Mist Warrior (24 page)

“
You bloody, cur!
”
Gavin bellowed and Branan abruptly realized
,
Courcy was not going anywhere.
“
Have you no honor? This was a spar and you turn it into a brawl. You attacked when he showed you mercy. You were going to kill an unarmed man!
”
He slammed his fist into Courcy's nose.

Catriona also realized her brother had things well in hand and moved away enough to help Branan sit up.

His eyes watered and anguish continued to course through him. Dear God, the sod had probably ruined him for siring children.

Someone handed Catriona a bowl of clean water and a cloth. She dampened it and used it to clean the dirt from Branan's face.
“
Are you all right?
”

Branan fought to grab a breath.
“
I... I think so, lass. I should ha' ken no' to drop me guard.
”

Duguald joined him with
his flask
. Branan took it and drank deeply. The mercenaries gathered around Gavin and Courcy. Angry shouts rose against Courcy's dishonorable conduct.

Gavin lurched to his feet, hauling Courcy wit Kng ct.

“
I should flay your hide,
”
Gavin snarled.
“
If you ever try anything like that again, I don't care who you are, I will kill you.
”

Courcy appeared appropriately cowed.
“
Forgive me. I don't know what came over me.
”

Gavin shoved him off the list field.
“
Get the hell out of here.
”

Courcy shuffled away.

Gavin faced Branan.
“
Are you all right?
”

“
Aye. Thank ye, brother.
”
Branan held out his hand.

Gavin smiled and easily pulled him to his feet.
“
I couldn't belie
ve what I saw. What in the hell
was he thinking?
”

Branan swayed, waiting for his vision to clear.

“
I think I ken what that was about,
”
Duguald said. He looked pointedly at Catriona.

Fortunately, Catriona's attention focused completely Branan and she did not see Duguald's gaze.

“
Aye,
”
Gavin said tightly.
“
Let's get you cleaned up, Branan.
”

As they walked away, Branan heard Duguald curse softly under his breath.
“
I warned that ye might find yer ballocks on his plate and ye dinna listen.
”

*** KGararamond">*

The next morning, needing a distraction from her chaotic emotions, Catriona headed for the tower. Branan was no worse for yesterday's events and already working. Why had Richard done such a terrible thing? He almost killed an unarmed man in the lists. She sighed, trying to force her thoughts away. One of the women had tended to Richard's broken nose, Catriona had been so angry with him, she refused. But instead of leaving, as Catriona had hoped, he had stayed in one of the extra shelters.

Inside the tower, workers tore out the rotted wood, tossing it in various piles on the ground while some women and children picked up the broken pieces and carted them out. Catriona spotted Branan with a huge beam balanced on his shoulder as he carried it into the keep.

He smiled and winked at her.
“
I feel as good as new, lass.
”

“
Good,
”
she replied.

Branan
leaned the beam against the wall and shouted up at the workers on the scaffolds above him. They lowered ropes. He tied the beam securely and three of them hauled it up.

Catriona shook her head.
“
You carried that beam in here like it was nothing
,
but it takes three men to haul it up.
”

“
'Tis a bit more difficult when trying to
heft it from a scaffold
,
but...
aye, ye have it aright.
”
His grin turned wicked.

Her stomach did a funny flip
,
but she returned his smile.

“
I jest, my sweet,
”
he continued.
“
It's all a matter of balance. If I was forced to pick it up straight from the ground, it would be a different story.
”

“
I see,
”
Catriona replied. She turned to the work at hand. Moving a pace away, she found a pile of debris and put it in a K puze=basket to be hauled away.

Branan proceeded to carry out the heavier pieces that were too large for the woman and children.

Next to Catriona
,
an elderly matron also grabbed handfuls of rotted wood
,
filling a basket.

Above Catriona heard sudden curses.
“
Watch that rope!
”

She flinched, looking upward.

“
Don't worry, m'lady,
”
the matron said,
“
they do that all the time.
”

“
I have it now,
”
a voice barked.

Catriona sighed in relief and returned to her work.

Richard appeared in the doorway, his expression as dark as a thundercloud, and it was not from the two black eyes he possessed thanks to his broken nose.

“
Catriona, why did you insist on this foolishness?
”

By the Saints, she was tired of this.
“
Richard, leave me be. Until I become your wife, I shall live and work as I please.
”

Branan approached Richard from behind. Although he could not see Richard's face, Branan's expression turned flat and his nostrils flared.

“
God's wounds!
”
a
voice barked from above.
“
I told you
—
”

Catriona heard a sharp snapping sound and jerked her head up.

“
I got
—
”

“
Idiot!
”

One of the ropes on the huge beam had snapped. It shifted violently. One end dipped and the beam slid out of the other two ropes. It crashed through the rotted floor above, plummeting straight for Catriona.

Suddenly
,
a body collided with hers. Richard tackled her
. N
ever could she describe the terror she saw in his eyes. The beam descended and slammed on his back, its full weight
falling
on his shoulders. He strangled a cry then suddenly went limp on top of her.

Debris poured around them, raising a thick cloud of dirt that choked her throat.

“
Richard!
”
s
he screamed.
“
Oh God, Richard!
”

The shower of wood and dirt stopped
,
but Richard didn't move. Catriona tried to squirm out from under him
,
but his body, with the broken beam still on his back, pinned her in place. He had taken the full force of the blow that surely would have killed her. She stared in horror at his dirt covered face resting so still against her. Oh God, was he dead?

The tower exploded with activity. Suddenly
,
Branan stood above her with Duguald, Jamie, and Gavin right behind.
“
Catriona, are ye hurt?
”

“
Nay,
”
she cried, tears streaming down her face.
“
It landed on Richard.
”

Branan reached down, wrapping his arms around the huge beam.
“
Sweet Mary,
”
he whispered. Catriona remembered his words only a moment ago and wondered if he intended it as a prayer.

Muscles in his arms and chest corded as his grip tightened. With a primal groan he lifted. Would creaked but slowly, Branan, his body straining its limits, lifted the beam.
< Keaman>
/span>
“
Now, Duguald,
”
he snarled, his face red and contorted.
“
Get them out now.
”

Duguald and Gavin both moved, dragging Richard off of
Catriona
as quickly
,
but also as carefully as the
y
could.

Jamie reached down and grabbed Catriona, yanking her free. The moment she cleared the beam, Branan dropped it. He staggered and fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath.

“
Branan?
”
Catriona asked.

“
I'll be all right,
”
he panted.
“
See to Courcy first.
”

Catriona distantly noticed that others helped people who had been partially covered in the debris
,
but Richard seemed to be the only one injured.

She lurched to Richard's side as Duguald and Gavin eased him face down on the ground. A bright red stain on his back grew larger by the moment.

“
Pray it dinna break his spine,
”
Duguald muttered.

Catriona felt for the life beat in his throat and sighed in relief when she found it.
“
He's alive.
”
She examined the wound closely, the edge of the beam had sliced him open from shoulder blade to shoulder blade.
“
Get me water and clean cloths.
”