Chapter 156

Frang had walked up and heard Isobel's last comment. He laughed to hear it. He'd finished critiquing the battle for Thorburn's troops and they'd followed him up. "Do you hear that, lads. My wife is afraid to give away her secrets to the point where it only takes two or three of you to do her in."

A bunch of them laughed. "Please, Lady Isobel," one said, "all the others are laughing at us for getting killed so easily by two lasses. Tell us what you can."

"Just tell them they're welcome to try themselves if they think it's so easy," Isobel said.

A bunch of them laughed at that. Stuart and Teárlag had climbed down from the platform and hurried over and Stuart grabbed up Ailene and swung her around.

"My dear wife," he said, "I didn't know you'd become so good. It was amazing. I've never seen anything like it."

"I'm not that much better," Ailene said, "honest. But I do think this new training is bringing out the best in me. I've taken to it like a duck to water."

"It doesn't matter," Teárlag said, "how you did it. The fact you did is a miracle." She hugged Isobel, then Ailene. "You give me hope. I only wish I could do what you did."

"I think you have to tell us how you did it," Bjarkë said. "I know how some of it works, but not all."

Ailene laughed. "I don't know why we should give up all our secrets, but okay, I'll tell you what I can. The first day I came out here, I was facing a man I'd been beating regularly. He's good, but I was better. He'd come out here twice before, so he was used to this training ground in a way I wasn't. I was advancing on him like I usually did. He retreated over a log and I went after him. When I had one leg over the log and the other behind it, he launched a fast attack and I was stuck, unable to retreat or advance. I tried to go backward and tripped and he killed me. I realized that on a field like this one, it didn't matter who was the better warrior. A lesser opponent could beat you if they understood the terrain better. And if I was the better warrior, I could be even more effective than usual if I could use it to my advantage.

"Afterward, Isobel and I walked all over the training field and looked at every single change that was made. We looked at each fence, barrel, rock, limb and ditch and wondered how each thing could be utilized. How a rock or limb could be thrown at someone's head to make them duck. How certain choke points forced people to crowd together and approach you one or two at a time instead of all at once. How some walls kept people from surrounding you. How some gully's or ditches made you look down at your footing instead of your opponent. Then we talked about how those different things might be used.

"To launch our attacks when the opponent was distracted by a thrown object, or their footing, or when an obstacle made it hard to swing their weapon. I know where every misstep can occur and how to avoid it myself or force someone else into it. I can't say I've memorized it all, but I recognize it when I see it. If I see where I have an advantage, I take it. If I don't, I retreat until I see a point where I do. I avoid situations where you can surround me or come at me from different directions. I try to take on only one or two people at a time, especially where it's hard for both to have full mobility. If two of you are crossing a ditch, I go after the one just come out of the ditch, while the other one is still worried about getting out of the ditch. Perhaps I can get the first one before the second is ready to help. At this point, it's recognition of situations that benefit me and not you."

"So everyone can learn this part of it, Lady Cameron," one of the defeated asked.

"I think so. If you work at it. Isobel and I make a point of looking at everyplace and everything now to see where we might be able to exert an edge over an opponent if forced to. It's becoming second nature to us now. The second part of the equation is not so easy to define. Isobel and I seem to be of one mind out here. I understand what she wants to do and how she'll do it and how it will help me do the thing I want to do. I can't explain it any better than that. I suspect if you fight with two or three people regularly, you'll begin to know what they'll do before they do it and it will help you become better together; in a way you can't be with a stranger. It's like the sum is greater than the parts. I have another suggestion, Bjarkë."

"Aye, what's that?"

"Change the training field every day in small ways, and every week in larger ways. Move stuff around. You shouldn't be able to memorize where things are and use it like that. We should be trained to recognize things in different configurations. Even if it's different, it's the same. It has the same uses it did before, even when unfamiliar. Recognize the patterns, not the specifics."

"Good suggestion, lass."

"You're welcome, uncle."

"I see the benefit of this training, Bjarkë," Thorburn said. "I'll institute it at the Keep. Ailene, I agree with Frang and Bjarkë you no longer have to stay here to continue your training. You'll be returning with us, which will make Stuart much easier to live with. I'll use your expertise to help us set up our own training program. Please pack your things. We'll be heading home after lunch. I'd like to have another meeting before we go. Can you please arrange it, Frang?"

"We'll be ready in an hour, Thorburn."

"I've considered Ailene's plan and I believe it has much merit," Thorburn said. He glanced at Stuart sharply to still the objection he knew was coming. "There are certain things we must do before we decide to proceed fully with the plan. First, I'd like to say I was surprised it was Ailene who came up with the plan, and not myself, but after seeing Ailene at practice today, I'm much less surprised. She's got the rare ability to look for every advantage she can. I'd never have considered using a woman as bait knowing what Blackthorne's like, and she did. But she didn't do it blindly, she knows it can't be anyone, it has to be someone with trade value who Blackthorne would not kill out of hand. I admire her more than I can say to offer herself." He paused and looked at Ailene. "I'm not willing to go forward with this unless certain conditions are met. I don't want to lose this wonderful woman any more than Stuart does."

He looked around at all the faces watching him; Stuart, Ailene, Bjarkë, Frang and Teárlag. "First, all this must happen before Teárlag must report again. Second, we must check the tunnel again, actually go in it to ensure it remains available to use. We must do this two days before we allow Ailene to be taken. If it's unusable and Blackthorne has her and we can't save her; I don't even want to think about the consequences. Then a constant watch must be placed upon it to ensure nothing changes. The only one's I'd trust for the job is Bjarkë or Frang. Next, we need to make sure no one can support Blackthorne if we burst in on him. Bjarkë will lead an attack on the manor right after Ailene's taken to keep his men occupied.

"Next, we must make Blackthorne believe Teárlag is his only reliable source of information about us. Starting today, we pass erroneous information through every other spy we've identified, and good, reliable information through Teárlag. If we're to spring our trap as we want, he has to implicitly believe all he hears from her, and nearly nothing from any other source. She will be the means by which Ailene is taken and as a bonus, give us a person on the inside who might be able to help us should any of our plans go awry. Teárlag, this means you must be taken with her. I'm sorry. Your value to him as a spy ended when you arrange to surrender Ailene to him. He'll know that and you won't be able to return here."

"If Ailene can offer herself to Blackthorne, then I can go with to help her."

"Thank you. I'm hoping he will be so overjoyed to have Ailene, he will ignore you, especially as you've given him what he wants. We will discuss the forms of the information to be passed before we end the meeting."

He continued. "We will take the magistrate with us. If for any reason we cannot do as we plan, perhaps a representative of the king's authority will give Blackthorne pause before doing something so bad it cannot be undone." Thorburn paused again. "I can't stress this enough. We're all taking a huge risk if we do this. First is the danger to Ailene, which can't be underestimated, but the second is we could all lose our homes. If it comes to it, I will trade Cameron Keep and I imagine, Frang would happily surrender Lady Luck Farm, to get Ailene back if we can't rescue her. Bjarkë and I have survived as mercenaries before, and can do so again. Frang can earn a living gambling if he must, to hear him talk about it. The ones most hurt by surrendering the Keep are Stuart and Ailene, as it's the only home he's ever had and the only home they've had together, but I know Stuart would sacrifice himself to save Ailene, so he'll make do. I also feel for our people. The ones who've supported us. We know what Blackthorne did to Achnadrish and we've no idea what he'll do if he takes over our properties. Many of them might also lose their homes. I wish it weren't so, but there it is. Has anyone else got any more to add?"

No one said anything.

"I'm sorry, Stuart. If I saw any other way to do this in the time we have, I wouldn't risk Ailene. I wouldn't do it now, if I hadn't seen what she did on the training grounds this morning. She's the cleverest lass I've ever met and the wiliest warrior. I believe her skill gives her a chance we didn't have before. Hopefully, it's us doing the rescuing of her and not the other way around. I hope you understand."

Ailene put her hand on Stuart's. "Please, love. You know how badly I want to end this. Don't fight it. Help me get ready. It's like drilling the hole in my head. It's meant to save me, not hurt me."

He put his hand over hers. "I'm deathly afraid, Ailene, but I'll do as you want." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Here's the information the spies here at Lady Luck must start passing to Blackthorne." He carefully went over all they must erroneously pass on and when Blackthorne should learn it.