Page 109 of Bride of Mist
When she turned back, she was facing three attackers. Their rage must have numbed them to the considerable pain she’d inflicted upon them. Blood dripped from the wolf’s nose onto his snarling yellow teeth. The boar hobbled forward on his twisted leg. Ashy tears streamed down Gaufrid’s cheeks. Yet revenge boiled in their eyes.
Gaufrid snatched at her with his undamaged hand. When she ducked away, it was into the path of the charging boar. He collided with her, stepping on the plaid. When she wrenched away, the plaid pulled free, revealing the hilt of hershoudao.
In her hurry to conceal the weapon, she retreated, unfortunately into the waiting arms of the bleeding wolf. But he’d already spied her sword. He reached across her waist and drew it himself.
Theshoudao’s sleek, honed edge glistened in the sunlight like a deadly silver snake. Her only saving grace was that they were all so astounded by the weapon, she was granted an extra instant to act.
There was no point in hiding her weapons now. And no time to hesitate.
The wolf tightened his grip on her blade. Feiyan pulled out her pair ofsais.Her weapon might be valuable. But her life was more precious.
She caught theshoudaobetween the tines of thesaisand wrenched upwards.
To no avail.
Thesaiscould easily snap a Scottish sword. But the strong folded steel of theshoudaoheld. The most she could do was scrape the weapon aside.
Meanwhile, the boar spotted the ringed handle of herduandao,protruding from its leather sheath. With a crow of victory, he seized it, despite the quick elbow jab she gave him between the ribs.
Now she was in trouble. Outnumbered. Overpowered. Relieved of her two most formidable weapons. With only hersaisandbishoufor defense, she couldn’t dodge their attacks forever.
It was then she remembered she had a hostage. The maid.
She hated to resort to such villainous tactics. But she had no choice.
Whirling hersaisin a distracting display to hold off the men, she edged closer to the wide-eyed lass. Then she let the forked weapons fly.
They twirled through the air to opposite sides of the chamber, giving her time to whip her awl-likebishoufrom her boot.
Grabbing the lass roughly about the waist, Feiyan pressed the point against her throat.
The maidservant squeaked.
“Put down your swords,” Feiyan commanded, “or I’ll skewer her.”
The lass made a small whimper of fear, shivering like a mouse under a cat’s paw.
Gaufrid hesitated.
“Do it,” Feiyan bit out.
He licked his lip in indecision.
“Do you want the blood of an innocent on your hands?” she challenged.
The lass’s voice came out on a thin thread of sound. “Please, m’laird.”
The boar, seeing Gaufrid waver, chuckled. “Go on,” he invited. “Kill her. She’s naught to us. Right?”
“Aye, that’s right,” the wolf said, giving her a bloody leer. “She’s only a servin’ lass, m’laird. Ye can get another.”
Feiyan’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She’d never imagined they would throw down that gauntlet.
“Butyoudon’t want that, do you?” she asked to Gaufrid. “A real laird wouldn’t let harm come to his clan.”
If even a morsel of honor remained in Dougal’s brother, shame would spur him to do the right thing.
But she’d given him more credit than he was due.
