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Ivy’s eyes widened as she looked at him, unsure that she had heard him correctly. What he said made no sense. Elix did not have an army that could stand up to the forces at York. He knew that.
“Truly?” Fin asked. “He’s goin’ tae march on York?”
Hollis shrugged. “I cannae say yet where they’re marchin’ tae, but he’s puttin’ together a war party, for sure,” he said. “I’d say it’ll take another day or two for him tae be ready tae march. But it’s happenin’.”
“That is insane. He will be wiped out,” Ivy said. “It makes no sense for him to do that.”
“Mebbe his arrogance is gettin’ the better of him,” Hollis said.
“Or mebbe he kens that the Duke already knows of his treachery and wants tae meet him on the battlefield than be cornered in his castle like a rat,” Fin offered. “Mebbe he thinks he can get the drop on York by marchin’ first?”
“My brother is a fool,” Ivy added. “But I did not think he could be that big of a fool.”
“I suppose he thinks he’s got nothin’ tae lose. If he thinks we’ve already made it back tae York and have told the Duke everythin’, all he can dae is fight,” Fin said.
Ivy nodded. His logic made sense. If there was one thing she knew about her brother, it was that he was a proud man. Too proud by half. His pride made him arrogant. Reckless. Stupid.
And if he truly believed they had already gotten to York and had told Duke Hamilton he was the one behind the attempts on his life, it made sense that he would prefer to go down in a fight, rather than wait to be rooted out of Cherrythorn Manor like a weed.
“Makes sense. A cornered rat is goin’ tae bite,” Hollis said.
Fin turned to her. “How many fightin’ men does yer braither have?”
She shook her head. “I do not know for certain,” she replied. “Offhand, I would say a couple hundred, perhaps?”
“York has more than twice that number,” Fin considered. “He’s leadin’ his men straight intae death.”
“Aye,” Hollis agreed. “Unless Elix has some secret weapon we daenae ken about. Dae thae fighters in Elix have some sort of God-given special powers?”
Ivy laughed softly. “Not that I am aware of.”
“So, Castor’s on a suicide mission,” Fin said. “Or he’s so arrogant, he thinks he can beat York, nay matter thae odds.”
“I would imagine it is the latter,” Ivy offered.
“He’s a bleedin’ nutter is what he is,” Hollis said.
“If Castor is goin’ tae be on the march soon, we need tae warn York,” Fin said. “If a fight is comin’, we have preparations tae make.”
“Agreed,” Hollis said.
Fin turned to her. “I need yer help.”
“Anything,” she said. “What can I do?”
“I need ye and Mira tae ride tae Westmarch-”
“Ride to Westmarch?” she growled, cutting him off. “You are sending us away?”
Ivy clenched her jaw and glared at him hard, and Fin let out a deep breath. She was upset and felt like he was treating her like a child, and she did not appreciate it. She knew she was a woman, and as such, he might think her delicate. But she was far stronger and tougher than he apparently thought she was.
“I would have expected my brother to send me away like a child,” she spat. “I honestly believed you thought better of me than that.”
“Are ye finished?”
Ivy pursed her lips and huffed as she folded her arms over her chest, but she nodded.
“Good. Because I’m nae sendin’ ye away like a child,” he explained. “Gettin’ ye tae Westmarch is important and-”
