She also had to remind herself that these men had come here with the sole intent of seeing her and Rannick dead. Still, it was difficult to look upon such suffering and not want to help. Her husband had made no mention of the wounded last night or this morning before he left their bedchamber to speak with his father before breakfast. Of course, they had been otherwise occupied both times giving no thought to anything beyond making love. They had been of one mind, one purpose last night and had blotted out the horrors of the day by ending it with a night that would forever live in their memories. Today, though, she stood seeing the cold truth of what her husband had been forced to face and had gratefully survived.
The healer in her had brought her here this morning as had the emptiness of the Great Hall as well as curiosity. However, she had not expected to find the suffering and misery in front of her.
“Are you a fool that you cannot see his evil?”
The young man who had assumed Owen’s name last night stood near a section of the wood enclosure that kept the men caged. He cradled his arm of the hand he had lost three fingers on, the bandage bloody and dirty.
Bliss had no chance to respond, and she did not think he cared if she did, he went right on speaking.
“Why do you think so many,” —he turned to cast a glance over the wounded men— “would sacrifice their lives to see him dead?”
“And me as well?” she asked.
“You could spawn another to take his place and give the curse continuous power,” he said as if his excuse made perfect sense. “There is a grander plan that will finally bring the endless suffering this curse has caused to an end.”
“From what I see, you follow blindly, not knowing who leads the ragtag group,” Bliss argued.
“Righteous group and the righteous will prevail against evil,” he claimed with conviction. “We have stopped Lord Rannick’s evil from spreading and we will do so again.”
“You killed his three wives,” she said, and his brow shot up in surprise that it was finally known.
“I wish I had had the pleasure of claiming such victory, but I did not do the deed. Evil has no right to seed a bairn. The devil has enough servants.” His face scrunched in a sneer. “Pray the curse gets you before we do.”
“The curse did not claim Lord Rannick’s wives, selfish, ignorant men did,” she said unable to keep the anger from her voice.
“Call us what you will.” His sneer grew ugly. “We are among you, and we will know victory.”
“You will see no victory! Though be certain, you will suffer for what you have done.”
Bliss turned along with the young man to see her husband approach.
“We will be victorious!” the young man proclaimed, raising his chin defiantly.
Rannick’s arm went around his wife’s waist in a protective embrace after he stopped beside her. “We will see how long you continue to feel that way when your torture starts.”
“I am not afraid,” he boasted for all to hear.
“You thought differently last night after losing a few fingers,” Rannick reminded. “I wonder how you will feel losing a limb or two.”
The image her husband’s remark brought to mind had Bliss cringing and the young man paled and wobbled as if at any moment he would faint, but he managed to stay on his feet.
“You can choose your death, fast and painless or agonizingly slow,” Rannick said. “I will give you and the others time to think it over.”
“I do not want to die,” a man said, approaching the fence with a limp, a bloody soiled bandage wrapped around his right leg. “I will tell you all I know.”
“You would betray us, Yester?”
“You fight for a belief. I fight for coin, Sheed,” Yester said.
Rannick signaled several guards. They entered the pen and approached Yester.
“You will pay dearly for this,” Yester,” Sheed said, spit flying with his angry threat.
“Not as dearly as you,” Yester said and limped his way out of the pen, the guards flanking him.
“I should see to his wound,” Bliss said.
“Not until after he tells me what he knows and not without me present,” Rannick said and looked to the guards. “Take him to the healer’s cottage.” He turned to Sheed. “Think over what I offered. I will not make the offer again.”
“What if I decide like Yester, that I do not want to die?” Sheed challenged.
“That is not an option for you,” Rannick said and took his wife’s hand to walk away.
“SEE! SEE HOW EVIL HE IS!” Sheed yelled. “HE WILL KILL ALL HERE AND NOT CARE. WE WILL STAND TOGETHER PROUDLY AGAINST EVIL AND DIE!”
Rannick let go of his wife’s hand and went to the fence to shout, “SPARE YOURSELF SUFFERING AND TELL ME ALL YOU KNOW!”