Page 38 of The Bells of Triumph
The two men snuck inside and shut the door behind them, plunging themselves into the darkness that lay in front of them. Connor took in a shaky breath, willing his heart to slow enough for him to orient himself.
“I never kent about this entrance,” Connor admitted to Adam, wanting to dispel some of the tension.
“Aye. That is because my father built it and told only Laird Murray and me. I dinnae think even Campbell kens of its existence.” He paused and shuffled his feet around for a moment. “We will have to continue without light. It will only be for a minute or two, and then we will be through to the other side. And then ye will be free to tell the other guards yerself. I will help ye nay more.”
“I thank ye, Adam. This has been a great help, indeed. Without ye, I never would have made it this far.”
His eyes adjusted just enough to see Adam's shadowy figure moving through the passageway. Light seeped in through the cracks between stones, making it a bit easier to see, though not by much. They climbed what he thought to be three flights of stairs. By his estimation, they would wind up in the second-story hallway that overlooked the courtyard. The only thing he couldn't tell was just where they would come out. When they finally came to the other door that led them into the keep, Connor almost wished he had stayed in the dark, or better yet, back in the tavern with Brid.
Peering over the balcony of the courtyard, an all too familiar sight greeted him.
“Yer blades must all be sharpened by dawn. And I dinnae want to see any of ye without yer hair tied back or with holes in yer shirts. Ye are representing Laird Campbell, and ye must do so with pride. We must show that the greatest difference between us and them goes beyond the fact that ye can fight. It is that ye will stop at nothing to follow yer orders, even down to the clothes on yer back.”
Connor stiffened as much at the sight as the words being said.
Men lined up shoulder to shoulder in row after row, standing tall and awaiting inspection, all while Master Archie passed in between them, tugging on sword straps and pulling on hair. A time or two, the man kicked some feet apart and jerked others' shoulders back, correcting their stances. Connor had stood there one too many times before, lined up alongside the other guards, preparing for war.
“There will be nay going home tonight. I hope ye said goodbye to yer families because ye will all be staying here, drilling techniques and making sure that everyone is ready. We cannae leave any of this to chance. These rebels must be squashed like the wee vermin they are. We must do all that we can to ensure nae a single one of them lives to tell their tales.”
Archie's speech sent chills down Connor's spine, but it was the facial expressions of the guards that gave him hope. More than a handful of men wore looks of discomfort and disagreement. They were all smart enough to keep their mouths shut, of course, but Connor could tell that they didn't want to be there. He made note of their faces and tried to recall their names, knowing that if he could find a way to talk to them, he could get them to agree not to fight against the rebels.
“Here is where I must leave ye,” Adam whispered. “I ken that I dinnae have to show ye the way around, nor do I need to warn ye to be careful, but I will tell ye this; I have never seen anythingquite like this before. Campbell has nae shown his face, but he does nae need to. Archie and his other men are vicious enough for him. Something is different this time. They are angry for being made fools of. They will nae take it well if ye do it a second time by sneaking in here under their noses.”
“What are ye saying?” Connor questioned, though his eyes didn't leave the guards in the courtyard.
“I am saying dinnae get caught. They will kill ye, and they will nae be merciful or quick about it. Dinnae try yer luck and stay too long. Do what ye came to do, and then leave before the sun rises.”
“Can I count on ye, Adam? Will ye nae fight against us, against me?”
Adam sighed and shook his head.
“Dinnae ask me a question that I cannae give ye an answer to.”
Without saying anymore, Adam left the way they came, leaving Connor alone in the hallway, counting his enemies, measuring the size of their strength.
