Page 54 of Keepers of the Highland Crown
Whoop!Kameron yelped. “My lass is never goin’ to believe I was near such a fancy knight as you! Is this one with the red shite face a knight in King Alexander’s court as well?”
“No, ‘wee’ shit,” Holger retorted. “I am Lord Holger ‘the hammer’ Kolson, a gestr for the King of Norway.”
“Jester?”
Brayden’s low chuckle aired before he bit his lip. “Gestr,” Holger snarled. “It means one who gathers information on enemies for the slay. Same as my Viking ancestors.” The lad blanched slightly even in the dim torchlight.
“The Scotsman in the cell beside you is Sir Brayden.” Callum raised his hand through the bars toward the friend.
“Pleasure,” Brayden said.
“You a knight in King Alexander’s court too?”
“Aye.”
Kameron extended his hand through the bars for a shake with Sir Brayden.
Squeak!The rats ran when the entry doorway re-opened, throwing more light on the grizzled surroundings.
“Be mindful of him!” a voice warned from the far. “Naw, hold a moment. Let me gather the others, then we take it.” Take what?
His fingers ran over the chainmail tunic.This. This was the opportunity. How to best proceed?Hmm. Try to take all the guards who appear? The silhouettes from seven bodies darkened the floor by the torchlight from behind them in the entry. Seven against one? Nope. Yet, there was the guard again who had two daggers on his scabbard. A dark inward grin took root.
“Sir Callum,” Double Dagger summoned, “remove the tunic then place it through the bars.”
“Seven.”
“Seven?”
“Aye,” Callum taunted, “seven armed warriors against one unarmed knight. You are either weak, dimwitted, or envious.”
“Try mean, ruthless, or menacing,” Double Dagger countered. “Give me the tunic. If I have to step into that cell you will not care for the consequence.”
Callum raised his voice, imitating the guard. “You will not care for the consequence.Hell, you sound the same as my sire when I was caught sneaking an extra cup of ale. I challenge your consequence and raise you… Let me see.” Callum tapped his chin. “Nae tunic, arsehole.”
The guard cussed something in Gaelic under his breath. He looked at those behind him. “Hold the line.”
“Aye, warriors,” Callum ordered in a deep tone, “hold the line! Do not let one unarmed knight pass your seven swords. I really must say, if this is the finest steel coin may purchase, the quality truly is dirt.” Double Dagger’s face was a crimson shade. Perfect!
The key shoved into the lock before the door swung wide with the guard ripping him forward by his mantle into the passageway. Two sets of hands tore the tunic over his head. A solid fist hit his ribs. Shite, that hurt! He began doubling over before… Was that a knee? Ah, hell, right in the gut!
“Truly honor bound!” Sir Brayden yelled at the guards.
“Piles of swine shite!” There was the wee lad.
“Cowards, the lot of you!” Holger roared like a Viking horn.
Cough. Cough.Double Dagger grabbed Callum’s shoulder as the captain of the royal guard slumped over the guard’s torso. Where? Where was the damn dagger? His fingers ran like a wisp in a breeze over the guard’s scabbard. There. Take it! Removing the blade with a touch same as a phantom, Callum tucked the blade near his waist like he was clutching his stomach from pain.Well, it did hurt same as if a dragon lashed him in the gut with its tail.
Slam! The door secured, Double Dagger taunted. “Captain of the Royal Guards? Ha!” The seven chuckled with their voices growing more distant before silence and rats scurrying stole the surroundings.
“’Twas a noble effort to keep the tunic. Broken rib?” Holger inquired.
“Possibly.” Callum spat the word out with blood on the floor. “Sir Brayden?”
“Aye, my captain?” Brayden only called him this when he respected him most.
“Sir Brayden, you recall at Stirling, the very first task I demand to all the men-at-arms who stand on guard duty at the tunnel?” Callum rose up, staring at the fellow knight across.
