Page 44 of Conquer the Highlander

He didn’t like that others might assume she was.

“Ye have my thanks, m’laird,” he said after a moment. “Do ye wish tae speak with me about anything else?”

Clegg shook his head. “Nay,” he said, waving a hand. “You may go, Titus.”

Titus did, heading out into the early morning, his mind lingering on the conversation with Clegg.

He purposely didn’t tell the man about Esme’s association with the Duke of Ayr. Had he mentioned it, and the fact that she ran from the man, Clegg probably wouldn’t have been so agreeable to her remaining. To harbor an escaped hostage was the same thing as stealing, and the fact that Esme was at the Ludus Caledonia was putting Clegg in the path of a vengeful Duke of Ayr.

But Titus was betting heavily on the fact that Ambrose would never find Esme. In his mind, she was at the safest place she could be – in a warrior’s village surrounded by one hundred of the most highly trained fighting men in all of Scotland. Titus had never seen Ambrose or Conan again since the day he left Culroy, and they’d never visited the Ludus Caledonia as far as he knew.

He kept telling himself that he had nothing to worry about but, deep down, he wondered if that was the truth. When he should have been heading back to his cottage to sleep, he found himself going back to the arena.

He would find solace and balance where he always found it –

In training.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Get out of the dirt, ye big ox!”

Christos was lying on his back as Titus yelled at him. It was late morning at the Ludus Caledonia, and the advanced warriors were getting in some training before the novicius took over the field. Currently, it was Christos and Titus against Galan and Brody, who were getting in some practice as well.

As Cam sat on the side of the arena with his toddler son because his wife wasn’t feeling well, the four warriors went at it beneath the searing summer sun. Clouds of dust were kicking up as the men worked on a battle exercise that had them shackled to one another.

Titus and Christos were shackled together, and Brody and Galan were shackled together. It was an exercise meant to teach them teamwork. Whereas Titus was light on his feet, Christos could be clumsy – his strength was, literally, his greatest asset, and as Titus had backed them away from Brody and Galan, Christos had tripped over his own feet.

Down he went.

Now, Titus was forced to fight Brody and Galan by himself, using a wooden gladius that was chipping because Brody was striking at him so hard. The shield in his hand was protecting Christos as the man rolled to his knees, but Galan was too close to the scuffling and Christos was able to grab an ankle and throw the man right off his feet.

Galan went down, yanking on the chain that linked him to Brody, and Brody nearly went down as well. That was all Titus and Christos needed to charge Brody and shove him over, onto Galan.

With their opponents on the ground, Titus and Christos stood over them and gloated.

“Tell me I’m the greatest warrior ye’ve ever seen,” Titus demanded, gesturing to Christos. “Dunna worry about The Ox. I’m better than he is. Tell me!”

Brody sighed heavily as he rolled onto his buttocks, fumbling with the shackle he had on his left hand.

“Ye’re the most overbearing and obnoxious warrior I’ve ever seen,” he said. “But ye have a gift, Chicken. There is no denying that.”

Titus started laughing, disengaging the pin from his shackle and letting it fall off his wrist. Cam came over from the sidelines with his towheaded son, who ran right to Brody and wanted to play with the heavy gladius. Brody let the boy have it and Niko hugged it to his body, thrilled with the weapon. Cam shook his head at his son.

“What chance did the lad have?” he asked a rhetorical question. “His mother trained as a warrior, his father is a trainer of men, and his grandfather is a clan chief. The lad was born with a sword in his hand. Soon enough, he’ll be out here with us.”

Niko began to drag the sword around because it was too heavy for him to lift, but he made a valiant attempt. As Galan and Christos collected the shackles and carried them back to the servants who manned the armory, Titus and Cam and Brody watched Niko fight imaginary warriors.

“Is that what ye want for yer son?” Brody asked. “Do ye want the lad tae fight on the floor of the Fields of Mars?”

Cam grinned as he watched the child lug the sword around. “Why not?” he said. “What’s the difference if he fights here or in the Highlands for his clan?”

Brody looked over at him. “Will ye give him a choice?”

“I will. Will ye give yer sons the same choice?”

Brody shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “Ye know I canna. They’ll know of their clan, but it’s not a place they can ever return tae. But ye… ye can return tae the Highlands and yer wife’s clan.”

Cam’s gaze lingered on the child a moment longer before looking at Brody and Titus. “This is my clan,” he said. “We’re all part of the same clan. Ye’re my brothers and I’d fight tae the death for ye, so that makes us family. I’m proud tae have Niko fight for this clan. He was born here, ye know. ’Tis his home.”