Chapter Seventeen
It was a winter’s morning with unseasonably mild weather as the day of the fights dawned.
Already, men were preparing themselves for the coming bouts and that included each novicius who had been selected to compete on this day.
Cam was in the holding yard just outside of the great stone chamber where men were gathering, stretching out his body alongside Galan and a few other men from Milo’s troop.
The matches for the day hadn’t been announced yet, but they knew that was coming and they had to be prepared.
Gamblers and others were already starting to fill the lists of the Fields of Mars and Cam was going to beg for a match today, up to and including bribery.
It was very important that Isadora and her father see him fight today because he intended to win.
He had an enemy to impress.
He rotated his shoulders and stretched his muscles, keeping an eye out for Axel or Milo, or anyone else who was going to announce the matches.
Men had a choice of what to fight or train in, but they were encouraged to wear as little as possible so potential lords could see their physiques.
Cam wouldn’t strip down like some of them did, but he always removed his tunic because he could move easier without it.
Even in this cold weather, he stripped down because once he began moving, he would quickly heat up.
As he limbered up his arms and thought on his plans for the future, men entered the holding yard. Immediately, Cam recognized Clegg, Axel, and Milo, and as Clegg continued on into the great stone chamber, Axel and Milo headed in Cam’s direction.
“Highlander,” Axel said. “Come with us.”
Cam obeyed, leaving Galan behind as he followed Axel and Milo into the stone chamber.
In spite of the warm temperatures outside, it was relatively cold and damp inside the stone room, carved into the side of a hill to make a natural cold vault.
There was no one in it except Clegg, Axel, Milo, and now Cam.
As he entered, he noticed they were all standing just inside the door and he came to an immediate halt.
“M’lairds,” he greeted them respectfully.
Axel spoke first. “We have good news for you, Highlander.”
Cam was bordering on confusion. “M’laird?”
Axel continued. “Because you fought so well the last time we had scheduled fights, we have decided to elevate you in rank,” he said. “You have now been raised to the level of a tiro.”
Surprise registered. “I have?” Cam said. “Does that mean I will fight more?”
Axel was bemused by Cam’s apparent eagerness. This coming from a man who, when he’d arrived at The Cal, hadn’t exactly been eager to enter combat.
“Among other things,” he said. “It means you will be moved into Luther’s troop. You will now be training with a man you tried to blind.”
He snorted with the humor of it, as did Milo, but Clegg remained serious. He took a few steps forward, studying Cam at close range.
There was something behind those piercing eyes that suggested such hardness, such coldness, but in the same breath, there was appreciation there. It was clear that Clegg looked at all of the men under his management as commodities and every one of them had a value.
Some more than others.
“I was correct in my assessment of you,” he said. “You have the natural love of a fight. Your start here was slow, but since your battle with The Beast, you have shown admirable improvement. You will show more as part of Luther’s troop.”
Cam met Clegg’s gaze steadily. “May I ask a question, m’laird?”
“That depends on what it is.”
“Have ye personally fought in arenas like this? As a fighting man for profit, I mean.”
Clegg nodded. “Indeed, I have,” he said. “In Rome herself, in fight guilds that were kept out of the public eye. I have fought all over the known world. Why do you ask?”
“Because I want tae fight today. I’ve a hunger for it. Surely ye understand that, m’laird.”
Clegg drew in a thoughtful breath. “I understand a man’s need for victory,” he said. “I understand his need to express anger or dissatisfaction by beating on another man. I understand many needs. What is your need, Highlander? Why do you want to fight today?”
“Because I have something tae prove, m’laird.”
“To yourself?”
“Tae others, m’laird.”
“Your answer is honest.”
“I want tae fight The Beast again.”
That brought an expression of shock from Milo, while Axel nodded his head in approval.
He liked a man who wouldn’t accept defeat.
Only Clegg seemed to show no immediate reaction, perhaps because the request was not unexpected.
He knew The Beast had defeated Cam those weeks ago and, as he’d said, he understood the many needs of a man.
Now it was Cam’s need for redemption.
“Do you think you can?” Clegg asked after a moment. “The Beast nearly destroyed you once. What makes you think you can defeat him this time?”
It was a legitimate question, one that Cam took his time in answering. “When I fought him the first time, I had no real experience in a fight,” he said. “I was… lost. But now I understand the goal. I ask that ye let me try again. I know I can defeat him.”
That brought some reaction from Clegg, who looked to Axel for his opinion. The big Saxon warrior was still looking at Cam with approval.
“Let him try,” Axel said. “We may be surprised.”
Clegg wasn’t so sure, but he agreed with Axel, mostly because he was very curious if Cam could, indeed, claim victory over The Beast. Cam’s skill had grown by leaps and bounds as of late. They had all seen it. It would make for an exciting rematch, in any case.
“Very well,” he said. “Make the announcement. The Beast against The Lion of Caledonia.”
All three men looked at Clegg curiously. For the first time since entering that stone chamber, Clegg smiled and raised his arms in a grandiose gesture.
“I am a showman,” he said, explaining his decision to give Cam that name.
“I give my patrons what they want to see and I give them entertainment that they will remember. For the Highlander, let him enter the arena as The Lion of Caledonia. It sounds much better than calling him Cam Netherton. Show us your heart, Lion.”
With that, he headed from the chamber, out into the holding yard beyond. Milo followed him, but Axel remained behind. He approached Cam.
“I admire your courage,” he said, “but do not be foolish about this. Remember what I told you before—you cannot bring The Beast down with strength, so it must be by your wits. Considering the man is as dense as a pile of rocks, that will not take much effort on your part, but be smart about it. He is strong and he is fast, and he has good instincts. Prepare accordingly.”
Cam appreciated Axel’s willingness to help him against a stronger opponent. “Have ye ever seen him brought down?”
“Do you want an honest answer?”
“Aye.”
“I have not.”
Cam thought that might have been his answer, so he wasn’t surprised by it. He did, however, have a healthy respect for The Beast and the man’s resilience. Truth be told, he also had a measure of anxiety because of it.
But this was something he had to do.
“Then I thank ye for being truthful,” he said. “I will do my best tae ensure I am not another victim.”
Axel didn’t say anything. He simply nodded his head, giving Cam a slap to the shoulder as he headed out of the stone chamber. It wasn’t an encouraging slap, or even one that suggested Axel believed it. It was simply a slap that, to Cam, stated the obvious…
Best of luck.
Cam knew he was going to need it.
*
Because of the feasting and drinking that had gone on the night before, the lists of the Fields of Mars were a little more than half full when the bouts began an hour after sunrise. Too many men were still in their beds, nursing aching heads and upset bellies.
But Isadora wasn’t part of that suffering group and neither were her father or brothers. They had, indeed, feasted the night before, but in moderation. All four of them were planted in the bottom rows of benches with the arena floor spread out before them.
They had a fight to view.
That was, if Cam was even fighting at all.
The first few bouts were the same as they had been at the last organized event—novices against more advanced men and, so far, Isadora and her family had seen three novices take a licking before succumbing.
As the morning dragged on, there were three more novice fights, the last of which involved a man Isadora recognized.
The man was the partner that Cam had been practicing with for the past two weeks and he was paired off against a man with a beard, a ponytail, and a very big club.
Cam’s partner gave the bearded man an excellent fight, so much so that even her brothers commented on it.
But in the end, he took a blow to the torso that crumpled him.
The man limped from the field and the bearded giant gloated for the crowd.
After that, the fights were stopped for a time as more men filled the lists and the food vendors began wandering around, tossing small loaves of bread to the crowd for a few pence each. Ossian and Ewan procured loaves for Isadora and her father, and the four of them tore into the still-warm bread.
“Then ’tis decided that we’ll make an offer on the one they call The Beast?” Ossian asked, his mouth full. “The man is indestructible. He’s exactly what we need.”
Isadora frowned. “There has been no such decision,” she said. “I told ye there is a fine novice here with ties tae Netherton. Da agrees that he would be better because he has an attachment tae the village. It was his home the Lindsay burned.”
Ewan and Ossian waved their hands to silence their silly sister. “Ye dunna know what ye’re saying,” Ewan said. “Ye know nothing, Issie.”
Isadora leapt to her feet and balled a fist. “I know I can punch ye intae the ground, Ewan Keith,” she said. “Do ye want me tae prove it?”