Page 54 of Married to her Kilted Enemy

“’Tis all part of yer domain too now, Lady Lennox,” he said with a small chuckle. “And I’m happy tae share it with ye. Now, let’s get down tae some cheming’, shall we?” He let go her arm and took off his coat, hanging it over a nearby branch before searching the ground with his eyes.

“What are ye lookin’ fer?”

“This,” he said, bending down to pick up a stick. “This’ll do fine for a dirk while we’re practicin’. If ye do well, I’ll get ye yer own dirk,” he promised, to her obvious pleasure.

“Thank ye. I’ll wear it in me garter whenever I go out without ye,” she replied,

pulling the wooden dirk he had given her from her waistband. “I suppose this’ll have tae dae until then.”

Odhrán stood a few feet away, looking her up and down. “I’ve never taught a lass tae fight before, and I’ve never fought in a dress,” he said, making Maddison burst out laughing.

“With yer pretty looks, I’m sure ye’d look very fine,” she joked.

“I dinnae plan on tryin’ any time soon, so dinnae hold yer breath,” he warned her, smiling. “Fightin’ in skirts presents some interestin’ challenges,” he admitted. “For instance, I think the first thing tae dae before ye engage the enemy is tae kilt up yer skirts. That’ll work if ye keep yer blade in yer garter.”

“All right,” Maddison agreed, doing as he instructed.

“And say if ye have a shawl or a coat with ye, if ye have time, ye can wrap that around yer blade arm, tae protect it.”

“All right.” She nodded.

“Good. Now, let me show ye how tae hold yer blade.” He went up to her, and for the next ten minutes or so, he showed her how to use her wrist to maneuver the blade to either slash or stab her assailant. When he was satisfied she had grasped the concept, he stood back. “Now, ye’re gonnae have tae dae a lot of chemin’—”

“I thought I was learnin’ how tae fight. I already ken how tae dance,” she jested, enjoying herself immensely.

“—tae avoid yer attacker, cheming’ ’tis a man, of course. It seems that ye’re at a disadvantage, being a woman and so small, with nae much reach. He’ll seem superior from that point of view. But ye can use those things to help ye overcome yer foe if ye ken how tae dae it right,” he continued.

“Like ye did with that young soldier back there? I saw how ye leaned intae the blows,” Maddison said, recalling the butchery. It had been shocking to witness, to see Odhrán’s ability to mete out such brutal violence without a second thought. But she knew it had been necessary and was thankful for his ferocity and skill in battle.

“So, what d’ye think ye could use tae yer advantage?” he asked, folding his arms.

“Um, I’m quick on me feet,” she volunteered.

“Aye, good.”

“I’m a woman, so he’ll nae be expectin’ me tae fight back,” she suggested. “That means I could catch him off guard.”

Odhrán smiled. “Excellent. I have a feelin’ ye’re gonnae be very good at this. Now, another thing ye need apart from bein’ light on yer feet, is what d’ye think?”

Maddison frowned. “I dinnae ken,” she finally admitted after some thought.

“The will tae win. If ye dinnae use yer fear and try yer hardest tae win, ye’ll probably wind up badly injured or dead. Ye have tae want tae win.”

She nodded her understanding, gaining a small but valuable insight into his combative mindset.

“Next thing is yer stance. As I said, ye’ll be doin’ a lot of bobbin’ and chemin’’ tae keep yer enemy on his toes, so ye’ll need tae keep yer knees flexible and yer feet apart, like this. That way ye can move fast and feint left and right, back and forth, and so on, avoidin’ his blows while, hopefully, sneakin’ in some of yer own.” He demonstrated, watching closely while Maddison tried her best to mirror his movements.

“If ye have the chance, take note of what sort of ground yer fightin’ on too. Ye might be able tae use it tae knock him off balance and gain an advantage that way. At the very least, it might buy ye enough time tae get away tae safety,” he advised.

“Ach, God, how am I gonnae remember all this?” Maddison cried, wondering if she had bitten off more than she could chew.

“Ye’ll remember all right if ye’re fightin’ fer yer life,” Odhrán told her. “That’s when ye have tae let yer killer instinct come out and nae hesitate. Besides, this is only yer first lesson. With enough practice, yer body will remember fer ye, so ye’ll nae even have tae think about it.”

“I’ve never hurt or killed anyone before,” she said worriedly, genuinely having second thoughts. “I’m nae sure I could dae it.”

Odhrán thought for a moment, then he said, “Just imagine, Maddy, when ye were locked up in that dungeon back at the castle. Say ye had had a chance tae get out and ye had had a knife and had had tae fight me tae escape. D’ye think ye would have given up? Or would ye have tried yer best tae kill me or at least slow me down.”

She did not even have to think about the answer. “Aye, I would have tried tae kill ye for sure,” she admitted, recalling her vengeful fury at her incarceration.