Page 31 of The Mad Highlander
He strode back the other way and replaced the torch before unsheathing his sword and coming toward her.
Panicking, she took a step back and searched the yard for any means of escape.
“Here is yer sword, lass; show me what ye can do.” He held the sword out to her and nodded toward a training dummy that had been built out of sticks, straw, and buckets.
Iris hesitated at first but gingerly reached out and took the sword, sagging a little under the weight of the blade. Whatever was going on suddenly seemed to give her a burst of excitement.
Cayden nodded and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her to face the dummy. “Dinnae try an’ lift the sword too high if its yer first time; it may take ye with it to the ground,” he whispered in her ear and took a step back, letting go of her arms.
Feeling uncertain at first, Iris lifted the blade and swung the heavy iron at the bottom of the dummy. The blade missed, impaling the ground with a dull thud.
“Ye will have to do better than that if ye wish to do any damage, lass,” Cayden called out to her, his voice surprisingly encouraging.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the hilt once more and lifted the blade, feeling the suction of the mud as it squelched on the way out.
“Take a stance an’ try again. Ye will have to put all yer strength behind yer swing.” Cayden circled the dummy until he was facing her.
A deep sense of pride and wanting to prove herself drove her on as she lifted the sword a few inches higher and swung with all her might.
The blade entered the wood of the base with a splintering crack, causing the bucket that served as the head to tilt.
“I did it,” she breathed excitedly, looking to Cayden for his approval.
“Aye, ye wounded yer enemy, but now, ye have to defend yerself ’afore he gets back up,” Cayden said seriously and folded his arms across his chest as he observed her.
Reaching for the hilt again, she attempted to pull the sword free a few times before placing her boot on one side of the dummy’s base and pulling with all her might.
“Careful, lass, ye will injure yerself like that.” Cayden came forward before positioning his arms behind her. He caught her off guard when he placed his arms around her shoulders and gripped her hands, helping her to free the sword with ease.
The warmth of his body engulfed her back as he kept his position.
“Thank ye.” She felt the pit of her stomach fluttering as he drew her closer to his chest with the sword raised in front of them.
“Dinnae thank me, lass; ye need to defend yerself ’afore yer attacker gets back up.” He gripped her hands a little tighter and helped her raise her arms, swinging the blade with such ferocity that the dummy’s wooden arm went sailing clean across the ground.
The exhilarating breath of excitement that ran through her body almost made her faint as she felt light-headed.
Cayden tightened his arms around her shoulders and held her steady. “Do ye still have yer breath?” His voice almost sounded as if he were smiling behind her.
“Aye,” she breathed heavily, trying to focus on each breath. He was trying to show her something or even teach her a lesson, and she wasn’t about to back down just because she was out of breath.
“Very well,” Cayden chuckled and took a step back, allowing her to yield the sword on her own.
Composing herself, she adjusted her grip on the hilt before swinging the sword and lopping the tip off of the remaining arm.
“Harder, lass! Ye have to swing harder!” Cayden raised his voice, egging her on as she tried again.
She swung the sword even harder, splintering the base.
“Ye willnae be able to save yer brother if ye cannae swing a sword!” Cayden seemed to be taunting her now.
Losing her temper, Iris raised the sword over her head, bringing it down with such intensity that the dummy split clean in half. The feeling of relief that flooded her body urged her on as she continued to swing the sword, slashing it repeatedly into the splinters of wood.
“Ye can stop now; I’m sure he’s dead.” Cayden chuckled from deep within his chest, coming forward just as Iris lifted the blade high above her head once more.
The sudden distraction caught her off guard as the weight of the sword behind her back threw her off balance.
Reaching for the sword, Cayden snatched it up right before she landed on her bottom in the dirt.
