Chapter 15 #2
“Good.” Cromwell let go of her hair. She stood up straight, hating him right now for treating her this way.
“Ye ken what we do to traitors,” said Gawl, pulling out his dagger and running his finger along the flat side of the blade. His beady eyes glared at her.
“Put away yer blade, ye fool,” said Egil, stepping forward.
“Aye, that’s our sister ye’re threatenin’,” agreed Bodil, coming to her defense.
“Ye have one more chance and it better be soon,” threatened her father. “If I dinna see ye back here in the next few days, then I’ll storm the castle no matter if ye say it’s time or no’. I’m tired of waitin’.”
He didn’t wait for her to answer. He turned and walked away, talking to Fergus and Dearg.
“I’d better go,” she said, turning to make her way back to her horse. If she were gone too long, Shaw would become suspicious.
“That’s right. Run back to the enemy, ye little hoor,” said Gawl with a menacing chuckle.
She stopped in her tracks, both her hands turning to fists as she tried to control her emotions. If she had her bow right now, she’d shoot an arrow through his heart for what he’d just said. Lately, her emotions were all coming to the surface and she couldn’t hold back any longer.
“No one calls me a hoor.” She turned and lunged at Gawl, managing to bring him to the ground.
His dagger fell from his hand in the process.
She straddled herself atop him and punched him in the face.
It felt good to fight again. She hadn’t been able to vent her emotions at all since living at the castle.
Or at least, not the angry ones. But now, she was able to get them all out at once.
Scooping up the dagger, she gripped it tightly, holding the tip to Gawl’s throat.
“It would be so easy to kill ye right now.”
“Spring!” shouted her father, running back with the other men.
Egil pulled her off of Gawl, while Bodil kept the man at bay.
“He called me a hoor, Faither,” she told him, wanting to rip out the man’s throat. “No one calls me that.”
“Put down the blade!” commanded Cromwell. She threw it to the ground at Gawl’s feet. “Gawl, get back to camp,” he continued.
“She tried to kill me,” complained Gawl. “Didna ye see it?”
“If I had wanted ye dead ye wouldna be standing there whinin’ like a bairn right now,” said Spring.
“Boys, get yer sister out of here before I’m forced to do somethin’ harsh,” commanded Cromwell. When Gawl picked up the dagger and took a step toward Spring, Cromwell grabbed the man and pulled him away.
“Aye, Da, we will.” Egil pulled Spring toward her horse while Bodil followed, looking back over his shoulder to make sure Gawl wasn’t coming after her.
“What’s the matter with ye, Spring?” asked Bodil as they made their way to her horse.
“Aye, it is no’ like ye to lose yer temper so easily,” added Egil. “It’s only Gawl. Dinna let him ruffle yer feathers.”
“I dinna like that man. I never did,” she said, still feeling very angry. “And I dinna like the fact I’m goin’ to have to betray the man I love.”
“Love?” Egil stopped and dropped her hand. “Och, lass. Dinna tell me ye fell in love with the enemy.”
“Shaw is no’ our enemy and neither are any of the Gordons,” she retorted. “I dinna want to betray him. I like him and his children. I would die if anythin’ happened to them.”
“What are ye sayin’, Sister?” Bodil looked at her and shook his head. “Are ye goin’ to betray us the way Gawl said ye would?”
“I dinna want to betray the Gunns or the Gordons,” she explained. “Dinna ye see? I am tired of fightin’. I’m no longer sure it’s the answer to everythin’.”
“Faither said -” started Egil.
“I dinna care what Faither says.” Her hand slipped into her pocket and she clutched the wooden pawn for strength. “I dinna even ken anymore if he really is our faither.”
“Now ye’re talkin’ nonsense,” said Egil. “Of course, he’s our faither. We’re descended from a long line of strong Viking warriors. Ye ken that.”
“Or so he wants us to believe,” she answered.
“Spring, is there somethin’ ye’re no’ tellin’ us?” asked Bodil.
“I went to visit the Gordons in the Lowlands. While I was there, I met Reed Douglas.”
“The Demon Thief?” asked Egil.
“Aye,” she answered. “He’s a bastard triplet of King Edward.”
“We’ve heard of him. But what does any of this have to do with us?” Bodil leaned against the tree and crossed his arms.
“I am no’ sure. He thinks I am his sister that was stolen as a baby.”
“What?” asked Egil. “That makes no sense.”
“Think about it,” she said. “We’re all the same age, but we’re no’ triplets. How can that be?”
“Different mathairs?” asked Egil.
“That’s what I thought, too,” she said. “However, Faither never talks to us about it when we ask. And we never see him with other women. Mayhap we were all stolen as babies from our families. Mayhap our whole life is a lie and we’re no’ descended from Vikings at all.”
“Spring! Dinna talk that way,” shouted Bodil.
“Bodil, she does make a good point,” Egil told his brother. “After all, ye and I have often said we dinna want to raid and dinna feel as if we belong to the clan.”
Spring heard a neigh of a horse and looked up to see Donel riding like crazy, coming back to get her with his sword drawn and held high in the air.
“Someone’s comin’,” said Bodil, pulling his sword from the scabbard.
“Nay, Bodil. Put away yer sword. It’s only Shaw’s son, Donel,” said Spring.
“What’s he doin’ here?” asked Egil, stepping out to get a better look.
Spring wanted to tell them, but didn’t want her brothers spilling Donel’s secret to their father. If so, Vika could be in grave danger. She needed to protect both Vika and Donel and would do whatever it took.
“He’s probably lookin’ for me. I’ve been gone a long time and Shaw will come after me next. I need to go.”
She mounted her horse and headed away from her brothers but, in her heart, she felt like she didn’t want to leave them behind.
Having told them the story she’d heard from Reed, she hoped they’d think about it, no matter if it were true or not.
If she could get them to see things her way, mayhap the next time they met, she’d be able to help them leave Clan Gunn as well.