Chapter Seven #3
Lilia couldn’t disagree. “We were at The Cal last night,” she said.
“There were several fights and the winner of the very last fight of the evening was awarded a very big purse, but there was a laird from Saxony who wanted tae purchase his services. The man who runs the Ludus Caledonia let the warrior pick between serving the Saxony laird or keeping his big winnings. Usually, the men have no choice, but this warrior seemed tae be very popular. I’ve seen him before. They call him The Eagle.”
Brody was mostly stewing on the fact that she seemed to be a fixture at the Ludus Caledonia but something in what she said caught his attention.
“Big winnings?” he said. “How big?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure, but the purse they gave him was heavy. Many coins, at least.”
That had him thinking. “Men fight for purses?”
“Aye.”
He came to a halt and looked at her. “I can fight,” he said. When she cocked her head curiously, he explained. “I want tae pay off yer debt quickly, but any job I find will be whatever I can get. It could take me years tae save up enough money. But if I can fight for a big purse…”
Now, she knew what he meant and her eyes widened. “But these men beat each other tae a pulp, Brody,” she said. “Ye’d have tae fight for blood.”
“I’ve fought the English,” he said as he resumed walking. “I can fight anyone for blood. But I’ve never been paid for it.”
Lilia was both shocked by what he was considering and curious. “Ye should go tae The Cal before ye contemplate such a thing and see what it is about. ’Tis a place like nothing ye’ve ever seen before.”
He nodded, thinking he was on to a potentially great idea. “I will,” he said. “How do ye get there?”
She shook her head. “I dunna know,” she said. “The driver from Hawkhill goes intae Edinburgh tae a tavern and then a man from the tavern drives the carriage from there. He makes us stay inside with the shades drawn so we canna see where we’re going.”
“What tavern?”
“That I do know. It’s called The Sticky Wick.”
He looked at her in shock. “That place?” he hissed. “I’ve been there a hundred times and I’ve never seen Lady Currie’s carriage.”
“She goes tae the alley behind it.”
Now, Brody understood and of all the good ideas he’d had in his lifetime, this was one of the best. He wanted to go to the mysterious fight guild and find out what he could about joining, or volunteering, or doing whatever it took to fight for money.
A few good purses and he could buy Lilia’s freedom.
They could start a new life.
But he didn’t say anything more about it, mostly because she seemed opposed to it, so he didn’t want upset her. But he was confident she wouldn’t be upset when she saw how much money he could earn.
The Highland Protector would make a return.
“Mayhap I will be at The Sticky Wick tonight tae catch a glimpse of ye,” he said as they reached the path that would take them back into Edinburgh. “Any opportunity for a peek at ye and I’m a contented man until the next time we can be together. Will ye come tomorrow?”
She nodded. “If I can,” she said. “I’ll have tae think of another excuse tae leave Hawkhill. I’ll find ye in the same alley.”
“I’ll be there.”
They continued to walk in silence, drawing close to the city walls, until Lilia came to a halt. When he looked at her curiously, she pointed off to a small road that skirted the walls, heading east.
“I must go that way,” she said. “It will be faster than going through the city.”
“May I walk with ye?”
Lilia shook her head. “It would not be safe,” she said. “Ye never know who might see us together. If Lady Currie found out…”
He got the message. Since they were out in the open and there were a few people about, nearer to the city, he didn’t want to make a spectacle out of kissing her, so he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing it sweetly.
“Someday, we willna have tae meet in secret,” he said softly. “Someday, we’ll be together for all tae see and I’ll be the proudest man in Scotland.”
Her fingers brushed against his hand. “I hope so,” she said. “I do hate tae leave ye.”
“I miss ye already.”
Throwing caution to the wind, Lilia impulsively kissed him on the lips, a lingering gesture that had him grabbing for her, wanting to pull her into his embrace, but she pushed his hands away, quickly taking her basket from him and moving off.
She was already heading towards the east where Hawkhill wasn’t more than a half-hour away with a brisk walk.
Brody stood there and watched her walk away until she was nothing more than a dark spot against the green of the land. When she finally faded from his view, his attention turned towards that hive of human stain and corruption, The Sticky Wick.
He’d been genuinely surprised to hear that she had been there so many times and he hadn’t noticed her, or at least noticed the carriage, but if the carriage pulled into the alleyway behind the tavern, he wouldn’t have seen it.
Tonight, however, he was going to see it.
And he was going to find out what he could about joining the Ludus Caledonia.