In any case, Isadora wasn’t going to leave the Ludus Caledonia without Cam—but there would be the not-so-small task of convincing her father of it.
So, she remained, watching the training that continued for hours. Now that Cam had a bit of confidence, he was something to see. He still wasn’t exactly skilled, but he had strength and he had intelligence. She had watched his trainer go in for a few underhanded moves, but Cam either managed to dodge them or at least throw up a shield so he wouldn’t be bested.
He was learning quickly.
Midafternoon turned into late afternoon, and Isadora hadn’t even realized the passing of time until Ewan and Ossian joined her, climbing down the steep steps into the lists with food in their hands. Ossian passed her a half loaf of bread while Ewan handed her a bladder of watered wine.
Isadora took the food and drink, shoving bread into her mouth while still watching the fighting in the distance as her brothers settled in around her.
“Where is Da?” she asked, her mouth full.
“Still in the keep,” Ossian said, his pale blue eyes on the fighting in the muddy arena. “He and Clegg are having a bottle of wine between them, discussing business.”
Isadora washed down the bread with the weak, tart wine. “Clegg?”
“The man who owns this place.”
Isadora popped more bread into her mouth. “And he knows why we’re here?”
Ewan, now lying down on one of the stone benches, answered. “There are tae be fights this evening,” he said, puttingan arm over his eyes to block out the sun. “Clegg told Da that he can find someone suitable.”
Isadora stopped chewing and looked at her brothers. “There will be fighting tonight?” she asked, quite interested in the news. Her gaze inevitably trailed to Cam on the field. “Who is fighting? Did he say? Is… is everyone fighting?”
Ossian stole bread from her. “Who knows?” he said, chewing his stolen food. “He told Da that there was tae be fighting tonight. ’Tis all we heard before Da told us tae find ye and stay with ye until he was finished.”
Isadora’s focus was still on Cam, her mind envisioning what a fight with him involved might look like. If she was to convince her father that Cam was the man for them, then Niall would need to see him fight. Given what she’d seen that afternoon, that might not be such a good idea at the moment.
He wasn’t quite skilled leader material.
What the trainers couldn’t teach him, perhaps she could. She wondered if she could even get near him when his training session was over. If her father was to take Cam back to Auchnacree, then the man was going to have to perform impressively.
That didn’t give her much time.
Even as she pondered the possibility of being able to teach Cam a thing or two, she could see that the training for the day was interrupted. A very big man with tanned, leathery skin was speaking to the group as they gathered around him and, eventually, they broke up and began heading out of the arena.
She set her bread aside and stood up. She was going to find Cam.
“Stay here,” she told her brothers. “I’ll return shortly.”
“Where are ye going?” Ossian wanted to know.
His question stumped her for a moment before she pointed up the steps, to the top of the arena.
“I… I need tae find a place tae do my business,” she said. “Stop asking questions. I told ye I’d return.”
With that, she began to race up the steps so her brothers couldn’t stop her. But Ossian called after her.
“If ye’re not back soon, we’ll come a-searching for ye,” he shouted. “Dunna get lost!”
“Or fall in!” Ewan piped up.
Both brothers giggled. “I’ll not fish ye out!” Ossian said.
By that time, however, Isadora was at the top of the arena and ignoring her brothers soundly.
She had to find Cam.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
