Page 37 of The Bells of Triumph
“Aye. He attacked their base in the middle of the night, but it did him just as much harm. Seamus killed Drummond, and then he took Campbell's leg.”
Adam jerked back in surprise, his eyes wide. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight around. Connor knewthat everything he was saying was going to challenge the man, make him call into question some of the things he had grown up believing. But he also knew that underneath it all, Adam was a good man who had disagreed with Campbell's cruelty.
“I had started to wonder why we have nae seen Campbell around much.”
“Campbell has underestimated the size and force of Seamus' army. Men and women from all over the clan have joined him. They have captured Drummond Castle and now Glenkirk too. All they want, all we want, is to retake the Murray Clan for ourselves. We want our freedom back. We want the ability to harvest our crops without fear of increasing taxes. We want to be able to start our families and raise our bairns without worrying if we will be forced to fight or punished for some arbitrary ruling. Do ye nae long for the same things?”
Connor could see it in Adam's eyes that he had struck a nerve, as Connor knew he would. They had often talked about their hopes and dreams during the long, solitary hours on patrol. He knew that Adam wanted a family but had always been hesitant to go after one. Connor could understand why. With Campbell in charge, there was no guarantee that a family could prosper. If anything, there was a guarantee that they would suffer.
“Aye, Connor,” Adam sighed. “Ye ken that I do.”
“Then help me. Help us. Join the fight for the things we want, the things that every man has a right to.”
“What do ye need me to do?”
Connor slapped Adam on the shoulder with a wide grin on his face. His heart was still racing, but he was pleased to see that his risk had paid off. He had trusted the right man.
“There are others like us, guards within the keep, who are nae loyal to Campbell. They only serve him because they dinnae ken what else to do.”
“Aye, I can understand that,” Adam answered with a nod. “My father served Laird Murray. So when I came of age, I thought that was what I needed to do too. It seemed the most sure way to keep my family safe.”
“With Campbell, there is nay sure way of anything. That is why we have to do this. That is why we need to find the others who are nae loyal to him. We find them, and then we convince them nae to fight back against the rebels when they attack.”
“Attack? Ye did nae say anything about an attack.”
Connor paused for a moment, confused by the man's reaction.
“Adam, what did ye think was going to happen? I told ye that Seamus had an army, that they have overtaken two fortresses now, and that they wanted to overthrow Campbell. How did ye think they were going to do that—ask nicely?”
“Och, of course, nae. I guess I just did nae think it all the way through. I have my mother to think about, and my three younger sisters. They depend on me to protect them, to provide for them. If I get caught, Campbell will go after them, nae me.”
“I ken why ye are scared but?—”
“Nay, Connor, I dinnae think ye understand. I am all they have left. My father died in the invasion and my mother cannae work anymore. That is why I took this job in the first place. I ken ye want to fight for freedom and prosperity, but I have to ensure that my family has the chance of survival first.”
“But what of every other family's chances of survival? Should we nae be guardians of the clan, nae just of the Laird?”
Adam stared Connor down, clearly wrestling with this point.
“Listen, I want to help ye but I?—”
He was cut off by the sound of the crowd crying out, followed by glass shattering. Swords were pulled from their sheaths and the people grew louder and louder.
This time, both he and Adam looked around the side of the tree. A lantern had dropped, and the spilled oil had caught fire, drawing a red, hot line through the crowd. That didn't seem to deter them from their mission, but rather fuel it. Men screamed for answers while the women begged for food, all while the guards wrestled to get the crowd away from the gate. What had once been an agitated but peaceful group of villagers hoping for answers and some help from their leader had quickly delineated into a mob, riotous and aggressive.
“They will be summoning more guards any minute,” Adam said, thinking aloud. “They will nae stop until the entire area is searched and cleared. Anyone left standing will be imprisoned. They will find ye. We cannae stay here.”
“Help me, then. Get me inside the keep.”
Adam looked between the mob and Connor's face. Panic and confusion and half a dozen other emotions danced over Adam's face as he considered what to do. The man was clearly torn between not risking anything, doing his job, staying loyal to Campbell, and helping Connor do what was right. Connor waited for a minute to let the man choose, but the mob was growing louder and the guards were shouting for reinforcements. He knew he didn't have much time at all before he would have to move one way or the other; into the keep with Adam or back through the forest to his horse. He counted to ten, telling himself that at the end of it, he would make the choice for Adam and leave. The numbers ticked down and Adam was still shifting back and forth.
“Three, two, on—” Connor mumbled under his breath.
But before he could get “one” out, Adam reached for Connor's arm and pulled him in.
“We must be quick.”
Following Adam, they wove through the trees and dodged villagers who were sprinting away. Connor stayed half a stepbehind his friend and tugged the hood of his cloak up higher on his head, trying to cover the entirety of his face with it. The riot worked in their favor, as no one noticed the two men approaching the stone wall. Nor did they see Adam reach up to press an oddly placed stone into the wall, opening up a hidden doorway.
