Shadows & Lace (Spellbound Prequel)

Chapter 13: Welcome to the Punch

To his amazement, Aurelian found that he was settling in remarkably well with the group of outlaws hidden in the woods. They had been a little distrustful at first, but with Jowan's approval of his presence, one by one they had slowly begun returning his smiles. On his fourth day, he was regaling some of the younglings - and maybe a couple of their mothers - with some stories of great adventures, when the vigilante finally returned. He'd been waiting for this, finding it very interesting that the leader of the operation didn't stay in the woods like everyone else.

Perhaps this was the reason the vigilante disguised himself. With no one knowing his true identity, he could move between the city and Nowhere unhindered, while the others were all people hiding from the law. It was curious that not even the most trusted of the group seemed to know who he was. Aurelian had carefully prodded Jowan about it, but the large man didn't know, and seemingly didn't care. They only saw what the vigilante did for them, and little else mattered.

"I see you're still here," the vigilante said as he approached the group Aurelian was entertaining. His hood was pulled so far forward that it shadowed any part of his face uncovered by the face-cloth.

"Welcome back," Aurelian replied, trying to decipher if the other man been pleased or disappointed by his continued presence. "How was the city?"

The vigilante shrugged. "The same as always. Have you seen Jowan?"

"I think he said he would train."

"Thank you, I will go find him."

Aurelian flashed his captive audience an apologetic smile before hurrying after the vigilante. "I'll join you," he said. "I could do with some training myself."

A grunt was his only response. They walked through the collection of simple wooden huts, down towards the tarn and the hut where Aurelian had been staying. Jowan was standing in the clearing by the water, a long wooden staff in his hands. It was surprising how fluid his motions were as he moved the staff around in large, measured strokes and quick jabs. You'd not think a man that size could be so graceful. When he caught sight of them approaching, Jowan stopped and waved a massive hand.

"You wanting to do some training, boss?" he asked and the vigilante nodded. "I'll get your dummies and gear."

"I'll help," Aurelian offered.

Jowan showed him to a large wooden chest tucked at the base of a tree at the edge of the forest before the clearing. "Grab some of them weapons," he said, walking over to a wooden shelter housing what looked like a bunch of target dummies and larger weapons. Grabbing two dummies as if they weighed nothing, he carried them back to the clearing under his arms.

Aurelian looked through the chest of weapons, picking up a couple of wooden practice daggers. They seemed like the thing the vigilante would use. Finding a wooden short-sword, he grabbed that as well. When he returned to the clearing, he tossed one dagger to the vigilante who caught it midair. He kept the other, weighing it in his hand. It felt very familiar. But then he supposed a practice dagger was more or less the same everywhere.

"I promised Steffan I'd help him build a couple more huts," Jowan said as he finished setting the target dummies up by the edge of the water. "Don't beat each other up too badly."

With a chuckle, the large bearded man disappeared back up the slope towards the main grouping of huts. The vigilante rolled his shoulders before turning towards the dummies and hurling the dagger towards one. Aurelian watched as it landed squarely in the painted heart of the dummy with a subdued thud. Looking closer at the dummy, he tilted his head.

"That dummy reminds me of the Sheriff," he said slowly.

"I like to paint them," the vigilante murmured as he walked up and retrieved the dagger, moving it from one hand to the other. "Gives it a more... personal feel."

"Right." Aurelian stared at the grinning face of the dummy, with the painted black hair and beard. He was certain that he'd seen a dummy like that before. What were the odds of two different people deciding to paint two dummies the same way?

Watching as the vigilante lobbed the dagger again, he tried to make sense of his jumbled thoughts. There had been a dummy like that in the undercroft of the Royal Castle, but the vigilante was too short and too slender to be Prince Baudwin. It must be someone else. The question was who. He tried to remember the young men he'd met while there, young knights and squires of the court. Scribes and clerks. Whoever it was must be friendly enough with the prince for him to practice with them.

"Would you like to spar?" Aurelian asked.

"Spar?" The vigilante seemed hesitant, before finally nodding. "All right."

Aurelian palmed the wooden short-sword he'd picked up, tossing the young man the second dagger. They circled each other, both aware that Aurelian had the advantage, being bigger and heavier if they went toe to toe, but the younger man was quicker and lighter. Going on the offensive, Aurelian was impressed by how easily the vigilante was able to evade him, ducking and weaving out of his reach. When he used Aurelian's forward lunge to his advantage and knocked his feet out from underneath, Aurelian couldn't help but chuckle. Even if he was on the ground.

Standing back up, he brushed some dirt off his tunic. "I'll admit," he said. "It's been a while since someone bested me in a fair fight."

"Same," the vigilante boasted.

The sun was shining, and it was hot, so Aurelian unclipped his belt and threw his tunic over the Sheriff dummy. The vigilante must be roasting in his hood and facecloth. Rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms, Aurelian noticed that his opponent had stopped moving and was standing very still. Very similar to the night he'd visited him in the castle. Aurelian frowned. Was the vigilante a woman? The one he'd found in the undercroft with the prince? No, she was too short. The vigilante was on the taller side for a woman.

"Let's go," Aurelian said, and when the vigilante took a moment to react, he was feeling even more certain that it was a woman. One who wasn't particularly used to shirtless men.

This time, when he lunged, he stopped himself half-way and put his leg out, having anticipated his opponent's side-step. The vigilante fell to the ground with a groan and the impact caused the hood to fall back an inch. Not enough to reveal much, but enough that Aurelian got a good glimpse of a pair of silvery-grey eyes. He turned around quickly, pretending to have dropped his weapon. Partly to hide the fact that he'd recognised her, partly to hide his reaction.

Princess Braithe.

A surge of anger coursed through his body. Followed by disappointment. Why had she not trusted him with this secret? Not kissing her the other night in the maze had taken all of his restraint, and all of this time she'd known. Had she been laughing at him? Toying with his emotions?

"I'm ready. Let's go," she said behind him in that fake voice. The sound suddenly grated on him like a knife on a bottle.

He slowly turned around, schooling his features into some version of blandness. The hood was back in place, her eyes hidden again. Now that he knew who she was, it was impossible to unsee. He recognised her in the way she moved, the way she cocked her head to the side and the nervous fiddling of her hands.

Suddenly, he wanted to punish her. For making a fool out of him. For making him fall in love with her while she laughed behind his back. For the kiss he had been certain they both wanted, but he had been too honourable to claim when her parents would never accept his suit.

She raised her hand, palm up, and tauntingly moved her fingers in a goading motion.

"Come at me."

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