by John Ryan
This was going to be another long night.
“Come, m’ child, ‘tis time to retire,” Sir Rhoenne whispered to Elspeth, who sat pensively gazing at Thayer’s empty chair.
“Aye, Father, I am very weary,” she conceded with a sigh, her gaze upon the vacated seat unwavering. “And ye must be abed as well. Ye look a wee bit worse for the ale,” she quipped with a hint of understatement.
“Father, I’ll escort Elspeth to her ol’ chambers,” Graham offered, rising from his chair.
“Very well. I’ll see ye two in the morntide,” the earl agreed as he shuffled out of the room, his steps heavy.
“Shall we?” Graham bid gallantly as he presented his arm to Elspeth.
“’Twould be me honor,” Elspeth squealed in delight, locking her arm in his. “Surely, I cannot refuse the escort of the bravest man in all of Lothian!” she added playfully.
“Ah, Elspeth that is not true,” Graham confessed, shaking his head. “Father is the bravest man in all of Lothian. And your gentleman friend is not so bad either.”
“Nae, he certainly is not,” Elspeth murmured as she stared into the hall.
“But there is no finer, braver brother in the entire Realm!” Elspeth pronounced empathically. “Ye fought for your family. Ye fought for my honor. Ye have made Father and I proud, Graham.”
“I did it for ye and Mother.”
“I ken that. Ye have our love for it, Graham,” Elspeth averred happily, and planted a kiss upon his cheek.
The pair ambled merrily down the stairway of the tower. Graham entertained his sister by warbling some of her favorite tunes. Once they arrived at the foot of the stairs, however, Graham seemed to hesitate.
Was something wrong?
“Elspeth, I ken ‘tis none of me business, but ye had a funny look upon your face when ye looked at Thayer just now. Ye didn’t do the deed with him, did ye?” Graham stammered with trepidation.
Elspeth abruptly halted in her tracks and cast a stern glower at her brother. How dare he! “Hmph!” Elspeth replied angrily. “Why, Graham, I am very surprised at ye! I cannot believe ye have the gall to ask me such a question!” She stepped back from him.
“Well, I noticed that ye have managed to not answer the question,” Graham replied, ignoring her tirade.
“Not every question deserves an answer,” Elspeth scolded.
“Just answer me this one time and I vow I’ll never ask ye again.”
Her lips pursing the first syllable, Elspeth nearly uttered the word “no”--but stopped short. She had never lied to her brother and didn’t intend on starting now.
“And if I did? What is it to ye?” Elspeth retorted coldly.
“I ken it! I could see it in your eyes!” Graham shouted smugly, his booming voice echoing in the still hall.
“Hush!” Elspeth commanded, pushing her finger tightly to his lips. “And...” she corrected, “I never said I did!”
“Elspeth, ye ken that I ken ye as well as anyone, do ye not?” Graham persisted as a sly smile danced across his lips.
Elspeth couldn’t maintain the facade any longer; she collapsed into her brother’s burly arms, convulsing in laughter.
“Aye, I admit it. I could never lie to ye, brother!” she conceded with a sniffle. “But then again, ye could never lie to me either!”
“Nae, ye are absolutely right,” Graham accepted with a grin.
Elspeth’s brows knit as she peered inquisitively at Graham. “And, may I inquire, why ye are suddenly so curious about that particular subject anyway, Graham?”
“Well...If ye have not yet noticed, sister, I am becoming a man. Soon, if I find a girl I fall in love with…”
“Like Orla, mayhap?”
“Och! ‘Tis only natural to wonder, is all.”
“Ye’ll ken when she’s the right one, Graham. Ye’ll ken. Now, let’s retire. Me head is a wee bit woozy and I’ve not had a good night’s sleep in a bit.”
“Aye,” Graham agreed as he escorted his sister to the doorway. “It’ll be good to sleep in me old bed as well.”
***
Thayer strode out into the night and came upon the King’s general, Sir William. He was anxiously stalking the courtyard with his hands tightly knotted behind his back.
Eying Thayer hotly, Sir William growled, “So good of ye to heed your king’s orders and wait for me to arrive afore attacking, Sir Thayer!”
“Forgive me, m’lord, ‘twas not me design to contradict Uncle, I mean, the King’s orders. I truly felt I had no choice.”
“And, just why was that?” Sir William contended impatiently.
Detecting the sound of nearing footsteps, both men whirled round, drew their swords, and faced the tower. Both sighed in relief as Sir Rhoenne stumbled out of the doorway. Pausing to take a deep breath of night air, he began to stagger down the path toward the castle. His weaving footfalls were drowned out only by the sound of his merry warbling.
Anticipating who would follow, Thayer narrowed his gaze upon the doorway. Elspeth and Graham appeared next, leaning on each other and giggling mirthfully. Watching Thayer’s face glow as he beheld Elspeth, Sir William’s lifted a brow of recognition.
“Aye, now I see,” Sir William confirmed with amusement.
With the truth so evident, Thayer nodded to confirm his suspicions.
“Well, I suppose the fact that ye assured the castle was regained, I shall give my recommendation to the King that he overlook your insubordination. But ‘tis not acceptable behavior and I shall not be so lenient if there is a next time. Do we understand each other?”
“Thank ye, Sir William,” Thayer said, extending his hand.
Clasping it firmly, Sir William gave it a vigorous shake. “And, if ye hold this lass in such high regard that ye would defy the very King, might I suggest that ye wed her?”
“Aye, Sir William,” Thayer asserted, grinning. “I will be seeing to that anon, I assure ye.”
“Excellent. Now, let’s get to the business at hand. I’m sorry, Thayer, but your bonny lass will have to wait a couple of days afore she sees ye. We still have work to do here. The English may very well regroup and attempt to retake the castle. We must shore up the castle’s defenses directly. As ye are familiar with Dirleton, I require ye to oversee that task.”
“Of course, Sir William,” Thayer averred with a crisp bow.
Observing Sir William survey the battle-pocked castle grounds, Thayer thought he spied a wistful smile upon his lips. Was he thinking of something pleasing? The general’s next words confirmed his suspicions.
“Thayer, ‘tis not only your fealty that goads me to afford ye leniency. Nae, I have another, more selfish reason as well. One look at that bonny young lass harkens me to me younger days with me wife, God bless her soul. ‘Twas more times than I can count that I did something foolish because of her.”
Draping his arm over Thayer’s shoulder, Sir William led him to join the other soldiers already busy at work rebuilding the main gate.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Elspeth and Graham had stumbled merrily out of the tower, a ribbon of effervescent laughter in their wake. Regaining her balance, Elspeth cast a glance over her shoulder. Her breath caught. Something had prompted her to look. She couldn’t see Thayer, but she could sense him.
When he had first spied the pair, Thayer had taken a step back to stand aside Sir William. Together, their forms were wreathed in the copious shadows cast by the looming tower. Though his heart bore an intense longing to be by her side, the sight of Elspeth walking in such a carefree manner with her brother would be reward enough this night.
Her mirth instantly cast away the chill of the night. It so warmed Thayer that he felt compelled to loosen his tunic to allow the welcome caress of the cool night breeze to waft across his neck. No. he’d be damned before he disturbed them!
“Elspeth, does something vex ye?” Graham quizzed as he stared at the back of her slender neck, which she had craned round.
“Nae,
brother. I just thought I heard something,” she replied in a distracted whisper, her brows knitting.
“Come, dear sister, let’s make haste to our chambers. I long to sleep in me own bed once more. Forsooth, it feels as if a score has passed since I’ve had a restful night.”
“Aye, Graham. I long for an untroubled night moreover. I ken I will sleep soundly this night with the knowledge that ye, Father, Faolin, and Thayer are all safe.”
Laughing as they placed their feet in the meandering footprints of their father, Elspeth and Graham merrily made their way back to the castle. But their light hearts were soon burdened by what awaited them halfway down the path. They stopped dead in their tracks. There, the siblings beheld a sight which chilled the very blood in their veins. They noted that the entrance to the castle had been cloven in two. Scottish soldiers still buzzed about, scrambling to tend to bodies of their fallen comrades. Scanning the faces of the dead and wounded, Elspeth shuddered in horror. Some were so young! She doubted that some had seen more than a dozen winters.
Graham slid his arm around Elspeth’s shoulder and drew her protectively to him. She gratefully accepted the gesture, burying her head in his chest. She began to weep.
“Oh, Graham, we have lost so many of our brave lads,” Elspeth murmured with profound sadness. Blinking away the tears which clung stubbornly to her lashes, Elspeth plaintively implored, “How do we prevent this from ever happening again?”
“Well, it is said that he who is pure of heart and possesses the Stone of Destiny may harness its protective power,” Graham said. Hesitating by clearing his throat, he added, “There is something I must tell ye about the Stone, Elspeth.”
Though she loved her brother dearly, Elspeth felt compelled to honor Thayer’s confidence. She would simply allow Graham to reveal the Stone’s hiding place without soliciting her prior knowledge of it.
“The truth is, Elspeth, the Stone of Destiny that lies in Edinburgh is an imposter. The true Stone of Destiny is hidden here, in the tower. It was secreted and buried into the very room in which Father and I were imprisoned.”
“Oh? And how did ye come to discover this?” Elspeth posed with a touch of emoting concern and a flourish of her hand.
His narrowed stare bored into hers. She felt her face warm under his penetrating gaze. She was never a great proficient when it came at acting. Moreover, Graham knew her better than anyone else.
“Okay, Elspeth, let’s have it!” Graham demanded as he jammed his hands on his hips.
“Have what?” Elspeth contended, her ruse ineffective.
“Elspeth, ye ken that ye have never been able to be untrue to me. Nor me to ye, for that matter. Now, divulge what ye ken about the Stone and how ye have come to learn it.”
Sensing that furthering denial was fruitless, Elspeth conceded defeat with a wry smile.
It was all the confirmation that Graham seemed to need.
“So, what have ye learned, dear sister?”
“If I tell ye, ye must never inform anyone what I have said. And, more importantly, who revealed it to me. Do ye promise, Graham?”
“Aye, I promise, Elspeth.”
“Well, then say the promise pledge,” Elspeth insisted. She set her jaw and crossed her arms defiantly across her chest.
“Elspeth, ye cannot be serious! That is such a silly oath! We are not wee bairns anymore, remember?”
“No pledge, no confession!” she insisted with a “hmph!” for emphasis.
“Oh, very well then!” Graham relented as a lengthy sigh escaped him.
Placing his hand over his heart, Graham recited the pledge the two siblings had pronounced so many times over the years: “I vow to ye this day that I will not break this pledge afore dead I lay. If I should rend this pledge asunder, then may my ears be struck by lighting’s thunder.”
“I kenned that I could count on ye, Graham.” Elspeth threw her arms around his brawny neck.
Gingerly peeling Elspeth’s hands from around his nape, Graham held them in his. He peered thoughtfully at his beloved sister before requesting, “Elspeth, now that I have made the pledge, would ye please tell me what it is ye ken?”
“Well,” she began, “because of the high regard Thayer holds me in, King John revealed the Stone’s true resting place to us both. Forsooth, I had every intention to keep me promise to never tell another soul of what I learned. ’Tis just that I could never lie to ye, Graham.”
“Aye, Elspeth,” Graham conceded as a broad grin curved his lips. “And may that never change.”
Elspeth stood on her tiptoes to kiss Graham’s cheek.
“Elspeth, if Thayer trusts ye so deeply, he is surely be in love with ye,” Graham remarked with a wry smile. “So, I suppose ye have truly been tamed, dear sister. But does he ken of your infamous temper?”
Elspeth responded by playfully slapping Graham’s shoulder. “Och, and what temper might ye refer to?” she replied, biting back a snort.
Temporarily numbed to their somber surrounding, they burst forth in laughter, prompting the soldiers to whirl around to determine the origin of such mirth on this dismal night.
“Graham, let us go inside,” Elspeth petitioned. “I would like to talk to ye for just a minute afore we retire.”
Graham lifted a curious brow as Elspeth grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the stairs. Elspeth gratefully noted the lack of damage to the castle’s interior, and the pair mounted the stairs and sprinted up the steps.
Relieved that her chambers had suffered little disarray and an ebbing fire still crackled in the hearth, Elspeth released Graham’s hand and plopped down upon her favorite chaise.
Reaching the hearth, Graham stooped down to fetch a brick of peat from the creel in front of the fireplace. He tossed it into the dying flames. It caught with a phoomp.
“Now that I have told ye a truth, would ye do the same for me?” Elspeth petitioned coyly.
“Aye, of course” Graham affirmed with an air of suspicion. “Aye, anything,” he added as he gazed into the budding flames which licked eagerly at the kindling.
“Very well, then. I would like to ken what ye think o’ Orla Townsend.”
Graham replied, “Orla who?”
Elspeth flicked an incredulous glance at her brother. She would surely not give up that easily.
“Graham, ye ken that I am no fool. And ye ken perfectly well which Orla I am talking about. Now, dinna make me repine me confession to ye.”
“Well, truth be told,” Graham began, “Orla is the first lass I ever kissed.”
“Why, Graham Mourney, ye wanton rake!” Elspeth bantered. “I just kenned by the way ye were inquiring about her that ye were her swain, or at least wished to be.”
“Dinna ever tell her I confided in ye, Elspeth!” Graham insisted. “If ye do, I will never tell ye another secret as long as I live. I swear it!”
“Trouble not, Graham. I promise I will never say a word to her,” Elspeth said to ease his anxiety.
“Say the promise pledge, then!”
“Hmph!” Elspeth replied, flicking him an annoyed glance.
“If I can say it, surely ye can say it, sister!” he persisted, wagging a finger at her.
“Graham, ye are lost to all reason, but very well.”
As she drew a breath to begin, Graham interrupted. “Remember, ye must place your hand over your heart for it to count, Elspeth.”
Elspeth blew out an exasperated sigh and placed her hand over her heart to satisfy her brother.
“I vow to ye this day that I will not break this pledge afore dead I lay. If I should rend this pledge asunder, then may my ears be struck by lighting’s thunder.”
Graham stared at her, smiling smugly.
“Well, now that I have confided me secret to ye, Elspeth, are ye going to tell me about...well, ye ken...I dinna want to ken the sordid details, of course. I just need to ken how I can make Orla get in the mood to…”
“Graham!” She cut him off. “I’m sorry, but there are so
me things that ye must learn for yourself.”
“Och! Sisters, who needs them!” Graham grumbled before striding out the door and stalking away.
Giggling at the slew of oaths her brother left in his wake, Elspeth gently closed the door and leaned back upon it. She smiled. Things were getting back to some semblance of normality already.
Alone in her chambers for the first time since that day she had left so carefreely with Thayer, Elspeth took a pensive, reflective turn about the room.
“Oh, Thayer, now that Father and Graham are safe, me life will be complete the day we are to be wed,” she muttered aloud as she gazed into the hearth. She watched as the dying flames licked hungrily at the brick of peat, prompting her to toss in more kindling.
Elspeth whirled around as a large tawny owl screeched outside her window. Perched upon the window’s edge, the owl gazed passively upon her with its large yellow eyes.
Regarding her noisy intruder with amusement, Elspeth quipped, “Now, off ye go, Mr. Owl. ‘Tis nearly dawn and I require my rest. On the morrow, I will see Thayer and I need to be at my best. Me heart is restless, but me body is in severe want of sleep.”
The owl gazed on, apparently impervious to her demand.
“Oh, very well,” Elspeth conceded as she climbed into her bed and slipped under the heavy pelts. “Just let yourself out.”
Thoroughly exhausted, sleep quickly overtook Elspeth. In mere moments, she had slipped into a deep slumber and begun to dream. In the dream, she was standing in a misty glade before the castle. Through the haze, she spied Thayer’s figure, tall and proud, hoisting the saltire flag atop the castle wall. She called to him and he whirled around to catch her warm gaze.
Bounding off of the wall, he hastened toward her. He smiled broadly as he neared, outstretching his arms and beckoning her to join him. Running toward him with her arms wide open, an arrow suddenly whizzed past her head and struck Thayer in the chest, piercing his heart. He fell at her feet, lifeless. Horrified, Elspeth whirled round to see Lord Devlin smiling evilly, his body bloodied and her ivory comb handle protruding from his side. His eyes narrowed upon her as he let out a wicked laugh that echoed over the glade.