Chapter 35

And I find a maid possest

 

Fifty yards behind, Ainsley watched as Blair brought his racehorse alongside Garret’s. The men kept a reckless pace across the meadow, no longer seated in their saddles. “Come on. Come on.” Ainsley gritted his teeth as he pushed his horse faster. There was no way the two men could tackle the narrow bridge riding abreast. One would have to give way to the other or risk falling into the swift current. Before they got so far, however, Blair left his saddle and sprung at Garret, pushing him from the saddle and clinging to him as they both fell from their horses.

Any pain from the impact was ignored as they wrestled on the ground. Ainsley saw Blair give two hard blows to Garret’s face before Garret was able to land a punch of his own.

Ainsley jumped from his horse before the animal had time to stop and ran for the brawling men, caught in an equal exchange of wallops. Growls escaped them as they punched and kicked, rolling in the tall grass. A swift kick sent Blair groaning in agony. Seeing his chance, Garret began to crawl away.

“You killed my brother,” Blair snarled as he pulled himself to stand. “Stop and face me like a man!”

Garret did not stop. He slinked through the grass, giving terrified glances over his shoulder as he went.

Ainsley went to Blair to look over his injuries but Blair acted as if Ainsley weren’t there. He kept his gaze trained on Garret, who continued to crawl away like an injured animal. Blair followed along behind, a scowl hardening on his features as he trailed his prey.

Garret began to cough, and spat out a considerable amount of blood onto the grass in front of him. He looked back over his shoulder, revealing a wide, slather of blood dripping over his chin.

No further fighting was necessary. Garret could barely crawl, let alone walk, and his horse had abandoned him by running from the scene. Ainsley saw that he held his arm over his chest as another fit of coughing ensued. With this knowledge, Ainsley wondered if Garret had broken a rib or two when he fell from his horse. The pain would have been immense and he wouldn’t get far. Given proper medical attention, he might live, though this far out in the woods, Ainsley highly doubted it.

Blair understood none of this. He could not read the signs of a broken man as Ainsley could. He followed closely, keeping pace slightly behind Garret as if teasing his prey, playing with it, and enjoying the view of his suffering. He gave a kick to Garret’s backside, pushing him into the ground.

“Blair, stop,” Ainsley commanded. He held a hand to Blair’s chest but Blair slapped it away.

Garret collapsed, rolling onto his back and lowering his head to the swath of grass beside him. Any terror had disappeared as he accepted his lot. Spitting out another mouthful of blood, Garret smiled. “I told him to leave her be, you know,” he said struggling for breath. “I warned him.”

“You killed him because of the baby,” Ainsley said.

Garret lowered his eyes. “No.” Garret spat into the grass. “I killed him because he defied me, and our grandfather. He believed himself to be better than us and refused to leave my sister alone. The baby was her punishment for not listening to her family.”

“What baby?” Blair snarled, dividing his gaze between Ainsley and Garret.

Garret nearly smiled as he rose up slightly in the grass. “The one I had the good doctor rip out of her!”

Blair swung widely and landed a solid punch to Garret’s jaw. He grabbed Garret by the collar and readied his fist for another blow.

“Wait, wait!” Ainsley slid himself between Garret and Blair and held up his hands to halt the beating. “Stop!” Ainsley yelled. “You must stop.”

“He killed my brother and my brother’s child! He deserves no less than death.” Blair pushed against Ainsley’s body to get to his victim.

Ainsley grabbed Blair’s wrist. “Killing him will not ease that pain!”

Blair’s struggle lessened as he looked Ainsley in the eyes.

“It doesn’t help,” Ainsley said, nearly crying. “You wish it would but it doesn’t. That battle is in here.” Ainsley pointed to his chest with his free hand. “It cannot be won with force. It only subsides with time.”

Blair remained stone-faced for some time, staring at Ainsley and breathing heavily. Ainsley felt Blair’s need to strike diminish and the strength in his arm weakened. A second later, Blair shook off Ainsley’s grasp and turned. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked some paces away before collapsing in the grass to cry.

A laugh came from behind him. When Ainsley turned he saw Garret gathering himself to stand. “I was right about you,” Garret said with a chuckle as he wiped his bloodied chin with his forearm. “You’re too good.” He smiled as he came to his knees, keeping one arm cradled at his side. “You wouldn’t know the power that can be felt when you take another man’s life.”

Ainsley took one step toward him and swung hard. The impact sent Garret off his knees and back into the grass, a new gush of blood spraying from his mouth. “It’s not power,” he said, as he stood over Garret, “its fear.”

“Peter.”

Ainsley turned to Blair and then followed his gaze to the cliffs where two figures stood at the edge of the trees.

“It’s Samuel,” Blair said somberly. “He has Margaret.”