“Ye remember where tae gae?” Gavin whispered.
“Ye are more familiar with it than I am,” Finlay replied, glaring at the man. They pressed themselves against the walls as they entered a hallway. They moved up some stairs and began to relax as they got deeper into the keep. The vast majority of people were outside, so this job might have been even easier than Murdoch had predicted. Finlay took the opportunity to look at his surroundings. It had been a long time since he had beenin this keep. It had once been a place of safety for him, even of pride. He used to like doing his duty, knowing that he was helping to keep the clan safe, and at one time he had even had ambitions to rise through the ranks and give his father a better life.
All hopes of that had been dashed when the accusations came out though. He glanced over his shoulder at Gavin, wondering if he could turn on the man and beat him to death now. Would Murdoch even care?
While these thoughts were running through his mind, the sound of a patrol appeared ahead. It seemed as though the Laird wasn’t leaving his keep completely unguarded, and had left a small force behind. They were young and idle, talking amongst themselves about all the things that captured the attention of young men. Gavin grabbed Finlay and dragged him into a small recess. They hid in the shadows. Gavin put his finger across his mouth, signaling for Finlay to remain silent until the guards passed. Their long shadows stretched before the hiding thieves, and in truth, the guards weren’t doing a very good job. They were more concerned with talking about all the things they were missing out on rather than inspecting the walls, probably assuming that nobody would be foolish enough to infiltrate the keep.
Finlay’s heart beat wildly in his chest. Once upon a time, he had been like them, but now he was just a common criminal. He would remain this way for the foreseeable future, his life defined by Murdoch’s whims, never able to escape because of the promise he had made. And there was no way out…unless he forced one. All this time he had been hiding from the law, running away from the consequences of his actions, but what if he surrendered to the guards? It was perhaps the only way toget to the truth, and he would rather spend his life locked in a dungeon than under the shackles of Murdoch.
The guards were rounding a corner, almost disappearing from view. If he was going to do anything, then it needed to be now.
He flung himself forward before Gavin could do anything to stop him. He cried out, getting the guard’s attention. Gavin’s eyes went wide. He was apoplectic with rage, but Finlay was already flailing his arms in the air and falling to his knees.
“Ye caught us, oh, ye caught us. We’re just wretched thieves who were trying tae take advantage of the gathering tae steal from the Laird’s treasury, but yer keen eyes saw us and there’s nae escape for us. Please, show mercy on us, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Finlay cried. The guards were astonished to see two prisoners fall into their lap, so much so that they almost didn’t react. It was only when Gavin came storming out of his hiding place that their trained instincts flourished. They brandished their swords, and even Gavin wasn’t foolish enough to confront them. He glared at Finlay.
“Ye are gaeing tae regret this,” he muttered.
Finlay shrugged. “What could I dae? The guards caught us.”
The guards led them to the depths of the dungeons and locked them in a cell, before leaving them to fetch the captain of the guard. Gavin rounded on Finlay, slamming his palm against the iron bars.
“Ye know ye are nae gaeing tae get away with this. Murdoch is gaeing tae be angry.”
“I dinnae think it’s Murdoch we need tae worry about right now,” Finlay said in a small voice. He didn’t test the strength of the bars, but rather resigned himself to his fate. He slumped against the wall and closed his eyes, thinking about Anne, wanting to atone for all the bad things he had done in the world. If he was a better man, a man of means, then perhaps he would have been able to give her the life she deserved. It was time to stop running and face his accusers once and for all.
It wasn’t long before the captain of the guard approached. He was a strong, grizzled veteran who had served the Laird for many years. He carried himself with pride and looked upon the two prisoners with derision. He expressed shock when he realized who he had captured.
“Look at the two of ye…is this what happens tae guards when they lose their way? I always told ye that ye should hae paid attention in training. I hae such high hopes for ye. Especially ye, Buchanan. After what ye did, I’m surprised ye could show yer face around here again, let alone trying tae repeat yer crime,” the captain shook his head as he spoke.
“For a long time I was afraid, but I’m gaeing tae tell ye now what I told ye then; I’m innocent. I never stole the sword. He did,” Finlay jerked his head towards Gavin, who muttered something under his breath and turned away.
“And why should I believe ye? Especially after ye hae just been caught sneaking towards the treasury. Did ye leave something behind last time?” the captain leaned forward. There was a mocking tone in his words.
“Ye got the wrong man. I only ever wanted tae dae my job. I never wanted tae steal. Ye were sae quick tae condemn me, though. Just because I was poor, ye thought I was desperate.But if I was guilty then why would I throw myself in front of the guards? Why would I let myself be captured?”
“Ye tell me!” the captain hissed, narrowing his eyes.
Finlay pushed himself towards the bars and stood up, curling his fingers around them and pressing his face to them. “Because I want tae speak tae the Laird. I want him tae hear my story. I want tae prove my innocence tae him,” Finlay said.
The Captain laughed and shook his head. “Ye think the Laird is gaeing tae bother with ye taeday of all days? Ye hae a high opinion of yerself, Buchanan.”
“Perhaps sae, but are ye nae curious why I confessed? Ye know that Gavin and I are familiar with this keep, dae ye really think yer wee guards found us? We know this place better than they ever will, there’s only one reason why I’m here, and that’s because I confessed tae them. I think the Laird deserves tae know why. Given how highly he values justice, I’m sure he wouldn’t like knowing he hae an innocent man in his dungeons.”
The captain studied him for a few moments. Then he pressed his lips together as he seemed to have made a decision. “Ye know, Buchanan, I did always find it strange why ye took the sword. Ye were a good guard, I just thought ye were an even better liar. Very well, I’ll allow the Laird tae hear ye out, but if this is a waste of my time I will make ye pay, and I’ll make sure that ye never see the light of day again.”
The captain unlocked the doors. Finlay looked back towards Gavin and flashed a smug smirk. He wasn’t entirely sure that this was going to work, but at least he was going to get an audience with the Laird.
Finlay’s arms were bound and he was accompanied by a guard at all times. He was left to wait in the main hall while the captain went to fetch the Laird. Finlay thought about the things he was going to say and hoped that the Laird’s reputation was well-deserved. It wasn’t long before the Laird arrived. Like the captain, he walked with purpose and held himself well. His gaunt frame was stoic and regal. His hair was gray, just like his eyes. He had a stern look on his face, and Finlay knew that if he made one wrong move, the Laird would not hesitate to punish him for wasting his time.
“Laird McLeod, thank ye for seeing me,” Finlay began, bowing low.
“I’m told that ye hae something important ye need tae tell me.”
“Aye, I’m nae sure if ye remember me. My name is Finlay Buchanan and I was once a member of yer guard. I was dismissed because I was accused of stealing a sword. I was innocent, but another guard spoke against me. He was the real thief, and he is sitting in ye dungeon now.”
The Laird arched an eyebrow. “I see, and I suppose I’m meant tae be grateful tae ye for solving this crime?”
“I just want tae make sure ye know the facts, sir, and the truth. The truth is that after losing my position here I became as bad as I had been labeled. I went from village tae village, clan tae clan, stealing and tricking people tae survive. I turned away from my home, left my Da behind because he could nae bear the shame ofhaeing a thief for a son. I was nae guilty of that crime, but I hae been guilty of many others.”
