Chapter 148

The following morning, Thorburn ordered his carpenter to start making a new, larger wardrobe for his room. As it was going to be too large to move through the door, the carpenter had to construct it in the room, so Bonnie would see it being made. He found Stuart and informed him of the maid's spying and finding of the map. He asked him to make another scouting expedition to Achnadrish with the scouting glass. He was to remain far away, but see if Blackthorne was fortifying, closing or abandoning the tunnel.

"How will I know?"

"If he intends to seal the tunnel, he won't need to keep any more guards there. If he intends to defend it better, there would be more guards. If all remains the same, nothing will change."

"You don't intend on coming?"

"Not if we don't intend on going inside. Remain where we were before, it's a good vantage point and fairly secure unless they start making mobile sweeps. If they do, leave. They've increased their protection. One night should do it. We'll make a thorough search of our woods before you go out so we can ensure you leave undetected. It will be a quarter moon, so expect a little more light. Move like a thief in the night and remember the moon can reflect off the glass as well as the sun."

"Aye, brother."

"We have one more thing to do," Thorburn said.

"What is it?"

"We have to throw the fear of God in some folks. Put your meanest face on and look like the nastiest bastard on the planet."

Thorburn had gathered Teárlag's servants together in the armory and Stuart and Thorburn joined them there. Stuart picked up a sharp knife and started digging the dirt from under his fingernails. Thorburn glared fiercely in their direction and he was pleased to see Teárlag's maid shivering in her shoes.

"I know most of you are aware of the enmity which exists between Blackthorne and the Cameron's. If you don't, you're stupider than you look. He's hoping to ruin us and we're looking to kill him. We know Blackthorne's attempted to recruit spies amongst our people. Every time we found one, we've cut little pieces off them until they told us everything they know, then we throw their traitorous bodies into the sea for the fishes. Stuart here is an expert at extracting information with his little knife while keeping you alive as long as humanly possible." Stuart raised the knife and slowly drew the dull edge against his throat while grimacing with what he hoped was the meanest expression he had. "Their bodies disappear, unsanctified and unblessed by the church and I'm certain their souls linger in purgatory for an eternity, unable to find peace. Now I've decided to take your Mistress as wife, I'm sure Blackthorne will attempt to contact you. I warn you not to accept his offers or his money to spy on us for him, or you might find yourself in the same straits as those who went before. If we find you snooping around or doing anything the least bit suspicious without the direct order of me or your Mistress, expect no mercy. You've been properly warned. Now get out of here."

Stuart waved his knife at them as they scurried out of the armory.

"Nice touch with the knife," Thorburn said. "They couldn't take their eyes of it."

"Thank you. Do you think it worked?"

"It might prevent or slow any direct prying, though I fully expect they'll continue to report anything freely discovered."

Just before dark, Thorburn left a massive sweep of the woods surrounding the Keep, finding two spies he made sure died screaming. He hoped their screams could be heard by Teárlag's servants and keep any other spies in the woods with their heads buried in the dirt so Stuart could make his way through undetected. As soon as he was sure Stuart was gone, they returned to the Keep and he made a point of putting the heads of the two spies on spikes as further warning. He'd dispose of them the following evening after a full day of staring sightlessly into the courtyard for all to see.

When he went to bed that night, Thorburn found Teárlag in bed asleep. Good, there needed to be no pretense to having sex again, which he'd found troubling.

While he didn't expect Blackthorne to replace the two spies until they failed to report back, he made another search of the woods around eleven in the morning, just before Stuart was due to return. Nothing was found, and Stuart returned unscathed. Stuart said there appeared to be no changes made to the guards. He'd stayed long enough to watch the morning guards taking up their positions before stealthily slipping back into the trees. It was the same number and returned to the same positions. It appeared Blackthorne didn't know the Cameron's were aware of his secret entrance.

The days following tended to a certain pattern. Thorburn would train with the men a couple hours every morning, and later, Stuart would work with the archers after the courtyard was cleared. They would have lunch, Thorburn pretending to be besotted of his fiancé, holding her hands, whispering, kissing her frequently, then both men would conduct the business of the estate. Supper would be a repeat of the noon meal, Thorburn making a great show of his love. Teárlag appearing overjoyed at his attentions, but Stuart realized her face was a mask covered with a smile, with a deep sadness beneath. After supper, Stuart and Thorburn would discuss various plans to get Blackthorne, all of them rejected for one reason or another. Then Thorburn would disappear for several hours. Teárlag would go to bed and Thorburn would come to bed later. Sometimes he would whisper to her what she should tell her maid and they spent over half an hour discussing what her next report to Blackthorne should say. She sent a servant and driver out in her carriage, purportedly to check on her house in Dervaig, in reality going to Blackthorne's to report.

Every third or fourth night, Teárlag would make Thorburn pleasure himself while she squealed her joy at being fucked. She was creative. Sometimes she would yell for him to leave his cum in her ass; others to let her swallow his rich cream. Other times, she was less specific, merely screaming her delight at his big cock.

While Thorburn never enjoyed sleeping with Teárlag in his bed, the nights they pretended to have sex were always the worst. To have her lying with her face against the wall while she yelled her delight at his fucking while he stroked himself made him feel ill. He both remembered the times when her screams were real or he believed them to be real, and ashamed he was playing these love games when he despised her. When he finished, she continued to lie with her face away from him, unmoving. He would sometimes waken with his arms around her and he'd quickly disengage, ashamed he'd sought her comfort in his sleep. Teárlag continued to play the role of new fiancé well, never giving herself away by word or deed, but Thorburn sensed the same sadness Stuart had. He was sorry they had to play the roles, sure it was as difficult for her as it was for him, though she never said a word. He knew she hadn't yet taken over any of the duties as Lady of the House. He was unaware of how she spent her days. He never asked and she never said.

She never asked if he'd devised a plan to save her. Before the next market day, she asked once and once only if he'd kill her before she must return to Blackthorne's. He said he was still working on plans to obviate something so radical. She nodded and left. Her question left him deeply disturbed and he asked the cook if there were any knives missing in the kitchen. When she said all her knives were accounted for, he recalled she'd had her own house with plenty of knives in the kitchen and it might not only dresses she'd brought to the Keep. It left him with a heartfelt sadness to know how little she valued her life now.

"Today, I want to you to work against Bjarkë with axes," Frang said. "But before you work with him, I'm going to demonstrate some things for you."

Isobel and Ailene looked at each other, then Ailene said, "Aye. We were wondering what we'd be doing today."

"From events yesterday, there's not much more we can teach you about swords. You need to maintain your skill levels with constant practice, but I'd put you up against nearly anyone with a sword with relative confidence you'd be the winner. There's still lot's of men who use an axe, so I want you understanding all I can teach you. I've not faced any axemen myself. I've only fought duels and axes are not usually chosen for a duel, but it's got certain aspects common to all weapons, no matter what. Bjarkë, please show the lasses the axes they're most likely to see men use."

"Aye. This big one with the long handle is called a poleax, pollaxe, or sometimes a halberd or heche if you're a Frenchie, like Frang here. It's not used much anymore. Large armies clashing together would use them, particularly armored. It was designed to bash through armor, which most don't use anymore. The length of the handle lets you get a lot of speed in the head so it can go through armor, break a shield, even the arm holding the shield. It's got points on both ends though, to stab with, so it can be used like a lance, but the axe part can be used to trip or upend and opponent like this." He put the axe end behind Frang's leg and tugged on it to show how he could pull his leg up. "If you ran into one weapon like it, I'd be surprised, so we're not going to teach you how to defend against it, but your best defense is avoiding the swing and getting inside the axe head before it comes back.

"This one incorporates the same head on a shorter handle. You might run across one of these. I've seen it a bunch of times. You're closer to your opponent, but you can still stab with either end, swing it like a mace or axe depending on which side you use, trip opponents, and possibly even throw it, like this." Bjarkë threw it at a large plank and sunk the axe deep into the wood.

"When you throw it, you've surrendered your weapon, but it might be necessary to save a friend beset by foes, so most axe men carry more than one. Some fellows carry a shield and axe, some carry two axes and either is used to block with while the other is used to strike. The most common axe you'll come against is this one." He showed them a simple axe on a straight handle about fifteen to eighteen inches long. "My ancestors used this frequently. It's how we terrorized most of Europe for hundreds of years." He threw it against the plank, planting it deep in the wood and pulled out another from his belt. "It too can be thrown to extend the reach. It can be lighter than a claymore if the handle is wood, or as heavy as you want to make it. Thorburn is devastating with this weapon. He uses axes in both hands and he's so strong, they're like twigs in his hands. If he hits you, it crushes whatever he hits, in addition to the blade going deep.

"He can throw it, block, parry, swing both ways side to side, overhead, underhand, trip you, then stomp you. Even with dulled blades, you can break bones and crush skulls, so we don't train it. Too many injuries." He hefted the axe. "This one's dulled, so hopefully I won't do damage to Frang here as we demonstrate. Put your blade up, nephew and let's show them."

Frang held up his blade.

"The sword gives you more reach," Bjarkë said, "so the axeman wants to get inside your blade. If he's got two, he'll try to knock your blade aside like this." He showed them with Frang's blade. "Step inside close like this." He stepped into Frang. "And bring another down like this." He swung his other arm down like he had one in his hand. "Or if he's got only the one, come backhand into the body, or trip you, like so, then swing." He showed them how the moves looked in slow motion, Frang cooperating to show the moves. "You don't want an axeman inside your point. You're helpless if he is, unless you have a knife to stick him with in your other hand."

Frang said, "It's important to remember this. It's part of your best defense against the axe. Don't let him get inside your point. You've got a reach advantage, use it. Retreat, retreat, retreat, if necessary. Don't let him hit your blade and knock it aside. Move the blade to avoid the sweep, but remember, he's got the whole of the head to knock your blade aside, and it's wide and you may have to move your blade more to avoid it than you would another sword. Let's show them, Bjarkë."