Page 23 of A Rogue and a Noble Lass

“Da, if I dinnae ride with ye then I am gaeing tae find a way tae sneak out. Allan and Elliot need us. They need my bow. Ye cannae keep me here. Better I should gae with ye then ye can protect me yerself,” she said, and was already thinking of a hundred different reasons about why it was best to take her into battle.

Ryan sighed.

“I thought ye would come tae me. I ken I cannae stop ye, but I need tae ken ye are safe.” He then turned to Logan and looked him directly in the eye. “Make sure she is safe. Make sure she returns tae the Keep, nae matter what. Yer only task is tae keep her alive, dae ye understand?” he said in solemn words.

“Aye,” Logan said, his voice thick with emotion.

Beitris looked indignant. “I dinnae need someone tae protect me. Besides, with a bow I shall be at the rear.”

“I dinnae think ye will stay at the rear. I ken ye, Beitris,” Ryan said. Beitris humped. “These are my terms. If ye accept, then ride with me.”

Beitris knew that she wasn’t going to get another offer, so she accepted. She called for servants to fetch her bow and cloak. Quivers of arrows were already waiting on her horse. They wasted no time in riding out, with a sea of Knox warriors behind their backs.

Ryan rode ahead of them. Logan was close beside her. The rhythm of the horse thundered between her legs and she continually looked over at Logan.

Was it Warnock? Had Logan been wrong in his estimation that this battle would not warrant Warnock’s attention? They both had people they worried about. For her it was Allan and Elliot above all. Even though they could be annoying they were still her brothers and she loved them. For him it was Brody, a friend who had saved his life and endured hardships. If anything happened to Brody she knew that Logan would blame himself, and she found herself pitying him.

And then she thought of what might happen after the battle.

She could feel herself becoming closer to Logan. It was dangerous to trust him, to get close to him… She hadn’t been lying when she said she had no great desire to marry. It was just another way in which she could be different from her family, and her parents would certainly wish for a nobler match than a warrior.

Was she merely attracted to him because she knew it would rile her family, or was there something deeper?

Either way, she was pensive as she rode into battle because she could not bear thinking about Logan perishing in battle. He had made a vow to protect her, and now she found herself silently vowing to protect him, no matter what.

Logan pulled his cloak over his head as they rode into battle. Like so many other villages before, this one was aflame. The fire hadn’t reached every building yet and he could see that some warriors and villagers were trying to douse the flames. Smoke drifted in the air, a thin haze rather than a thick mist. It wasn’t strong enough to cling to his throat yet, but he felt as though he was choking anyway.

If any of Warnock’s men saw him they would raise the alarm, expose him to the Knox army, and try to take him back home.

Logan shuddered at both prospects.

Warnock was nowhere to be seen. Logan scanned the battlefield and saw Brody fighting off some men. He darted nimbly and danced upon an upturned wagon, his sword flashing with flamboyant strikes.

Beitris took her position and started firing arrows. They sang through the air and her aim was unerring. While he had disparaged the bow before, he could not deny her skill. Ryan charged in, bellowing his sons’ names, although Allan and Elliot were hard to find. In the distance, he could hear Donal barking out orders.

Logan then realized that people were looking at him. As second in command he needed to lead. He directed some warriors to bolster the others, reminding them to keep formation and remember their training. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Brody leap into the air, dodging an attack from the two men in front of him. As Brody landed his foot broke through the wood and he was unbalanced.

“Brody!” Logan cried out desperately.

Beitris turned. Their eyes met.

She nodded, giving him permission to go.

She wasn’t in the thick of battle. She would be fine. She fired an arrow. One of the men in front of Brody sank to the ground, clutching the arrow that pierced his neck. The other one was still standing, flailing his sword upon Brody, who was struggling to defend himself.

Logan charged in, roaring like a lion. The man turned. Logan swiped his sword through the air, knocking the other man’s away. Then, he charged with his full weight and shoved the man aside. Logan fell upon him and plunged his sword into the man’s chest before turning to Brody. He thrust out a hand.

“Well, about time ye joined me,” Brody said, wincing as he lifted his foot out of the jagged hole.

“What are ye thinking, dancing when ye should be fighting?”

Brody shrugged. “I thought I would put on a show,” he replied. “Look, now is yer chance.”

Brody peered beyond Logan’s shoulder. Logan turned to see Ryan fighting through the enemy forces. Logan pulled his hood up. It had fallen down when he ran forward. He stroked his chin.

“Better tae be done with this. In the chaos of battle naebody will blame ye.”

“They will nae ken.”