Caitlin glanced over at the field and cast her eyes over the men getting ready for the next event. A playful smile appeared on her face. “It would be wrong of me tae say anything other than my own clan.”
“Aye, but soon enough you’re gaeing tae be a Frasier. Maybe ye should start now and cheer us on,” Rhys said with a grin.
Caitlin arched an eyebrow and regarded him with a challenging gaze. She folded her arms across her chest.
“Ye know that is nae gaeing tae happen. Ye’ll see, by the end of it the McClearey clan will be on top.”
“A fine boast, but I think ye’ll be mistaken,” Rhys said. A call was given to declare that the rest of the events were ready to begin. Rhys and Caitlin returned to their respective seats. Rhys smiled at the private moment he had shared, but it hadn’t been as private as he would have liked. Malcolm caught his gaze and gave him a knowing nod as if to say that Rhys was doing a good job for keeping up the façade. The smile fell from Rhys’s face, as it had been a genuine pleasure to speak to Caitlin.
But he didn’t have much time to think about that as the events started again and he could lose himself in the drama. The representatives of the clans roared as they pushed themselves to their limits and fought hard to prove that their clan was the superior one and deserved to triumph. But the same balance persisted. The clans were matched evenly and neither had a firm advantage over the other. They did obey Bryn’s wishes though, and no more fights broke out. They reached the final event and the honor of the clans rested upon it. The scores were tied, the clans inseparable, and the victor of this final challenge would win glory for themselves and their clan.
Malcolm set forth his champion, a man named Black Pete because of his shaggy black hair that ran all over his back and shoulders. He grunted, flexed his muscles, and roared loudly in a warning to the men from the McClearey clan. But it wasn’t a man he was going to face. In a surprising turn of events, and something that took Rhys completely by surprise, Caitlin jumped up from the stand and made her way onto the field. Bryn, with a smug grin as he could see Malcolm’s face go purple with rage, announced this his daughter would be representing his clan.
“Ye cannae dae this!” Malcolm shouted. “It’s an affront tae all that is good and holy. She’s just a wee lass. What are ye thinking?”
“Are ye afraid of a wee lass Malcolm? Dinnae worry, Caitlin will nae make a fool of Black Pete here,” Bryn said. Caitlin sauntered past Black Pete, who didn’t look impressed at all. Malcolm was fuming as he returned to his seat, throwing his arms up in the air.
“If he dinnae want tae take this seriously then fine. I just hope she dinnae get hurt out there,” Malcolm said. Rhys suppressed a smile. As Caitlin walked out she flashed a smile at Rhys and gave him a wink. The fact that she was actually willing to go out there herself left him utterly enamored. She walked with confidence and took her position in front of the targets. Six axes were waiting for them, three axes each. There was a target standing before them, with different colors indicating different zones. After each person had thrown their axes the scores would be tallied and the winner would be declared.
Black Pete stepped up and pulled an axe up with a huge hand. He handled it easily, as though it was no more than a twig. He took aim, his huge bicep curling, and then flung the axe forward. It spun through the air, the metal head gleaming as it caught the sun, and it landed almost square in the middle with a loud thunk. A ripple of applause was given to Black Pete as he turned and sneered at Caitlin. She seemed unaffected by this, and although Rhys should have been cheering for Black Pete, he found himself hoping that Caitlin’s confidence was not unfounded. He leaned forward as she used two hands to pick the axe up and hoist it over her shoulder. The axe looked much bigger in her hands than it had for Black Pete, and Rhys was worried that Caitlin had bitten off more than she could chew. Where Black Pete had tossed the axe without a second thought, Caitlin spread her legs and angled her body. She took aim carefully and went through the motions of throwing the axe before she actually went through with it. Her body moved gracefully and she followed through with her arm, holding her position as the axe found its home in the middle of the target, nestled against the axe that had already been thrown by Black Pete. The McCleareys roared when they saw that she had scored the same as him, and Black Pete glowered.
He stormed up and pulled the second axe out of the ground, then hurled it through the air. It struck the target with such force that Rhys thought for a moment it was going to teeter and topple over. Malcolm cheered in triumph, but his grin fell as Caitlin matched Black Pete two for two. It was going to come down to the last throw. At the moment both Black Pete and Caitlin had matching points, for their axes were nestled into the yellow portion of the target. It brought another element into play, as now space was at a premium. Going for the middle would grant them the most points, but it also ran the risk of them hitting another axe and falling harmlessly to the ground.
Black Pete took more time to take aim this time. A tense hush settled over the watching crowd. Everyone
