Unbroken (Unarmed Trilogy #2) (18 page)

"And what happens if it ends in a tie?" Turner asked. "If you don't know, I think I have an idea."

Tamzin turned towards her father when she heard him speak those words. She could only imagine what he had in mind.

"If Will wins this competition and this has to go to a third game, then it will combine both physical combat and archery," Turner said as he pointed to the two large totem type poles at the edge of the arena. "You will both shoot an arrow at the very top and then you will climb to the top and retrieve the arrow. The first one to bring the arrow to me will win."

"And be able to crown the Princess?" Rolf asked with enthusiasm.

"Crown her as what?" Will asked. He felt the familiar heat on his skin and hoped he wouldn't receive a severe burn again.

"The winner of the tournament gets to crown a girl he likes. If a worthy man crowned Tamzin, I would be forced to consider him as marriage material," Turner said with a slightly evil grin. "But Tamzin is already married, as you know, Rolf."

"And with child," Will growled. If he had any doubts about not possibly winning this tournament, that feeling was just thrown out the window. "And I am fine with this additional task, Your Grace."

"I had a feeling you would be," Turner said as he looked to Rolf. "You're representing the South, apparently. I wouldn't mess this up or I might just let Bradford keep you."

"Where you may never see Tamzin again," Will taunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I am certainly ready to begin. You are more than welcome to back out before I break your nose."

"It's already broken!" Rolf retorted like it was some great insult.

"What can I say? My wife has an iron fist," Will shrugged his shoulders as Turner chortled.

"Tamzin broke your nose? Short, small, pregnant Tamzin broke your nose?" Turner asked as he tried to hide his grin. "My amazement with her is at an all time high."

"Can we this begin?" Rolf asked with his cheeks flushed. "Let me beat you and name your wife the loveliest girl in Roth and end it."

"Don't worry. Tamzin will be named the loveliest girl, but not by you," Will said as he bent his knees and held out his arms in a proper stance. Turner returned to his booth as Rolf mirrored Will's stance. It was obvious that the Roths did not study hand to hand combat the same way the Thurstons did as Will noticed various errors. Will was not built for speed, but that didn't mean he still couldn't surprise Rolf. He braced his legs and dug his foot into the ground; he listened to the sound his foot made when he smashed the dirt beneath his sandal as he loosened the fists at his side.

Will pushed off with his right foot and ran to Rolf, where he leaned down with his knees, grabbed Rolf by his waist, thrust him up in the air, and slammed his body onto the dirt ground. Rolf's quick descent to the ground made the dirt puff out in smoke around his body as Will straightened to stand up. He heard the cheers of his men and the sounds of the noble Roth class. Will looked back to Tamzin, who was trying to hide a smile behind her hand.

Rolf let out a strange sound as he lifted his lower back from the ground and then rolled to the side. Rolf got to his feet slowly before he lunged for Will and punched him in the stomach. It was a strong enough punch to bruise, but not to knock Will to the ground as Will lifted his fist and slammed it into Rolf's cheek. Will felt his knuckles ache and he could see the bruise forming just beneath Rolf's skin as he fell back to the ground. Will knew he had used too much force as he watched Rolf stay on the ground and nursed his face, but Will felt triumphance flow through his veins.

"Do I win this one?" Will asked as he placed his hands on his hips. He felt the warmth of the sun on his shoulders and his back as he came to stand by Rolf's side with a grin on his face. "I think the crowd is definitely in my favor."

"I can climb faster, you piece of lard..." Rolf said as he continued to groan.

"Lard. That is a fantastic comeback," Will replied as he held out his hand. "I'm helping you up."

"No, you're not," Rolf said as he placed his hands on the ground and helped himself up. "I don't need your help."

"We're going to have to work together to bring Tamzin to Bradford. That doesn't mean we have to like each other, but it means we have to tolerate each other. After this, our rivalry is over. After I beat you," Will smirked as he brought his hands together, where he cracked his knuckles.

"Very impressive work, William," Turner said as he returned to the arena, with his hands behind his back. "If you haven't made my daughter swoon before, you have now," Turner said with slight distaste as he turned to look at Tamzin. "But it seems that we have to go to the final task to decide the winner. The winner will receive a substantial amount of gold to do with as he pleases, the bragging rights as a winner, and the crown to name the loveliest girl in this territory."

Will returned his gaze back to Rolf, who was still nursing the side of his face. Both men stared at each other for a moment before Turner continued.

"My men have shot two arrows at the top of the poles," Turner said as he pointed to the two totem poles at the end of the arena. The poles stood on their own and stood high enough that Will swore he could touch the clouds at the very top. They were smooth, with little visible ridges to be used to climb. It would be a difficult task to climb this, especially considering Will was unused to climbing. The archers could climb the highest trees to get the best shot, but Will had more upper body strength for his arms to carry him up. "You race from here to the poles, climb up and retrieve the arrow before you personally deliver the arrows to Tamzin, in her booth. Whoever runs to her first, wins," Turner said with a grin before he held out both of his hands. "On my count."

Will turned to look at Tamzin, who was now standing from her throne. His eyes lingered on her as she began clapping and cupped her hands around her mouth to project her voice. She was smiling and rooting for him; it was a beautiful sight for him. As Will turned to face forward, he heard Turner yell, "Three!" before Will bucked forward.

His few inches of height on Rolf helped Will as he ran across the arena. The yells and cheers of the people rang in Will's ears as he nearly leapt forward and dug his fingers into the smooth wood of the totem pole. Will felt the muscles in his arms strain as he pulled himself up the totem pole. Will wanted to look to see where Rolf was, but he focused on the arrow at the very top of the pole. Will slid a bit before he hooked his fingers into small slots on the side of the pole and pulled himself up. Without touching the top, Will reached forward and ripped the silver arrow from the wood. It wasn't an easy feat, as the arrow was designed to stay ingrained to whatever it hit. It would have been lethal if the arrow hit human skin.

Will slid down the pole and tried to brace for the fall. His feet hit the ground and he felt the shock slide up his legs painfully. With unsteady feet and the arrow firmly in his grasp, Will stepped forward and ran clumsily towards Tamzin's booth. He was beginning to make the distance when he felt a hand wrap around his ankle. It felt like Will's face hit the ground first before he turned to see Rolf's hand around his ankle.

"Even with cheating, you won't win," Will spat as he kicked Rolf's hand away from him and crawled to his feet. The arrowhead scraped across his hand as Will reached forward with his free hand and touched the top of his and Tamzin's booth. With the arrow in his hand, Will slammed it on the booth and stood up on shaky legs. He was exhausted until he felt a warm hand cover his. Will looked up to see Tamzin's smiling face before she turned her attention to Rolf.

"Congratulations, Will. You've won," Tamzin smiled as she unlaced Will's fingers around the arrow.

Will watched as Tamzin ran the jasmine oil down his sore arms as he nursed his goblet of wine. On her head was a crown of flowers, made by a child in the town; this was the crown she won after Will worked for it. But Tamzin was delighted when he placed it on her head and she gave him a very public and passionate kiss for his work.

The Thurston and Roth men waited patiently for the sun to set, which is when they would leave. After the Tournament, Will and Tamzin attended lunch with her parents and the other nobles, which was as painful as it sounded. The food was delicious, but all Will wanted to do was find a comfortable bed and pass out. As Tamzin finished rubbing his arms, she opened her arms to him. They were sitting on the wagon that brought Tamzin from the Thurston camp to Roth and Will laid down on his side, his head resting on Tamzin's lap. Gently, she ran her fingers through his thick hair as Will began to close his eyes from exhaustion.

Will only slept for a few hours before he felt Tamzin gently shake him awake. His blue eyes focused on her tearstained face, and Will knew. The sun had set and the sky was dark, with only the stars illuminating the sky. The moon was full and would light the back roads, enough that the men would possibly be able to forgo lanterns and lights. Will sat up slowly, his body still aching from the tournament, and he opened his arms for Tamzin. She crawled into his embrace and her tears stained his tunic as Will pressed gentle kisses to her hair.

"It is not forever," Will said as he combed his fingers through her wavy hair. "When the war is over and the roads are safe again, you will see your family again. I promise," Will said as he watched Turner and Gemma approach Tamzin, with Thom behind them. Will gently unwound his arms from around Tamzin and stood up from the wagon. "I thank you for your hospitality towards myself and my men, Your Grace." Will bowed to Turner before he watched Turner extend his hand to Will. When Will took it, he felt Turner bring him closer.

"Keep off the main roads. We could hope they would be quiet at this time of night, but we shouldn't take the risk. I am sending my entire second wave archers with you, which consists of 500 men. Hopefully, 1500 men should deter the average bandit, but you and I know the average bandit does not cause the damage we have seen so far," Turner said as he released Will's hand. "Be careful."

"She will be safe," Will nodded as he turned to watch Tamzin embrace her mother and brother. Gemma wiped Tamzin's cheeks clean of tears before she pressed her lips to her cheek. Thom clung to his sister like he may never see her again and it wasn't until Will approached them that he felt Thom's arms lock around his waist. "What are you doing?" Will asked awkwardly before he returned the boy's embrace.

"You were right about the girl I liked," Thom said as he looked up to see Will's face. "I'm sorry for what I did."

"I've long healed and the anger has been forgotten," Will said as he brushed back Thom's hair, so similar to Tamzin's.

"Promise you'll bring Tamzin back," Thom said with watered eyes as he looked back to his sister. "I miss her when she's gone."

"I know the feeling," Will said as he remembered the months he spent separated from Tamzin, the same months he had no idea what she was experiencing. "My entire purpose in life is to keep her alive," Will said as he pulled away from Thom. Tamzin hugged her Father and watched him whisper something to her before they pulled away. Will could tell that she was trying to be strong and hastily wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She didn't say it, but Will could see that she truly believed this may be the last time she saw her family, perhaps forever. This was a time of war and she had already seen the Johanssons attack Will's home. Why would Roth be any safer?

"The advice you gave me about the girl worked," Thom said. "She kissed me."

"Of course she would. You're a charming kid," Will grinned as he lightly punched Thom's arm. Thom was much smaller than Will, so he stumbled from the impact. "If you're lucky, maybe your father will let you marry her when you two are old enough."

"I don't think so," Thom said glumly as he watched Turner approach them. "Tamzin hadn't wanted to marry you when Father first announced it, but she did her duty."

"But it's not a duty any longer. We love each other. You can be just as lucky," Will responded as he watched Turner place his hand on Thom's shoulder.

"It's time for you to get on the road," Turner said, his eyes downcast in sadness. "The roads are cleared for now, but there is no time for taking a leisurely pace. With any luck, you will be there early tomorrow morning."

"The majority of the men are on horseback or are on the wagons with our supplies. It is a good idea to bring food, weapons, and medicine as a bargaining tool to ensure our entrance into Bradford," Will said as touched his hip, searching for his sword. It was probably still resting in the wagon where he rested with Tamzin.

"Was that Tamzin's idea?" Turner asked.

"It was. We discussed it last night and she had your advisors arrange everything this morning," Will replied as he stood awkwardly next to his father in law. "She will be safe with me, I promise."

"You've made promises like that before. I will believe you when I see her again, unharmed preferably," Turner said as he extended his arm. "It's time for you to be on your way, Prince William."

"Thank you for your hospitality," Will bowed again before he walked back to the wagon, where Tamzin had taken her seat again. After the tournament, she had changed into a sleeveless lilac dress that dipped into her cleavage, though she had a cream colored light cloak to go over her when they made it to Bradford. Her dress was definitely too revealing to be worn in Bradford. She sat inside the wagon, with five soldiers sitting on the outside of the wagon, guarding her. They pushed aside to let Will in. When he came to sit next to her, Tamzin was holding his sword.

"You're not going to ride Angus?" Tamzin asked as Will placed his arm behind her and rested his hand on her hip.

"We need to have as many men off the road as possible. We will travel quicker with most of the men on the wagons or on horseback," Will said as he felt the wagon shift before they began to move. It was then that Tamzin turned and buried her face in Will's chest. The men talked quietly amongst themselves as Will ran his fingers through Tamzin's hair. Will stared through the archway, at the men in front of them. The wagon they were on wasn't in the front of the pack, as to protect Tamzin. Will could see Garrett and some Roth men towards the front; Garrett was riding Angus.