“I think Kenny’s always felt that Father is disappointed with him because he’ll never be a warrior. It seems Kenneth is stubbornly trying tae prove him right.”
Neither Diarmad nor Aiden could follow Kenneth’s bitter reasoning. After bidding goodnight to Diarmad, Aiden resolved to find his youngest cousin the next day.
The next morning found him at the training courts with Artair. The captain often had him help with the young trainees to ensure that they didn’t get too over confident. Accordingly, Aiden handed out several crushing defeats before explaining how he did it to the crestfallen boys. After Captain Artair dismissed his students, Aiden was surprised to see Rona enter the court.
“My next victim,” Artair said.
Aiden remembered Rona telling him that it was the captain who had taken over her training after Will had shown her the basics. She was dressed in a shirt and breeches and carried her sword and brigandine. Her hair was pulled back in a single braid.
He wasn’t able to admire the sight much longer as his own sparring partner arrived behind her. His and Blair’s bout did not last long before they were interrupted by Maon. The hound bounded across the courtyard toward Aiden, barking joyously. Aiden barely had time to toss his swords away as Maon promptly became entangled in his legs, sending them both sprawling.
“Jamey!” Aiden yelled as Maon licked his face. The young woodsman ran up breathlessly.
“Sorry, Danny. He caught your scent, and I couldn’t stop him,” he explained.
“You want tae do something about it?” Aiden gasped as Maon decided to sit on top of him.
“I don’t know, Danny. He looks pretty comfortable,” Blair said as he tried to control his laughter.
Aiden managed to shove the gangly hound off and sat up whereupon Maon began to lick his face again. Aiden scratched Maon’s ears, and the licking ceased only because the dog flopped across his lap. Aiden threw his hands up in the air.
“Would you do something about this, Jamey?” he implored his friend.
“It’s not my fault he likes you!” Jamey replied.
“I question your training methods.” Aiden tried to move Maon.
Jamey relented and whistled. Aiden leaned back to avoid the wagging tail as Maon sprang up to join his master. Aiden quickly stood before Maon decided to ignore Jamey again.
“Everything all right over there?” Artair called, his voice suspiciously serious.
“Yes, Captain!” Aiden replied. “And I would suggest tae your student that she keep her arm a little higher as she lunges.”
Rona glared at Aiden as the captain turned thoughtfully toward her. Blair handed Aiden his swords as Artair had Rona perform a sequence. Suddenly Aiden couldn’t resist.
“That’s it!” he called as Rona lunged. “Now, distribute your weight tae your back foot as you pivot away. Perfect! Keep your swing a little higher!”
Rona stopped and let the claymore drop. “Captain, will you stop him or can I?” Her lips pursed in slight irritation.
“He’s not bothering me.” Artair shrugged.
Rona turned to Aiden. “Anything else?” she asked levelly.
Aiden actually had several more suggestions to help, but he wisely refrained for a brief moment.
“Did you need anything else?” he asked innocently.
“Maybe your charming tongue on a platter if you keep it up,” she said sweetly.
Aiden spread his hands in defense. “Then can I suggest that you tighten your undercut when you do that?”
An irritated smile began to form on Rona’s face. “I’ll see what I can do.” She advanced toward him.
He backed away, not so sure she wouldn’t do it as she began to swing the claymore with a wicked grin. He considered running before Jamey grabbed him from behind.
“I’ll hold him,” Jamey offered.
“Thank you, Jamey. It’s good tae know that there is still a decent man around,” she said.
“I’m not getting intae this,” Blair said as Aiden looked to him for some sort of assistance.
“Traitors! The pair of you!” Aiden said.
“It would be quieter around here, wouldn’t it?” Jamey remarked to Rona.
“I tend tae agree,” Artair said. “Go ahead, Rona, as long as you keep your arm up and tighten that swing.”
Rona threw up her hands in exasperation but not without a laugh.
“Dare I ask what savagery is going on?” Skive asked.
“Rona is about tae go on a tongue-cutting rampage,” Blair said.
“Apparently only as long as I do it with proper technique,” Rona said wryly. “Which someday, sir, you will show me.” She prodded Aiden in the chest. “Or I will carry through.”
“Better you than me,” Artair said.
“All right! I won’t critique…as much…out loud,” Aiden gradually added.
Again there was an exasperated smile on Rona’s face. “You are hopeless, you know.”
Aiden smiled and she shook her head, but she had softened.
“I try,” he said. “I swear I’ll leave you alone…for now.” He began to leave. “Ranulf wanted me for something,” he gave a vague explanation. But in reality he had seen Kenneth walk by the courts, and he wanted to follow.
Aiden left the fortress around a loose log in the walls that no one had ever seemed to find before now. He soon saw he was not the only one following Kenneth. Illyria silently stalked along his trail. Kenneth paused to allow the dog to catch up, then stopped when he saw Aiden.
“I don’t need any sympathy from you.” Kenneth reached to stroke Illyria’s head.
“I wasn’t planning on giving any,” Aiden returned. “You found my old escape route from the keep. I wanted tae see if you followed my other old trails too.”
Kenneth was slightly taken aback. “Is this one of them?” He pointed to the faint track they stood on.
“Aye, one of my favorites. You find my fort yet?” Aiden asked with a smile. Kenneth shook his head. “Come on, I’ll show you.” Aiden turned Kenneth up the path again. “You seem tae be pretty good with animals,” he tried to start a conversation.
Kenneth only shrugged.
“She doesn’t follow many people.” Aiden gestured to Illyria, who paced by Kenneth’s side.
“They don’t seem tae care that I’m different. They…”
“Listen?” Aiden suggested, and Kenneth nodded.
“Here it is!” Aiden announced grandly although Kenneth could see nothing at first. Then he turned his gaze upward and saw planks of wood nailed between three trees that grew close together. Aiden pulled on a trailing ivy strand.
“Will and Jamey helped me build it,” Aiden said. “It was a good place tae come meditate on the injustices of the world.”
“Injustices? You?” Kenneth asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
“Well, my best friend was banished when I was thirteen, and I was convinced my father hated me, so what do you think?”
Kenneth allowed it with a shrug. “At least you know your father never hated you. Mine does. He thinks I’m useless because I’m different.”
“Do you know that for certain?”
“You don’t know what it’s like being different from everyone else!” Kenneth exclaimed.
Aiden almost laughed. “Maybe I do, in a way. I’ve traveled, and for one thing, as soon as you cross the border everyone thinks your accent is a little funny.”
Kenneth was still not convinced.
“In Gelion, there were several boys who thought they could push me around. Mind you, I’m still considered short in Gelion, and I looked markedly different from everyone there. I told them off and they could barely understand me…until I punched one of them in the face,” he reminisced almost fondly.
“Have you been talking with Diarmad about me standing up for myself?” Kenneth asked suspiciously.
“My point is, different doesn’t mean useless,” Aiden said. “Calorin was a bit of a different story. I was armed and danger
ous by then, but I still needed some help getting out of the trouble I always seem tae walk intae.”
“And what’s your point there?”
“No one’s perfect, I suppose.”
Kenneth seemed unsure of what to say. Aiden figured conversations of this sort had never really happened before. Illyria nuzzled his hand, gently reminding him that he had stopped the rhythmic stroking.
“So what do you on your walks in the forest?” Aiden asked.
Kenneth gradually began to open up. “Whatever I want. Sometimes I explore new trails or just sit and watch what happens around me. Mostly I…” he paused. “I draw.”
“You draw?”
Kenneth reached into the leather satchel he carried and pulled out a piece of paper that he handed hesitantly to Aiden. It was a depiction of Illyria. She had treed a squirrel, and it chattered down angrily at her. Aiden glanced from the paper to the dog. Kenneth had captured her perfectly.
“That’s amazing, Kenneth!”
The young man flushed slightly. He took the paper back and returned it to the satchel.
“You’re pretty good with both your hands.” Aiden noticed that Kenneth had used his right hand to open the bag.
Kenneth looked down at both his hands. “I guess you would say that I’m not entirely useless then.”
Aiden smiled faintly. “I had a friend who once tended tae think the way you do about yourself.”
“What happened tae him?” Kenneth asked.
“He learned tae fight and now, let me see if I get this right, is leading Aredor’s best warband.”
Kenneth’s jaw dropped. “You know the Hawk?”
Aiden mildly restrained his laughter. That would never get old. He needed to convince Corin to visit.
“Yes, I do. Ask Tam or Jamey if you don’t believe me,” he said.
Illyria ran off down the path, and they followed as Kenneth pressed for more information.
“What did you mean before?” he asked.
“About Corin? Sorry, I’m not in the habit of telling other people’s stories. Especially his,” Aiden said.
“Why not?” Kenneth was practically begging.
“Well, if we let everyone know our whole stories, we would appear as mere mortals,” Aiden replied mock seriously, and Kenneth laughed.
“So what about me? I don’t think I’ll be joining forces with heroic outlaws or taking over your job as Champion with this.” Kenneth raised his hand.
“I think you could pull off the bitter, yet determined, freedom fighter,” Aiden said. “Or there’s always piracy.”
“Piracy?” Kenneth raised an eyebrow.
“Sure, just cut off your hand and replace it with a blade of some sort. It’ll be grand.”
Kenneth couldn’t help his smile. “As appealing as cutting my hand off sounds, I think I’ll pass.”
“We’ll have tae work on that sense of adventure,” Aiden said.
Kenneth smiled again. “What would you suggest?” He sounded surprised with himself for asking.
“Ever try knife fighting?” Aiden asked.
“I can’nae say that I have,” Kenneth replied.
“I’ll teach you then. It’s easy…once you’ve practiced for a while,” Aiden added.
“I’m so glad you decided tae add that,” Kenneth said drily.
“I always tell the truth!” Aiden protested with a smile. “Though I usually find myself leaving out the most important bits.”
“That I believe,” Kenneth said.
Illyria bounded forward to meet Skive who walked by the shores of the lake.
“You should show him that drawing,” Aiden urged Kenneth.
The young man paused. “I don’t know. I don’t show most people,” he said, but Aiden convinced him.
Skive held the picture and stroked his beard as he studied it. Kenneth watched him anxiously.
“It’s good,” Skive said gruffly, looking down at Illyria who thumped her tail on the ground as he tickled her chin. “Tell me, if I told you what somebody looked like, could you draw them?”
“I think I could,” Kenneth replied.
“Would you accompany me?” Skive asked, and Aiden left them with a smile.
* * *
Diarmad cast another worried glance through the hall as dinner commenced. Kenneth had not yet made an appearance.
“I specifically talked to him about this before we came.” Aiden caught his murmur to Rory.
“Relax! He’s not avoiding us yet,” Aiden told him.
“You seem sure of that,” Diarmad said nervously. Rory leaned over to whisper something to Diarmad.
“Would you trust me?” Aiden said.
Diarmad would have replied, but he was staring in what could be called shock. Kenneth had entered the hall, but his cloak was gone, his sleeves were rolled up, and he held a scroll.
“Sorry I’m late. I tried,” he apologized to Diarmad as he slid into his chair.
“I didn’t realize Skive was such a slave driver,” Aiden said.
“Oh, I finished the sketch early this afternoon,” Kenneth said. “But thanks tae you, somehow the young ones found out, and he requested a picture.” He pointed down to Brannan and handed the scroll to Tam. “How did I do?”
Tam studied the picture of a warrior entangled in a ferocious battle with a snarling dragon.
“It’s exactly how the song describes it. Plus some of Brannan’s specifications, I see.” Tam handed it back with a smile.
“He was very particular about the wings.” Kenneth smiled.
The rest of his family stared dumfounded at Kenneth.
Aiden refilled Diarmad’s beaker of ale with barely suppressed laughter. “You look like you could use this.”
* * *
The next day, Aiden found Kenneth sitting on a flat rock by the lake. A tablet rested across his knees, and he was drawing. Illyria basked in the sun at his feet as Skive sat nearby.
“How many people think you’re crazy now?” Aiden asked.
“My whole family. Thank you for that,” Kenneth replied with a trace of a smile.
“I thought Diarmad was going tae die of shock,” Aiden said.
“He almost did.” Kenneth gently smudged a line.
“May I?” Aiden asked Skive.
He nodded, and Aiden crouched by Kenneth, watching as he redrew the rough sketch of a woman and a young girl.
“She’s beautiful,” Aiden told Skive.
“She was,” Skive agreed, staring out over the lake as Kenneth brought his wife and daughter back for him.
“I have something for you too.” Kenneth handed Aiden a picture. It was Rona. She looked out at him with the mildly irritated smile that he loved.
“You trying tae state the obvious along with everyone else?” Aiden asked.
Kenneth smiled as he finally looked at him. “Think of it as revenge and thanks.”
“You should reconsider piracy,” Aiden said. “Thanks.” He carefully folded the picture and left. He saw Rona circling the lake with her horse. She caught sight of him and hurried to catch up as he waited.
“So, what did you do tae Kenneth?” she asked.
“Everyone is asking me that suddenly,” Aiden said.
“I don’t know many people who would do that.”
“All I did was talk with him.”
“Maybe, but people listen when you talk.”
“I don’t think I’m that good.” He shrugged a shoulder.
Rona didn’t press him. “What’s this?” She took the picture.
Aiden held his breath as she opened it.
“Do I really look like this?” A light flush began to spread across her cheeks.
He took it from her. “No, you’re more beautiful.”
Her eyes shone gently. He knew that if he didn’t now, he never would. He put an arm around her, drawing her close, and kissed her. She threw her arms around him and kissed him back.
Skive chose that moment to look up.
“Finally,” he said. Kenneth heard and smiled.
But happiness never lasted long for Aiden, and this time it was shorter than ever. The evening meal that night was interrupted. People looked up in surprise and curiosity as Cormac brought two men in green plaid up to the main table.
Aiden stood quickly at the sight of his partner in the patrol. “Conall? What are you doing here?”
“It’s started, Aiden. Laird Dandin is sending all the patrols out,” Conall said.
Aiden swallowed hard. Another war. But he decided quickly.
“It won’t take me long tae pack,” he said, but Conall forestalled him.
“Hold on, Danny,” he said. “Laird Dandin told me tae give you a choice. The Durnians are in on it. Who knows if they’ll spread their attacks past Aredor. You might be needed here.”
Aiden stopped. He looked to Ranulf. The entire hall was silent, straining to hear.
“It’s your decision, Danny,” Ranulf said.
“Me and the lads understand, Aiden. Canich is your first responsibility,” Conall said.
Aiden leaned forward on the table. He saw Rona tensely regarding him. He looked away.
“I’m going,” he said in a low, clear voice. “It will be safe enough here. The Durnians will be focusing their strength on Aredor first. But, Ranulf, they’ll need the help of all the Clans soon enough. You’d best start preparing. It’s only a matter of time.”
His brother nodded. Aiden glanced around at the now solemn faces around him and searched for Rona again, but she had disappeared.
“When do we leave, Conall?”
“When you’re ready,” Conall said. “We’ll meet the rest of the lads on the border.”
Ranulf interjected before Aiden could speak. “Leave at first light tomorrow. You’ll have a chance tae rest your horses, and you can travel faster by day,” he said.
Aiden and Conall nodded their agreement. His appetite gone, Aiden excused himself. His father followed him out of the hall.
“Are you sure, Aiden?” Gòrdan asked.
“Yes,” Aiden replied. “This isn’t just Dyson’s war or the Aredorians’. They aren’t ready for this attack. The Calorins will turn tae Braeton soon enough. I’m just getting tae the fight quicker.”
“The Aredorians defeated the Calorins once before. Surely they can again?” Gòrdan said.
The Wildcat of Braeton Page 30
