Page 17 of Highlander’s Dangerous Love

Training did not help. Bryce had never felt angrier in his life. He could feel the heat of his fury rising from his belly, up through his chest and into his throat. Uncharacteristically, he could not seem to get the upper hand with his opponents. It was as if they were taunting him, holding back just enough to keep him on edge. He was distracted, and from his view, it was all Colin’s fault. Bryce's blood boiled at the thought of his rival. That was new — he’d not thought of Colin as a rival before, but now it made sense. He pieced together all sorts of happenings in his mind. Wherever Bryce had gone, Colin was one step behind him. He wondered if that had been the plan all along — keep close to him and one day strike so he could have his moment in the sun.

As far as Bryce as concerned, Colin had already struck, with this whole business about Gemma. It was just the icing on top of the cake.

Bryce tried to push the thought out of his mind as he sparred with his opponent. But every time he looked up, he saw Colin watching from the sidelines, a smirk on his lips. It was like he knew what was going on in Bryce's head and was reveling in it. So, his anger grew with each passing moment. He could feel his muscles tensing up, ready to lash out. He wanted nothing more than to charge over to Colin and give him a piece of his mind.

But he knew he couldn't do that. He was a warrior, and he had a duty to uphold. He couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of his duty to his clan. He already hated being vulnerable in front of people. So instead, he channeled his anger into his training. He swung his sword with more force than usual, determined to show Colin and the rest of the clan that he was still the best. Unfortunately, his anger was clouding his judgment. He was making mistakes, leaving himself open to attack. That's when it happened. His opponent saw an opening and lunged forward, his sword aimed straight at Bryce's heart.

Bryce barely had time to react. He tried to raise his sword in defense, but it was too late. He felt the sharp sting of the blade as it pierced his skin. He stumbled backwards, his hand instinctively going to his chest. He could feel the warm blood seeping through his shirt, staining it red. It was not a deep wound, but enough that he would need to visit the healer yet again. He looked up to see Colin laughing, clapping his hands in mock applause.

That was it. Bryce had had enough. He charged forward, his sword raised high. He could feel his anger taking over, fueling his every move. He swung his sword with all his might, determined to take Colin down.

But Colin was quick. He dodged Bryce's swing and stepped to the side, leaving Bryce off balance. Apparently, Captain Frazier had seen enough, and stepped in, his stern face and gruff manner sizzling with annoyance.

He grabbed Bryce by the arm, holding him back.

"That’s enough, Master MacNeill. Ye ought tae be done for the day.”

Bryce struggled against the captain's grip, but he knew he was no match for the older warrior. He lowered his sword and stepped back.

“I want tae spar again. Wi’ Colin.”

“Nay,” the captain insisted. “Ye’ve had enough. I cannae have ye killin’ my warriors in training. Take a walk, aye? Clear that head o’ yers.”

Bryce didn’t want to take the Captain’s orders — not after what he knew about his sinful activities that dishonored the clan. However, everyone was looking at the two of them. Bryce did not come off as the sympathetic party in that moment. If he made this any more difficult than it already was, then he could not go through with the plans that had been brewing in his head.

He dropped his sword, letting it hit the earth with a soft thud.

“Aye. Sorry, Captain.”

“‘Tis a’right, son. Sometimes we have bad days.”

Bryce nodded at Colin in acknowledgement before he turned and left the training ground, feeling utterly powerless. Something was going to have to change.

It had been a long,strenuous day. Training had been difficult. His father worked him harder than anyone in an effort to not show favor to one particular guard. Captain Frazier did not want to be accused of coddling his son, either. So, Colin received the most difficult and physically demanding tasks, and often acted as an example or sparring partner when his father was teaching new defense methods. It did make him terribly sore, but of course, he was by far the strongest fighter and best guard. Should he ever need to, he felt as though he could easily take on three redcoats. Aberdeen was at a strategic point in Scotland; surely the time would come one day.

Yet, the training grounds had been interesting today. Bryce had clearly been distracted, and had targeted him for one reason or another. Colin tried to let it go, but it was such odd behavior. Clearly Bryce had been fueled by some latent anger. He tried to let it go; like his father had said, everyone had bad days every now and then.

For now, it was nice to rest in front of the fire with a tankard of ale. Some of the off-duty guards often did this in the evenings. There was a small area beyond the castle, close to the edge of the forest, where they often lit a fire and relaxed. In the winter, they would do this in Bryce’s chamber or in the great hall, but when the weather was so lovely, they liked to be outside as much as possible. That was where Colin found himself at the present moment — on a tree stump, next to Bryce, who perched himself on a rock. Some of the other men had disappeared into the woods to relieve themselves after having too much ale, while a couple others sat huddled around the fire. There was a slight breeze in the air, but not enough that it was a concern for the fire they’d made. It made the temperature rather perfect — just cold enough to warrant a fire but just warm enough by the fire to feel comfortable without burning. The scent of the fresh grass and the burning wood was lovely to Colin’s nose. All day, he’d smelled nothing but sweat and steel, so to have something so fresh was a relief indeed. The booze also helped him feel a little more relaxed, like his limbs were loosening up.

However nice the evening was, Colin still felt apprehensive. He needed to have the conversation with Bryce, and he was absolutely dreading it. The ale was good, but he needed something stronger in order to calm himself. One of the other men had brought a good bottle of whiskey , so Colin downed the last of his ale, then reached for the bottle and poured a good helping into his cup.

Bryce raised an eyebrow at his friend’s eagerness to drink.

“Hard day, then?” He asked.

“Isnae it always?” Colin said with just a hint of bitterness.

“Och, it cannae be that bad, can it? I’d do anything tae be out on the field again, away from lookin’ at papers and talkin’ tae people.”

“Are ye not always the one harpin’ on about responsibility?” Colin asked teasingly, although there was a hefty grain of truth to his words.

Bryce sighed deeply and muttered an “aye.”

This was a good opening, Colin realized. It was now or never.

“Bryce, we’re close. Close as brothers,” he said.

The laird’s son raised a questioning eyebrow but nodded anyway.