Page 48 of The Iron Highlander
The assassin rushed at Reuben, spinning quickly on the balls of his feet, as he tried to slice through Reuben’s defenses. Reuben blocked with his sword, but the daggers slammed into his blade so quickly, they shoved him backwards, making him lose balance. The assassin saw his chance and took it, driving the blade down.
Reuben shoved it to the side, but only barely, as it sliced along his forearm. The assassin stumbled, and Reuben landed a headbutt, sending the man backwards. He did a backflip to getsome distance between himself and the Laird, so he could get his bearings. Reuben got back to his feet, and gripped on his sword with both hands, ready for the second attack. Then, he spotted Hudson behind the man. Hudson had taken out his axe, and was looking moving slowly towards the gates of the estate. Whatever he was trying to do, he needed time to do it, and Reuben would buy as much as he could.
“Daenae interfere,” Max called out to the other guards as he watched the fight, eager to see how Reuben would do against his best. “Ye might have survived him when he tried to kill ye from a distance, but he is the best swordsman ye will ever meet.”
The assassin attacked again, and Reuben reacted. He jumped to the side as the man used the same attack as before, looking to strike his blade quickly and knock it out of his hand. But Reuben dodged the attack entirely, and used the assassin’s momentum against him, shoving him backwards.
He turned to see Hudson drive his axe down to the gears which kept the gates in place, and he sliced right through them. The large wooden spikes fell through the gate and hit the floor with several loud thuds, drawing everyone’s attention. Reuben knew it was his chance, and just as the assassin looked, he spun around the man, and drove his blade through the man’s chest, killing him instantly. He turned around to face Max, but the laird quickly jumped backwards, knocked the bow out of Kate’s hand and pulled out a dagger, holding up to her neck.
“Kate!” Reuben yelled.
“Stay where ye are!” Max yelled, “Unless ye want her insides out on the floor right now.”
“Alright!” Reuben yelled, raising his sword, with blood dripping down his arm. “Just put the blade down, Max, ye daenae have to do this.”
“As I said before, why do I have to listen to ye? This is my family, and I will do as I see fit. Now, put down yer blade, and we will start from there.” Max replied.
“Nae!” Kate yelled, struggling against Max, but the blade stopped her from moving too much. “Let go of me!”
Max put his nose against her neck and inhaled, shutting his eyes for a moment to relish the smell of lavender. “Ye ken, I used this same blade to kill them.”
“What?” Kate asked, looking for an opening to escape his grip.
“Yer parents.” Max replied.
Reuben saw the blood leave Kate’s face, he did not know what she was going to do next, but he felt sick to his stomach watching her like that. Max had his hands on her, and there was nothing he could do at the moment.
“I am just like all of ye!” Kate began, speaking loudly enough so all of the guards and servants around could hear. “Ye ken whoI am. I and my sisters lived here with ye, and we took the same pain and agony from Max as I ken ye all take even now.”
Max yanked her hair backwards, pushing the blade deeper, “Ye want to die, Katherine?”
Kate ignored him, making Reuben wonder what she was doing. If she continued, he was going to kill her. But she steeled her resolve and went on.
“We escaped because we didnae want any more of his tyranny! The same way ye daenae want to suffer at his hands anymore! Reuben and I are nae yer enemies! We have come to free ye from the evil of Max Sweeney!” Kate yelled at the top of her voice as she felt the blade begin to slice through her neck, blood slowly trickling down. If she was going to die, at least she would go out on her own volition. “Help us!”
Max turned to the guards, looking at their faces. For the first time, he saw something in them that was not the fear and terror which he usually instilled in them. They looked at him with hate and loathing, as they saw their chance to make a change. A chance for them to finally rid themselves of the madman. Max pulled the blade away from Kate’s neck and pointed it at the nearest guard.
“Stay back, ye bampot! Stay back! I will have yer head for this! All of ye, will get punished severely. Ye think ye can turn on me? I have given yer worthless lives meaning! Ye belong to me! All of ye!” Max began moving away from them, pointing the blade at the guards and servants as they began moving in on him.
Kate saw her chance and made eye contact with Reuben. The laird reached down and picked up one of the daggers which the assassin had dropped. Taking a breath, Kate shoved her back into Max, breaking away from him for a split second. She ducked low, and Reuben tossed the dagger. It flew right through the air, heading straight for Max. The laird turned away from the blade just in time, as it sliced through his chest, but it missed his heart.
Before he could react from the attack, Kate pulled out an arrow from her quiver quickly, and drove it into the heart of the man, forcing it through until it came out the other side. Max stared up at her in confusion, unsure of what had happened. The blade dropped out of his hand as he tried to breath, but blood filled his throat. Kate grabbed his tunic and pulled him close enough so he would hear what she had to say.
“This is for my faither, and my maither. For all of the pain ye have caused everyone ye have ever met.” Kate whispered to him, before letting go.
Max Sweeney dropped to the ground, dead.
Epilogue
Freya and Willowtook off running from the McDonald castle the moment they saw the horses. Kate had not told them that she would be leaving, and when they had realized it, they were terrified, and waited all night to see her again. But there they were, riding their horses back to them. Lily smiled at them, jumping off the horse and rushing to embrace her sisters once again. They horses were brought in, and Hilda quickly saw to their injuries.
Grear walked into the room as Hilda finished on the cut on Kate’s neck, “It will leave a little scar, but that would be a memory of what ye had to do this day,” said Hilda with a smile.
“I hope mine won’t,” Reuben added, “I already have enough of those to go around.”
“Kate, Reuben. Welcome home, both of ye. I am more than proud of what ye have accomplished here today,” Grear began, rubbing Kate’s arm as she looked at both of them. “Max is dead?”
Reuben nodded, “And all of the workers at the McGowan estate are free to choose their fate. Some chose to leave, and others did stay back to take care of the household, as it is all that they have ever had.”
