Free Kara Griffin - The Pith Trilogy by Warrior's Pledge Page B

she was sweet on the eyes.” Simon’s face reddened in embarrassment at making that admission to his laird.
    “Beaten, ye say?” Robin again took Brendan’s sword and threw it back into the high grass.
    “Aye,” Simon replied.
    Colin grew somber. Why would someone beat the lass? He didn’t have time to travel with such a woman, but he was beholden to Mathilda and Walden.
    “Give me my damned sword. Why do ye keep taking it?” Brendan snatched it back from the grass and gave Robin a confused look.
    Robin snickered. “Best give it a proper burial. That scrap of metal is a piece of cosh.”
    He thought his brother would explode, seeing Brendan’s face grow fierce. He might as well enlighten him. “See the smithy at the Shelmore’s, the handle’s loosened.” Colin laughed when his brother cursed.
    “I knew that. I did it when I returned the blow to Robin’s sword.” Brendan sheathed it. “I’m not a priss-arsed squire, ye know.”
    As the MacKinnon men rode to the Shelmore holding, Colin thought about the duty requested. Mathilda always coddled him whenever he stopped for a visit; he loathed admitting that he liked her treatment. Her husband, Walden, was a good man and devoted to the Scot’s cause. Colin always enjoyed the Shelmore’s company. They’d head home after receiving news anyhow. It shouldn’t take long to drop the lass off and be on their way.
    In the deep woods, adjacent to the Shelmore’s keep, voices echoed through the trees. Colin held up his hand, and pulled his horse a length away from the intruders. He wasn’t sure if they were intruders, but he would consider them to be so until he found out. His warriors stalked through the woods with stealth, and the men they tracked stopped unexpectedly. The MacKinnons forged toward their camp, unbeknownst to them. Ten men, seemingly knights, stood in a semi-circle. Colin and his men heard their arguing. A man said to another that he wasn’t risking his life for a runaway girl.
    Listening intently to their heated words, Colin reckoned a clash with a few English was exactly what he needed to work off his frustration. He and his men pulled their swords from their scabbards. The knights saw them enter the camp. They threw their weapons on the ground. Damn it, they weren’t going to be accommodating. Colin stood in his fighting stance, ready and waiting. All English were cokenays as far as he was concerned, these men more so.
    “What do ye here?”
    “Our lord sent us to retrieve a lady at the Shelmore’s keep,” a man said.
    It must be the lass Mathilda sent the message about . He’d find out what was going on. Colin looked to the man who had spoken and decided he must be in charge. Directing his sword at him, he asked, “Who are ye retrieving?”
    “Lady Bentley. We were told to bring her back. Is she there?”
    Colin glanced at his brothers. Robin shook his head, and Brendan’s sword moved side to side in anticipation of the fight. Both wanted to slay the foes, but he didn’t know if he should let them. After assessing the soldiers, he decided that Walden wouldn’t want them at his holding. He might as well send them on their way.
    Grasping the leader’s tunic, he said, “Retrieve your weapons. Get on your damned horses and return from where ye came. Tell your lord there’s no lady here.”
    “There’s n-not?”
    “Ye have ten seconds to remove yourselves from our presence or suffer our displeasure.” Colin began counting before he released the poor excuse of a soldier. His warriors bellowed with laughter at their cowardice. The Englishmen picked up their swords and ran off before Colin reached ten. Robin laughed and Brendan scowled.
    “Cosh, I looked forward to having me fun, Colin. Ye ruined my day,” Brendan said, lowering his sword.
    “Let us be on our way. I want to find out what this is about—they are after her.” Colin remounted his warhorse and led the way to the wall.
    The watch allowed them entrance, and as soon as