Lord of Fire,Lady of Ice(136)
“Tell me where Lady Blackwell is,” Brant commanded, as he darted away from an unsuccessful attempt. The metal of their blades met and clanged several times, drowning out any response. Brant ducked as Cedric swung wildly for his head. With each passing second, the traitor became more desperate.
“She is with her true husband, Blackwell. The true Ealdorman of Strathfeld.”
“So you are loyal to Stuart, that son of a pig,” Brant deduced with little surprise, getting more aggressive, pushing the man back toward the trees. His sword moved with such skill that the knight could do nothing but block the oncoming blows. “Where has he taken my wife?”
“She is not yer wife fer long. Not after I take yer head and collect my reward.” Cedric tried to assault Brant from one direction and then the other to no avail. He backed his body closer to the forest. Sweat beaded on his worried brow. “And she was not taken anywhere she did not want to be. She begged me to take her to Stuart!”
Cedric’s feet crunched on the dampened leaves. He saw red at the man’s implications. It was as he feared. Della had gone willingly to her cousin. She had tried to set Brant up to die and she used his own words of love against him.
Cedric smiled at his opponent’s fallen look and charged, angling is sword toward Brant’s chest. A look of sweet victory crossed his mouth, but he was mistaken in thinking the pain of his words would lessen the ealdorman’s guard. The anger only drove Brant onward, determined to live so he may find his lovely wife and strangle her. Brant moved from the inept knight’s path, instead sinking his blade into the soft skin of Cedric’s stomach.
Cedric gasped in surprise. Brant grunted as he forced his blade deeper. Blood ran thick from the stricken knight’s mouth. Cedric’s sword clanked awkwardly to the ground and he grabbed the sharp bladed edge of Brant’s sword and tried to pull it from his body. The sword didn’t move and Cedric lost a finger trying.
Brant watched the life drain from the man’s eyes, unmoved by Cedric’s silent plea for mercy. Cedric could not speak and when he opened his mouth, he choked on his own blood. It was too late for compassion, even if Brant had wanted to give it. Kicking the man from his sword, he turned his attention to the forest. The man fell to the ground, forgotten.
“Gunther! Roldan!” Brant ordered. Tortured, the pain in his chest was unbearable as he choked it down deep, trying to bury it.
“Yea.” Gunther came forward.
“Stuart?” Brant asked.
“Nay, it was only Cedric and this one.” Gunther helped Roldan drag a prisoner between them, each grasping one of the man’s arms. The prisoner’s legs were bound tightly together and his wrists were tied in the same fashion behind his back “We did not see Cedric hidden behind the oak. Otherwise, we would have stopped him before he attacked.”
Gunther dropped the man to the ground and Roldan let go soon after. The dark captive fell with a snort, hitting the dirt with his face. Rocking up, he spit out a tooth with a defiant look up at the men.
“He is William,” Roldan said as the man thudded his feet hard on the ground next to Cedric’s body. “He is willing to make a deal fer his life.”
Brant nodded and stepped forward. He glared down at the man before nudging the prisoner’s chin with the tip of his shoe. William’s hands strained against the rope as he twisted to look up. Brant angled his toe so that it embedded in the tender part of the man’s chin. A large, angry welt was on the side of his temple, showing through a tangle of his long, black hair.
“Let him speak,” Brant ordered. The entire time, he didn’t take his eyes from William. He dropped his boot and took a step away. Motioning his head, he ordered Roldan to flip the man on his back.
The knight obeyed, kicking William over before saying, “Speak.”
“I will tell you where Stuart is,” William panted. He looked at Brant and smiled. “I have no care who is Ealdorman of Strathfeld. I was hired only to do a task.”
“A mercenary,” Brant concluded with a frown. “An untrustworthy cur.”
“Nay,” William protested, not showing fear as he negotiated for his life. “That is why you can trust me. I owe no allegiance and now have reason to betray him.”
Brant nodded, bidding the man to continue. William might be his only hope of reaching Della and his unborn child. Listening, he made his way to gather his horse’s reins. The well-trained animal hadn’t moved.
“I will tell you where they are, in exchange fer my freedom,” William offered.
“Tell me,” Brant conceded, “and I will have you taken as prisoner to my castle. Do not and I will have you slaughtered like a sow right here and now.”