DANGER STRIKES
Sean woke early with a smile on his face. His heart felt lighter than it ever had. He was so pleased he had finally talked to Marguerite. He couldn't quite believe he had delayed it for so long. Why had he not trusted her?
“Och, I've got a head like a log sometimes. Granddad always said so.”
He grinned at himself where his face reflected in the icy washbasin. How could he have been so blind?
After breakfast, he headed to the practice-ground.
“Sean!” Camden grinned. He was there as he was every morning, ready to train with the men. Sean smiled and went over, swinging his shoulders as he did so, ready for some sparring.
“Camden,” Sean greeted him, shaking his hand. “Had a good evening?”
“I did.” Despite the rings of weariness under his eyes, Camden looked sparklingly alive in ways Sean had almost forgotten. He suspected that he hadn't been the only one to receive some signs of love last night.
“Good,” Sean replied. He tried to keep the soft smile off his face, but the harder he tried, the more it asserted itself.
“You look cheerful,” Camden commented.
Sean raised a brow. “Shouldn't I, then?” He couldn't get the note of sheer delight out of his voice, however.
Camden chuckled. “Of course you should. I just couldn't help remarking on it.”
“Fine.”
Sean swung his arms back, loosening up. Then he drew his sword. They used practice-blades, the edges blunted. Camden drew his.
“On guard.”
Sean chuckled. “Indeed.”
As Camden launched an attack, blade scything forward, he stepped back, blocking the swing. Camden was quick, but not always observant. They'd fought together for so long that Sean knew his weaknesses. The problem was Camden knew his, too.
“You always drop your shoulder in the swing,” Camden grinned as he lifted his blade, and then swung it around, opening Sean to the next strike.
Sean stepped back, grimacing. “I know. If you were an enemy, I'd likely be dead right now.”
“Not now, no,” Camden said cheerfully. “Maybe when I bring the blade down from higher, though...”
As he spoke, he made the motion. Sean knew it was coming and raised his blade, doing his best to lift his right shoulder so that the blades rang together, the impact shivering down his arms and grating in his shoulder. He grimaced tightly.
“There,” Camden chuckled. He stepped back, dancing on the balls of his feet. “Not bad, eh?”
Sean raised a brow. “Not at all. How about this...”
He thrust forward at lightning speed and Camden whirled to counter it, but it wasn't a true strike and Sean changed the angle, going left at the last minute.
Camden hissed as the blade whistled past his unprotected chest. “Whew,” he grinned, his smile fizzing with nerves. “That was close.”
They both laughed. Sean stepped back, breathing heavily. They were both sweating freely now. Camden's hair was plastered to his skull. Sean reached up a hand and felt that his brow was thick with sweat. He wiped it away, grinning cheerfully.
“Whew,” he sighed again.
“Sean!” Sir Alec hailed him as he headed to the fountain for a drink. “Practice in the melee, maybe?”
Sean nodded. “Fine,” he agreed. He splashed his face, washing the sweat off his brow. He felt good today. Maybe a little overconfident, he had to admit. The melee was a difficult thing to practice – three or four men against one another in close hand-to-hand combat.
“Right. Hey, Fraser! Ewan! Sean's joining us.”
Sean grinned at Camden, who was standing back, a worried frown on his face.
“You're sure you should be doing that? What about your injuries?”
Sean shrugged. “I'll manage.” He felt bold today.
Camden gave him a smile. “Well, you certainly managed well against me.”
They both laughed.
Sean went over to where the men were gathered. Sir Fraser and Sir Ewan he knew well; Alec, less so. The fourth man against him, a slight, quiet fellow with watchful blue eyes, he knew not at all. “Ready?” Sean asked.
“Seems that way,” Alec shrugged.
“I don't think we know each other,” Sean said uncertainly to the smaller, watchful man.
“Oh. Sir Callum. Pleased to meet you.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Sean agreed. “I'm Sean.”
They shook hands. As they did so, Sean felt a prickle of uneasiness. He couldn't say exactly why, other than that there was something about the man and the way he was looking at him that was disconcerting.
“Ready?” Sir Alec said cheerily.
“Yes.” Sean pushed aside his misgivings and lifted his blade, swinging his shoulders to loosen up. “Let's go.”
“On guard,” Alec said, swinging his arm back and slicing down. Fraser blocked it, laughing.
“You should do better than that,” he taunted Alec, who lifted his blade and brought it down again to the left, chuckling as Fraser danced rapidly back.
“We should divide into teams,” Ewan pointed out practically. “Or how do I know who's attacking and who's defending.”
“True,” Alec agreed, making a wry face. They all laughed.
“I'll be with you, Alec, and Ewan,” Callum said quietly. “Fraser and Sean can be on the other team.”
Since it was the first thing he'd said all morning besides to introduce himself, they all shrugged, surprised.
“Fine.” Alec nodded. “Off we go. Here, Ewan!”
As Ewan lumbered over to join the other two, it occurred to Sean to wonder why he had been put on the smaller team with Fraser. They were both good fighters, where Alec and Callum seemed less experienced. Maybe that's why.
As Ewan launched an arcing blow at his head, he stopped wondering and simply started fighting. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Camden at the wall.
“Good strike!” he yelled encouragingly as Sean slid his blade round Ewan's and then leveled it at Alec, who jumped back. “I'm going for lunch.”
“Fine,” Sean yelled, enjoying himself. He ran to beat Ewan's blade back from Fraser, and then swung hastily as Callum snuck a blow that showed surprising skill. “I'm having fun. See you.”
“See you.”
Sean danced back, Fraser keeping step with him. They were in one of those beautiful moments that happened sometimes on the field, where they were almost thinking with a single mind, moving as one. He raised his arm to block a down-cut from Alec, as Fraser yelled and cut sideways, blocking Ewan. Callum was somewhere on Sean's left.
“Yah!” he yelled triumphantly as his blade slid against Alec's, the edges sparking with the impact. He felt Fraser step closer and moved left even as he blocked a thrust from Callum and then a merciless down-stroke.
“Whew,” he breathed. Fraser covered his side and he blocked a thrust from Alec to his head.
He couldn't have said exactly how it happened, or when. However, suddenly he felt cold.
He raised his arm to block a down-strike and felt it waver, losing strength suddenly. Opposite him, he saw Ewan's eyes widen, and then Fraser turned to stare.
“Sean!” Ewan said. “That's blood.”
Sean felt sudden fear. His head was floating, though and he felt light and free. Why should he be worried? In his floating, shifting world, there was no worry. Nothing. Just too much sun, maybe. That's it. Too much sun. You're dizzy, that's all. Nevertheless, Ewan was right. Something felt wrong. He reached down to his side.
His hand came away sticky with blood.
“Sean!” Ewan yelled again. “Go and sit down, now.”
Alec stared, and then yelled. “Someone fetch the priest! The man's hurting badly. Sean, sit down now.”
Sean blinked. He grinned at them lopsidedly. Why were they making such a fuss? It wasn't a battle, just a practice.
“I'm fine,” he slurred. Then he felt the darkness press in on his eyes and he stumbled backwards. Then everything went dark.