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Daniel turned his horse around, charging once more at Aindreas. “Ye dirty ba—“
Aindreas unsheathed his sword, swiping it against Daniel’s, the clanging of metal against metal drowning out his angry words. Their swords rang out as they continued to clash against each other. The horses whinnied, fear in their eyes, but Aindreas’s horse was used to battle, where Daniel’s was not. Aindreas watched in shock as Daniel’s mount bucked, sending him flying onto his back.
“Daniel!” Aindreas shouted, worry surging through him as he leaped down from his horse.
Daniel groaned. His sword was left discarded on the grass next to him. He rolled over, slowly picking it up and stumbling into a standing position. Lowering his body into a fighting stance, he scowled back at Aindreas.
Aindreas stared back at him in shock, wondering what had come over the lad, if some enchantress had taken hold of his mind. “Daniel, we should get ye to a healer.”
Daniel laughed bitterly. Blood dripped from the injury in his head, sliding down his cheek. “Now yer playing nice.” He lunged, slamming his sword against Aindreas’s, using his whole body. “How could ye leave her?” Daniel shouted as he tried to shove Aindreas away, but he was weaker, more so given his injury. His body leaned into Aindreas’s, trying to push him away, but given his size, he hardly moved. Daniel roared, stumbling backward and lunging forward once more.
Aindreas turned around, dodging Daniel’s lunge. He was light on his feet, where Daniel was ill practiced. Daniel ran past him, tripping over a rock. Aindreas kicked Daniel’s backside, sending him flying forward, his sword landing in the grass in front of him. Daniel crawled towards it, but Aindreas was faster, running around him and grabbing the hilt. His cousin paused, his body falling to the ground while Aindreas held both words in front of him, pointed at Daniel.
“Why are ye doing this?” Aindreas asked, his voice low. “I have done nothing.”
Daniel laughed, his hands gripping the grass. The sun was dipping lower in the sky, and it was beginning to be difficult to make out his form in the darkness. “Ye bastard,” he spat, the spittle landing on Aindreas’s boot. “Ye left her there all alone.”
Aindreas’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
Daniel pushed up from the ground, his arms trembling with his weight. He was able to move to a sitting position on his knees as he scowled up at Aindreas. Dirt stained his shirt, and there was a tear in his sleeve. Aindreas frowned at the gash in Daniel’s head. He had seen many injuries in his time to know when to see a healer. Daniel’s face was already paling.
“Blair, ye ingrate,” Daniel said hoarsely. “Who else do ye think I am speaking of? Ye left Blair in town all alone.” He gestured towards the town as if Aindreas didn’t know which he was speaking of. “She’s all alone while it’s nightfall. Do ye have any idea what that means?”
Aindreas’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Nae,” he breathed, hoping to God it wasn’t true. “She left with yer mother.”
“Nae, she did not!” Daniel shouted while slamming his fists against the ground. “Mother returned to the castle alone.”
Aindreas felt his legs wobble. He turned back to the town, his whole body shaking in terror as Daniel’s voice washed over him. The tailor’s words repeated in his head. She hadn’t left that long ago, he had said. Why hadn’t he listened to the tailor? He shouldn’t have listened to the woman in the alley. How could she have known what happened to Blair?
“Mother told me Blair had to stay longer with the tailor and that ye would return with her. Well, where is she, Aindreas?”
Aindreas shook his head. He pressed his hands against his face, needing the coolness of them to calm his pounding heart.
“Ye took so long to return, so of course I became worried.” Daniel scoffed, and Aindreas gazed down at his cousin, watching him stumble to rise. “I knew something had to be wrong.”
Aindreas’s hands fisted. His aunt didn’t want to return with Blair. She had left her there. Most likely, she had paid the woman in the alley to give him false information. His aunt was obviously up to something. He knew Lady Alisa didn’t like Blair, but he didn’t think she would stoop to this level. She was trying to be rid of the lass, but why? What did Blair ever do to her?
“A woman approached me in the town, telling me that yer mother and Blair returned to the castle earlier.”
“What?” Daniel breathed, horror filling his gaze.
Aindreas whirled around, fear taking hold of him, making his body tremble. “I would never have left Blair unattended if it weren’t for that. I swear to ye, Daniel.”
Daniel’s jaw clenched. His gaze darkened as his whole body shook, containing the rage sparking in his eyes. “How dare she?” he whispered harshly. “How dare my own mother—“
“We do not have time, Daniel.” Aindreas stalked back to his horse, swiftly mounting it and turning towards the town. “I need to retrieve Blair.”
“I will go with ye,” said Daniel while he stumbled towards his horse.
“Nae, yer injured. Ye should return to the castle.”
“But—“
“Ye must return to the castle,” said Aindreas quickly, ignoring Daniel’s frustrated sigh.
He turned his horse towards Daniel, holding out his cousin’s sword. Daniel took it, gripping the hilt. Aindreas wondered briefly if Daniel would listen to him. He didn’t have time to bicker with him. Blair needed him. Now.
“Please, Daniel. We don’t want my father to suspect anything, and ye must have Tavis look at yer head.”
He waited for Daniel’s nod and watched his cousin sheath his sword before grabbing his horse, hoisting himself onto his mount, and turning back to the castle.
“Make haste, Aindreas,” said Daniel, his grasp on his reins tightening. “If anything should happen to Blair—“
“Nae harm will come to her,” said Aindreas before urging his horse towards the town. He flicked the reins, running faster. “I swear, nothing will happen to her,” he muttered to himself, ignoring the fear churning his stomach.
