“Run, Hildi!” Brynja and Hildi took off toward their boat, running through the trees as fast as they could. Hildi dropped her basket and bumped into a tree just before the man roared toward her, laughing as he charged down the open path next to her, catching up.
“Faster!” Brynja shouted, her hand on the dagger in the fold in her trews.
But the smaller man appeared next to Hildi, and he grabbed her arm, yanking her in front of him and setting his knife at her throat. “Come on out, bitch. I have your friend, and I’ll keep my knife at her throat until you appear. Or I could just kill her first.”
Brynja paled, hiding in a clump of bushes about fifteen paces away. She didn’t have her spear, but she had two daggers. If she fired one off, she might hit him, but she might hit her dear friend too.
“Brynja, help me.” Hildi’s cries carried to her, the shaking in her legs visible from the bushes.
What the hell could she do? She couldn’t use her weapons with Hildi as his shield.
Brynja came out of the bushes, standing tall, refusing to let the ogre intimidate her. “Let her go and I’ll come to you.” If he did, and Hildi ran, she could hit him with one dagger before he managed to get close to her.
He let Hildi go, so Brynja moved forward, but then he reached for her cousin again, laughing.
Hildi screamed, shoving at him, and Brynja raced over, her blade ready to launch but she had no clear target.
Before she could get close enough, he grabbed Hildi by the arm and threw her against a tree. Hildi hit hard, her head snapping back as she fell to the ground. The man kicked her, and she rolled down the ridge to the beach.
“Hildi!” Brynja launched herself at the man, pulling her knife out as she cut his arm.
Surprised, he cursed, grabbing her by the braids. “I’ve got one of them, Dugan.”
The cruel bastard snatched her by the arm and dragged her toward the beach where their boat sat.
He was too strong for her.
Brynja was about to be taken captive, and Hildi wasn’t moving, blood leaking all over her hair.
Chapter Ten
Hagen
Hagen and his two cousins headed out for MacQuarie Castle before dark, the three chatting when they could ride abreast on certain sections of the path.
Jowell was the first one to speak. “So exactly what is our purpose for this visit, Hagen?”
Direct as usual, Hagen paused to gather his thoughts.
Paden didn’t hesitate. “This is when Hagen asks Thane to speak to him privately, then tells him to make Brynja fall in love with him. That he can’t live without her…”
Hagen slowed his horse and dropped back so he could follow Paden, who chuckled over his shoulder, his teasing continuing in the usual MacNicol way.
“I love her, Thane. Make her love me. And could you please allow me to use one of your bed chambers after you convince her I’m the most skilled swordsman in all the land?”
“You are such an arse, Paden.”
His voice reached up to its highest point again. “But I love you so, Hagen. Marry me, please. Make me the happiest lass ever. I’ll follow you around and do your bidding for all eternity.”
“I’m going to knock your arse right off your mount and feed a fist into that sweet voice of yours.”
Paden snorted and stopped. “Seriously, just go after her, Hagen. She’s drawn to you.”
“I don’t know that. I think the opposite. The look in her eyes speaks more of hate than attraction.”
Jowell waited for the other two to finish, speaking last as he often did. “Hagen, I’m not sure that Paden was still there when it happened, but I was. If that spark that lit up the sky when you touched her shoulder isn’t a sign, then what is? I wish I’dreceived a similar sign about Hildi. I know she’s a bit young yet, but I’m drawn to the lass.”
Hagen sat up straight, slowing his mount. “You saw it? It was truly a spark? Because I thought mayhap my eyes were playing trickery on me.”
