Lor sat down on the bench, eyeing Bane. “It sounds as if I dunna need tae say it,” he said. “But the next time I tell ye something, it would be wise for ye tae listen. I’m not speaking tae hear the sound of my own voice.”
“I know,” Bane said, feeling ashamed. “In fact, I dunna think I’ve listened tae ye much since I came here.”
Lor fought off a grin. “That happens sometimes,” he said. “Especially with men who have fought before. They think they know everything.”
Bane grunted. “I thought I did,” he said. Then he looked at Lor. “I’ll be honest with ye. Ye told me ye never had any battle experience before ye came tae the Ludus Caledonia. I’ve had years of battle experience, of facing real battles, so it’s not been easy for me tae take orders or advice from ye.”
Lor leaned back on the bench. “I realize that,” he said. “Ye dunna want tae take commands from a man who’s never faced a battle.”
Bane was looking at his feet. “’Tis true,” he said. “What do ye know about combat? I mean when a man’s life is at stake. Mayhap ye’re a great trainer of men, but a fighter?”
“Do ye want me tae fight ye and show ye what I’m capable of?”
“Dunna.”
The voice came from the entry to the chamber, and they both looked over to see Isabail still standing there. She’d made it out into the yard beyond the chamber but no further because something in their conversation brought her back.
Her gaze was intense as she returned to Bane and her husband.
“Is that what it’ll take tae convince ye that my husband knows what he’s talking about?” she asked Bane. “A fight? Because I can tell ye from experience that he’s a great warrior. Mayhap he’s never faced an actual battle, but he’s had plenty of fights on his own, fights he has won decisively. I was raised in the Highlands, Bane. I was raised with a father and two brothers, and I held a pike in my hand before I could walk. I’ve had more battle experience than my husband, but battle experience doesna always make a great warrior. I’ve seen Lor fight a man twice his size and win using his wits alone. Dunna challenge my husband, Bane. Ye would be very sorry.”
Bane took another look at Isabail, tall and long-legged and beautiful. “Ye were a warrior?”
She nodded. “I led the lads of our village in many a skirmish, but when I married Lor, I gave that up. Where he goes, I go, and I wouldna say that if he were an ordinary man. What he has is something all men wish they had, so ye’ll not discount him. He’s a man of great wisdom.”
Lor reached up, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze to quiet her. It was clear that she was fiercely protective over him. But Bane met her gaze before silently nodding, just once, to acknowledge her words. Whether or not he agreed with them was another matter, but he did her the respect of not arguing with her. Isabail turned for the chamber door once more and was nearly through it when she heard Bane’s voice again.
“Ye should know I have a history of not listening,” he said. “I do what my instincts tell me tae.”
Isabail paused by the door. “Are yer instincts always correct?”
He looked at her before shaking his head. “Nay,” he said. “They told me tae disobey my father a couple of years ago when the English were waging war on the border, when Berwick was sacked. I thought I had the opportunity tae ambush English knights, and as it turned out, they were waiting tae ambush the Scots. I took thirty men with me. Six survived. That was the last time I disobeyed my da, and now…now I’m here, trying tae find that warrior I lost. I was called the Highland Defender once. My biggest fear is that he’s gone and I’ll never find him again.”
Isabail came back into the room. “Is that why ye came tae the Cal?”
He lifted his big shoulders. “Partly,” he said. “But I mostly came tae earn money tae buy my lady’s freedom. She’s a servant in a fine house, working off the debt of her father. If I can pay off the debt, we’ll be free tae marry.”
Isabail smiled, coming to sit on the bench next to Lor. “Ye came here for a woman?” she said. “That’s very sweet. What’s her name?”
“Lucia.”
“That’s a pretty name.”
“She’s a beautiful lass. I…havena known her very long, but that doesna matter. What we have is what all men hope for. I miss her a great deal.”
Isabail looked at Lor before replying. “Bane,” she said, “I’m going tae say something tae ye, so I hope ye’ll listen because I mean tae help ye. Ye made it tae the Cal, which is a great accomplishment, but if ye dunna listen tae Lor and the other trainers, ye’ll fail and ye’ll never make any money tae help yer lady. Getting kicked in the head by the Eagle is only the beginning.”
Bane looked at her, the light in his eyes suggesting he knew that now. He knew his arrogance was only going to cost him. “’Tis difficult tae listen when ye’ve always been the one giving the orders.”
“Not anymore,” Isabail said firmly. “Ye’ve been in many a battle and I understand that, but fighting in battle is different from what ye do here at the Cal. If ye want tae make money, then ye must listen and stop thinking ye know everything.”
“She’s right,” Lor spoke up. “I’ve been watching ye for several weeks now, Bane. Ye think the exercises we make ye do are beneath ye, but ye do them because ye must. Still, I’ve noticed that even though ye dunna want tae do them, ye put yer entire effort intae them. Ye give them everything ye have, and that tells me that ye’re a man of character. But there’s also a restlessness about ye. That’s something that will cause ye trouble here.”
Bane took a deep breath. He was being chastised, however gently, and he knew he deserved it.
What they said made sense.
“I know,” he said. “I suppose my bout with the Eagle made me realize that. Lor, ye’ve been patient with me and ye’re a good man for it. Isabail, I thank ye for yer honesty. Lor’s a fortunate man tae have a wife like ye.”
Isabail grinned. “I tell him that every day,” she said, standing up yet again and heading for the door. “I’d like tae hear more about Lucia when my husband isna putting ye through yer paces. We’ll talk again, Bane. If ye take our advice, ye’ll be here a long time and ye’ll earn yer money.”
Bane snorted softly. “I hope so,” he said. “I intend tae buy Lucia’s freedom as soon as I can and bring her here tae live. I’d be grateful if ye’d be a friend tae her.”
“I would like that.”
Isabail left the chamber, this time for good, heading out into the waning day. Lor’s gaze was on the door as if he could still see her there, the expression on his face suggesting his great love for her.
But he pulled his gaze away, turning to look at Bane, who was sitting there with his head hung. Lor felt a good deal of pity for the stubborn Scotsman, mostly because he had been nearly the same when he’d first come to the Ludus Caledonia.
Sometimes, it was difficult for a man to accept help even when he wanted it.
“Let me speak with Axel and see if he’ll let ye fight tonight,” he said. “We have a few novice bouts. I think the Eagle cheated ye out of a chance tae prove yer worth.”
Bane looked at him, surprised. “Ye’d do that?”
“I would, but dunna fail me. If ye do, it’ll be the last time I do ye a favor.”
Bane nodded, understanding that he and Lor were at some kind of precipice. Bane’s pride had caused him to fail before and he knew it, so he wasn’t about to let it get in the way this time. He very much wanted to prove that he was capable of fighting for money, and this was the exact opportunity he’d been looking for.
“I swear tae ye that I willna fail ye. Not this time.”
Lor believed him.
Chapter Fifteen
It was a full schedule at the Ludus Caledonia.
That’s what Lady Currie was told as soon as they arrived at the torchlit venue. Hundreds of to
rches lined Caelian Hill, the warrior village to the south, and the Fields of Mars. As Lady Currie’s fine carriage rolled in, one of the guides at the Ludus Caledonia explained that there were four preliminary novicius bouts before the main events took place.
“Did you hear, Lucia?” Lady Currie said excitedly. “There will be many fights tonight. New men to see!”
If Lucia hadn’t known better, she’d swear that Lady Currie was drooling at the prospect. More than a month away from her favorite entertainment had the woman twitching with glee, and all of the wine she’d imbibed from her personal flask on the ride from Meadowbank had her drunk.
It made for a loud and dramatic combination.
On this night, Lucia and Amy, Tynan’s mother, were the only maids permitted to accompany Lady Currie to the Ludus Caledonia for her triumphant return. She was wearing the exquisite Roman-style garment that Lucia had made for her, her hair done up in curls and braids that emulated the hairstyle from the Roman vase that Lucia had taken inspiration from for the garment. Amy had copied it down to the last curl.
The carriage pulled into an area north of the warriors’ village where other carriages and horses were parked and there were men to help them disembark. Lady Currie exited first, followed by Amy in a red dress that had been loaned to her by Lady Currie, and then Lucia in an amber silk that Lady Currie had given her last year. It was faded but still serviceable but, most important, it didn’t outshine Lady Currie.
That was critical.
There was great excitement in the air as the patrons flocked to the arena for a good seat. Lucia and Amy followed Lady Currie as she charged toward the Fields of Mars, determined to sit down in the very first row so she could observe the fighters close up. That was her usual position for the best view.
“Lucia,” Lady Currie said to her as they walked briskly toward the arena. “I am hungry, so find the men selling food and hot wine. I want some before the battles begin.”
That was Lucia’s usual job. She usually ran all over the place, looking for the food vendors, the men who sold hot wine, and hunted down the officials when Lady Currie found a warrior she wanted a closer look at. At the moment, Lady Currie was heading over to the staging area next to the arena that was in full view of the spectators.
It was where she would look over the stock.
As Lady Currie and Amy headed over to the staging area, Lucia went on the hunt for the food vendors, but she was also hunting for someone else.
Bane.
Since their last conversation had been about the Ludus Caledonia, she found herself hoping that he was here. She wasn’t sure if she believed it, but there were great crowds and new recruits, so it was a very real possibility that he might be among them.
She hoped to find out.
Spectators were pressed up against the iron fence that lined the top of the staging area, which was several feet below. Lady Currie was at one corner of it, standing with an official from the Ludus Caledonia, who was pointing out to her the men below. Undoubtedly pointing out newcomers.
With Lady Currie occupied for the moment and so many people gathering around, Lucia dared to push through the crowd around the fence so she could peek down into the yard below.
It was full of men.
In fact, it was quite full of men preparing for the bouts. She pressed her face between the bars, searching for Bane’s familiar form. She didn’t see him right away, which discouraged her, but she told herself that simply because he wasn’t below didn’t mean he wasn’t at the Ludus Caledonia. It just meant he wasn’t fighting.
She had to hold firm to that thought.
Reluctantly, she pulled away from the iron fence and went on the hunt for the food vendors. The Ludus Caledonia was more crowded than usual, with great groups of men and even women moving about. There was a warriors’ village off to the southwest and she could see the small cottages, all lined up. Tendrils of smoke snaked into the air from the cooking fires.
It was possible that Bane was in the warrior village, but she knew it wouldn’t be safe for her to walk around and look for him. She didn’t want to be mistaken for a harlot.
Therefore, she headed to the area where the food vendors were. Tables were lined up and she found a vendor selling meatballs made from ground meat and ginger and boiled in beef broth. They were then seared over an open flame and placed on a stick. Lucia purchased two of those for Lady Currie. There were also little pork pies, some other kind of skewered meat that looked rather suspicious, and pies that were made from brains and eggs, which she avoided since Lady Currie wasn’t fond of organ meat.
With her bounty of meatballs and pork pies, she found the hot wine vendor and purchased a bladder of the stuff. With her hands full, she began to make her way back toward the Fields of Mars, but her trek was interrupted as some of the men from the warrior village were brought out to the arena.
Pausing with hot food in her hands wasn’t ideal, but Lucia had to wait until the men passed before she could continue. The pork pies were seriously burning her hands and she shifted them, impatiently waiting for the men to pass. But the moment she looked up from the pies in her hands, she recognized one of the men as he walked on the far end of the group.
He was bearded and shaggy, but there was no mistaking him. She’d seen him in that state once before, in a dirty alleyway in Edinburgh. He walked with the grace of a stalking cat, power in his movements, grace in his limbs.
Her heart lurched.
“Bane!”
He heard her. Bane had been looking ahead, not paying attention to the spectators, but the sound of a familiar voice had him urgently scanning the crowd. The moment he spied Lucia, his eyes widened with shock. Shoving men out of the way, he rushed to her but a sharp word from Galan, the English trainer, stopped him.
“Move along, Morgan,” Galan boomed. “Straight ahead.”
Bane couldn’t come any closer to her, but the expression on his face told Lucia he was very close to disobeying the command. He was as surprised as she was. Therefore, she started to walk on the fringe of the group of men, holding her food and wine, tears stinging her eyes as Bane, too, began to walk at a proper distance alongside her. Moving forward, each one trying to pretend that there was no great reunion to be had.
It was almost too much to bear.
“Ye’re here,” Lucia said, her voice hoarse with emotion. “Ye’re really here!”
Bane nodded. “My angel,” he muttered with satisfaction. “I have been waiting for ye. I knew ye’d come at some point. Ye’re here with Lady Currie?”
She nodded, so eagerly that her hair came undone from its braid. “Aye,” she said. “She has been ill. It’s our first visit in over a month.”
Bane was trying very hard not to move closer to her, fearful he would get in trouble if he did. But, God, he wanted to reach out and grab her.
“Did ye receive my message?” he asked as quietly as he could.
“From Tynan? He told me.”
Bane shook his head. “I paid the man at the Sticky Wick tae send someone tae tell ye that I’d gone tae the Cal. No one told ye?”
“Nay.”
Bane couldn’t hide his exasperation. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I paid the man tae get a message tae ye. Ye must have thought I’d run off and left ye.”
She smiled faintly, shaking her head. “Nay,” she said softly. “I had faith. I’d hoped ye were here. It was the very last thing we spoke of.”
“It was something I was serious about,” he said. He paused a moment, looking her over as much as he dared. “God, I’ve missed ye. Ye have no idea how much I’ve missed ye.”
“And I’ve missed ye,” she said fervently. “So very much.”
They were nearing the gates that led down to the staging area and Bane glanced up ahead, almost in a panic when he realized his time with her would soon be cut short. “Are ye well?�
� he asked. “Tynan told me that Colly—”
She cut him off, knowing what he was going to say. “I am very well,” she said quickly. “Please dunna worry. I’m restricted tae the house and all I do is sew. Truly, I’m fine. Ye needna worry at all.”
The group of novicius had come to a halt while the big iron gates were opened. Knowing their time was at an end, Bane dared to move closer to her.
“I have a cottage at the end of the warrior village,” he murmured. “If ye can find me when this is over…I’ll look for ye. If not, I’ll see ye the next time ye come. And…Lucia?”
“Aye?”
“I’ve never said this before tae anyone, but I’ve been thinking about it and ye need tae know that I…”
“Move on, Morgan,” Galan said as he came up, putting himself between the pair. “Move along. No fraternizing with the spectators unless they pay for it.”
Lucia stood there, crestfallen, as Bane was pushed along by a big brute who spoke like a proper Sassenach. Before Bane was herded through the gate, he mouthed words to her over the heads of the others.
I love ye.
At least, that’s what Lucia thought he said. She couldn’t be sure, but it certainly looked like it to her. Perhaps it was wishful thinking.
But she didn’t think so.
She stood there a moment as Bane disappeared through the gate, feeling tremendous joy and tremendous sadness. She was walking on air and felt like crumpling in tears, all at the same time.
He loved her.
But the Ludus Caledonia had him.
Taking a deep breath to steady her composure, she headed back into the crowd, on the hunt for Lady Currie.
* * *
Clouds rolled in before the bouts could begin, and by the time they started, a dusting of snow was beginning to fall.
Since the Ludus Caledonia ran their gambling entertainment all year round, they weren’t worried about a light snowfall. The games went on, rain or shine. In fact, much of the snow was melting as soon as it hit the ground, which made for slippery conditions for the men in the arena.
Highland Defender Page 12
