When the blond man charged him, Cyrus leapt out of the way. The imbecile went flying past, stumbling over the rough cobblestones. Cyrus spun, avoiding graybeard's blade by a hair's breadth and slashing his own sword toward his foe's throat. He missed but chopped off half the man's long beard a trice before he blocked with his blade, steel clanging.
After they regrouped, both adversaries rushed him at once from opposite directions. Cyrus kicked the blond in the groin, and he careened sideways. He sent graybeard's sword flying, then quickly rammed his blade into his abdomen, making him topple to the ground with a squawk.
Doubled over and roaring in pain from having his stones crushed, the blond dropped to his knees. Cyrus booted him to the ground, wrenched the sword from his hand, then bashed him on the head with the hilt.
He glanced around to see that Norval had defeated his second opponent.
The first guard, whom he'd thought he'd knocked out, advanced with the sword Cyrus had swatted from graybeard's hand. With a great roar, the guard hurtled himself toward Cyrus. He knew he should've finished him off earlier.
Hiding the left-hand sword behind his leg, he swung the sword in his right hand and deflected the blow. He brought the other sword up forcefully and ran his enemy through. The man collapsed and thrashed about on the ground. Cyrus eyed him until he dropped still, then surveyed the other defeated foes.
"Watch them, Norval. Tie up any who live and make certain they don't get up. I have to find Sean and Cecil, then set Fraser's broken arm." Sword in hand, he called their names and raced into the stables, making sure no more enemies hid there. Cecil lay inside. He was breathing but had a severe sword wound to the leg.
Someone stepped out of the dimness of the tack room. His hand clenching on the sword hilt, Cyrus turned to find Elspeth's coachman. "Vance. Are you the only one in here?"
"Burns and Tommy are here, m'laird. We dragged your men inside so they wouldn't be hurt worse or killed."
Cyrus glanced past him. "Sean's here?"
"Aye, but he has not awakened."
"You're a good man. I appreciate your help. We need to get the men into the hall so the healer can see to all of them."
Along with Vance and Burns, Cyrus enlisted Norval's help. The four of them carried Sean and Cecil into the hall. Tommy carried the guards' swords.
Fraser sat with his broken arm lying on the table, while Reid and Mistress Almsly were already in the process of splinting it.
"Did you get the bone completely straight?" The last thing Cyrus wanted was for his brother's arm to be permanently damaged.
"Aye, m'laird." Mistress Almsly nodded emphatically. "I've set many a broken bone."
Sweat ran down Fraser's bruised and battered face.
Cyrus gently gripped his brother's left shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
"All right."
Cyrus knew that was a lie, for Fraser had no witty response and his jaw was clenched tight. Anger burned in his vitals that his brother had been treated so brutally and had to endure intense pain. "I'll make him pay for this." Cyrus cut off a strip of his belted plaid to make a sling for Fraser's arm. "Are MacNeil and Irving dead?"
"I don't ken for certain." An uncharacteristic wretchedness darkened Fraser's eyes. "But Dalacroy's men left them for dead."
"Bastards!" Cyrus growled.
"We were outnumbered."
"I ken it. Still, you should not have left without the guards."
"Dalacroy's men didn't see me leave. They followed MacNeil and Irving."
Cyrus felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. "Damnation! That means… this is my fault. All of it." Fraser's being taken hostage and injuries. Hubert's death. MacNeil and Irving's deaths… if indeed they were dead. Elspeth's capture. He had to make it right.
"Nay, don't fash yourself over it," Fraser rasped. "You only wished to send me protection. Dalacroy would've broken down the gates here whether I was his prisoner or not."
'Twas true, but Cyrus had miscalculated the timing. It wasn't the first time he'd made an error in judgment and likely wouldn't be the last. Still, if Irving and MacNeil were dead, he fully took the blame.
Once Cyrus checked the splinting, he tied the sling around Fraser's neck. "We need to find a safe place to hide the injured. Once Dalacroy realizes the deeds he has are false, he'll return here with Lady Grey and force her to give him the genuine documents."
"Wait. Those deeds are false?" Fraser asked.
