She landedwith a thud and rolled to the cliff. There was no time for reprieve, Aaron rolled to his back as a new terror towered over him.
"So predictable,"Caiden grumbled as he pulled his knife from his boot and loomed over Aaron.
"Enough,"Aaron growled as he pulled a blade from his boot to block Caiden's attack.
"It will bewhen ye are dead," Caiden huffed as he struggled to push down any more weight onto Aaron. "And after I kill ye… I'll cut her throat, and then I'll sign the deeds to yer lands over to me daughter. Yer legacy will be ruined. It will die with ye."
"That wasthe plan after what ye had me endure," Aaron said as he mustered his strength and pushed back against Caiden'sadvance. "Ye think it was easy to find anyone to court after the scars ye left me with?"
"If ye would have stayedin the manor to begin with…" Caiden scolded as he pressed harder, trying to force Aaron to yield to him. Aaron wasn't having it. He pushed back even harder. After all, if he failed, Izzy would never get off the ledge, she'd be stuck and die of starvation or thirst and that was something Aaron couldn't allow.
Mustering all he could,Aaron pushed Caiden back from the edge, giving Izzy a bit more space to climb up without hindrance. "Ye wouldnae be alive to complain about it now. Seems to me, ye brought this on yerself. Ye just daenae ken when to die."
"I kenan end when I see one," Aaron said as he noticed Caiden struggled against his brute force. "And this is the end for ye."
"Nay,"Caiden screamed as Aaron ducked and squatted. As Aaron rose, he pushed with all his might, throwing Caiden over the ledge of the cliff. The sound of his cry echoed and bounced off the walls of the mountains around them.
"Aaron?"The panic in Izzy's voice snapped Aaron to attention. He rushed to Izzy's side and hoisted her up over the edge. She rolled to her back. Aaron watched as her chest rose and fell. She didn't say a word. There was a chance she was going to be mad at him, and as Aaron braced himself for her ire, he found a whimper escaping from Izzy.
"Ye're safe now,"Aaron said as he pulled the burlap sack off Izzy's head. She stared at him through rosy eyes. The terror she faced lingered in her gaze as she slowly recognized the world around her. "Oh Izzy, I swear to ye, ye're safe now."
"How?"she asked as she dared to steal a glimpse of the cliff.
"Divine intervention,"Aaron answered with a chuckle.
"I thoughtyou don't believe in superstitious nonsense like ghosts," Izzy said as she threw her arms around Aaron. Izzy's body trembled as she pressed herself against his chest. Aaron wanted nothing more than to take away her pain and horror.
"I daenae,"he answered as he tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I believe in ye. What ye did was amazin'. Thank ye for doin' what I told ye to do the first time."
"And thankyou for saving me, again," Izzy said as she looked up at him. Aaron's chest tightened as he noticed the way her eyes started to roll back in her head. Caiden's blade — how many times did he strike her? And was the blade poisoned? Panic shifted to terror as Aaron grabbed Izzy and gave her a little shake.
"Izzy?Ye need to stay awake for me, can ye do that love?" Aaron asked as he picked her up and rushed her to the grove of trees. The castle wasn't far, just over the small hill, but it felt so far away. "Izzy, please, ye cannae die, nae after I just saved ye. Izzy, please, I love ye."
