4
BATTLE PLANS AND BRAVE HEARTS
The aftermath of the meeting was what could only be described as organized chaos. Seamus' impressive speech had lit a fire inside of everyone close enough to hear it. Everyone wanted to do their part to help.
Inundated with volunteers, Flora and Errik took on the task of organizing the warriors. Together, they picked out the leaders and created smaller groups of men, each being given their own specific set of orders. Half of the groups would report to Errik while the other half reported to Liam, but they all considered themselves to be a part of Seamus' army.
“Rolland would be proud,” Flora remarked as she wrote another man's name down on the ledger.
“Huh?” Errik asked, not having heard her over the volume of the tavern.
“Rolland,” she repeated. “He would be proud. To see so many rise against Campbell, to see the Murray Clan united again. This was all he ever wanted for us.”
Her words caused Errik to pause his efforts and turn his head in Flora's direction.
“Aye,” he answered gruffly. “Aye, he would be proud. Verra proud, indeed. Ye both have much to be proud of. Rollandalways kent that he would never be the man to lead the clan. He kent someone else was going to have to come along. And he kent that someone was Seamus. Ye two have done a fantastic job of making this happen.”
She looked across the tavern to the window. Just outside it, Seamus and Liam were working in tandem to equip each of the men who had volunteered to fight. Distributing horses and weapons alike, Flora watched for a moment, amazed to find that Seamus seemed wholly unaware and unfazed by all the adoring eyes on him. Though she knew he felt the weight of what they were doing, she doubted it had occurred to him just how much these people respected him, valued him as a leader.
“Mairi Kerr.”
Flora blinked, refocusing on her task at hand.
“I'm afraid I dinnae understand yer meaning.”
“Mairi Kerr,” her cousin repeated as though that explained everything to Errik.
“I ken who ye are. What is it that ye are doing at the warrior's table?”
“I want to fight.”
Flora blinked in shock at her cousin's claim.
“Mairi,” she questioned, “what are ye doing?”
“I want to help,” Mairi answered. “We all do.”
With a gesture sweeping behind her, Flora noticed the sizable gathering of women who stood with Mairi, nodding.
“These are our homes too. Our lands, our families, ye are defending. We want to do our part.”
Errik looked at her wearing a face that shouted “good luck” before he turned back to the rest of the men still waiting to sign up.
Flora stuttered and stammered for a moment, horrified at the thought of any one of them getting hurt on the battlefield.
“Nae all of us wish to carry a weapon and ride into battle. There are some who wish to travel with ye to be healers and cooks and do whatever else might need to be done. We are happy to be an extra set of hands and legs if that is all ye need. But we demand to be put to work,” Mairi continued on with great passion.
Flora looked at her cousin, dumbfounded at the request—no, demand. Mairi had never been the one to go looking for a fight, let alone go against anything her parents might want, and going to war was undoubtedly against their wishes. But Flora couldn't deny her cousin this. Nor could she deny it to any of the other women. She knew what it felt like to be kept on the sidelines, watching helplessly as the people you love are slaughtered. She had felt the desperation that demanded she join in on the fight; it was what prompted her to leave her uncle's house all those years ago.
“Flora?” Mairi prompted, as though she could sense Flora's hesitation.
With a deep breath, Flora let out a singular, “Aye.”
She cleared her throat, pushing the wave of emotion down, and looked the rest of the women in the eye.
“Aye. Of course, ye all are more than welcome to join our ranks. Those who wish to fight, give Errik yer name, and then we will go outside to see ye fitted for battle. Ye will be expected to train along with the rest of the men from here on out. In fact, ye might get a few extra lessons since ye will have to catch up on things. As for the healers, Brid will be in charge. Ye will be stationed in Glenkirk Castle as soon as we have overtaken it. In the meantime, gather yer supplies and prepare yerselves as best as ye can.”
The words had barely left her mouth before the women scurried to do just as she said. Errik dutifully took down their names without a moment's hesitation. She guessed he hadgotten so accustomed to her fighting that he didn't blink an eye at the others wanting to join in.
