Page 39 of The Bells of Triumph
13
STORMING THE GATES OF TYRANNY
The dawn brought more than just a new day. It brought renewed hope and vigor for their plans, for their hopes and dreams. When they gathered in the courtyard of Glenkirk Castle, Flora was pleasantly surprised to find that the vast majority of rebels had joined them. Gone were the factions between Seamus and Finn, at least to most of the men there. They were united in their mission to see Campbell fall, to bring freedom and prosperity back to their homes. All they cared about was who had the better plan, and who was the man most likely to give that to them. And from what she could tell, most of the rebels had seen sense and chosen Seamus.
She did not doubt that Finn, who had yet to be seen, was none too pleased about that development. She imagined he was still sulking in the War Room, telling anyone who would listen about how he was betrayed and upstaged by Seamus and his men. But Flora knew better than anyone, that wasn't Seamus' intention. They both knew that their efforts would benefit greatly from Finn's help rather than his opposition. And should Finn change his tune, she knew that Seamus would welcome him back with open arms and ask for his aid. But she also knew thatSeamus wasn't going to wait for that to happen before acting. They had waited long enough, as it was.
“This is it, my love,” he muttered.
The couple stood side by side, watching as the rebels collected their weapons and kissed their wives and children goodbye. Her stomach turned, knowing that for many of them, this would be the last time their families would be whole. She reached out for Seamus' hand, needing the comfort. She couldn't imagine being here, staying put while watching Seamus ride away. She didn't even want to imagine life without him, as she had no doubt so many wives were doing now.
“Today we will put an end to Campbell and his tyranny. We will free this clan from his grasp and end the pain and suffering he has caused for nearly two decades.”
She squeezed his hand and gave him a proud smile.
“We could nae have done this without ye. Are ye ready to lead yer people into victory?”
Seamus bent his chin, readying to press a kiss to her lips. Flora tilted her head back, ready to meet him halfway.
“We dinnae have time for that,” Liam interrupted. “It is time for us to leave. Stop yer smoochin' and get on yer horses. The rest of the warriors are ready.”
Flora couldn't help but chuckle at Liam's impatience and the look on Seamus' face at having been denied a kiss. He settled for a wink and then motioned for her to get into her saddle as he did the same.
Taking their place at the front of the army, Flora watched in pride as Seamus looked at all the men following them. He didn't offer a flowery speech or some motivating words in an attempt to disguise the brutal and challenging nature of the task that lay ahead of them. Rather, he looked them all in the eye and offered a nod, a silent “thank you” of sorts. And from the way each man straightened in his seat and pulled his shoulders back,Flora could tell that that small interaction meant more and had a greater impact than anything Seamus could have said.
“Open the gates!”
Those three words shouted from the courtyard up to the ramparts silenced the rest of the courtyard. Her horse huffed, leaving a cloud of smoke in the air from his nose. A child began to cry behind them, and his mother shushed and swayed. But there were no words, no last declarations of love. Just the heavy weight of anticipation.
The chains rattled as two men raised the gates, slowly, inch by inch. She watched it go up, revealing the world beyond it. She hoped that the world they came back to when this was all over was a better one than it was right now.
Looking back once more, her eyes found Finn's. He stood at the top of the stairs, just in front of the castle doors. Three men on either side of him glared out at the crowd. But Finn didn't look angry. It was too great of a distance between them for her to really tell, but she got the sense that he was sad, regretful maybe. She didn't have time to think about it, to ponder what it might have meant.
Off to the side of him, a few steps down, Iona looked on, a hand covering her mouth as though she needed to stop herself from crying out, or perhaps just crying. A dozen other women stood with her, arms over shoulders and holding each other. The healers stayed for their own safety so they could make the necessary preparations to turn the Great Hall into a makeshift surgery for those who might need it when all was said and done. Their task was one Flora didn't envy.
“Ready?” Seamus asked, the gates having been lifted and locked into place.
Flora turned back around and met his gaze. The strength and determination she found there made his eyes look like a blue flame, burning hot and bright, ready to consume anything intheir path. It lit the same kind of fire in her, one that put aside all sentimentality and steeled itself for the battle to come.
“Aye. I am ready.”
Seamus kicked the sides of his horse, nudging it into a walk, and then they were off. Flora stayed at his side, only half a step behind him. She thought she had prepared herself for anything, was well-trained, and had seen battle before. But the sights that welcomed them into the village were unlike anything she could have ever imagined.
Somehow, Finn must have gotten word to the rebels that they would be coming, as three men had already been working on taking down the barricade. Flora was grateful, even if it only meant that they wouldn't have to stop to do it themselves.
As if in awe, the villagers watched in stunned silence as the rebels walked through the barricade and into town. The vast majority of the town hid behind window curtains and sides of buildings. Children buried themselves in their mother's skirts, while wives took shelter behind their husband's shoulders. There were a handful of those who seemed to be unfazed by the rebels' presence, and even some who picked up whatever makeshift weapon they had been able to find and took their place in the line of rebels.
While she was overjoyed to see that there were those who had wanted to join them, she loathed the idea of frightening the children watching. She wanted to scream out, “We are nae here to hurt ye! We are the good guys!” if only to soothe their anxious looks. She could almost see herself in the faces of those hiding and hoping that everything would turn out all right. Her memories of the day Campbell invaded, the terror and violence, still haunted her. It made her all the more certain that Seamus had made the right call in not allowing the village to starve. These innocents would be wholly unharmed and untouched bythe battle to come. At least, that is what she hoped would happen.
The eerie silence of the village unnerved her, though Seamus didn't seem the least bit bothered by it. He kept his head straight, his eyes on the Murray Castle doors. By the time they made it to the other end of the village, Flora felt like the entire world was waiting to see how the next few moments would go.
Riding to the keep was just as nerve-wracking. They didn't have to contend with the stares of the villagers, but the looming towers of Murray Castle were intimidating in their own right. The last time Flora had been there, she had been so consumed with getting Finn out and ensuring that Seamus was all right that she hadn't had time to consider the castle itself. Now, it was all she could think about as they rode up to the walls.
“Let us in!”
“Ye must help us!”
“Why is Campbell doing this?”
