Unfortunately, the trip down the stairs had been exhausting. So much so that she’d had to stop to rest halfway down, holding up the other women as well as Dougall and Rory, who had followed them. She had just finished gasping out a refusal to Dougall’s offer to carry her the rest of the way, insisting she just needed a moment’s rest and could manage on her own, when Conran had spotted them on the stairs. He’d immediately rushed up to scoop her into his arms and carry her down the rest of the steps. The man had berated her the whole way to the table for wearing herself out so while still healing. She should still be abed, he’d growled as he’d set her down on the bench and taken a seat beside her.
Of course Evina had still been out of breath from her trek and unable to tell him to bugger off, or explain what they’d found in the bedchamber Dougall and Murine now shared. That had been left to the other women. She’d got to watch the shock and uproar that caused though, and then the men had rushed above stairs, barking at the women to remain at the table with Gavin to guard them.
Evina had never been good at obeying orders. The moment she’d drank the mead that was set before her, and regained her breath, she’d commented that the dogs were pacing and no doubt in need of a walk about outside. When Gavin had then stood to take them out, she’d pointed out that he was supposed to guard them and shouldn’t go without them. While he’d stood, frowning over the matter, she’d stood as well and commented that some fresh air would be nice after being stuck in her room so long. She’d then slid her arm through his and urged him toward the keep doors, calling the dogs to come with them even as the women had all jumped up to follow.
When they’d gotten outside and she’d spotted her father’s horse at the foot of the stairs, Evina had announced she’d like to just go check on how Donnan was getting along training the men in her absence. While the big man was brilliant at training the more seasoned soldiers, the younger ones found his size a bit intimidating and couldn’t retain a thing he said. It was why Donnan had set her to training the younger lads when she was just a girl. He’d been training her at that point. He knew she knew her business, so he’d suggested she teach some of the younger lads, leaving him free to concentrate on training the older ones. As Evina had aged, the ages of the men she’d trained had grown with her.
“I’m going to get in trouble for this, am I no’?” Gavin had said with disgust as he’d helped her up onto her father’s mount.
Smiling at her cousin sweetly, Evina had murmured, “Mayhap. But I think ye owe me after skulking around spying on Conran and me for Da, and then reporting to him what ye saw. Don’t you?”
Gavin had grimaced. “Sorry, Evina. But he’s me laird as well as me uncle, and he gave me an order.”
“Well, before going above with the men, he did no’ order ye no’ to let me ride across the bailey to see how the men are doing in the practice field. Besides,” she’d added. “If we’re quick, we’ll be back before they come below.”
Of course, that had presumed she wouldn’t see that she was needed and decide to help some of the younger men, Evina acknowledged as she reached young Cormag Maclean, a cousin three times removed or something.
“M’lady?” Cormag turned to her, looking uncertain. “But I’m grasping it like ye told Laichaidh to. I heard ye tell him, ‘Grip it firmly with the right hand below the guard, and grab the pommel with the left,’ and ’tis what I am doing.”
“Aye, but he’s right-handed,” Evina explained as she paused beside him. She then scowled at the breathy sound to her voice after such a short walk. It was truly pathetic. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath to try to settle herself and then continued. “Ye favor yer left hand. That means yer left arm is stronger. Ye’ll want to do the opposite o’ Laichaidh and grasp it below the guard with yer left, and grab the pommel with yer right.”
“Oh,” he said with understanding. Smiling, he changed his handhold. “Like this?”
“Good.” Evina nodded. “Now, hold it so the pommel is just above here,” she said, patting him where she thought his belly button probably was. “But ne’er rest it against yer stomach. And keep it at an angle that places the tip between yer opponent’s heart and throat.”
Nodding, Cormag adjusted his hold.
“Good, now place yer right foot behind yer left and stand on the meat at the front o’ yer right foot,” she instructed. “‘Twill help ye keep yer balance as ye lunge forward during the blow.”
“Evi!” Jetta called.
“Just a minute,” Evina called back, busy with her instruction. She heard her call to Saidh next, but ignored them. “Now, when ye go to strike, bring yer sword up until yer right hand is up higher than yer eyes, and then bring it down using yer left hand to direct the blade. Yer right is to provide the force o’ the blow.”
“Evi! Saidh!”
Ignoring the shouts for now, Evina started to step back out of the way as the lad lifted the sword up, but then quickly stepped forward again and caught his arm to stop him. “Nay, nay! Keep yer left arm straight, but do no’ lock it like that, else ye could break it when ye—”
“Evi! Saidh!”
Breaking off, Evina turned with exasperation to the women standing on the sidelines by her father’s horse and deerhounds. Jetta, Murine and Jo were all looking a bit alarmed, but she had no idea why. Frowning, she asked, “What is it?”
“I think they’ve been trying to tell us that our men are coming,” Saidh commented with amusement, breaking off the practice battle she’d been having with Gavin and moving to her side.
Evina followed her gaze toward the large group of men hurrying across the bailey toward them and sighed. “O’ course they are.”
“O’ course,” Saidh agreed good-naturedly. “Goodness, my Greer and yer Conran look ready to choke someone.”
Evina considered the men and had to agree. They certainly did look upset. Glancing to Saird with curiosity, she said, “Ye do no’ seem worried.”
Saidh shrugged with unconcern. “Greer would ne’er hurt me, and Conran wouldn’t hurt ye either. They’ll sputter and growl about yer safety, and me playing at swords while with child, and no doubt drag us back to the keep berating us the whole way. O’ course,” she added, “ye and I will act annoyed and refuse to speak to them and they will take us to our rooms to apologize and end up pleasuring us in the end.” Grinning, she glanced to Evina and assured her, “Ye’ll find there is nothing sweeter than a joining to make up after a fight. They are most eager to please then.”
Evina’s eyebrows rose at this news. She found it hard to imagine that Conran could do more to please her in the bedchamber than he already had. But she was willing to find out if there was. She also appreciated Saidh’s blunt speech. She was really beginning to like the woman a good deal and thought they could be grand friends. She liked the other women too, and was starting to think she was lucky to be marrying into this large family.
“Evina!”
“Saidh!”
“Here we go,” Saidh murmured as the men reached the practice field and Conran and Greer broke off from the group to start through the battling warriors toward them. She then said under her breath, “Remember, ye must act very annoyed and use words like high-handed and phrases about his ordering ye about like a child and such.”