Page 4 of The Bells of Triumph (Highlands’ Lost Valley #3)

3

BONDS AND BLADES

T here were only five minutes left before the meeting was scheduled to begin. With Errik and Liam's arrival, the day had flown by in a blur. They had insisted on seeing the collection of weapons, inspecting each one and testing many. Then they wanted to check the horses to make sure they were all shod and fit for the journey ahead. Finally, they went to the training field where they stood on the side watching for all of two minutes before they took over for Connor. His friend had protested at first, insisting that he was more than capable of handling the task. But after a not so gentle reminder from Errik that he had been training warriors for longer than Connor had been alive, Connor relented. Seamus made a mental note when his friend snuck off the training field and made a beeline for Brid, but he hardly had time to think about that for the rest of the day. Before he felt ready for it, Seamus was standing at the front of the tavern, scanning the crowd that had amassed.

He had not expected quite so many men and women to show up. In fact, the group was double what Seamus had ever dreamed of securing. While he was thrilled to have so many support him, he also knew this was a monumental task. There were now double the amount of people who would be let down, hurt, or even worse, killed if he failed in bringing Campbell to justice. The thought put a lump in his throat that he couldn't seem to dislodge, no matter how much ale he swallowed.

The melted candles and low oil levels in the lanterns gave credit to the countless late nights Seamus had spent in the tavern pouring over the maps, desperately trying to come up with a strategy that would spare the most lives while still giving them the best chance at winning. And for all the hours he had put in, he still knew that his plan could never guarantee both. He was starting to suspect that there was no battle strategy that could ever do both.

“I still dinnae see him,” Flora whispered bitterly.

Seamus looked over the crowd once more, as though he hadn't been doing that for the past half an hour, seeking the same face, before answering her. He studied her face, staring into her steely gray eyes, seeing the sadness that he knew lay beneath her anger. Though they had not gotten the opportunity to talk about it, he knew that she was worried about Finn just as much as she was disappointed in him. He had seen the way she had watched Brid the past several days, as if she needed to reassure herself that the girl hadn't been too terribly hurt by her brother. He was beginning to consider that it might be a blessing he had not made it to tonight's meeting.

“Nay, I dinnae either. But I cannae say that I am surprised by his absence.”

It was the truth. Seamus wasn't surprised that Finn had not bothered to come to the meeting. They had parted on such bad terms after Campbell's attack on the Lost Valley and from Brid's report, the man had clearly been shaken to his core. But he had still hoped that Finn would have been willing to set that to the side for the sake of the clan. Beyond the fact that he knew how much Finn meant to Flora, they needed the warriors from Drummond Castle to contribute to their efforts. Their numbers were good and growing by the second, but that wouldn't matter much if they didn't have skilled fighters in their midst.

As much as Finn's absence bothered Seamus, he couldn't let it distract him too much from the task at hand. Word about Campbell's attack had spread much further and much faster than any of them could have expected. The result was a tavern so full of people that there wasn't anywhere to sit or stand. The others had been forced to wait outside, though they could have filled that tavern all over again. It was Flora's idea that they stand in the doorway of the tavern so everyone inside and out could hear, but he doubted he could get his voice to carry that far.

When he had first left Murray Castle, he never could have imagined that things would turn out this way. While he guessed there were people in the clan still vastly unhappy with Campbell's rule, he had foolishly thought that he was the only one who wanted to stand up to the man. He thought that everyone else would be too terrified to stand up and say anything. He had never been more grateful to be wrong, and the people who had come from all over the Murray lands had proven just how wrong he was.

Even with it being as crowded as it was, people still managed to work their way through the crowd just so that they could talk to Seamus or pat him on the back. It was as though they all wanted to touch him, to speak to him, if only to assure themselves that he was really there, ready to fight alongside them.

“Are ye going to reclaim the throne?”

“Glad to have a Murray back at the helm.”

“Ye are just what this clan needs—a strong young man.”

“Is it true that ye cut off Campbell's leg?”

“I heard it was an arm.”

He shook as many hands as he could manage, giving them what he hoped was a reassuring smile. But with every compliment or line of praise he was given, he only felt more nervous. The weight of all their hopes and dreams and livelihoods sat heavy on his shoulders. All he could see was just how many people depended on him. Every man gathered represented a family who needed food to provide for their children, a home to keep safe and warm. They needed jobs and stability, fair taxes and a just leader. Seamus didn't think things could get much worse for them, but he would rather not take any chances. If they failed to end Campbell's reign, there would be no telling the kind of retaliation the man would rain down on all of those who had fought against him. He had opted to kill his opponents quickly during his invasion. Seamus doubted that Campbell would be kind enough to do the same thing again.

“Are ye all right?” Flora asked gently, putting a hand on his back.

He pressed further into her touch, pulling strength from her in whatever way he could manage. She had been his anchor from the moment he had returned to the Lost Valley, perhaps even long before that. He had no idea how he would ever manage this without her, and he made a note to tell her just that later when they were alone once more.

“I think so.”

He didn't get the chance to say anything more before Liam started the meeting.

Standing on a chair and raising his mug into the air, he got the attention of the crowd, silencing them without needing to say a word.

“Let us nae pretend that each and every one of ye dinnae ken why we are here today.” Liam's voice was calm and commanding, demanding the focus of anyone listening in a way that Seamus could never hope to do. “Our gathering has been a long time coming. There are faces that I have kent all my life and faces I have never seen before. But I ken without a doubt that there is nae one person here who has nae seen the disastrous effects of Campbell's tyranny.”

The crowd grumbled their agreement, wasting no time in showing their distaste for Campbell.

“We have lost our homes, our freedom, and countless loved ones. But it all ends today.”

A smattering of cries washed over the room as Liam continued.

“Many of ye will remember Laird Murray and question how we could trust his son in this. I will be the first to admit that I had my doubts as to Seamus' character and motives. So let me also be the first to admit just how misplaced those doubts were.”

Flora's hand snaked off his back and down his arm to thread her fingers through his. She squeezed them three times, as though she was trying to tell him just how proud of him she was.

“Seamus has such impenetrable moral standing that even after living under Campbell's house for nearly two decades, he refused to be swayed. He has fought with us and for us, every step of the way, often going so far as to put his own life in grave danger just for the sake of one man.”

Liam's words brought Finn back to mind. Of course, Seamus had gone to rescue Finn more for Flora's sake than anyone else. But he wondered if he would have made the same choice, knowing just how unforgiving and bitter Finn would become. The question had barely popped into his mind before the answer followed—yes.

“When Campbell mounted his attack on the Lost Valley, the place so many rebels have called their home since the invasion, Seamus did nae hesitate to throw himself into the midst of the fray. In fact, he did nae settle in the midst of things, but pushed through to the front where he was able to cut off Campbell's own leg!”

As Liam spoke, his words grew louder and higher pitched, stirring the air more and more. By the time he made his final declaration, the crowd was roaring and cheering.

“I give ye our leader, Seamus Murray!”

Liam jumped down from the chair and pushed Seamus to the front, forcing him to step on the seat before he had a moment to process what was happening. With the crowd still applauding, he took a second to swallow and calm his heart rate, knowing that this was his chance to make a difference. He needed to stir the crowd, get them to believe in him, to trust him, if they were ever going to follow him into battle.

He glanced down at Flora, only to see her beaming with pride. She gave him a nod and that was all he needed.

Throwing a hand up, Seamus too silenced the crowd. They all seemed so eager to hear what he had to say, so ready for whatever his instructions would be.

“I remember the first time I ever laid eyes on Campbell,” he began somberly. “Blood spattered his face and coated the sword that he carried. I was only a lad then, but I kent that I had looked into the face of a monster that day. I watched as he destroyed my father's clan, torturing and killing people for enjoyment. There have been so many people who have fought valiantly to right all the wrongs, so many already who have sacrificed their lives for our sake.”

He paused to look out on the crowd, finding more than one teary eye among them.

“It is a sacrifice nay one should have ever had to make. Those are lives that should never have been lost. People who should still be here with us, today. And while I cannae do anything to bring them back, I can promise ye that I intend to unleash every ounce of vengeance on Campbell, to make him pay for every life he has so selfishly taken. I have never kent a man more evil or more vile. I am nae a violent man, but I can tell ye that it will give me great pleasure to wipe his miserable existence from this earth.”

The grief and sadness in the room melted into righteous anger that fueled the men to be ready to take on whatever task lay ahead. It was exactly where Seamus needed them to be.

“My father is dead, and our allies are few, but we will do everything in our power to see that ye all get the revenge ye have earned. Campbell's men will either flee our lands or forfeit their lives. Dinnae fash, I dinnae intend on giving Campbell such a choice.”

“How do ye plan to do this?” a doubtful voice called from the back of the tavern.

“I am glad ye asked. With the help of Liam, Errik, Flora, Connor, and several other trained warriors, we have come up with a plan. We ken that Campbell's injury has forced him to retreat. He fled the battle scene as soon as his leg was gone, without stopping to give orders to his men. It will take him several more days before he is ready to be out of bed. We will make sure that we are in position before that happens. We must make sure everything is ready for us to strike while the iron is still hot.”

“If I may,” Connor said loud enough for the entire room to hear, “it is always a good thing to ken who is on yer side. It is a great honor to be able to pledge my allegiance to ye, Seamus Murray. I will follow ye into battle. My sword is yers to command.”

Seamus stood on the chair, dumbfounded that his friend would be the first out of anyone to pledge his allegiance. While it was commonplace for the men of the clan to pledge themselves to the Laird, Seamus had never seen it done, nor had he expected it to happen in a moment like this. He wasn't a Laird, in fact, he was little more than a warrior fighting for what was right just like all the other men and women gathered were trying to do.

“As is mine.”

Seamus looked back over his shoulder to find the man who had spoken up. He recognized the white-haired man as one of the village representatives he had already spoken to that afternoon.

“My sword is yers,” another man added.

One by one, all the village elders had pledged themselves and their villages to Seamus' cause. The others around them cheered along, not being shy in the least to show their support too. And with every man who spoke, Seamus could feel his confidence growing stronger. He must have done something right to convince all of these people to follow him. All he had to do now was make sure he kept doing the right things.

“Perhaps there will come a time when I will find the words to describe what today has meant to me; what all of ye mean to me,” Seamus said, addressing the crowd once more after they had grown quiet again. “But today is nae that day. Ye have pledged yer swords and yer lives, so now I feel I must share what I intend to do.”

He cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, ready to lay out the strategy.

“We are going to stage an attack. Gone are the days when we waited around for Campbell to make the first moves. I will nay longer be the victim of surprise attacks or fighting uphill. Nay, this time, we bring the battle to him. We take him by surprise. I dinnae wish to see any more innocent lives claimed by this war, but we need to get closer to Campbell. The best way to do this is to siege Glenkirk Castle. Our position there will force Campbell to come out of Murray Castle and fight us in the field outside the village.”

“What if he attacks the village anyway?” a woman asked, prompting Seamus to his next point.

“Excellent point. This is where I will need some volunteers. A handful of ye will travel to Glenkirk and quietly spread the word that we will be moving in within the next few days. Encourage people to leave if they feel they must, to gather supplies, and prepare their homes should they choose to stay.”

“I will go,” Connor spoke up again, hardly allowing Seamus enough time to get his words out before volunteering.

“Me too.”

This time, the surprise came from Brid. Her voice only just registered before Seamus was turning to look at Flora. Concern was written all over her face, as he knew it would be. But he also knew that she would never get in Brid's way or tell the girl that she couldn't do something.

Three others offered to join the couple, moving through the crowd to make their way to the front.

“I thank ye for taking on this task,” he spoke to the group of five. “Ye will have only enough time to pack yer belongings and see to yer horses. Then ye must ride for Glenkirk at once. There can be nay stopping or slowing down until ye get there. I want the village to have as much time to prepare. We are bringing a long-awaited war to their doorstep. The verra least we can do is warn them.”

They all nodded and then began to make their way back through the crowd to do just that. Seamus watched them go before lifting his eyes to speak to the rest of the people once more.

“I can say with almost certainty that there are others like us who wish to rise against Campbell. The numbers here today are already more than I imagined, but it has given me hope that there are more still to come. Campbell severely underestimates just how many are willing and want to fight against him. He does nae ken the pure hatred we all share for him, nor does he ken how resilient we are. We will find supporters everywhere we go. And when all of this is said and done with, ye all will be marked as heroes.”