Page 77 of The Splendor of Fire
Taking steps away from Léo and closer to the safety of Hector, she changed the subject.There’s something I need to discuss. A few days ago Gordon and Malvina were talking. She wants Gordon to pay close attention to Léo and give her a report of his coming and going.
Léo scoffed.“Thank God,he is not hard to outsmart.”
Moira wrung her sweating hands, remembering the last bit of Malvina and Gordon’s conversation that she omitted from her explanation.I want to learn weapons.
Hector eyed her with an intuitiveness that made her think of Cara. “Of course you should, but why? Niall has gone to the mainland. Is someone else in the house threatening you?”
She shifted from foot to foot, hating to lie and remembering Father.Not threatening me exactly…more like…
She looked around at the angry faces of the circle of her friends, trying to find an explanation.Malvina has never liked me…
Léo scoffed. “You and me both.”
And the other day, before she left…Gordon asked…well, what he wanted in exchange for information…you see, he…
Léo’s face had drawn into thunder. “I can imagine what he wanted.”
She took a large breath, trying to collect her thoughts and explanation to soothe everyone’s overprotectiveness.Malvina approved his request and?—
Before she could gloss over the details, Leo held up his hands. “Wait. Sign that again. Slower. What was the request? Did I miss that?”
She paused.It’s nothing much—he requested…me. Malvina approved and said to make me disappear before Michaelmas. But I don’t think she meant?—
Léo exploded in a burst of irate French and Hector joined him, the two of them shouting and gesturing. At long last, Léo turned back to her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Not obliged to explain herself, she continued.I want to learn weapons. Something small. A dagger.
Hector motioned and the Shield circled up. “Close fighting, dagger practice. Léo and Moira you’re with me.” From their boots and belts, each man drew a long, pointed dagger. Even Léo, though she wasn’t sure where he’d managed to obtain one.
Hector lifted his eyebrows and waited. She stared back, waiting for instruction. “You wanted dagger practice. Where’s your dagger?”
I don’t have one.
Drawing his hands around his waist, Hector unbelted a second dagger and crouched beside her, strapping the scabbard to her thigh. “Wear it somewhere you can conceal it. Here.” He held out the ivory-hilted dagger. “Your first dagger. I feel like a proud father.”
Murdoch whistled and the men clapped. She took the dagger and rolled her eyes.
Hector waved Léo forward. “We’ll give you a demonstration. How out of practice are you?”
Léo raised his questioning eyebrow. “Very. I kept up on grappling with Eoghan, but he’s much smaller than me.”
Hector shrugged. “Let’s see how rusty you’ve become.”
Moira hopped up on a low wall and settled in. Across from each other, Léo and Hector assumed a fighting stance, one leg forward, right hand high gripping a downward pointing dagger, left hand open and drawn forward. They circled each other.
Léo made a noise of frustration. “You always make me attack first.”
“I don’t make you do anything. You get impatient.”
As Hector predicted, Léo grumbled again and lunged forward. Hector caught his forearm and twisted him away. Again Léo lunged, and Hector captured his strike between crossed wrists, yanking Léo’s arm backward, then swiftly tapping the flat of the dagger to his exposed chest. “Och.Thisis pathetic.”
Hector released him, and before he could react, Léo swung, grabbing him and yanking him down, tapping his blade off his throat. “Who’s pathetic now?”
Moira’s eyes widened. The berserker had entered the fight.
Frenzied, Hector sprang to his feet, blocking blows and parrying swings. Metal clattered and the other men stopped and joined her on the low wall, watching the impressive dance. She’d watched Hector spar against every member of her group during her training a year ago, and a few times since, but she’d never seen anyone cause him to struggle.
Blow for blow, Léo met his defense with attack, then lured him out and struck. For ten minutes the members of the Shield watched them fight until at last they stopped, Leo’s blade to Hector’s neck.
