“Ferra?”
She met his wide eyes. “Aye.”
He immediately started shaking his head, stark fear in his depths. “Nay! Ye cannae be here! I cannae protect ye!”
Ferra’s hands were shaking as she looked at the sword lodged in his shoulder. “We need tae remove this,” she told him.
He pushed her away, nearly sending her sprawling into the dirt. “Ye stubborn lass! The battlefield is nary a place for ye! Wot were ye thinking?”
Ferra knew he was angered, but his voice was laced with something akin to fear, and she wondered what exactly she had done by charging out here. Around them, the battle still raged on, which meant they were far from going home right now.
A flash of steel caught her eye, and she realized that one of the warriors was advancing on them. “Nay!” Kaiden roared as he grasped the hilt, attempting to pull the sword out of his shoulder.
Ferra didn’t think. She saw Kaiden’s sword in the dirt near them and picked it up, running through the warrior with it before she could draw in a breath. The warrior roared in pain and stumbled back, Kaiden’s sword still lodged in his gut. “Ye bitch!”
“Pull it out!” Kaiden shouted at her, pointing to the sword in his body. “For God’s sake, woman, pull it out!”
Pain was etched on Kaiden’s face, but Ferra knew it was the only course of action. “Grit yer teeth,” she told him as she grasped the bloodstained hilt. “’Tis likely going tae hurt.”
He grunted, favoring his good leg as she yanked at the sword, the guttural groan from her husband nearly rending her heart in two. She let the sword fall to the ground, reaching into her satchel immediately for something to bind the wound. Her fingers trembled as she pulled out a length of cloth and swatted Kaiden’s hands away, making quick work of the bleeding wound.
“Wot were ye thinking?” he said harshly, panting from the pain. “Ye should have stayed at the keep!”
“This isnae the time!” she shot back, knotting the cloth tightly. Ferra was perilously close to tears already, and he wasn’t helping to keep them at bay. She hadn’t imagined he would be happy to see her, but the harshness in his voice wasn’t something she had been prepared for.
“Ye’re right,” he growled, pushing her aside to block the next attack. Though her husband was greatly injured, Ferra still felt a surge of pride as he removed the sword from the man’s gut in time to meet the next one, not even stumbling once as he made quick work of the enemy. Another started toward them, and she picked up the discarded sword, letting out an unladylike yell as she charged him. Ferra could see the surprise in the warrior’s face before she was able to slice his arm with the sword, her muscles screaming in pain as she struggled to swing the heavy sword.
“Ye bitch!” he called out, recovering from his initial shock, his eyes a murderous glint. Ferra swallowed as she put the sword before her, prepared to meet the thrust of his sword, before Kaiden stepped in front of her and took the blow for her, his sword deflecting the blow.
Ferra watched wide-eyed as Kaiden was able to overcome the smaller warrior easily before turning toward her, his expression hard. “Get out of here, lass!”
She shook her head immediately. “I’m not leaving ye tae die!”
He muttered words she couldn’t hear before hands grabbed her from behind. Ferra immediately started to fight, clawing at the arm that was lodged around her waist. “Easy, lass,” Erik’s voice passed by her ear. “I’m not going tae hurt ye.”
“Nay!” she called out, realizing what he was here to do. “Dinnae make me go!”
“He cannae concentrate if ye are putting yerself in danger, lass,” Erik growled, no softness in his voice as he dragged her away from Kaiden. “Ye fool woman, thinking that ye could help!”
Ferra bit back the words she wanted to say as Erik pulled her further away from the battle, Kaiden growing smaller the further they moved away.
When they reached the tree line, Ferra fought her way out of Erik’s grasp, whirling on him. “Wot are ye doing?” she shouted. “He’s in nary a condition tae be out there!”
His jaw clenched, and she realized that he was in the same shape as Kaiden was, covered in cuts and blood that may or may not be his. “Ye are distracting him,” he seethed. “Stay here and tend tae the injured,mah lady. ’Tis where Kaiden needs ye tae be.”
Some of her anger ebbed away, and Ferra realized that he was right. The injured was who needed her help.
“I will take care of him,” Erik continued, his voice losing some of its edge. “I swear it.”
Ferra nodded, swallowing her tears, and the warrior marched back out onto the battlefield, disappearing amongst the fighting Scots. The only thing she could do was whisper a prayer for both of them before turning to the injured. They needed her more.
19
Kaiden swung his sword with his other arm as he tried to fight on, Ferra in his thoughts with each swing. Why was she here? She stated she hadn’t wanted him to die, but didn’t she know that the battlefield was no place for a woman?
This was no place for his wife, the lady of the keep, the future mother to his bairns!
With each thought, his anger grew, and he swung his sword harder, taking out his frustration on his enemies instead. He yelled as he cut through the remaining warriors, the mere thought of his wife in harm’s way giving Kaiden the strength to push through the pain that wracked his body. His shoulder was aching from the sword, and he could feel his leg swelling with each movement, making it difficult to walk normally.
