Page 51 of Wolf Heir
They both looked down at the inner bailey where Aisling and Nelly were just entering the castle.
“The lass with her?” Coinneach asked.
“Aye. Unless I’m mistaken. Nelly works on the kitchen staff with Aisling.”
Coinneach laughed.
“What?”
“I never expected Aisling to try and find you a mate.”
“Me either. Drustan said you couldna practice fight.”
The men who were going to practice began gathering in the inner bailey.
“Aye. Blair said no to any fighting.”
“I guess I’ve got to go.” Tamhas looked like he was trying to put on a brave face.
Aodhan joined them. “Come on. A couple of men will relieve us while I fight, and you watch your brother work out.”
Sure enough, two men came up to relieve them. “Are you going to fight Coinneach’s brother now?” the one man asked.
“And risk getting thrown down again? Nay.” Aodhan grinned.
The three of them began to go down the tower stairs. Coinneach was feeling better, and he thought that if he fought with one of the men, just one, and it was a practice fight rather than a battle to the death, he could manage.
Then he saw Drustan and Blair watching him, and he knew he wasn’t going to be allowed to fight.
“You’ll do fine, Tamhas. Remember everything that Alisdair taught us,” Coinneach said to his brother.
“Aye.”
Other spectators had gathered to watch the practice session. Coinneach realized that, because he couldn’t join in the battle,he was able to stay with Aisling if she was allowed to watch the proceedings this time.
As soon as he saw her, she hurried toward him with Nelly in tow.
He hugged and kissed Aisling and then greeted Nelly. “Glad to meet you, lass.”
“Aye, likewise. Where is Tamhas?” Nelly asked.
They looked to see who he was paired up with, and it was a man about his size. Then the fighting began. The man battling Tamhas struck his sword at Tamhas’s new Viking sword, but Tamhas had learned from both Coinneach and Alisdair how to counter the attack.
He blocked the blow and knocked his opponent’s sword downward, then quickly came up to thrust at the man’s chest. He had won the match. They shook hands, but the man wanted to fight him again. They were more equally matched than Tamhas was against Alisdair and Coinneach, but again, Tamhas won the match.
Coinneach knew Tamhas needed a stronger opponent. One who would teach him more than he had already learned. But he could see that his brother was relieved that he hadn’t been injured or lost the matches.
Drustan stepped in and had Tristan pair up with Tamhas. “Remember, Tristan, it’s a practice match.”
“Aye.” Tristan glanced at Coinneach as if he knew Coinneach would give him grief if he cut his brother.
Then the match began. Tristan was a powerful fighter, and Coinneach would welcome him to watch his back. If Tamhas were careful and used the skills he had learned from Alisdair and Coinneach, he would do fine.
Even so, Coinneach realized he was tensing every time Tristan slashed at Tamhas. But Tamhas was holding his own and struck back at Tristan, forcing him several steps back. Tristantried to recover, but Tamhas took advantage and continued to strike at him. Tristan couldn’t do anything but parry and fall back.
Coinneach was proud of his brother, but when he heard Nelly gasp, he glanced at her and saw she was wringing her hands.
Aisling likewise was tense, and he ran his hand over her back. “I pray neither cuts the other,” she whispered to him.
