Osgar glared at him like so many times before. “Never,” he said, swatting Giric’s blade away as he tripped him and twisted his body hard, forcing Giric to fall onto his stomach. “You always let your guard down too soon.”
Laughing as Osgar pulled him up to standing, Giric said, “I believe we both know one another’s moves too well and thus we are not being quite as challenged as we could be.”
“Mayhap I had better spar with your wife and mayhap I would learn something.”
“I believe she could teach both of us a thing or two.”
Giric brushed dust from his tunic and looked back toward the castle. His wife was somewhere inside teaching his maid servants how to protect themselves and here they were outside practicing how to protect them all. Did he think bringing a Viking wife home would come without a price? Nay, but he did not anticipate having to go to war so soon.
The biggest question was who had sent the assassin? Giric could summon about five hundred men if need be and Osgar about three hundred more. Only the king could match those numbers unless other nobles banded together. But it was those on the coast who had suffered the most at the hands of the Vikings, whose families had been murdered, women raped, and lives destroyed. Few inland could claim those horrors. So if not for retaliation, what? Why take issue with Giric’s attempts at peace? And how did they acquire the king’s assassin to do so? It made no sense.
“What now?” Osgar asked.
Giric scrubbed his hand down over his face. “Now we flush out the enemy. Once I’m satisfied those here are no longer in danger, I will travel to Dunnottar and seek the counsel of the king. I believe a rider would be intercepted and so we will wait until this threat has passed and make our way together.”
“And your wife? What will you do with her?”
“She will be safer here once I have determined the threat is over.”
“I believe she can defend herself on a field of battle, Giric, but there are dangers here she cannot foresee. Your brother for one. And who is this woman you allowed through the gates?”
“My brother will do as he is told. As for the woman, she is Lady Fraser. We both knew her husband and you know he was murdered. She had disappeared from social life and has now returned dressed as though attending the king’s court at my gates begging to protect my wife. The woman knows much more than she is letting on and I intend to get to the bottom of it and I intend to take her with me to Dunnottar. The king must be privy to her knowledge. For I fear any attempt against me is a precursor to an attempt on him.”
“Who would dare?”
“Many would dare, as you well know. It’s a matter of determining who is most likely and why they would start here. Has there been any news from the north?”
“From Lewis? Nay. To my knowledge those peace treaties occurred without much objection.”
“Then it must have more to do with this region as much as with me specifically. The question is who would benefit most from this continuing conflict?”
“I know not,” Osgar said, shaking his head.
Giric scanned the bailey. His men sparred, others sharpened their blades, while others wrestled. They were as good as any soldier in the country and better than most. They’d had to be. Never was there a time when they could stand down, for danger had always lurked.
“I will put more thought to it,” he said. Clasping Osgar by the shoulder he added, “We must bring our trust circle down to the basics. You may trust two people. Who are they?”
“You and your brother.”
“You trust my brother?”
“You do not?”
“Nay, not in this case. He is opposed to this marriage and has been quite vocal in his opposition.”
“All the more reason for him to be trusted. For if he was behind an attempt on yours, or your wife’s life, would he single himself out as such?”
“Nay I suppose you are right. But he does not want her here.”
“Nor do many, but here she is and here she will stay. Most of the people here know that and will accept it in time. I believe the person or persons behind this do not reside here or near here.”
“Very well, I trust my wife and her sister and my sister.”
“That’s three. And you will still leave your brother out of it.”
“Aye, for the time being.”
“What makes you trust your sister?”
