Avarice Desperation Valley Book 1

Traitorous Alliances

"Bennett will kill you brother, and I will not be able to save you. You must change your course, believe me."

"I want her." Aran stubbornly insisted. "He will not stop me."

Sven heard the determination in his brother's voice, knowing him well enough to realize he would not be swayed. Still blood ties pushed his words against all caution, Sven grabbing Aran suddenly pulling him sharply around to face him.

"You will not win against him, don't you understand! Bennett will cut you down, why risk your life for this woman?" Sven entreated, frustrated, passion in his tone.

Aran's fury at once boiled over, his brittle temper having little care for his older brother's nagging concerns. He was yelling now, not at all caring if he was overheard by the others, very close to Sven's face, his hand unthinkingly going for the hilt of his poignard. 

"You don't get it do you?" He screamed in blind fury. "I love her!" With that he pulled the blade.

Sven instinctively countered with his fist, not wishing to incite his brother to further rash anger by drawing his own weapon. Aran was quicker though, Sven's hesitant blow missing him completely whilst taking a nick in his side courtesy of Aran's razor sharp blade. The older more experienced man deciding at that moment he would need to fight force with force. 

It pained him to do it but Sven drew his dagger and went in hard, pressing the younger man with his superior fighting skills. It didn't take to long for him to see what he had been waiting for Aran's anger saw to that. Pretending to misread his brother's intentions, luring him in under his guard. Aran as predicted saw the inviting opening, and he drove the knife viciously forward under Sven's defenses, straight toward his heart. However the weapon never found its mark, Aran in his fury oblivious to Sven's other fist, until it collided forcefully with his face.

Sven was on top of him then demanding surrender, wresting the weapon from him, tossing it aside, his own blade poised at the base of Aran's throat. The young man lay there livid with rage, furious at having been beaten so easily. 

"If I can beat you brother, Bennett certainly will." Sven taunted, trying to drive the hard won message home. Still most wary of relaxing his hold on the furious man he held pinned beneath him. "There will be other girls Aran, you'll see. You will forget." 

Aran spat in his elder brother's face in defiant reply, still struggling to get free. Sven holding the balance of power sat on him waiting for his brother's fury to subside, before he was ready to let him go.

Sven eased the blade from his brother's throat, as he did so the feeble moonlight caught something that he recognized among the numerous other adornments shining there, an amulet, heavy gold, set with jewels and immensely valuable. Sven recognized its significance in an instant, breaking the chain, tearing it from Aran's neck. 

"She gave this to you didn't she?" He interrogated, shock in his voice, amazed at his brother's reckless behavior. 

Aran stubbornly did not reply. Sven just shook his head, taking the silence for an affirmative. 

"You crazy fool. It's probably better that I don't know the truth of it anyway." He stated. "Little brother you put me in an unenviable position, and a dangerous one too!" He scolded. "You know I really should report this. This could cost me my head as well as yours. Shit! What were you thinking, what the hell did you hope to do?"

Aran had calmed somewhat, cold fingers of fear rising suddenly thinking perhaps Sven would turn him in? He did not need a fertile imagination to guess at what would follow. Still despite this grave situation he found he had nothing to say in his defense. His elder brother would have to do as he saw fit.