175

While Ailene and Blackthorne talked, Thorburn was conferring with his brothers to see if there was anything they might do, from joining their soldiers, investing the Manor in a siege, and sending for help from the King's armies. Everything imagined would take too long and allow too much harm to come to Ailene and Teárlag. Frang asked the magistrate, "If we sign over our lands to Blackthorne, could we get it reversed because it was coerced?"

"Possibly, but it would take years and in the meanwhile, Blackthorne will hold your property and you'd be bereft of funds. With the wealth he held and your lack of funds to fight it, I suspect you'd lose."

"We have to do something," Stuart said. "We can't let him have the women."

"And we won't," Thorburn replied. "We knew this was a possibility when we undertook the plan. We'll sign them over. I won't let him harm them."

"I'm sorry I did not investigate the maid's death when you brought her to me," Lancaster said. "I did not realize what a monster Blackthorne was and only thought of the trouble to me of looking into the matter."

"It doesn't help us now," Thorburn said. "Blackthorne," he yelled, "we'll do it. We'll surrender our lands and estates to you in return for both Ailene and Teárlag. Leave them alone. You've won."

"Of course I've won," Blackthorne said, "but you misunderstand my offer. My offer is for Lady Ailene only. I promised Teárlag what would happen to her if she betrayed me. I'm a man of my word, Thorburn. She remains here and if there's any part of her remains alive in a year, you can have what's left. It's Lady Ailene only or nothing. I have plenty of time while you make up your mind. I think I shall introduce Lady Ailene to a certain little whip Teárlag appreciates. Her breasts are such a tempting target."

They heard a crack and Ailene screamed piteously. "Have the papers drawn up and delivered to me here at the Manor and I shall release Lady Ailene to you relatively unharmed. It will only be five soldiers a day fucking her until the papers are in my hand. My captain, Ian is particularly anxious to make her acquaintance since she killed fifteen of his men and wounded him. He believes she needs a little taming. I'm certain he's right." Another crack and Ailene screamed sharply. "That one landed on her cunt. Perhaps we can leave a little bastard in her belly. Something to remember us by."

"You're a fucking demon from hell," Ailene gasped, having recovered the breath lost expelling it during her scream.

"Perhaps," Blackthorne said, whipping her breasts once more, causing her to scream again.

"Agree, fucking agree," Stuart said. "I can't let Ailene suffer anymore. Agree to anything."

"You'd leave Teárlag here to suffer that bastard's torments?"

"I don't want to," Stuart exclaimed, "but it's my wife he's whipping. I can't leave her there, I can't!"

Thorburn and Frang looked helplessly at one another.

Suddenly, Teárlag started yelling at Blackthorne. "Of course I betrayed you, you fucking monster! You want to know why? Because you're a piteous excuse for a man. No wonder Beatrix chose Jamison. You've a pathetic prick. Even my elderly husbands could fuck better than you." The Cameron's heard a crack again, but it was Teárlag who screamed, not Ailene.

"Thorburn's a real man," she said, fighting her pain. "Fucking him was wonderful. God, he was wonderful. He made me feel like a woman. I would have been his whore if he asked." The whip struck again, and she screamed, but continued to speak through her pain. "I would have fucked him on the streets of Dervaig if he wanted me. I almost sucked his cock in front of the Bishop and Magistrate at his brother's wedding." Another crack. "Don't worry, Ailene; if he tries to rape you, you won't feel a thing after fucking Stuart. I doubt if you'd felt a thing if he took your virginity." Crack, a scream. "Though can he actually take your virginity if he doesn't break your maidenhood, his prick is that small." Crack, scream. "Any time Thorburn wanted me," crack, scream, "he could have me. He fucked my cunt so often," crack, scream, "and I let him cum in my cunt, Blackthorne. He poured his seed into me. I'm carrying his child. Two months now, his baby's been growing in me." Crack, crack, crack. Teárlag was hoarse now, her screaming ragged and rough. "You thought you were fucking something Thorburn thought was his. I was fucking Thorburn because I was his. He owned me, body and soul." Crack, crack, crack. Her screams were weaker now. Still they heard her. "He treated me better knowing I'd spied on him than you treated me as your future wife. I'd die for him before I'd ever become your wife."

"What the hell is she doing?" Thorburn said. "He's going to kill her."

"It's what she hopes for," Frang said, "she's taking Blackthorne's attention off Ailene and onto herself and if he kills her, our decision is made easier. We don't have to hope to save her. We can accept his offer and save Ailene."

Blackthorne was panting in front of Teárlag, tired from hitting her. At least she wasn't speaking anymore, merely whimpering.

"Do you hear that, Thorburn?" Blackthorne said, "this whore is carrying your bastard. When I start carving her up, the first thing I'll do is rip it from her womb, though I might let it grow a little longer to see if it's a boy or a girl."

Thorburn screamed and pushed against the door. In a prodigious feat of strength against the pile of dirt, he got the door to open an inch. Frantically, the others started heaving against the door as well, but despite all their efforts, it wouldn't open more than another half inch. They desisted, breathing hard from their efforts.

"Stuart," Frang whispered frantically, "I can see Ailene."

"Where?" Stuart asked, desperate to see her.

"There, through the crack in the door."

Stuart looked and saw her hanging naked from the ceiling. It was light enough he could see two stripes on her breasts from where Blackthorne whipped her. They could hear Blackthorne continue to whip Teárlag, her cries more piteous and barely heard.

"She's only being held by ropes," Frang said. "Can you shoot an arrow through this gap and release her?"

In answer, Stuart dumped his arrows on the ground and began going through them. He looked at one after the other, rejecting most, but setting a few aside.

"Where? What?" Thorburn said, looking to see what Frang had seen. "Hurry, Stuart."

"Shut up. I must find my best arrows. I have maybe two chances to free her before he ensures the door is closed again." He kept sorting, picking the two arrows with the broadest heads, the straightest shafts, and the best fletching.

"Back away from the door," he whispered.

Everyone stood back and Stuart drew back the first arrow, the second ready in his hand. It was not a great distance, but it was a small target. The bowstring went back to his ear and his focus shifted to the rope, only the rope, all else faded away, the sounds, the jumble of thoughts in his head. He drew a breath, let out half, and released. As soon as the first arrow left his hand, he was putting the second to the string. The first arrow flew true and severed half the rope. The second took out the remainder and suddenly Ailene was on the ground and scrambling for the rapier Teárlag had brought in.

Blackthorne heard both arrows strike the walls and turned to see Ailene on her feet and grabbing her sword. He pulled his own sword out, also a rapier.

"Die, bastard," Ailene screamed, going toward Blackthorne like some goddess of old, Diana or Artemis, perhaps Freyja, naked and fierce.

She quickly realized she'd made a mistake. Blackthorne was an expert with his rapier, even better than Frang. She altered her tactics, starting to throw things at him; some manacles she found lying on a table, the knife he'd used to cut off her clothes. It's too bad she'd never learned to throw knives so the points stuck. He managed to dodge, being cautious because of Ailene's reputation, but he realized he was better than she was. She surprised him by throwing things at him. It completely went against all his training. As his confidence grew, he started to press her a little. She tipped a candle stand in front of him, but he went backward instead of forward so she couldn't take advantage. Ailene was beginning to run out of things to throw or trip him with; much of it too heavy for her to handle. She tried retreating far enough Stuart could shoot him with another arrow, but he refused to be drawn into range.

He stopped, smiled at her, and waggled his finger. "Clever, Lady Ailene, but I refuse to follow where Stuart can shoot his arrows into me. You may stand over there as long as you want while I carve my monogram into Teárlag."

Ailene called to Frang, "I'm sorry, teacher, but Blackthorne's better than me. He's better than you. He's simply the better swordsman. I'm afraid this isn't going to end well."

Blackthorne shouted, "After your father beat me, Frang, I went to Europe and studied under French and Italian Master's for five years. I assumed I'd be able to kill him with the sword. It's unfortunate I had to poison him instead."

"Remember your battlefield training, Ailene," Frang called out.

"I remember, Frang. I've tried everything I could think of. I've got nothing left."

"Remember Bjarkë," Frang said, "anything you have to do to survive."