The day of the battle dawned and Brian felt the day heavily in his heart as well as his head. Change was in the air and by the faint red coloring of the early morning skies, he knew there would be much blood shed that day.

His eyes shifted from the sky to the tent that stood in the center of the encampment. "Am I making a mistake?" He asked Benjamin, who had been standing silently beside him.

Benjamin followed Brian's gaze to the tent where Justin was being held and pursed his lips in thought. "I think...that you are doing what you believe to be right."

"Ah. So you do think it was a mistake."

"Might I speak freely milord?"

Brian raised an eyebrow. When had Benjamin ever needed permission to speak his mind? "Of course."

"I think that Justin is capable of handling himself. I think that you honestly believe this is best for him. That by handing him over to his father and holding him back from the fight, might spare him from being harmed. But what if, God forbid, he should be harmed in his father's care? Before you can reach him again? You will have traded him away and he will believe that you did it caring nothing for him."

"I do not-" Brian began to protest before seeing his friend's dubious look. It seemed that Benjamin was onto him. "Is it so obvious?"

Benjamin chuckled. "Perhaps you should have spoken to him. Told him your plans."

"I could not. He would never have agreed. He would insist on remaining by my side."

"You have great faith in his loyalty. That is good. But from what you have told me of his deal with his father...I think that he might agree to your plan, simply to save Melanie and Lindsay."

"So...basically you are saying that I should have simply told him what I was planning to do instead of having my...Justin taken prisoner without a word of explanation?"

Ben smirked. "More or less."

"Almighty! I just...he told me that damnable story about his father tricking him... Damn that man! Justin actually believes that he is to blame for all of this. The boy would take the world's troubles onto his own shoulders if he could."

"That sounds a bit like someone else I know as well." Brian shot the man a withering look. "So, are you going to explain things to your...Justin?"

Brian hesitated. Should he? He knew he should. What if something WERE to happen to him or to Justin? Justin would never know.

Just then, the men began to awaken, one by one they sprang up and Brian shook his head. "No time." He mounted his horse and sighed, glancing once again to Justin's tent. He would just have to make sure that he let nothing happen to either of them.

***

"Alright ladies. Get up."

Lindsay opened her eyes to see their very large guard standing over them. She nudged Melanie, never taking her eyes off of the man in front of her.

"What's going on?" Melanie asked, pulling Lindsay closer.

"You're to ride with Winterberry."

"Ride...where?" Lindsay asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"Into battle, of course. Yer husband has called him out. He's givin ya back."

"Back?" Melanie was suspicious of this news. Why would Winterberry simply hand them back? If he had wanted to lure Brian into a fight, he could have found simpler ways of going about it. Why would he take them, just to return them again?

Lindsay, however, was thrilled with the turn of events. "Melanie!" she whispered happily after the guard had turned to lead them out of the cell. "We are going home."

"Aye," Melanie agreed, not wanting Lindsay to worry needlessly. Under her breath, she muttered, "By way of bloody battle."

***

Justin stared at the back of Brian's head as he was pushed forward roughly by one of his own men. Never had he thought that he would be here. Not like this.

When he had gone to tell Brian everything, he had thought that perhaps the man would be angry. Refuse any further advances from him. It would have killed him, but he would have proven himself by fighting for his lover.

Yet, things rarely worked out as one intended for them to. He had learned that time and time again. Perhaps one day the lesson would stick.

To his right, Justin glanced, catching Ethan's eye. His friend nodded at him, lending his support, though he could do little more. Justin tried to smile, but only received another push from the person behind him.

He was now nothing more than a prisoner, to be thrown into the lion's den. At his father's mercy.

He shivered at the thought. What was his father going to do? He knew... Knew about Brian and their relationship. He knew that Justin had betrayed him, just as he had betrayed Rushworth and was supposed to betray McKinnon.

What kind of person had he become? Could he even trust himself anymore?

No wonder McKinnon was intent on being rid of him.

One good thing would come of this all. He had been told that Lindsay and Melanie where to be returned before he was handed over. That made things seem a little easier to bear. Knowing that his friends would be safe.

But...

He wondered if Brian would ever think of him. Would he remember the good times? Would he go to the pond and dream of him? His young warrior? Or would his memories be marred wondering if Justin had been plotting against him the whole time.

He hoped the man could remain happy. It pained him to think that he had promised to make the man happy and had only succeeded in causing him grief.

Oh how he wished he could have said something more to make Brian understand. To make him see that he never could have done anything to him. Never would have. He loved the man more than his own life. Harming Brian would have been like harming part of him.

As he got another push from behind, he gritted his teeth and steeled himself against what was to come. Walking away from Brian and walking towards his own doom.

***

As the two factions lined up along the top of the first hill, Benjamin noticed two riders moving forward and he and Brian were obliged to do the same.

The closer they came to the riders, the clearer they became, until Benjamin gasped. "Brian-"

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Brian raged quietly, so that the men would not hear.

Shaking his head in disbelief and staring at the man that so easily could have been mistaken for Brian himself, Benjamin could only hope that his lord did not say or do anything he might regret.

"Aedan! Finally find time to work your way out of father's arse to come and pay me a visit?"

Ben groaned inwardly. Brian would never change. And apparently, neither would his brother.

Aedan smirked haughtily at Brian. "Dear brother. I was always taught to side with those that would benefit you most."

"And how shall Winterberry's loss benefit you?" Brian said with the same McKinnon arrogance.

Joseph said nothing and Benjamin recognized his tactics. Aedan would get Brian well and worked up into a fight lather and he was counting on this little surprise to keep the upper hand. Little did he know that Brian couldn't give a damn about his brother.

"Brian, you've always been more interested in the little things. You have missed the bigger picture altogether." Aedan looked over his shoulder, made a motion with his hand and soon a second battalion lined up beside Winterberry's men.

Benjamin barely stopped himself from gaping in shock. Not only did the numbers outweigh their own, but now they would be fighting McKinnon men. Their own clan.

"What exactly do you hope to accomplish here, brother?"

Aedan's true nature was more clearly shown as he sneered nastily. "I'm merely helping a neighbor. Winterberry wrote to me and explained that he was having trouble with someone that had taken what was, by rights, his. It's a land war, pure and simple. He gets his land...I still have the connection that father so badly wanted with the English pigs and get rid of you once and for all."

Brian's eyes bore into the man he had called brother. Benjamin was hard-pressed not to speak up to calm the two men, but he knew that he would only be stoking the fire should he interfere.

"What have I ever done...to make you hate me so?"

"You were born. That was enough."

"Ah. Yes. Does it bother you more, Aedan, that I was always a better fighter? Or that our mother loved me more?"

"She's not your mother, blackguard! She was never your mother!"

"That answers that question, no?" Brian remarked, with a touch of steely humor in his voice. He was goading his brother now, which was actually a good sign. It meant that, though it had affected him, Brian was recovering from the shock and was getting his priorities straight in his mind. "Enough of this. Where are my wife and her maid?"

This time Joseph turned and motioned and two women were pushed forward through the crowd. They began making their way across the field on foot. Benjamin was just about to send a horse for them, but he was brought up short by Winterberry's words.

"They are not safe just yet. With a nod, I can have them brought down. Keep that in mind. Now where is my son?"

Brian glanced at him and nodded, showing no emotion whatsoever, even as Justin was pushed forward roughly. The lad stumbled a bit, but kept his chin up and marched towards his father, just as he had been instructed.

With no words of greeting, Joseph reached down and caught Justin's bound wrists and helped him up onto the horse behind him. At the same time that Lindsay and Melanie safely reached the line of men behind them, Joseph and Aeden turned and galloped back towards their own men.

Benjamin noticed Brian watching the men closely as they rode away, his eyes trained on one rider in particular. Soon though, the three men had reached their side and with an apprehensive glance passing between the two men, both Brian and Benjamin turned and rode back as well.

It had begun.

To Be Continued...