But he was a realist—as he’d told Lucia, it would take him years to save enough money to pay for her freedom, were he to find any number of low-paying jobs in the city. It might take him more than seven years. But if he could earn the money faster at the Ludus Caledonia, he supposed that was worth it.
But he had one question…
“If I commit for seven years, can I bring my wife?” he asked.
“Do ye have a wife?”
“I will when I buy her freedom.”
Lor nodded. “Wives live at the Cal. My wife lives there with me.”
That settled it. Now that Bane had his most important questions answered, he was ready to move forward.
For Lucia.
“As long as I can make enough money tae buy her freedom, I can commit seven years of my life,” he said. “What do I need tae do?”
Luther stood up, followed by Lor. “Come with us,” Luther said. “If you have any belongings, go and get them. We will wait for you in the alley behind this tavern.”
Bane shook his head. “I only have what you see,” he said. “But…but I would like to do something before I go. I’ll meet ye in the alley in a few minutes.”
Luther and Lor departed the tavern, slipping out through a side door that led to the dark alley where their horses awaited. Meanwhile, Bane went to the tavernkeep as the man used a bucket of water to wash away the vomit from a patron who had imbibed too much of the cheap ale. He tapped the man on the shoulder.
“I need tae get a message tae someone,” he said. “Can ye help me?”
The tavernkeep looked at him, empty bucket in hand. “I can find someone for ye,” he said. “What’s the message?”
“I dunna have anything tae write on.”
“Tell me and I’ll remember it.”
Bane scratched his head thoughtfully. “I need someone tae go tae Meadowbank House,” he said. “It’s outside the city walls, tae the east, the home of Laird Currie. There’s a servant there named Lucia. I need tae get a message tae her without letting her masters know. Whoever ye send needs tae be careful.”
The tavernkeep nodded. “I understand. Give me the message.”
“She needs tae be told that I’ve gone tae the Cal. She’ll understand.”
The tavernkeep held out his hand, and Bane gave the man his last pence. He tucked it into his pocket as Bane headed out into the alley. The tavernkeep intended to find someone to send to Meadowbank, but a fight broke out and a man was killed, and in cleaning up the aftermath, he forgot about his promise.
When he found the pence in his pocket the next day, he couldn’t remember what it was for.
Part Two
The Ludus Caledonia
Chapter Twelve
Bane had a sharp mind and a sharp sense of direction, and even though Luther had put a sack over his head to confuse him, he still had a fairly good idea of where he was. He was able to get his bearings before leaving the Sticky Wick, and even with the turns the horses took, he was still marginally oriented.
It had helped, of course, that Lucia had told him that the Ludus Caledonia had been in the hills south of Edinburgh, so when the horses finally came to a halt and Luther removed the sack on his head, he could indeed see that he was in the hills.
The sight was overwhelming.
An enormous castle stood before him, bathed in the colors of the setting sun as the sentinels on the walls lit torches against the coming night. The fanged portcullis lifted and Lor grabbed him by the tunic, pulling him through the gatehouse and following Luther as they headed toward an oddly small keep given the size of the fortress.
Bane couldn’t help but feel intimidated.
“How long have ye been here, Lor?” he asked quietly.
Lor’s gaze was on the keep. “I’ve been a trainer for about a year,” he said. “But I was at the Cal before that for many months.”
“Ye said that ye came here so they could teach ye tae fight so ye could seek vengeance.”
“Aye.”
“Did ye?”
Lor looked at him then. “Aye.”
“Then ye dunna regret yer decision tae come here?”
Lor shook his head. “Luther was right when he said that it could change yer life,” he said. “It has changed mine. If ye let it, it’ll change yers. But ye must be dedicated, Bane. The Cal must have all of ye, so if ye’re serious about committing yerself tae fight, then make sure ye can give everything.”
They were nearing the door. “I remember the first time ye came tae the Sticky Wick,” Bane said. “Ye were dirty and beaten. I know that look because I have it, too. The look of a man with nothing at all. I’m sorry I dinna make a friend of ye. I suppose we both could have used one.”
Lor smiled faintly. “I dunna think I was ready for it,” he said. “A man must have a mindset for friendship just like anything else. Make sure yer mindset is learning and obedience from now on. The Cal willna accept anything less.”
With that, Luther shoved the door open and Lor pushed Bane in front of him, following Luther into the dim interior that smelled heavily of incense. It was dark inside with the only light coming from a window capturing the last strains of sunset and the blazing fire in the hearth.
A man with flowing silver hair and swathed in pristine white robes sat in a large chair in front of the hearth, glancing up when Luther and Lor entered. He noted his two men but he was particularly interested in the tall, well-built man between them.
He looked Bane over with intense silver eyes.
“Is this the one?” he asked.
Luther nodded. “This is Bane Morgan, my lord.”
“Welsh?”
Both Luther and Lor looked at Bane, who realized he was meant to answer. He shook his head.
“Clan Morgan, m’laird.”
“A Highlander.”
“Aye, m’laird.”
The man turned back to his hearth, sipping dark-red wine from a crystal cup. In fact, everything about the room was luxurious, from the furs on the stone floor to the heavy tapestries that covered the walls.
This was a man with money.
“I find that Highlanders can be the fiercest fighters of all,” the man finally said. “But they tend to be single-minded. Intelligence is not their gift, although Lor has proven to be an exception to that rule. He’s from the Highlands, also.”
Bane looked at Lor, who nodded. Bane’s focus returned to the man in the fine robes. “I have a good mind, m’laird, and I use it,” he said. “I make a decision and I stand by it.”
“Why have you sought the Ludus Caledonia?”
“Because I want tae earn money tae buy my lady’s freedom.”
That seemed to bring the man’s interest and he stood up, setting his wine aside. “Who is this lady?”
Bane wasn’t honestly sure how much to tell him. Given that Lady Currie came to the Ludus Caledonia to buy lovers, this man probably knew her, if not her modest lady-in-waiting. He seemed to be the one in charge and Bane didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot, so he decided to keep Lady Currie to himself.
For now.
“She is the lady I wish tae marry, m’laird,” he said quietly. “She is working off her father’s debt, and it is my intention tae pay it off and marry her.”
The man smiled, though it was without warmth or humor. “A noble enough goal, I suppose,” he said. “And you want to make the money here?”
Bane nodded. “I’ll fight until I drop, m’laird. I’m strong and I’m fearless. Where I come from, they used tae call me the Highland Defender.”
The man cocked a bushy, silver eyebrow. “Used to? They do not call you that any longer?”
“I’ve not seen them in a few years, so I have no way of knowing.”
“Why did you leave?”
“Tae seek money and opportuni
ty, m’laird.”
The answer seemed to satisfy the man. He turned back to his wine. “If Luther and Lor have brought you here, then I assume you are worthy of what we can provide you,” he said. “My name is Clegg de Lave and all that you see belongs to me. I am the god, the master, the mother, and the father of everything at the Ludus Caledonia. Do you understand so far?”
“Aye, m’laird.”
He gestured to the men standing on either side of him. “And you have met your escorts.”
“They introduced themselves, m’laird.”
Lor spoke up. “The truth is that Bane and I know of each other, m’laird,” he said. “We were both patrons of the Sticky Wick at the same time, though we were not friends.”
Clegg nodded. “I see,” he said. “Have you told him of the Ludus Caledonia yet?”
Lor shook his head. “That is yer privilege, m’laird.”
Clegg went to pour himself more wine without offering it to anyone else. “Luther and Lor are doctores, or trainers here at the Ludus Caledonia,” he said. “I have modeled my guild after the ancient gladiatorial schools of Rome and it runs quite efficiently. We accept only the most dedicated men and expect strict obedience. Anything less and we shall reduce you in status to a servant and you can work off what you have cost me before you are sent on your way. Resistance to discipline results in severe punishment. Am I making myself clear?”
Bane nodded. “Aye, m’laird.”
Clegg sipped on his wine. “This castle is the heart of my complex, the Ludus Caledonia,” he said. “That is the term for everything you see—the castle, the village, the arena. The arena is called the Fields of Mars and it is both our training facility and our entertainment field. Wealthy lords pay a good deal of money to gamble on our fights.”
“Is that how I will earn money, m’laird?”
Clegg nodded. “In part,” he said. “When you are raised in rank from a novicius, or novice, to a tiro, which is a professional fighter, you are eligible to win purses. But know this: you are an investment to me. I will invest money into your training and your housing, and in return, you will swear fealty to me and you shall fight for me. The usual duration of the oath is seven years, and I will expect you to hold to that oath. If you cannot wait that long, then you are free to leave now. I will not waste any further time on you.”
But Bane shook his head. “I was told of the seven years,” he said. “I was also told that I can bring my wife here tae live with me.”
“That is true.”
“Then I shall buy her freedom and she will come tae live with me while I serve ye,” he said. “Mayhap it is strange for a man tae be driven by emotion tae something like this, but until I met Lucia, I was directionless. I had no hope. She has changed that. She has given me the will tae regain what I have lost.”
“What have you lost?”
“Myself.”
It was an unusual answer, one that had Clegg’s interest, but he didn’t press. He simply lifted his hand. “Each man has his own motivation,” he said. “I will not question it. But understand something else about the Ludus Caledonia. Men come here to be trained so they may secure positions in big armies. Some of the lords who come to watch the bouts do so in order to find strong warriors for their ranks. If a lord is willing to buy out the remainder of your contract, then you shall serve a new master until such time as the contract is finished. Whether or not you wish to continue serving the man after that will be up to you, but you will swear fealty to him if the price is right. Do you understand?”
“I do, m’laird.”
“And you have no hesitation?”
“Nay, m’laird. But I have one more question, if ye please.”
“Ask.”
“Do ye sell the champions tae women for the right price? Tae service them, I mean. Is that part of the training, too?”
Clegg’s expression was almost amused. “The Ludus Caledonia follows the Roman customs in every way,” he said, lifting his hands. “In ancient times, it was not considered unseemly for a rich patroness to pay for the services of a champion. We continue that tradition. It is simply another way to make money.”
“Then ye sell men like…”
Clegg held up a finger, cutting him off. “I do not sell men,” he said firmly. “A man has his own free will. If he chooses to accept the money of a patroness, that is his choice. Some women pay extremely well. As much as the fight purses in some cases. But I do take half of the money. Why shouldn’t I? Everything at the Cal is to make money, Bane. That is the heart of our existence.”
That clarified the situation for Bane. In the back of his mind, he had thought of Lady Currie and other rich women who came to the Ludus Caledonia to satisfy their lusts and was concerned he’d be forced into that situation.
For a brief moment, he had even considered it. It would be a way to make money faster to buy Lucia’s freedom. But no sooner had he entertained the thought than he cast it aside. Though he hadn’t known Lucia intimately, there was no possibility he would be disloyal to her in that sense. Not even if it meant buying her freedom sooner. He was meant for her and her only, body and soul.
“Thank ye for being honest, m’laird,” he said.
“And you are satisfied?”
“I am.”
“Then let us delay no longer.”
Clegg returned to his table and produced a contract that had been carefully written on parchment. When he handed the quill to Bane, he signed his name. He stood there a moment, staring at the ink, feeling as if he’d just signed his life away. As Clegg sanded the ink, Luther spoke to Bane.
“Now your education begins,” he said. “Put your right hand over your chest.”
He was making the motion, indicating for Bane to do the same. Once Bane put his hand over his chest, Luther spoke the fateful words.
“Repeat after me,” he said. “‘I faithfully swear to do all that is commanded of me, all that is required of me, and all that is asked of me.’”
Bane’s aptitude for memorizing things had never been good, as the priests who taught him to read and write could profess. Still, he tried.
“‘I faithfully swear tae do all that is commanded of me, all that is required of me, and all that is asked of me,’” he said.
“‘May I live to both fight and protect my brethren. May God smile upon me and grant me courage so that I may not fail myself or those around me.’”
Bane wasn’t sure he could remember the words in order, but he tried. “‘May I live tae both fight and protect my brethren. May God smile upon me and grant me courage so that…’”
“‘I may not fail myself or those around me.’”
Relieved, he finished the oath. “‘I may not fail myself or those around me.’”
When Bane was finished, Clegg spoke softly. “Thus it is spoken,” he murmured. “Thus shall it be done. Now you are a novicius, Highland Defender. Let us see if you can live up to your name.”
“I will try, m’laird.”
Clegg’s gaze lingered on him. “Remember something, Bane.”
“M’laird?”
“The motto of the Ludus Caledonia is Hominibus Gloria—‘In men, there is honor.’ See that you keep it.”
“Aye, m’laird.”
The oath Bane had taken had been the Fionnadh Fuil, or the Blood Oath, of the Ludus Caledonia. With that oath, he had become part of something that was far bigger and far more brutal than he could ever have imagined. He’d come to the place to earn money, but what would happen in the days and months to come would far exceed that hope.
It would define him.
The education for the Highland Defender had begun.
Chapter Thirteen
It had been over a month since Lucia had seen Bane.
Not knowing where he was or what he was doing made every day a venture between hope and
despair. Sometimes the angst was so bad that she could hardly concentrate, and for what she was doing these days, she needed her concentration.
All of it.
It had been a month of hell.
Tynan had told her about Bane’s visit and the message he bore. That gave her some hope that he hadn’t abandoned her but was simply off looking for work. Part of their last conversation had revolved around the Ludus Caledonia and the possibility of making money, but she didn’t honestly believe he’d go there. Surely, he’d find something else that didn’t involve bloody combat.
Whatever he found didn’t really matter to her as long as he was a man of his word. He said he’d return for her, and she clung to that belief. As it stood, she wasn’t getting any closer to working off the debt.
Quite the opposite.
Since that day that Colly had overwhelmed her in the kitchen and threw her in a locked chamber, only to be released when Lady Currie demanded it, she had been on her best behavior. After her conversation with Laird Currie, she tried doubly hard to behave. She didn’t want to jeopardize any chances of finally being released from her servitude.
But she prayed for the day that Bane would return.
If he returned…
The passing weeks had seen more than simply her semi-imprisonment and Bane’s disappearance. Lady Currie had taken ill over those weeks and although Lucia hadn’t been privy to the details, there were whispers of a miscarriage for Lady Currie. No one really knew for certain, of course, except the physic who tended her and probably Colly, but Lady Currie was in bed for that entire month before she was finally encouraged to rise and take exercise.
If the woman has a son, it will not be the laird’s.
That’s what Lucia had told Bane.
Perhaps any miscarriage, in that case, had been a blessing.
Winter was in full force and as Lady Currie walked the chambers and stairs of Meadowbank to regain her strength because of the poor weather outside, Lucia remained tucked into a small chamber that was used for sewing and dressing. All she’d done during the month was sew garments for Lady Currie, including the Roman garb she’d requested. It had turned out splendidly, with beautiful embroidery on the hem and neckline in red silk.
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