Today her dark hair was bound back in a single braid,and she wore a rose gown worthy of the king’s daughter she was.
He didn’t know how she and her cousin had managed to sneak out of the castle with the number of soldiers her father had on patrol.It must have been a secret way out, possibly a souterrain passage.Why in the name of Danu hadn’t Lady Mairead brought an escort of guards?Was she truly that foolish to believe no one would harm her?Balor couldn’t imagine that sort of naiveté.
The king’s daughter walked alongside her cousin Velaria, both chattering as they climbed the hill of Amadán.Mairead carried a May wreath in one hand, and both women seemed entirely oblivious to the danger they were in.
They believe they don’t need protection, he predicted.They were far too confident in their safety.
He both admired their spirit and knew it could be exploited by an enemy.They weren’t safe at all, despite what they believed.
Balor tethered his horse within a nearby grove of trees and continued watching them from his position at the base of the hill.He waited for a time until the women reached the top of Amadán.Mairead turned towards the forest and raised the May crown over her face.Though he couldn’t see her clearly, the sunlight silhouetted her dark hair like a goddess.
She’ll never want someone like you, his brain warned.A tightness caught in his gut, but Balor shoved it down while he continued to watch and wait.
A sudden gleam of silver on the horizon made him pause.From a distance, it appeared to be chainmail armour.He moved his horse to the edge of the trees, resting his hand upon his bow.
A group of men—possibly a dozen—approached the hill from the coast.Norman scouts, he guessed, from their armour.Balor cursed beneath his breath, hoping the men would travel north without noticing the two lone women.He remained within the trees but selected an arrow from his quiver.
He already knew he couldn’t fight all of them.Tension tightened inside him when six of the men started up the hillside.For a moment, he debated whether to interfere.The men hadn’t threatened the women yet and, for all he knew, the Normans could be related to the MacEgans.
Even so, he didn’t trust anyone.He held his position at the edge of the woods and nocked an arrow to his bow.If any man dared to hurt the women, Balor would put an arrow through his spine.
His blood raced as he watched, biding his time.From this distance, he couldn’t hear what they were saying.But he could guess what they wanted from the women.
Moments later, two of the soldiers seized Mairead and began to take her away.Damn them for this.Fury blazed within Balor, and he dismounted, racing towards them.The horse would only draw attention, so he began climbing the opposite hillside.
Mairead’s cousin stood alone, surrounded by four men.One wore armour trimmed in gold, probably one of the leaders.
For a moment, he was torn between protecting the king’s daughter and protecting her cousin.A heaviness caught within him at the realization that one of them would die.
And for him, there was only one choice of who should live—Mairead.
She struggled against the men, while Balor took cover behind a large limestone boulder and readied his bow andarrows.When the men dragged her downhill, he took aim at one of them.But Mairead twisted against them, and he couldn’t release the arrow without the risk of striking her.
At the top of the hill, Mairead’s cousin had seized a sword and was fighting back against her attackers.Velaria struck down two of them swiftly, and from the way she moved, it was clear she knew how to defend herself.
In contrast, the king’s daughter wasn’t at all prepared to fight.Mairead stumbled upon her gown, and when they reached the bottom of the hill, the first soldier lifted her on his horse and swung up behind her.
Rage darkened Balor’s mood.By the blood of Belenus, he would slaughter the man who dared to touch her.He hurried back to the trees, mounting his horse and preparing to follow.Cold fury brimmed within his veins as he imagined how slowly he would kill these men.They weren’t going to take her—not as long as he could track them.
But after the rider passed the rest of the scouts, one of them shouted out a command in the Norman language to split up.Most of the group moved farther north on horseback, while her captors took Mairead towards the coast.The riders didn’t remain on a straight path, weaving their way one direction, then another to cover their tracks.
Wait, he warned himself.If he broke through the trees too soon, it would attract the attention of the larger group.Stealth was his ally now.Balor leaned against his horse, urging it faster.He kept his attention on Mairead, trying to reach her swiftly.
There were only two soldiers, and he could easily take them down.He’d spent years training to fight, and he wouldn’t stop until he got the king’s daughter back.
Behind him, he heard the thundering sound of an approaching horse.Balor glanced back, and another riderbegan to close in on him from the south.A foul curse expelled from him as he fired an arrow towards the man.
But the rider lurched sideways at the last moment, and the shot missed.In the meantime, the other two men had reached the coast with Mairead as their prisoner.A small boat rested on the beach, and they were bringing Mairead towards it.If they reached the water, his chances of overtaking them were gone.
Just a little farther.Balor leaned in against his horse, needing to get there faster.But the moment he reached the strand, the other rider caught up to him.The man swung his sword, and Balor threw himself off the horse, rolling away before the blade could take off his head.
He jerked to his feet and unsheathed his own blade, furious because he was losing time while they were taking her away.The Norman soldier swung his weapon again, and Balor blocked the strike.He was at a disadvantage to the mounted rider, and he deliberately moved in front of the horse, trying to spook the animal.
Just as he’d hoped, the horse grew agitated, rearing up.The soldier fought to regain control, which gave Balor time enough to slash the man’s thigh and bring him to the ground.
Damn the gods, he was running out of time.
Just as his enemy struggled to rise, Balor raced to the water’s edge, past Mairead’s fallen May crown on the sand.The men dragged her towards the small boat while she continued to struggle against them.One lifted the anchor and shoved the boat into the waves.
