“Aye, and if he’s nae an ally, who is? Can we even trust that Hamish still wants tae betray his Da? I dinnae like this at all. I feel like we came here on a rumor, and now we’re suffering for it.”
“Sae ye are blaming me for this?” Elvira asked in a haughty tone. She arched her eyebrows towards him. Rory slowly turned away from the bars and looked down his nose at her. He pursed his lips, thinking about his words carefully. When he spoke, his voice was slow and rasping.
“I dinnae blame ye for Laird McKovac. I dinnae blame ye for Samuel. I saw the way people treated ye out there,” Rory shook his head in dismay, as though he could not believe people had behaved that way even though he had seen it with his own eyes. “It’s nae right, and something needs tae be done tae stop it. But I dae blame ye for what is about tae happen. If the Laird forces me tae make weapons for him… I cannae bear the thought that my creations are gaeing tae be used by an evil man like him. What if they use my weapons when they attack the village? The blood of people I care about will be spilled by my weapons… ye hae just given him an advantage, Elvira.”
“I was trying tae save yer life. Samuel was just about tae cut off ye head,” Elvira glared at him, confused at how someone could be angry at her for saving their life. Rory skulked around the walls of the dungeon, kicking at the walls. Thud, thud, thud… the noise was maddening. “Will ye stop daeing that?”
“I’m trying tae find a way out of here,” Rory snapped.
“I’m surprised ye dinnae just bash ye head against the wall if ye are sae determined tae die.”
“I’m nae determined tae die. I dinnae want tae die. I just dinnae want tae be used as a puppet by the enemy.”
“Well, I dinnae want tae see ye die right in front of me. It was the only thing I could think of at the time. Next time we are in that situation, I’ll just let them chop ye head off,” Elvira rolled her eyes and shook her head. She leaned her head against the wall and let out a frustrated sigh, which rolled around the dungeon. Then, there was another sound. It was deep and rich, and at first, she couldn’t quite believe she was hearing anythinglike it. Then, she turned to Rory to confirm that she wasn’t hearing things. He had thrown his head back and was laughing uproariously.
“Oh, grand, ye hae lost ye mind,” Elvira muttered.
Rory shook his head and kept laughing. He wiped tears from his eyes and approached her, slumping down to the ground, crossing his legs. “It’s nae that, it’s just… here we are, arguing again. I remember when I saved ye from the bandits, ye chastised me, and now I’m angry at ye for saving me. Ah, I am nae really mad at ye, I am just frustrated that we were captured.”
“I suppose we hae tae argue with each other when there is naebody else around,” Elvira confessed, allowing a smirk to drift across her face. “The truth is, I’m angry at Samuel. I cannae believe he is sae short-sighted tae side with the Laird.”
“Did he tell ye why?”
“Aye, his sister is still ailing and he needs medicine. The healers are all hiding, at least the ones that hae nae already been killed by McKovac. Instead of turning against the Laird tae drive him away and welcome the Romani back, he seems tae think that the Laird cannae be stopped.”
“I’m starting tae get that impression myself,” Rory sighed, grimacing. He picked up a small stone and threw it against the wall. Then, he rose, and began looking in every nook and cranny. He disappeared into the far corner, swallowed by the shadows. The light did not reach far enough to penetrate the darkness there.
“What are ye daeing?” she asked.
“I’m looking for an escape. I cannae just sit her and dae naething, waiting for our inevitable fate. There hae tae be a loose stone somewhere, or a wee hole. Maybe if we can create one, ye can burrow out,” he said.
“I’m nae sure that’s gaeing tae be possible. Laird McKovac is known for keeping people in his dungeons. I hae nae heard any story of anyone escaping.”
“Then we can be the first,” Rory replied. Elvira sighed and shook her head, refusing to join him because she would rather recover her strength.
“Ye should rest with me. Ye are nae gaeing tae find a way out of here.”
“Ye dinnae know that. I need tae try.”
“But why? Ye are wasting ye time.”
“It’s my time tae waste,” Rory replied firmly. It was clear to Elvira that she wasn’t going to talk sense into him. He was one of those men that needed to dosomethingjust to feel like they were accomplishing anything. She left him to his own devices, scraping and prodding about, until the noise became too vexing to stand.
“Will ye give that a break,” Elvira eventually said, looking to the ceiling and holding out her hand. “Are ye gaeing tae poke intae every crevice?”
“If I need tae, aye,” Rory said.
“Why? There is nae escape. We need tae rest, sae that when we are released, we can look for an opportunity.”
“We cannae wait that long. There is nae gaeing tae be an opportunity like that once they come for ye,” Rory said. Elvira noticed the way he said ‘you’ instead of ‘us’. She angled her body towards him. He was a silhouette standing with his back to her.
“Rory, what is this really about?” she asked.
Rory hung his head. He exhaled deeply and trundled back toward her, sinking to the ground again. “I dinnae know as much about this land as ye, but I hae seen enough and heard enough about the Laird tae know that naething good awaits ye here. As soon as he calls for ye, ye are doomed.”
Elvira welcomed the concern in his voice, but she was not prone to fear. She swept locks of her hair away and spoke in a calm voice. “Rory, I am nae afraid of him.”
Rory’s gaze shot up, and he glared at her, looking shocked. “What dae ye mean? How can ye nae be scared? Ye hae seen the way he treats ye people, how he hae his guards hunting ye. He is cruel and insane. I dread tae think what he hae planned for ye. Whatever fate lies in store for me… the one waiting for ye is gaeing tae be far worse and there is naething I can dae about it. I will nae be able tae protect ye.”
