Tarr plucked a piece from her blouse. “The choice will be mine.”
“We shall see,” she said, and yanked the hay from his fingers.
Fiona had been watching Leith while Tarr conversed with Aliss. He huddled at the end of the table with a group of men. She suspected they planned something, but what? How would he think to uncover their charade?
It did not take long for Leith to hatch his plan. Soon one of the men at the end of the table got up and joined a group of clansmen at another table near the door. It took only minutes for the man to suddenly begin moaning and complaining about his stomach until he soon collapsed to the ground, rolling and yelling in pain.
Fiona hurried to his side and with a far gentler manner than she cared to use, she proceeded to tend the supposedly ailing man. He complained viciously about awful pains in his gut. He was certain he was dying, and Fiona was all too ready and willing to send him to hell where he would know real pain.
She glanced to Aliss who attempted to conceal her concern for the ill man. Fiona’s healing skills were limited, but they were sufficient enough to handle the writhing man at her feet. Her sister would just have to trust her on this one.
Fiona noticed the way Leith had made his way to Tarr’s side and was whispering in his ear. She knew his words, though could not hear them. Leith filled his head with Aliss’s healing skills and how she would certainly know if the man was truly sick; Fiona however, would not and therefore this little farce would uncover the true twin.
The man did an excellent job at suffering and Fiona intended to do an excellent job in seeing that he healed himself.
She told him that she would cure him in no time. She grabbed a tankard of ale off the table, plucked leaves off a platter, tearing them into pieces and added them to the ale. She kneeled beside the man and helped ease him up to sit.
He moaned and groaned and held his gut.
Fiona leaned down, her lips near his ear. “I have a brew here for you. Now the problem is that if I am Aliss the brew will certainly heal you. If I am Fiona, then the brew will surely kill you. So I leave the choice to you. Drink or not to drink.”
She held the tankard to his lips.
His decision was quick. He pushed the tankard away and stood of his own volition. “I feel fine,” he said and hurried out the door.
Fiona was pleased to see Leith’s face turn red with fury, and she would not have been surprised if smoke spewed from his nostrils. Tarr on the other hand appeared impressed.
He looked ready to approach Fiona when the door opened suddenly. A stranger entered, looked over the room and, when his eyes connected with Tarr, he hurried toward him.
Tarr met him halfway, a concerned look on the warrior’s face.
“Raynor has attacked the keep.”
Tarr’s men were on their feet reaching for their weapons.
Tarr turned to Leith. “I leave shortly. Have the twins ready for the journey. They go with me. When I find out which sister is Fiona, I will wed her and return Aliss to your clan.”
Chapter 3
Fiona and Aliss were on horseback before they were given a chance to refuse. Their meager belongings had been hurriedly packed with the help of a few clanswomen, and Fiona had grabbed Aliss’s healing basket as she was rushed out the door of their cottage.
They had been placed protectively in the middle of the Hellewyk procession of warriors, riding beside each other.
“Victory is ours in the first skirmish,” Fiona said, her words for her sister’s ears alone.
“True enough, but Tarr retaliated by spiriting us away. He is not giving up; he is waging war, and he intends to win.”
“As do we. If we keep him confused he will grow frustrated and finally surrender and send us home.”
Aliss disagreed. “I do not think so. He is a warrior intent on victory.”
“Then we must remain vigilant at all times.”
“And patient,” Aliss reminded. “It will take patience to outwit Tarr.”
“I have a lot of patience,” Fiona snapped. “It is an idiot I have no patience with.”
Aliss cringed. “I can see that lack of food has made you grumpy.”
Tarr’s sudden presence interrupted any further complaints from Fiona.