Page 24 of The Bells of Triumph (Highlands’ Lost Valley #3)

23

SHADOWS BENEATH THE TREES

“ W here are they?”

It was the third time Seamus had asked that question in the last half an hour. Flora wished she could give him a better answer.

“I dinnae ken. We've searched the entire keep. Brid asked the stable master if she took a horse or if Finn ever arrived. But nay one has seen them today.”

“How is that possible? How could two people just vanish like that?”

“I ken that nay one wants to say it,” Connor cut in, speaking in a hushed tone, “but I think we would be wise to consider all the possibilities.”

“What are ye saying?” Brid demanded with a defensive edge to her voice.

She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Connor. He swallowed nervously.

“I just mean to say that only a few days ago, Finn was nae exactly on our side of things.”

“Are ye accusing my brother of something?”

“Think about it, Brid,” Connor urged, placing his hands on her shoulders, trying to soothe her.

It didn't work well. And if Flora were honest, she would admit to being just as dismayed at Connor's implications.

“Campbell must have uncovered our plans to attack Murray Castle somehow. The only person who knew of our plans that we cannae account for is Finn. He has been against Seamus simply because he is a Murray from the start. We both saw how paranoid he was at Glenkirk. Do ye think he was suspicious because he was trying to hide something?”

“I will nae hear of this,” Brid hissed.

“Nor will I,” Flora added. “It was because of Finn and only because of Finn that we did nae have a riot on our hands after we invaded Murray Castle. Had he nae stepped up, the villagers would have turned on Seamus. He might nae have agreed with everything Seamus has done, he might nae like Seamus, but he would never turn on Seamus only to help Campbell. Besides, yer insane explanation says nothing as to where Iona is. She was here, in Murray Castle, since the feast. How could Finn have anything to do with her disappearance?”

The corners of Connor's mouth angled down, though he stayed tight-lipped. From the grimace he wore, Flora knew that there was more going on than he was saying.

“What? What are ye nae telling us?”

Connor stepped back from Brid, as though he needed to brace himself for what was about to happen.

“Spit it out,” Seamus barked.

“I talked to some servants and the other healers. Nay one has seen Iona since the day Finn left for Glenkirk.”

“Och, so now ye think the two of them were in on it together? That Iona has been working with Campbell too?”

“How much do we truly ken about her?” Connor asked, trying to defend himself from Brid's questions.

“She is my family, likely all that I have left of one.” Flora winced at Seamus' tone. “That is all I need to ken about her.”

“Nay, ye ken that she showed up claiming to be family. But ye have nae seen or heard from her in nearly two decades. Who is to say she is telling the truth?” Connor sighed and threw his hands up in surrender. “Look, I hope more than anyone that what I am saying is nae true. But I think it is only wise that we consider every possibility. Until either or both of them make an appearance, we cannae rule anything out.”

“Aye, we can. Ye and Brid will go to Glenkirk,” Seamus ordered. “See if they are there. He might have forgotten about the meeting today. She might have gone to keep him company. The two have grown rather close. If they are nae there, interrogate the soldiers. Ask the servants where they might have been. We will get to the bottom of this.”

Connor nodded solemnly, but Brid just looked furious. He reached out to try to take her hand, but she snatched it away and huffed off towards the stables. Flora couldn't help but worry as she watched Connor trudge after her.

“What are we going to do about everyone else?”

Seamus glanced over her shoulder at the room full of men talking and eating behind her. They had gathered all the village elders and leaders, the warriors who had led battles, and any other important voices throughout the clan. They needed to come up with a more solid plan to protect the clan from Campbell than running rigorous patrols every night. They needed a plan on what to do when Campbell finally made his appearance again. Seamus had extended the invitation to Finn and Iona, only for neither of them to show themselves and disrupt the entire afternoon.

“It will nae take but a few hours for Connor and Brid to find answers. They will either find that Finn and Iona merely forgot about today's meeting, or that there is something more here going on. Either way, we need only to distract the men for a while.”

“What do ye suggest?”

“We stick to the original plan; we find a way to protect our people. If Connor is right and both Finn and Iona are against us, then we will need a plan in place now more than ever. If he is wrong, and I hope to God he is, then we must focus on readying ourselves for Campbell.”

With a shared nod of agreement between them, Seamus moved to welcome their guests. For the next several hours, he and Flora acted as the perfect Laird and Lady. They let each man there talk and share his concerns for the clan with the rest of the room. Flora offered food and drinks over and over again until each plate was cleared twice over. They took note of the ideas the men brought about how to keep their clan safe. But in the back of their minds, she knew that all they could think about was if Connor or Brid had managed to find anything.

“We had hoped to be able to come to some sort of solution by the end of today's meeting,” Seamus said, addressing the room, “but it seems as though we have run out of time. Ye are all, of course, welcome to stay for the evening meal. Each of ye will have a room made up for ye, should ye choose to stay. We will reconvene in the morning and hopefully walk away tomorrow with a plan in place. For tonight, we will continue on with our patrols as we have been. Thank ye.”

Slowly, but surely, each of the men filtered out of the Council Room. Some had their heads bent together, still deep in conversation, not wanting to let it go until there was an answer. Others, the more quiet of the bunch, kept to themselves and left quickly, ready for a hot meal and a fresh bed.

Though her stomach rumbled, Flora could only think about where Connor and Brid were. She wanted answers as to what could possibly be keeping Finn and Iona away. She knew it was wise to consider that Finn had betrayed them, but she simply couldn't allow herself to believe it. The boy she had grown up with, the one who had spent countless hours training beside, would have never turned on his clan. He might have hated the Murrays for allowing Campbell in the first place, but she knew that he hated Campbell more. There had to be another answer, another reason why he hadn't shown.

“Dinnae fash, my love,” Seamus soothed, reading her mind. “Connor and Brid will be back any moment.”

“Is this a good moment?” Connor asked, stepping into the room at just the right time.

Brid followed closely behind, significantly less angry than before but still just as worried.

“Now is the perfect moment. Tell us,” Flora greeted. “What did ye find?”

“There were servants waiting for us almost as soon as we got there. The men reported that Iona traveled back to Glenkirk with Finn and the others. Someone overheard her claiming to need some herbs or some such thing that she left behind.”

“Which is ridiculous. There is nothing there that I dinnae have here,” Brid chimed in. “She was lying, though I dinnae ken how Finn did nae see through her lie.”

“Anyway,” Connor interrupted with a gentle touch on her arm to soothe her frayed nerves. “Iona left Glenkirk Castle yesterday at some point during the night. She stole a horse and told nay one where she was going. Luckily, Finn was still awake. He left to find her almost as soon as she had left.”

“But…” Seamus continued for Connor, asking in a single word what they were not saying.

“But nay one has seen or heard from either Iona or Finn since they left yesterday. Finn gave the men clear instructions nae to tell ye so ye would nae worry.”

“Why did Iona leave in the first place? Did she say?” Flora jumped in.

“Nay,” Connor shook his head. “Apparently, she disappeared into the castle as soon as they arrived, did nae come down for the evening meal, and only reappeared when she made her way to the stables. One of the servants spotted her leaving and alerted the rebels, who then told Finn.”

Flora and Seamus exchanged worried glances.

“We should send out a search party to find them. There is nae telling what could be happening or where they could be. What if someone is hurt? What if Connor is right, and we have been betrayed?”

Resting a hand on Seamus' shoulder, Flora looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“Please, Seamus. We must trust Finn. If his men said that he went after her, then I trust him to bring her back. We must show him some faith, some credibility for the changes he has made.”

Seamus sighed but nodded, relenting to Flora's wish.

“We will wait. But nae forever.”

They had ridden for hours. Finn was only surprised that Iona had lasted so long in her saddle. After he had agreed to take her back to MacKenzie Castle, they had watered the horses and started their journey. She hadn't said much of anything, but then again, neither had he. For all the miles they had covered, she never complained or asked to stop. She was just as content to keep going, or perhaps it was her stubbornness that kept her from saying anything. Eventually, her discomfort became impossible to ignore.

“We should let the horses rest,” Finn told her, slowing his horse down. “There is a glen over there that will give us a good enough place to hide.”

She merely nodded.

He hated the tension between them but didn't know how to get rid of it. He was wholly unwilling to bend his stance, that she needed to return to Seamus and sort this out with him. She was just as convinced that what she was doing was right. Of course, he had agreed to her plan, but something about it all still felt wrong. He couldn't abandon her in the woods, though, so he stuck to her side.

At some level, he understood why Iona was so desperate to return to her father and a future trapped in a loveless marriage. She wanted to protect Seamus and Flora. She felt like she owed them that. He felt the same way. He was driven by the same need to repay their generosity and kindness. If he was honest with himself, it was that reason, more than any chivalrous motivator, that was pushing him forward, keeping him by Iona's side. Of course, he wanted her to be safe, but he dreaded having to face Seamus again, admitting to yet another failure. At least this way, he could tell Seamus that Iona made it back to her father's house safely, that this was what she wanted.

“Is this a good spot?” she asked, trying to hide her wince.

“Aye.” He led his horse over to a tree and leapt down with ease before tying the horse up and then turning to Iona. “Let me help ye down.”

She didn't protest his offer and seemed rather grateful for his help as she leaned into his arms. He lifted her from the seat as gently as he could manage, but she still let out a small groan when her feet hit the ground.

“Do ye have any of that salve Brid taught ye to make?” he asked, rummaging through his bag to search for some.

“Aye, it is right here.”

He turned around to see her holding up a small jar in her hand.

“Why? Do ye need some?”

“Nay, but ye do. That will help with yer soreness.”

Her cheeks turned bright red and her eyes darted to the ground.

“It is nothing to be ashamed of. Anyone, lad or lass, would be sore after all the riding we have done if they were nae used to it. Ye tuck behind those bushes and put some on while I see to our food.”

She dashed away to do just that. He watched her only long enough to ensure that she didn't go too far, and then he turned his attention back to finding food.

“Did ye happen to pack anything?” he called out to her, keeping his back turned.

“Aye,” she shouted back. “Check my saddlebags.”

Rummaging through her things felt invasive and odd, but he did it nonetheless. Moving quickly, he pulled out a knotted lump of fabric that felt like it could be food. Peeking inside, he found a few oatcakes, an apple, and a handful of slices of dried meat. He thought about looking some more, but he knew that this was all she had packed. She was only ever planning to feed one person, and it wouldn't take her longer than a day to get there so there was no reason to bring more.

Making the most of it, he pulled a spare blanket from his saddle and stretched it out. Then he set about dividing the bundle of food. It wasn't much, but he was determined to let her take the majority of it.

“I am sorry I did nae bring more. I only took what I thought would go unnoticed. I thought it would be enough for me.”

“Ye dinnae have to apologize. Ye were nae expecting me.”

He turned to see her walking a little easier already. The rest of their ride tonight would turn out to be difficult for her, but at least she wasn't so stiff and sore now.

Iona sat beside him and stretched out. She rubbed at her calves through her skirts while he gnawed on a piece of the meat. Two piles of food sat in between them, one significantly bigger than the other. When Iona noticed the difference, she looked at him with a furrowed brow.

“Finn, why do I have so much more food than ye do?”

He shrugged and turned his eyes to study the treeline.

“I ate most of mine already.”

They both knew it was a lie, but Iona didn't question him on it. But he couldn't stop questioning himself. This newfound need to protect her grew stronger and stronger the more time he spent around her. At first, he had wanted nothing to do with her. She only reminded him of Seamus. Somehow, however, she had managed to get under his skin. She noticed the things about him, the expressions he wore, the emotions he tried to hide, that everyone else had missed. More than that, she seemed so innocent, so undefiled by the evils of this war. Of course, she had her own demons, but she had somehow been able to overcome them, never truly letting them interfere with her life. He adored her for it.

“Tell me what it was like,” she prompted, chewing on the apple slowly, “growing up in the Lost Valley. I have only heard legendary tales about it, but it must have been amazing.”

Finn laid back on his arms and looked up at the sky. With the sun overhead, he made out that it was already midday. He and Iona both were expected to attend a planning meeting with Seamus and the others. No doubt they would have noticed their absence. He wondered if he was able to stall long enough that perhaps some of Seamus' men, maybe Connor and Brid or even Seamus himself, would come after them and find them.

“Depends on what ye consider 'amazing'. It was a bonny place, there was nay doubt about that. Plenty of space to run and roam and be a lad discovering the world. But it was also filled with grief and heartache that soaked into the walls and peppered every conversation.”

“How do ye mean?”

“The only reason any of us were there was because of Campbell. Everyone living in the Lost Valley had lost their homes or their families, or both, during the invasion. They had nothing to go back to, so they followed Chief Rolland. He was the only one who had been able to make sense of it all. He bonded us all together.”

“Sounds like he was something to behold,” she complimented.

“He was everything a leader ought to be. Wise, strong, thoughtful. He was willing to make the hard decisions, even when nay one liked him for it. I always felt so lucky to have grown up with him. I cannae say if it was better than living with my parents, but Chief Rolland had something about him. He trained me, ye ken. He taught me everything I ken.”

“Then he must have been a verra great man.”

Finn looked over at Iona, trying to figure out if she meant what he thought she was implying. He wanted to know if she thought he was a great man too. She gave him a smile that said more than any words ever could, and that part of him settled.

The longer they talked, the harder it became to think about bringing Iona back to her father. He could hardly stand the idea of her marrying another man, let alone one she did not love. And if this suitor was known for being cruel to his wives, all the more reason for Iona to stay away. But every time he had that thought, another quickly followed: Seamus and the Murray Clan couldn't afford any more enemies.

“We should find water for the horses,” he said rather abruptly. “And refill our flasks too. I dinnae ken the next time we will stop.”

She looked rather concerned over his last statement but pushed herself off the ground all the same.

Silently, they walked on foot through the forest a little ways, their horses trailing behind them, to find a stream. He knew the area well enough to know that it wouldn't be far. A few minutes later and both of their horses were wading into the stream to drink while Iona and Finn crouched over the bank and filled their flasks. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear her call his name the first time, but there was no ignoring it the second time.

“Finn, there's blood.”

He looked up at her, hand still halfway in the water.

“What?”

“There's blood. And it is fresh, from the looks of things. See?”

He rushed to her side only to find a bright red trail leading from the other side of the stream to theirs and disappearing into the woods behind them.

“A wounded animal?” she asked.

“I dinnae ken, but it is fresh. If it is an animal, we can take the meat for the rest of our journey.”

“And if it is nae?”

He didn't have an answer for her.