Page 73 of Highlander the Conqueror

Sky keptherself hidden as best she could while watching her husband in the practice circle. She had noticed how empty the village seemed today and had asked Euniss if something was going on beyond the stone walls. She told her that Slayer was challenging his warriors today. He did so every now and then, though mostly when his anger lingered. It was a way for him to rid himself of it. Unfortunately, most of his warriors did not want to challenge him when his anger simmered, though the clansmen enjoyed watching their leader go undefeated.

Sky was aware that her husband’s temper had lingered and been simmering for the last couple of weeks. It was because Lester had not been found, not even a single sign of him had been spotted. Slayer had been withdrawn, spending more time in his solar, not talking with her as much as he usually did. And it had been several days since they had coupled, or he had shown her much affection and she missed the closeness they shared. He purposely avoided her, even in their bedchamber. The last few nights he had joined her in bed after she had fallen asleep, and he was gone before she woke in the morning. She was not sure what to do about it, although she knew it could not go on like this much longer.

He struck quite a figure in the circle, no warrior coming near to his size nor to his skill. He stood shirtless, a sheen of sweat covering his broad chest and muscled arms and suffering no breathlessness. Not so for the six warriors he had engaged separately in a sword fight. They all sat beyond the circle breathless and dripping sweat, except for one. He suddenly dropped back on the ground, his body prone, as if he had no strength left to hold himself up.

Clansmen cheered for Slayer, and Sky wondered how many more men he would need to fight to assuage his anger. He did not wound anyone who fought him, though he could have several times. He won by exhausting them into surrender. He paced the circle like a caged animal waiting for his next opponent to step forward. His warriors glanced amongst themselves waiting for the next brave soul to volunteer.

She went to turn away when he caught sight of her and the intensity in his eyes sent a shiver racing through her. It was not her husband who fought in the circle. It was the fearless Gallowglass warrior and leader. Not only did anger spark like flaring embers in his eyes, but passion swelled there as well. She understood now that it was not her husband who had been avoiding her but the fierce Gallowglass warrior.

For a moment, she thought of turning away and avoiding the warrior in him that at times frightened her, but she stopped herself. How could their marriage grow stronger and survive if they both did not reconcile the two?

She needed to get him alone and there was only one way to do that… defy him. It would force him to punish her, and all knew she was sent to his solar for a tongue lashing or her bedchamber where she would spend time in penance for her disobedience. When truly, it gave them time alone. But how did she accomplish that with all eyes on him?

The sudden cry of a hawk had her tipping her head back to look up. The bird circled overhead, then abruptly dropped down, disappearing into the forest of trees. She silently thanked the hawk for his help and, with her stomach twisting anxiously, she cast what she hoped resembled a defiant glance at her husband, then headed toward the woods.

“SKY!”

She cringed at how he could make her name sound like a forceful command, thinking any wise person would stop abruptly. And she almost did, but caught herself and kept walking, slowly since she had no desire to truly disobey him. She only wanted to get him alone even though that thought worsened her already anxious stomach. It was time she faced the Gallowglass warrior whether she wanted to or not. Though recalling the consequences of the one time, in the thunderstorm, against the tree that Slayer had let the fierce warrior loose, she wondered if it was wise to do so again. But things were different now. She knew more, understood more about intimacy, and had grown to love every intimate moment they shared.

“STOP, SKY!”

This time she stopped since he sounded closer, and she was getting too close to the edge of the forest. She turned and took a step back as his powerful strides made him appear that he was set to devour her once he reached her.

“You are not permitted to go into the forest,” he said, slowing his steps to keep a distance between them, and keeping his voice loud enough for all to hear his command.

Sky cast a glance past him to see that all who had gathered stood silently watching them, so she did the same as her husband. She kept her voice loud enough for all to hear and kept her defiance clear, leaving him no choice in what he must do.

“I want to go into the woods,” she said with a tilt of her chin, though hoped he did not notice the quiver that raced through her.

“Nay! I forbid it. You will go to the keep and stay there,” Slayer said at first surprised by her outright defiance before he realized what his wife was up to. He stepped closer to her and kept his voice low, though failed to keep his anger in tow. “You are being foolish. You will stop this now, Sky.”

She briefly thought of doing as he said, dismissing this foolish plan of hers and obeying him. When suddenly she was flooded with memories of the endless times that she had dismissed plans because someone deemed them foolish for her. If she was ever to escape the fearful and unsure woman she once was, then she had to start now by confronting the Gallowglass warrior.

Sky tilted her chin higher, a gesture of defiance when actually it was to look him straight in the eye, and say, “Make me!”

Slayer was not sure he heard her correctly, although it was more likely that he never expected to hear such defiant words from her.

“I will warn you one last time. Go to the keep now!” he ordered, his eyes narrowing and his gruff voice threatening. He lowered his voice quickly to add, “Do not defy me, Sky.”

This was the moment. She either backed down or stepped forward and stood firm.

She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. “Nay. I will not.”

A chorus of gasps filled the air and Sky almost expected to see fire spewing from his mouth, the anger in his eyes expanding tenfold. He latched onto her arm so tight that she cringed, but he appeared not to notice or was too angry with her to care since he propelled her forward, forcing her to keep pace with his powerful strides.

“Get back to your chores!” he ordered the crowd.

Sky was not surprised to hear snippets of talk as the crowd dispersed around them.

“He should beat her good.”

“She will hold her defiant tongue then.”

“Lock her away.”

Slayer stopped suddenly, tightening his hold on Sky when she lost her footing. “Watch your tongues or I will see the same inflicted on you. The next one I hear say a word about her will find himself or herself put in the stocks for two days. Now go do your chores before I change my mind and see that those I heard say such disparaging remarks locked in the stocks.”

Everyone there rushed off, keeping a wide berth around Slayer.

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