Frederick did. He found himself gazing up into two serious and unkind faces. Both men had dark hair and were rather short and wiry, though one was clean-shaven and one had a mat of a beard on his face. The man with the beard spoke.
“The mention of Black Castle is not taken well around here,” he said. “Tell me your name and no lies, or I will feed you to the dogs.”
Frederick gazed back with dulled eyes. “Sir Frederick ?g Branach,” he said. “My cousin is Devlin de Bermingham.”
The man with the beard gazed down at him a moment before shaking his head in disbelief. “My soldiers told me that,” he said. “But I cannot believe you would be foolish enough to come here and announce it. Do you have a death wish, man?”
Frederick tried to shake his head but it was difficult to move. “I am no longer loyal to Black Sword,” he said. “I have come to make a deal with you.”
“What kind of deal?”
“Untie me, feed me, and I shall tell you.”
The two men standing over Frederick looked at each other as if silently debating the request. There was wariness there but there was also curiosity. After a moment, the man with the beard motioned to a few other men Frederick couldn’t see, men standing out of his line of sight, who then reached down and lifted him roughly off the ground.
The world rocked unsteadily as they plopped Frederick onto a bench. Someone cut the bindings off his arms while someone else bent down to cut the bindings off his ankles. Just as the leather ties around his ankle fell away, Frederick lashed out a big boot and kicked the man who had cut his legs free in the face, knocking the dirk out of his hand. Quick as a flash, he grabbedthe dirk, and the man he had kicked, and held the blade to the man’s throat.
“So you see fit to treat me like an animal when I come to you with information about your greatest enemy?” he hissed. “I was always told you were a bunch of brainless barbarians and I would say from my treatment, those rumors were true. Do you not even try to seek out a man’s business before you beat him nearly to death?”
The two dark-haired men who seemed to be the leaders stood by patiently. No one made a move. The man with the beard finally spoke.
“My name is Daniel O’Byrne,” he said, then indicated the other dark-haired man standing next to him. “This is my son, Brandon. I would know what you’ve come here for before I put a blade in your belly.”
“Put a blade in my belly and you’ll never know the secret of Black Sword.”
“And what do you want in exchange for this secret?”
“Command of Black Castle when you take her.”
Daniel lifted his eyebrows, half in disbelief, half in curiosity. “What makes you think we’ll take her?” he asked. “We laid siege to the place for almost a week and were unable to breach her walls.”
“Tell me we have a bargain or I will not speak. I will leave here and you will never see me again.”
Daniel glanced at his son, who cast him a look of caution, before continuing. “We will come to an agreement but I am not sure Black Castle will be a part of it,” he said. “I have many fine men who I would chose to command Black Castle over a man who claims to be a kin to Black Sword.”
Frederick hardened. “You will agree to put me in command of Black Castle when you breach her because I guarantee you will breach her with information I provide.”
Daniel O’Byrne had been a warrior for almost thirty years. He had seen his share of hardship and of battle. He had also seen his share of traitors, of which this man evidently was. Traitors made him ill; he may have been a barbaric warrior, a knight of the lowest and most brutal form, but he could not tolerate treachery from men who had given their oath to others, even if that man was his worse enemy.
Already, he didn’t like this man but he wanted whatever information he had, providing it wasn’t a lie. It was quite possible that Black Sword had sent this man to trick him. He would have to proceed carefully.
“You cannot have everything your own way,” Daniel finally said. “If you want to make a bargain, then you will have to accept terms from me as well.”
Frederick didn’t like that answer and his grip on the dirk, and his captive, tightened. “I want a guarantee that I will command Black Castle after you confiscate it.”
Daniel could see he wasn’t going to get anywhere unless he promised the man what he wanted. Well, at least told him he could have it. He wasn’t about to promise a traitor, and an enemy, anything and still keep his word.
“Fine,” he said shortly. “If that is all you want, then that is what you shall receive. Now tell me what this information is? Are the heavens about to open up and reveal a revelation?”
Frederick didn’t let go of the dirk or the man; he continued to hold them both but not as tightly as before.
“Swear it,” he said.
“I don’t swear,” said Daniel.
“Swear it upon your mother!”
“I most certainly don’t swear on my mother,” Daniel said, his patience fading. “Tell me your business or I’ll order my men to kill you.”
