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His warriors stepped forward and one by one broke the wrists of two men, but before they reached Iver, he shouted out, “She escaped us. She hit me in the head with a rock and ran.”

Slayer nodded at the warrior standing behind the man and he quickly snapped his wrist.

The man screamed and cradled his broken wrist in his arm.

Slayer grabbed Olin’s other hand and snapped that wrist and as he screamed in pain, the others begged for mercy.

“Tell me the truth and I will spare you,” Slayer said, his face twisted in fury.

Iver rushed to speak up. “She ran and we followed.” He hesitated, but when the warrior reached for his other hand, he spewed out the rest. “She fell off a cliff.”

A fiery rage twisted Slayer’s face and he snarled, “And you left her there?”

“She was dead, not moving,” Olin said and gasped when Slayer rested a dagger against his throat.

“She moved,” Iver cried out.

Slayer’s anger spewed out with his every word. “And still you left her there?”

Iver was quick to explain. “We had no choice. The wolves got to her first.”

Slayer felt a tremendous pain pierce his body as if one of his limbs had been severed, as if he lost a part of himself. “They attacked her?”

“We didn’t stay to see,” Iver said. “We feared you would catch us if we didn’t take our leave fast.”

“You will take me to this cliff,” Slayer ordered, praying his wife survived the fall and that her unique way with animals just might have saved her.

“Aye. Aye. I will take you,” Iver said eagerly, cradling his broken wrist.

Slayer turned to Reed. “Keep them here in case they have lied to me. Besides, I have more questions for them.” He looked at Olin. “Afterwards they will suffer a slow death.”

Olin made the mistake of saying, “Why should we tell you anything if you plan to kill us anyway?”

Without hesitation or warning, Slayer swept his dagger across Olin’s arm. He screamed and Slayer grabbed his face, squeezing it. “It is the difference between a fast or slow death. Your choice.” He turned to Iver, who was more than willing to talk. “How far is it?”

“You caught us not far from the cliff.”

“Show me,” Slayer commanded.

* * *

It did not take longto spot the line of pine trees not far in the distance or for Iver to beg for his life.

“Please, my lord, spare me. I did not want any part of this,” Iver pleaded. “I will help you any way I can.”

“Aye, you will help me willingly or not,” Slayer said. “But why take part in this if you did not want to?”

Iver sputtered as he searched for a response.

Slayer answered for him. “Greed.”

“I will not deny I wanted the coin, but I gave better thought to it after I watched men brutally kill a large Gallowglass warrior. I never saw a man fight so fearlessly and continue to do so with so many wounds.” Iver shuddered. “I have seen evil things done by evil men, but never did I truly look on evil until that day when I watched a man step out of the woods to deliver the final blow to the Gallowglass warrior. One glance and you could see the pleasure he derived from slowly driving his dagger into the warrior and twisting it before he slowly sliced his throat.” Iver shivered at the memory. “I never saw such bravery as the Gallowglass warrior lay there unable to move yet not crying out in pain. He even managed last words.” He shook his head. “I didn’t understand why he said, ‘I won.’”

Slayer was nearly brought to an abrupt halt upon hearing that, but he was far too anxious to get to his wife. Clyde would have to wait. However, he would find the man and avenge his friend’s death.

“Did you and the other men with you partake in this attack?” Slayer asked.

“We’re here and the edge of the cliff is only a few steps beyond the pines,” Iver warned, coming to a stop in front of the tall pines.