Page 8 of The Bells of Triumph
3
BONDS AND BLADES
There were only five minutes left before the meeting was scheduled to begin. With Errik and Liam's arrival, the day had flown by in a blur. They had insisted on seeing the collection of weapons, inspecting each one and testing many. Then they wanted to check the horses to make sure they were all shod and fit for the journey ahead. Finally, they went to the training field where they stood on the side watching for all of two minutes before they took over for Connor. His friend had protested at first, insisting that he was more than capable of handling the task. But after a not so gentle reminder from Errik that he had been training warriors for longer than Connor had been alive, Connor relented. Seamus made a mental note when his friend snuck off the training field and made a beeline for Brid, but he hardly had time to think about that for the rest of the day. Before he felt ready for it, Seamus was standing at the front of the tavern, scanning the crowd that had amassed.
He had not expected quite so many men and women to show up. In fact, the group was double what Seamus had ever dreamed of securing. While he was thrilled to have so many support him, he also knew this was a monumental task. Therewere now double the amount of people who would be let down, hurt, or even worse, killed if he failed in bringing Campbell to justice. The thought put a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to dislodge, no matter how much ale he swallowed.
The melted candles and low oil levels in the lanterns gave credit to the countless late nights Seamus had spent in the tavern pouring over the maps, desperately trying to come up with a strategy that would spare the most lives while still giving them the best chance at winning. And for all the hours he had put in, he still knew that his plan could never guarantee both. He was starting to suspect that there was no battle strategy that could ever do both.
“I still dinnae see him,” Flora whispered bitterly.
Seamus looked over the crowd once more, as though he hadn't been doing that for the past half an hour, seeking the same face, before answering her. He studied her face, staring into her steely gray eyes, seeing the sadness that he knew lay beneath her anger. Though they had not gotten the opportunity to talk about it, he knew that she was worried about Finn just as much as she was disappointed in him. He had seen the way she had watched Brid the past several days, as if she needed to reassure herself that the girl hadn't been too terribly hurt by her brother. He was beginning to consider that it might be a blessing he had not made it to tonight's meeting.
“Nay, I dinnae either. But I cannae say that I am surprised by his absence.”
It was the truth. Seamus wasn't surprised that Finn had not bothered to come to the meeting. They had parted on such bad terms after Campbell's attack on the Lost Valley and from Brid's report, the man had clearly been shaken to his core. But he had still hoped that Finn would have been willing to set that to the side for the sake of the clan. Beyond the fact that he knew how much Finn meant to Flora, they needed the warriors fromDrummond Castle to contribute to their efforts. Their numbers were good and growing by the second, but that wouldn't matter much if they didn't have skilled fighters in their midst.
As much as Finn's absence bothered Seamus, he couldn't let it distract him too much from the task at hand. Word about Campbell's attack had spread much further and much faster than any of them could have expected. The result was a tavern so full of people that there wasn't anywhere to sit or stand. The others had been forced to wait outside, though they could have filled that tavern all over again. It was Flora's idea that they stand in the doorway of the tavern so everyone inside and out could hear, but he doubted he could get his voice to carry that far.
When he had first left Murray Castle, he never could have imagined that things would turn out this way. While he guessed there were people in the clan still vastly unhappy with Campbell's rule, he had foolishly thought that he was the only one who wanted to stand up to the man. He thought that everyone else would be too terrified to stand up and say anything. He had never been more grateful to be wrong, and the people who had come from all over the Murray lands had proven just how wrong he was.
Even with it being as crowded as it was, people still managed to work their way through the crowd just so that they could talk to Seamus or pat him on the back. It was as though they all wanted to touch him, to speak to him, if only to assure themselves that he was really there, ready to fight alongside them.
“Are ye going to reclaim the throne?”
“Glad to have a Murray back at the helm.”
“Ye are just what this clan needs—a strong young man.”
“Is it true that ye cut off Campbell's leg?”
“I heard it was an arm.”
He shook as many hands as he could manage, giving them what he hoped was a reassuring smile. But with every compliment or line of praise he was given, he only felt more nervous. The weight of all their hopes and dreams and livelihoods sat heavy on his shoulders. All he could see was just how many people depended on him. Every man gathered represented a family who needed food to provide for their children, a home to keep safe and warm. They needed jobs and stability, fair taxes and a just leader. Seamus didn't think things could get much worse for them, but he would rather not take any chances. If they failed to end Campbell's reign, there would be no telling the kind of retaliation the man would rain down on all of those who had fought against him. He had opted to kill his opponents quickly during his invasion. Seamus doubted that Campbell would be kind enough to do the same thing again.
“Are ye all right?” Flora asked gently, putting a hand on his back.
He pressed further into her touch, pulling strength from her in whatever way he could manage. She had been his anchor from the moment he had returned to the Lost Valley, perhaps even long before that. He had no idea how he would ever manage this without her, and he made a note to tell her just that later when they were alone once more.
“I think so.”
He didn't get the chance to say anything more before Liam started the meeting.
Standing on a chair and raising his mug into the air, he got the attention of the crowd, silencing them without needing to say a word.
“Let us nae pretend that each and every one of ye dinnae ken why we are here today.” Liam's voice was calm and commanding, demanding the focus of anyone listening in a way that Seamus could never hope to do. “Our gathering has been along time coming. There are faces that I have kent all my life and faces I have never seen before. But I ken without a doubt that there is nae one person here who has nae seen the disastrous effects of Campbell's tyranny.”
The crowd grumbled their agreement, wasting no time in showing their distaste for Campbell.
“We have lost our homes, our freedom, and countless loved ones. But it all ends today.”
A smattering of cries washed over the room as Liam continued.
“Many of ye will remember Laird Murray and question how we could trust his son in this. I will be the first to admit that I had my doubts as to Seamus' character and motives. So let me also be the first to admit just how misplaced those doubts were.”
Flora's hand snaked off his back and down his arm to thread her fingers through his. She squeezed them three times, as though she was trying to tell him just how proud of him she was.
“Seamus has such impenetrable moral standing that even after living under Campbell's house for nearly two decades, he refused to be swayed. He has fought with us and for us, every step of the way, often going so far as to put his own life in grave danger just for the sake of one man.”
