“Well, lads, what do we have here?”
“Looks to me like we found ourselves a bonny wee bounty.”
“Thanks for doin’ all the work for us, but we can take it from here.”
James turned, keeping Taryn at his back while he watched the men create a small circle around them. The closer they got to the fire, the more he could make out their features. Each of them were scarred and bruised. It was clear they all lived a life that dolled out violence with ease. These were hardened criminals he was dealing with, not your average raiders out in the woods.
“Sorry to disappoint ye,” James replied as casually as he could manage. “But the lass is nae leaving my side.”
“Och, do ye hear that lads?” the apparent ring leader called out. “He thinks he has a choice in the matter.”
“She is mine,” James spat through clenched teeth. “Ye are nae going to lay a single hand on her.”
“We will just have to see about that, aye?”
That was the only warning James got before the four of them launched themselves into attacking him. They came at him twoat a time, swords swinging hard and fast. James relied on every minute he ever spent training to fend them off. As soon as he managed to outmaneuver one, the next man would fill his spot.
“Ye ken yer way ‘round a sword. I’ll give ye that. But how long do ye truly think ye can hold us all off?”
James didn’t answer the question, trying to keep his mind focused on the fight. The last thing he needed was to have to track down Taryn all over again. He simply didn’t have time for this. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back harder, slashing his sword through the air. As he raised his right hand to do so, a burning pain erupted from the ribs right beneath his arm.
“Argh!”
The scream was involuntary, as was his left hand wrapping around his middle to probe the wound only to come away wet and warm.
“James,” Taryn called behind him, sounding more than a little worried. “Let me help ye! I can fight them off with ye.”
“Hear that? The lass thinks she can defend ye better than ye can.”
Grunting, James let his ire rise if only to fuel his attack. Over and over, he swung, ignoring the fire building in his side. With a decisive upper swing, he managed to disarm and knock out one of the men, but it didn’t provide the relief he was hoping for. The other three were just as ruthless, and he was running out of steam.
“Over here, laddie,” one taunted.
“Nay, nay, watch me,” another tried to distract.
“Aye, ye two keep him busy while I get the bonny lass.”
It was the threat of the last man’s words that sent a chill down James’ spine. He twisted his head to check on Taryn, whose eyes were wide with panic.
“Cut the rope, James!” she shouted. “Nay! Behind ye! He is right behind ye!”
Her warning gave James the second he needed to duck his head and spin back around, driving his sword into the gut of one of the men. A quick glance up, and he saw the sharpened point of the dead man’s sword still hanging where James’ head had been a heartbeat earlier.
With his other hand, he ripped the sword out of his opponent’s quickly fading fingers and flung it towards Taryn. It landed in the snow with a thud. He only hoped it was close enough to her that she would be able to free herself once more. He couldn’t afford to look back again, not with the remaining two men staring at him with fury in their eyes.
“Ye will pay for that,” the man closest to him sneered.
Gathering what little strength he had left, James pulled his sword free from the dead man’s gut and pointed it forward. His head was spinning, and his side was aching, but he tried not to notice any of it.
Again, the attackers came rushing at him. But this time, James struggled to keep his sword raised. His whole arm shook with the effort it took to wield the sword. As soon as the man was close enough, he stretched out his sword and cut James across the face. It wasn’t a deep wound to his flesh, but one that pierced his pride. Bearing down, James gripped the hilt of his sword until his knuckles were white and renewed the fight.
He had only managed to get a few swings in before someone came to stand beside him. It took him a split second to put together that Taryn had indeed managed to cut through her bonds once again and was fighting with him.
He was surprised that she hadn’t stolen his horse to ride off as quickly as she could. With the fight he had on his hands, it would have been the perfect chance for her to get away. He would have been too distracted to stop her, and he doubted the other two men would have noticed. They had lost interest in Taryn the moment he killed one of their friends.
“Och, so the lass does fight. Let’s see if she can hold her own.”
Taryn spun on her heel and put herself at James’ back. Her warmth washed over him, giving him strength. He found it incredibly encouraging to know that he had someone fighting with him, fighting for him in a way.
