Page 7 of The Bells of Triumph
“I saw them arrive and thought I would show her around the village. I did nae ken that ye were here too, Liam,” Brid offered as explanation, moving just as quickly into the old warrior's arms as Flora had.
“I am verra glad to see ye made it safe,” Seamus told Iona, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
He stepped away quickly and then looked at Flora, as though he needed assurance that his greeting was all rightwith her. Flora's cheeks threatened to turn pink as she recalled the misplaced jealousy she had once held for Seamus' cousin. She had let the other woman's beauty and Seamus' honorable sense of duty cloud her judgment. Seamus hadn't quite let her forget about it, creating an air of awkward tension between the mismatched bunch.
“Have ye gotten the grand tour?” Seamus asked no one in particular, dispelling some of the tension. “I would love to show ye what we have been able to accomplish so far.”
Liam fell into step beside Seamus as the five of them walked through the village once more, this time with Seamus offering explanations along the way.
“A great many men have journeyed here from the surrounding villages. Once word got out about Campbell's attack on the Lost Valley, people started to see our side of things. Flora and Connor have been training them every day. They are mostly farmers and tradesmen, but we still want to give them a fighting chance.”
Liam grunted, having already heard a version of this from Flora.
“Where do ye think that puts our numbers now? If ye arrived with men and Errik brought more, surely we must be putting together quite the army.”
“The numbers dinnae matter if they dinnae have weapons to hold or the knowledge of how to use them,” Liam answered a bit gruffly.
“We've made progress there, too,” Flora chimed in. “Seamus and the blacksmiths have been working on making as many weapons as they can. Those joining us are also showing up with weapons of their own—pitchforks and scythes and daggers. Nae to mention all the horses they have brought. Every barn and pasture is full. We have more than an army, we have a cavalry.”
Liam grunted again, this time a bit more thoughtfully. Seamus continued explaining the progress they had made, his hopes for how things would go, and the beginnings of the plans she and Seamus had started. Flora didn't hear a word of it—she was too busy fretting over what they had all come for. In just a few short hours, they would see who all was on their side, who would stand with them. She desperately hoped that Finn would be among them, but after hearing all Brid and Connor had said on the matter, she doubted he would be.
“What news of Finn and those at Drummond castle?” Liam asked, as though he could hear Flora's train of thought.
He directed the question at Brid and as soon as the name was out, she stiffened. Flora knew that something had been amiss when Connor and Brid had shown up several days ago, long before they were supposed to.
“I am afraid it is nae good news,” she conceded with a sigh.
Flora braced herself for the story she knew was coming. Seamus had insisted on hearing it twice over when Brid had first made it to the village. It had not gotten any easier to hear, and Flora doubted that it would be easy for Liam to hear either.
“I dinnae ken what has gotten into him. When we left the monastery, I was so convinced that he was the only one thinking clearly. Perhaps I did nae give enough credit to all he has endured and the…effects that can have.”
“What do ye mean, 'effects'?” Flora asked, trying to help her tell the full, unadulterated truth. It was what Liam deserved.
“It is difficult to put into words. Almost as soon as we left, it started. He was so erratic and nonsensical. He took us through the woods to get to Drummond castle, but we circled our way there. The entire trip took twice as long as it should have because he was convinced that someone was following us. I dinnae think he slept the entire time. It only got worse once we got to the castle. He insisted on being in charge, but he refused to listento anything anyone had to say. I questioned him once, and he accused me of being a spy for Campbell, of nae caring for him.”
Brid's voice broke, thick with emotion. Flora didn't hesitate to reach out to Brid, putting her arm around the girl's shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. Brid looked up at Flora with tears in her eyes and a look that closely resembled guilt.
“I did nae ken what to do. He was aggressive to Connor, threatening him countless times a day. Finn was so convinced something would happen to me, that I would betray him or get hurt, I could nae tell ye which. But when he locked me inside one of the rooms and refused to let me out, I kent that I could nae stay there.” Brid sighed heavily. “Connor and I left that night. He brought me to Errik and then came here to help ye.”
Flora hardly knew how to respond to Brid's story. She was at just as much of a loss as she was the first two times she had heard it. It sounded as though Finn had put Brid through quite an ordeal. Things had to have been worse than even what Brid admitted to. There was very little that would cause her to question her loyalty to her brother, let alone abandon him. And there would be no telling how Finn responded to the betrayal.
“Whatever madness Finn is wrestling with,” Liam said at last, “we must take heart that his purpose remains the same. He wants to see Campbell fall. He is smart enough to ken that he cannae do that on his own. So we will continue to hope that he will attend the meeting and agree to fight alongside us. We must wait and see what the next few hours bring.”
They all nodded, but Flora didn't feel that she could put much stock in Liam's point. If what Brid said was true, and she felt sure it was, then Finn was becoming a loose cannon and would only get harder to predict.
She sent Seamus a knowing look, one that he returned as though he could read her thoughts. But before anyone couldsay anything else, Errik's booming voice carried through the air, prompting them all to turn, searching for the man and the others he brought with him.
