12
SHADOWS OF LOYALTY
Connor's cloak hung heavy across his shoulders, reaching over his head, concealing every detail of his face and figure from the world. The deep navy fabric blended in with the darkening sky. Yet, despite the late hour of the day, there was still so much happening.
He walked cautiously up to the keep, having left his horse tied in the woods half a mile back. There could be nothing that drew attention to himself, nothing that would make him stand out, even if it meant getting away in a hurry would be much harder if he needed to. It was simply a risk he had to take.
Luck seemed to be in his favor, as there was a noisy crowd gathered around the entrance to the castle courtyard. The gates were locked, but there were twice as many guards stationed outside as Campbell normally kept. Illuminated by lanterns, Connor could hardly make out any of the men's faces or what was happening within the castle walls. It was late enough for the sun to have set, but still early enough that Connor could barely make out the clinking of armor in the distance. The all-too-familiar sound made Connor think there was more going on than he originally thought.
“Get back! Away wit' ye!”
Each of the four guards shouted their orders to the crowds, threatening violence and imprisonment for disobedience, but the villagers showed no signs of listening.
“What is going on?”
“Why is Glenkirk Castle barricaded?”
“The roads are closed. I cannae get home!”
Even with all their shouts and cries of outrage, the guards didn't seem to care about what the villagers were saying. They gave no reaction at all other than to order the people back. There was no surprise, no malice, nothing. Connor couldn't make sense of it.
The closer he got to the keep, the more alert he became. He cataloged every step he took, from the way the gravel crunched under his feet to the direction of the breeze. Though his chin was tucked, his eyes were up, constantly scanning how many people were around him and what they were all doing. With more villagers coming up behind him, Connor didn't seem out of place, rather just like another frenzied man seeking answers. In some ways, he was.
Connor was nearly to the gates when he finally got a good enough glimpse of one of the guards. The lantern swung just enough to light up the man's face, and subsequently, Connor's hope that his plan would go well. The familiar dirty blonde hair and proud brow bone could belong to none other than Adam, an old friend. It would be a testament to just how deep that friendship went for Connor to approach him after abandoning and betraying Campbell, but Connor could see no way around it.
The crowd was too large and too noisy for Connor to slip away unnoticed. There were already too many eyes on the gates, too many guards stationed to protect the keep from invaders. If Connor were to make it inside and find any of the men he believed to be against Campbell, he would need Adam's help and his secrecy.
Positioning himself off to one side of the crowd, Connor let out an owl's whistle. It was one that he had used with Adam nearly every time they went on patrol together. And as soon as the high-pitched tone went into the air, Adam's head snapped up to scan the area a bit more intensely. Only then did Connor pick up his head, ready to lock eyes with the guard as soon as Adam looked his way. He knew Adam had spotted him when the man's eyes went wide and his face paled just a bit. Connor waited patiently for Adam to make some excuse to the guard standing next to him, who was too preoccupied with the crowd to pay Adam much attention. And then his friend stalked towards him.
“Have ye lost yer mind?” Adam whispered angrily, gripping the top of Connor's arm and pulling him away from the crowd with more force than was necessary.
They tucked behind a tree, staying out of sight of the rest of the guards. As soon as they were situated, Connor pulled his arm back and rubbed the top where Adam had held him. There was sure to be a bruise there, but Connor had bigger things to worry about.
“Ye have betrayed Campbell, left yer post. He has marked ye as a traitor. We have orders to kill ye on sight, should any of us find ye. Ye are lucky that the other guards did nae see ye, or they would have taken ye to Campbell so he could do it himself.”
“It was nae luck and ye ken that,” Connor pointed out. “Besides, I am nae here for myself. My life matters little, with all things considered.”
“Then tell me, man, what are ye doing here? What is so important that ye would risk yer life?”
Connor stopped for just a moment. The promise he made to Brid, that he would return to her, suddenly felt foolish. Adam was right, coming here was a huge risk that could cost him his life. Trusting the wrong person would make a liar out of Connor.He couldn't ask just anyone for help if he was going to make good on his word to Brid.
But then he thought a minute longer and realized that if Adam was going to turn him into Campbell, Adam would have done so already. It would have been far too easy for Adam to have alerted the other guards and capture Connor, even with the growing mob. But he hadn't. Adam was a good man, even if he was still serving under Campbell. Perhaps all Adam needed was the chance to leave, and Connor wanted to give him that chance.
“I am entrusting ye with my life,” Connor impressed upon him. “Betray me, and it will ensure the end of my life and countless others. I cannae say more until I have yer word that ye will nae. If ye cannae make that promise, I will leave now and nae make things more difficult for ye.”
Adam paused, contemplating Connor's words, before nodding solemnly.
“I swear, I will nae turn ye in.”
Connor leaned back, peeking around the side of the tree to ensure that no one from the growing mob had gotten any closer. Satisfied that they were still alone, he kicked the dirt around with his toe before looking back at Adam.
“Ye are correct, I did leave my post, but for good reason. Seamus Murray found a group of rebels who have spent the entirety of Campbell's reign training and preparing to overthrow him.”
“How did he manage that?”
“Luck, I think,” Connor said with a scoff. “I left to join him.”
“Are these the rebels Campbell has had us chase down?”
