Page 74 of Highland Steel

“I am thinkin’ of the clan,” said Logan. “The sword belongs to all of us.”

“Are you sure it’s not your own guilt making you want to be the one to fight Drummond for the sword?” asked Rhoswen.

“Are ye sure it isna yer quest for vengeance why ye want to be the one to do it?” asked Logan in return.

“I think it’s a little bit of both,” said Storm from atop his horse. “Now, let’s do this so we can all get home to our families in time for dinner.”

“I agree,” said Rhoswen, stepping in front of Drummond, holding her sword. “I’m ready.”

“You can do it, Rhoswen,” called out Newell from the battlements.

“We believe in you,” said Ailsa.

“Just do yer best, lass,” said Storm.

“Ye’re guid with a sword,” called out Hawke from the battlements. “I’ve seen it for myself.”

“Just remember what I taught ye,” said Logan, praying that by some miracle Rhoswen could pull this off. He should have known Drummond was going to trick them. It was only the MacKeefe pride to keep their word that was stopping Logan from taking back the Sword of Triumph like he wanted to do. He should be the one to bring it home since it was his carelessness in the first place that lost it. But right now, he would stand with his clan and, most of all, he would support Rhoswen – the girl he loved.

“Dinna blink or ye’re all goin’ to miss this, it’ll be so fast,” said Drummond with a chuckle. “Even wounded and with one hand tied behind my back, there is no way I’ll lose to a Sassenach and a lassie!” All the Drummonds laughed at this. “I promise ye, the Sword of Triumph is goin’ nowhere,” Drummond told his clan.

“Plus, no one who has ever used the sword has ever been defeated,” added Tamhas. “We’ve already won before it’s even begun.”

“Dinna underestimate Rhoswen,” said Logan, trying to help the girl out. He had to mess with Drummond’s head the way he did to them when he tricked them. If Logan could distract him enough, it would give Rhoswen a chance. Hopefully. “After all, the lass did stab ye.”

“In the back,” said Drummond, bringing down his sword to clash with Rhoswen’s. Logan bit the inside of his cheek hard when she almost dropped her sword from the force.

“Use two hands, Rhoswen,” he told her. “It’ll give ye more support.”

“All right,” said Rhoswen, gripping her sword in both hands now. “I’m ready.”

“Ready to lose,” chuckled Drummond, striking again, and this time almost hitting Rhoswen. She managed to hold on to the sword, but stumbled backward, catching herself before she fell.

“Come on, Rhoswen. Ye can do it,” Logan called out, even thought he was sure with one more blow from Drummond, Rhoswen would fold under the pressure. She was a small thing and no match for a full-grown man who was used to swinging a sword. Even though Drummond was wounded, this wasn’t going to last much longer. There was only one way Rhoswen could disarm Drummond, and Logan hoped to hell she would understand what he was trying to tell her.

“It’s in the wrist action, Rhoswen. Just like when ye –” he closed his eyes when he said this, hoping it would work to distract Drummond and not Rhoswen instead. If it backfired, Rhoswen would hate him forever, and they would never see the Sword of Triumph again. “Just like when ye put yer hand on my –” He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do anything to embarrass Rhoswen, even if it would distract Drummond and win the sword.

“I understand,” said Rhoswen with a smile, even though several people in the crowd gasped by what Logan almost said. “You mean just like when I put my hand under yer plaid and grabbed yer bare arse and ye cried out?”

“And the wrist action. Dinna forget how ye used that to –”

“What?” asked Drummond, his eyes flashing over to Logan. “What did she do with her wrist?” Logan laughed inwardly, envisioning what was going through that lusty cur’s head.

“It went somethin’ like this,” said Rhoswen, locking the cross-guard of her sword with his, and flicking her wrists in a circle, using both hands to turn his sword and flip it up in the air.

The crowd gasped in surprise. Logan rushed forward, holding out his hand and caught the Sword of Triumph by the hilt, holding it high over his head.

“The Sword of Triumph is the MacKeefe’s again,” he cried, causing his clan to go wild.

“Thank ye, Rhoswen,” said Logan, turning to kiss her. But Rhoswen’s eyes opened wide and she shouted.

“Behind you, Logan!”

Logan turned to see that Drummond had grabbed Tamhas’ sword and was about to stab him in the back. In one motion, he thrust the Sword of Triumph though Drummond’s chest and the man fell to the ground, dead.

Everyone was silent.

“I didna mean to kill him, but he came at me with his sword behind my back,” said Logan, hoping to hell they wouldn’t have a battle to the death after all.