Signets mark the king’s great stand.
His brother had been playing with homophones. He hadn’t meant signets but rathercygnets. His brother used to call the gannets who nested on Sigurd’s Rock swans. Locals called the birds solan geese, but as a child, Reggie had confused the terms and thought them solan swans. Andthe king’s great standreferred to the sea stack.
Shite, Reggie, you and your damnable codes.
Thorfinn debated whether he should tell Rose, but knowing her, she’d want to climb over to the rock with him. There was no need for two of them to break their necks.
Thorfinn glanced skyward. Although it was getting late and the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, there was still enough light for him to crawl out to the rock. He’d rather do it in the low glow of dusk than with the noonday sun showing exactly how far the sea sparkled below him.
Noticing Freya standing by Young Thomas at the edge of the crowd, he headed over to them. The lad jumped nearly a foot high at his approach, but Thorfinn paid him no heed. The youth had only been chatting with Thorfinn’s sister, even if the two might be sweet on each other as Rose suspected.
“Freya?” Thorfinn called.
“Aye?” she asked, looking just a bit cross at the interruption.
“Can you please tell Rose that our visitor has left and that I need to head back to the croft for a few chores I’ve been neglecting?”
Freya frowned. “Can’t it wait until the morrow? You should be enjoying the ceilidh. You’ve worked so hard on the preparations for the festivities too.”
“Nay, this must be done now,” Thorfinn said. “Just tell her, will you, lass?”
Freya reluctantly nodded, and Thorfinn slipped away. With all the renovations to Muckle Skaill, it wasn’t hard to find a good strong rope, ahammer, and some metal stakes lying about. After wrapping the sizable cord around his shoulder, he headed to the sea stack. The headlands curved around both sides of the structure, which made possible the stunt he was about to perform. Again.
“You always did say you’d find a way to persuade me to return to Sigurd’s Rock.” Thorfinn felt a bittersweet grin touch his lips as he pounded a stake into the ground. After tying one end of the hawser securely to the metal, he walked along the curved cliff until he was across from his previous position, with the stack directly between him and the far end of the rope. Pulling the thick cord taut, he secured it in place on the second stake. The rope now lay across the sea stack.
“Ah, shite, Reggie. Did you really need to pick this damnable rock?” Thorfinn asked as he gripped the rope with his hands, his head facing skyward. Looping his legs over the line, he proceeded to inch his way over the rope that hung 420 feet above the water below. He closed his good eye and tried to ignore the sound of the sea crashing onto the jagged rocks. The wind was relatively calm, but it still buffeted him, making him feel like a button on a children’s string toy. The birds who made their home on the stack began to scream out warnings when they noticed his unorthodox approach. By the time he’d reached the grassy top of the rock tower, his arm muscles burned fiercely, almost masking the pain from his sore palms.
“Now, where did you hide it, Reggie?” Thorfinn asked as he searched the flat surface for a metal container. He doubted his brother would have left it where any sunlight could glint off its surface.
Sitting down on the loam, Thorfinn stared into the glow of the midsummer twilight as he tried to remember that long-ago day when he and Reggie had clambered over this rock. Well, Reggie had clambered—he’d preferred to sit like he was now, square in the center, taking in the view.
For a moment, he could almost see the adolescent Reggie bolting straight for the cliff’s edge.“Don’t you want to look down and see how far up we are?”
“Nay, I like it here where I am.”
“Chicken!” Reggie called good-naturedly as he dropped onto his belly and stuck his head and shoulders over the precipice. “Good lord, Sin. You should see this. There are so many alcoves and caves. We have been missing great opportunities.”
“That is a matter of opinion.”
“There’s even a shelf I can reach, right here! We should make this our new place for secret messages,” Reggie hollered.
Thorfinn flopped onto his back. “I believe someone would eventually spy the rope. Besides, Mr.Flett will notice if my arms are always stiff when I do my chores.”
“Gah!” Reggie suddenly appeared in his vision before he plopped down beside Thorfinn. “You think like an old man. If it wasn’t for me, you’d never have a spot of fun in your life.”
“Reggie, I really think I could do without this type of adventure,” Thorfinn said as he stood up and walked toward the sea-facing edge of the stack.
Inside his head, Thorfinn heard his brother’s reply.You’re having the time of your life, old boy. Why do you think I sent Rose your way? You need someone to remind you to stop being so sober and to have fun once in a while.
“Maybe you’re right. When Rose leaves, I suspect a bit of the joy she brought will linger, even if I will miss her like the dickens,” Thorfinn said as he lowered himself to the ground and wriggled on his elbows to the very edge. It didn’t take him too long, thankfully, to find a crevice he could reach. After moving away a pile of stones, he felt the cool smoothness of metal.
He pulled out the box and moved into a crouch. Luckily, the thin container wasn’t locked. Thorfinn pulled out a sheet of paper and touched his brother’s messy scrawl. There was just enough light to read it.
Sin,
I didn’t have time to put this letter into code, but I doubt anyone will stumble across it accidentally. I firmly believe we are the only two humans who have ever conquered Sigurd’s Rock. Didn’t I tell you I’d figure out a way to lure you back here?
I wish I didn’t have to write this missive, especially to you, but you are the only person I can trust to see this through. And I know you always choose the honorable course—the right course—no matter the personal cost.
