Page 29 of The Bells of Triumph
10
SECRETS AND SUSPICIONS
Brid shifted in her seat, trying to find a modicum of comfort in the saddle. After riding almost constantly for three days, there was little to be found.
“That's everyone, then?” she asked, glancing over at Connor.
He, unlike her, was having no issues with all of their time spent riding and moved comfortably.
“Aye. At least, those are the farms that Cookie suggested we visit. Hopefully, while we have been seeing to the outskirts of the village, the other rebels have been able to make their way through the main parts.”
“There are more who wish to join us than I thought there would be. Nae a single home turned us out or signaled for Campbell's guard, and I felt so sure there would be at least one.”
“These people have suffered greatly at the hands of Campbell. They are ready to be rid of him, and I suspect it has been this way for a long while. They have merely been waiting for someone to step up and lead the charge.”
“I only hope that nay one gives our secret away. We dinnae wish to bring any more suffering to this village than it has already seen.”
Connor sent her a warm smile that made the corners of her own mouth turn up.
“What?” she questioned, feeling a bit insecure by the expression.
“Ye never fail to impress me with the compassion ye are capable of showing.”
Her cheeks warmed from his compliment, though they were well into the center of the village now, and she didn't have the chance to respond in kind.
“It looks like there's quite the crowd at Cookie's. I wonder what is going on.”
Brid looked to where Connor was nodding, surprised to see so many horses tied to the front of the tavern. Not bothering to go anywhere else, she and Connor rode straight there and dismounted without any delay. She was stiff and awkward as she tried to walk off the soreness from the saddle. If Connor noticed, he was kind enough not to say anything about it.
“See, I told ye they would come back. Ye did nae need to make such a fuss about it. Connor will ken what to do.”
“What to do about what?” Connor asked the cook.
“The main roads leading out of the village,” a frazzled woman answered, “have been closed off since the night before last.”
“Closed off?”
“Aye. Barricaded by trees and a group of rebels standing guard. They would nae let my husband reenter the village. He had gone to trade some goods in the next village over. We needed the money to buy this week's food. But now he is stuck on the road, just outside the village.”
Brid dug into her bag and pulled a jar out of it, handing it over to the woman. From the dark circles under her eyes and the strain in her voice, it was clear the woman had not slept, likely since the roads were first closed.
“Here. Smell this. It will help calm yer nerves.”
The woman did as instructed and her eyes gently slid shut. Brid helped ease the woman into a chair before turning back to Connor.
“The rebels will nae talk to us. They will nae tell us what is going on.”
“Would they talk to the others who came with us?” Connor questioned to no one in particular, as the entire tavern seemed to be taking part in their conversation.
“Nay. They would nae say anything. And now the entire village is nervous. We dinnae ken what to think. We dinnae ken what to do.”
“What is happening?”
“Is this a siege?”
“What about our bairns? Do they nae ken we have bairns here?”
Brid's head swiveled with each voice that spoke, trying to follow the conversation, trying to keep up with who was who. But they all seemed so scared that they spoke one on top of the other, hardly letting one question finish before asking another. If she was honest, her own heart was starting to pound from the confusion of it all. This had not been Seamus' plan. She knew as little about this as the rest of them did, though she doubted it was a good idea to admit such a thing.
