken action.
However, let me assure you a stab wound into the gut is a most excruciating and slow way to die.
You may also consider it somehow possible to outwit my lady at her talents and try to utter a word in alarm at those we pass.
” Callum yanked his arm tighter about the enemy who still had the dagger at his throat.
“Allow me to state, there is nae test required to determine by the first wee hint of a word that my lady shall know if you are ill of intent. Her skills are keen, I promise you. The dagger shall finish what my arrow began, and you will not live to spout another word if you think to best her at the art of sound, understood?”
Silence. Callum pressed the dagger till Keithen’s skin pulled tighter beneath the blade preparing to split the flesh.
“A simple nod shall suffice.” Keithen glared at her before the tiniest incline by his damp brow.
“Excellent. Once we are mounted up, Sir Brayden and Lord Kolson take lead. I shall be upon my lady and the Benefactor’s right.
Kameron, you are upon the left flank, hammer in hand hidden beneath your cloak to call upon if needed at your captor.
You two lads” – Callum looked up the pair of young smiths – “are directly behind. I seek a tight formation around his lordship to ensure he does not dare venture a bold move such as kicking his stallion to gallop away. If he steps his charger anywhere but where we see fit, set him back into line. To those who look upon it shall appear we are in utmost care of ‘guarding’ his lordship. Are we all prepared to proceed?” Everyone nodded.
“Nella,” Callum advised her once she was seated behind Keithen with her palm tucked in the cloak holding the dagger ready, “if he twitches his jaw, stab him.”
Did she have it in her? Even after everything this ill Scotsman had done unto her and Callum.
No. Her eyes met Kameron’s. Gruff and burly and young, so young with a patchy bristled chin which had yet to fully fill in to a Scotsman’s beard.
The lad would be free from this place, no matter the price.
Did she have it in her? Aye! She re-met Callum’s stern stare and nodded.
“Sir Callum,” Holger hailed, then tossed one last helm at her knight who caught it mid-air.
“Do I wish to know how this came about?” Callum inquired, setting the helm atop his skull. If not for his eyes she would never guess it to be him. This escape may work.
“Let me simply say my raiding ancestors would be proud.” The Northman grinned wickedly before taking up his reigns.
Had she ever considered the thump by horse hooves moving across the cobblestones would grate her nerves so?
No. The steady walk at appearing “out for a calm ride with the lord of the castle” was purely maddening.
She rubbed her damp brow on Keithen’s woolen-cloaked shoulder, and the wool scratched her skin as much as the tension of this current circumstance.
Her breath caught when Keithen’s horse took a faulty step on a mismatched bailey cobblestone. The lord before her groused as the blade jabbed his tunic slightly.
“Do not stab me, my lady, thus the scales’ balance shall tip.”
“Silence,” she warned, then jabbed him again. His breath caught. Good. He got the warning.
The pair of guards at the gatehouse tower eyed their approach warily.
“Rather late for a ride, Lord MacMardan,” the paunchy-jawed guard called down at them. “All is well?”
Everyone halted when they stood at the giant portcullis which was closed. Through the lattice pattern she looked at the forest edges. How could something so close seem the width of an ocean in distance?
At Keithen’s lack in response the guard arched one side of his long single eyebrow. “My lord?”
A sweat bead traveled her neck as she jabbed Keithen with the dagger. Answer! “You dare question when your lord seeks to savor a ride, you peasant warrior!” Keithen bellowed, sounding his “arrogant” self. “Raise the gate at once, lest you suffer my full wroth.”
The guard’s face turned red as the trim on his surcoat. “Beggin’ your pardon, my lord.” The guard’s words twitched in a terse way, but he waved at the gatehouse. Silence met the air with the exception of the guards who ran to do the bidding.
Perfect time for a full chronicle. The sweat droplet on her neck which had popped up hit her shoulder as she tilted her head.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Woodpecker seeking a final morsel in tree bark before nightfall; all good.
“Shite, how much ale do we have left for the eve?” Drunkards grousing near the bailey’s well. No threat.
Slither. Snake through the grass outside the gate. Beware; that could be an adder.
Click.
Wait… click? What was that!
“Callum,” she whispered, frantic, “someone hidden in the trees just knocked a crossbow.”
He tightened beside her. “Nella,” he murmured, “how many do you believe are present?”
Click. Click. Click.
A. Total. Frigging. Ambush!
Click.
“Five at least, my knight.”
Luss pawed at the ground, sensing the tension growing while the gate began grinding upward.
“My lady.” Keithen’s quiet tone matched hers. “Henceforth, are you able to call out where they are by their sound signatures?” Why was he asking? And why should she trust his traitorous arse?
Something about the sound signature in his voice said he spoke in earnest, and oddly she found herself replying, “Aye.”
“Sir Callum.” Keithen continued the lowered tone. “You have your bow. Must I take your charger’s reins to direct him as you take aim at those present?” Why was the enemy suddenly an ally?
Callum’s head snapped toward Keithen. “Nae, he will follow my calves and seat demands.” The gate was open. “Have you been betrayed?”
Sir Brayden and Holger, not hearing the intimate exchange, began taking lead under the gatekeeper. Nella looked at the forest; only trees or boulders or bramble. The hunters were well hidden.
“Answer me, Lord MacMardan.” Callum snared the words then asked again, “Have you been betrayed?”
Keithen ignored the question, declaring for their ears alone, “A bottle of poisoned wine is set to meet your brother’s lips directly before he leaves the keep with the king to sign the treaty.
” Keithen turned his features toward Callum as they rode beneath the gate.
Only half the foe’s face showed but she saw a sadness lining Keithen’s expression which matched his words.
“He is worth saving, your brother Alec. He would never betray his own blood as mine has.” Sir Sean was behind the bowmen in the forest?
They fully cleared the archway with the spikes from the portcullis bottom having threatened like the fangs of a wolf when a voice bellowed from behind.
“HALT!”
Nella glanced back, finding the final smith’s charger just stepped beyond the gate, but atop on the catwalk stood the owner of the hiss voice ordering their pause. Sèidrich. A fresh sweat bead appeared under her ear lobe.
“Lord MacMardan, turn your charger about and face me,” Sèidrich ordered.
Before she could demand otherwise, Keithen spun his charger about, so they were the only ones of the cluster facing the castle and keep and Sèidrich on the catwalk near the guard tower. Sèidrich had a nocked bow pointed at Keithen’s torso!
Keithen was now the one who hissed, “Sèidrich, I shall double what he offered.”
Sèidrich glared a moment. “I believe not, Lord MacMardan.” He leaned forward a notch between the granite parapets, “How many times have I cast a warning about you needing to wear chainmail and not that embroidered doublet same as a peacock?”
“Sir Callum,” Keithen murmured, “be weary of—”
Nella screamed when the arrow flew and Keithen grunted after the iron tip landed. His weight jerked toward the side as her arms fell away, unable to hold the mass when he fell from the charger. Thud. Onto the gravel he went. The arrow had landed his heart.
“Only the lady lives!” Sèidrich shouted at the trees. “Slay them all!”
She dropped the dagger while grappling with gathering the loose leathers flapping the horse’s neck. Tightening the reigns in her palms, she darted her gaze toward Callum. “Callum,” she ordered, “we take lead. I may call out the bowmen’s positions!” Hopefully.
“At a gallop?”
“Aye.” She inwardly quivered, but didn’t all warriors before a battle’s charge? “The first is behind that third tree on our left. I shall point for you when they advance, as I hear the sound in their movements before they appear. Simply state commencement, Sir Callum.” Her tone was stern.
“We take lead!” Callum yelled toward Sir Brayden and Holger.
A ruffling took place beside her as Callum dropped Luss’s reins then threw back his cloak while fetching the bow and his first arrow from the quiver which was tied onto the saddle’s back.
“Stay tight upon your steed’s mane, I shall be aiming the arrows over your skull.
” She nodded. “Charge as quick as his stride will give.”
She sank her heels into the stallion’s ribs. The beast burst forward at a gallop, and the mane slapped her cheeks, but she stayed low. First splash underfoot by the initial warrior was… “There!” She pointed left before a shadow even appeared from behind the wide pine trunk.
Whizz. Callum’s arrow sailed the air, the bolt from the enemy’s crossbow flew over her, and Callum’s arrow sank into the enemy’s eye socket. Thump. The ground greeted the first corpse.
Stomp. Stomp. “Callum, there!” she screamed, pointing right as another stepped from behind an oak on the right side four strides beyond them.
Whizz. Thump. That was two slayed. Three more to go!
“Aim for the archer’s fukin’ stallion!” someone shouted.
“There, Callum!” She pointed toward a tall boulder as the would-be horse killer emerged with his crossbow.
Whizz. Callum’s arrow sailed forward while the enemy’s crossbow bolt went for Luss’s neck. With a cry she pulled her stallion a hard left, leaning all her weight on her left buttock to aid the beast’s sense of where she sought in direction.
The enemy’s arrow’s sound signature sailed through her stallion’s forelock which billowed in the wind above his ears with the enemy’s arrow just missing Luss.
The would-be horse killer was not so lucky; her knight’s arrow landed dead center of the thick neck as the threat fell onto his knees – dead.
Crack. Was that a twig breaking on the ground? No, that was a branch straining under someone’s weight. The trees. Brazen brimstone! He was hiding in the trees! Her eyes looked up, frantic. “Callum, there!”
The bow’s sting gave a groan in protest as Callum pulled with all his strength to make the high shot.
Whizz. His arrow soared through the leaves on the mighty oak which had hidden the would-be attacker.
Crack, crack. The branches broke as a hulking body fell before landing on the ground with a dull thump.
Any more clicks? No, just that original fifth. Where was he hiding? Where… where was he?
Crack. A twig breaking. The fifth warrior! The sound signature was at ground level but which direction? Right, it was on the right far beyond… “Callum, the final is directly there!” Her finger pointed right as her knight gave a dull grunt before he released his arrow.
The final threat who stepped out from behind a wide yew trunk fell onto his knees after Callum’s arrow landed his torso.
To pause was to give any more time to hunt them.
Pressing her charger into all he had for three beats at a gallop, she grabbed hold of the mane with both hands.
They had cleared the line! Had everyone made it?
Glancing about at the riders behind, she breathed.
Aye, three lads, one knight and one Northman – all present!
What about Sèidrich?
She leaned her skull slightly. “How could you let them clear the gate, you witless eejit!” Gurgle, flop. That guard just paid with his life at Sèidrich’s wroth. “Move your arses!” the slayer raged. “The lady must be captured! They cannot reach Perth!” Wanna bet?
“Callum…” She glanced toward him. Whoa! An arrow was sticking out of her knight’s shoulder! “Callum!” she cried, pulling on her stallion’s reigns, slowing the beast. This was why Callum had grunted; the last bolt had struck him!
“It only grazed me. Do not worry for this and,” he assured, “do not slow, Nella, lest more hunt us.” True.
She nodded, turning back, closing her fist on the left rein to head that direction. Next stop – Perth!