Highland Escape - Cathy MacRae Page 0,67
or dropped them to their knees with a joint lock, the men’s eyes rounded with disbelief.
Knowing they would be sore the next day, Anna called a halt in time to eat. She shot Duncan a smiling glance, noticing his brooding scowl had returned. Scrunching her brow in confusion, she let it pass. Like the night before, he would tell her what was on his mind if he wished.
As they all tucked into their meal, Malcolm spoke up. “Forgive me, Anna, if I am ill-mannered, but my curiosity has gotten the best of me. Where did ye get yer fighting knowledge? Ye have a collection of skills none of us ’ave seen before.”
Anna glanced at Duncan sitting next to her, mild surprise on his face. She knew he had the same questions, as did every MacGregor who’d ever witnessed her fight, though he’d not pressed for information. Considering how to answer, she glanced around the fire at the faces, all anticipating her response.
Taking a deep breath, she explained about Master Zhang and how he came to be in her father’s service. She described his teachings in great detail, from the healing arts to the armed and unarmed combat. She described the weapons and the games of strategy he’d taught, including chess and Yi. There had been long discussions of historical battles on this land and his own, analyzing the wisdom and folly of each using maps and drawings to explain the details, showing how each decision affected the outcomes.
Anna spoke of the continual questions designed to make her consider all angles of any situation, without emotion, seeing past ruses, seeking possibilities and solutions where none seemed apparent. She recounted the mental disciplines, through meditation, difficult physical conditioning and imprisonment, elaborating on the benefits of these disciplines with a zeal that would have made Zhang proud.
She compressed almost two decades of experiences and training, ceasing when her mouth finally became dry and she reached for a wineskin. A long silence stretched before anyone spoke.
“Yer father allowed his only daughter to be imprisoned for days at a time?” Malcolm asked in disbelief.
“Yes, and it served me well when I first came here.” She motioned for Duncan to respond. He hesitantly told the men of her behavior during the five days of captivity with them. To a man, they were all shocked to hear of her treatment. They all knew she was held, but were unaware of the conditions. Iain rose with a jerk and strode away from the fire. The grimace on Duncan’s face told her he still held strong feelings about her imprisonment. Upon reflection, the anger she’d harbored had faded into a distant memory.
Anna thought about her responsibility to pass on the knowledge she had been entrusted with. Master Zhang always spoke of himself as merely another link in a long chain spanning the centuries. He said one day it would be her turn to be such a link. Before her lay the opportunity to both pass on these skills and protect her new clan.
She resolved to ask the laird’s permission to train whomever would be willing. She would contribute to the strength of clan MacGregor as best she could. Perhaps she could even convince him to allow her to teach Nessa a few skills. Just knowing she could handle a dagger would ease some of Anna’s worry once Nessa married and moved to her new home.
Wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood, Anna rose. She took a dagger and carved a rough circle at head height on a large nearby tree, with a smaller circle in the center. Uncoiling the rope dart around her waist, she began a demonstration. Anna explained its use, repeatedly hitting the target. She then put it away and showed them the throwing knife she kept hidden in her bracers, along with the steel throwing spikes.
When Duncan saw the spikes, he smiled and shook his head. Anna knew he recognized yet another weapon she’d held in her possession while captive. She quickly launched them into the target on the tree. “How about a friendly bout of knife throwing? The winner gets their pick of the watch.” Anna turned to Duncan for his permission. His smile-dimpled cheeks said yes.
The men greeted the challenge with enthusiasm. Each lined up for a turn, placing bets on the outcome. Having not seen a knife like hers before, each wanted a chance to use it.
Duncan slipped behind her and whispered in her ear. “These spikes, ye used them to