The Daring Twin - Donna Fletcher Page 0,30
wondered over his question and worried over her aching heart.
Chapter 12
The horn sounded late that night when the village had been just about tucked in for a good night’s sleep. It roused everyone in minutes, the men running to their posts, the women rushing the children to the safety of the keep while other women prepared to defend against fires.
“Raiders from the north,” Kirk shouted as Tarr burst out of the keep, claymore in hand.
Fiona and Aliss were close behind him.
“Remain in the keep,” he ordered as he ran to issue orders to his men.
Aliss turned a knowing glance on her sister. “Do what you must. I will be ready to tend the wounded, though make certain you are not one of them.”
Fiona with sword in hand hurried to help defend Tarr’s land.
She knew at first glance that the raiders were more barbarians than skilled warriors, but then they could prove a far worse adversary since they cared little for life. They lived to war. Tarr’s men handled them well, but the sheer volume of warriors made fighting difficult. You would just finish with one and two more would appear. That was how the barbarians won their battles, by flooding their enemy with a plethora of warriors.
Fiona kept her eye on Tarr’s back while she fought with a skill uncanny for a woman. Some thought it a natural ability while others thought her in league with the devil, for no woman possessed such remarkable talent with weapons.
Her heart jumped with fear when she saw blood splattered across Tarr’s naked chest, but he remained firm on his feet, which meant the blood belonged to his enemy.
She returned her attention to the battle, soon fighting off two large men, her temper growing with each thrust of her sword. They were large and strong and gave a good fight, but Fiona outmaneuvered them at each turn.
She caught one’s arm with her blade and turned to finish the other when a third suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Before she could swing her weapon, his sword descended on her.
Steel clashed against steel and a powerful fist crashed into the warrior’s jaw, dropping him to the ground. Before she could take the other warrior down, Tarr’s sword swung, felling him in one swift blow.
She was about to thank him when a warrior raced up behind Tarr, her wide eyes warning him just in time, and another warrior fell.
The thick muscles tensed in his sweaty and blood-covered chest as he reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Get yourself to a safe place.”
“I am in a safe place, beside you,” she said, and pressed her cheek to his before returning to battle.
The night wore on with torches one right after the other igniting thatched rooftops, and the clash of steel echoing in the darkness. Fiona’s skin turned to gooseflesh when she saw her sister along with other women creep onto the battlefield and drag the wounded to safety.
Victory was close, the last of the barbarians running off knowing defeat was imminent, when suddenly a large warrior wearing a wolf’s headdress that near covered his entire face emerged from the darkness on a mare as white as freshly fallen snow and, with arrow in hand, plunged it into Tarr.
Fiona was too far away to help or to see how badly he was wounded, but she let loose with a bloodcurdling scream and advanced on the retreating warrior. Neither she nor Tarr’s men could catch the half wolf, half man, and he was swallowed by the darkness that had spit him out.
Fiona was rushing to his side while her eyes frantically searched for her sister; Aliss was approaching. Fiona made it there first and pushed the men gathered around their chieftain out of her way.
Fiona dropped to the ground beside him. The arrow had gone straight through his arm several inches above his elbow. It would take tremendous strength to deliver such a powerful blow with a single hand.
His men already argued about who would pull the arrow out while Tarr shouted orders to secure the boundaries of the village.
Fiona silenced all when she shouted, “Quiet.” Then she methodically issued clear orders on what the men were to do. They quickly obeyed once their chieftain nodded his approval.
Aliss kneeled beside Tarr.
“It cannot be removed yet,” Fiona said calmly.
Aliss agreed with a nod after a quick assessment. “We must examine the possible damage before anything is done.”
Fiona looked to Kirk who had returned after seeing that the men had begun carrying