Flora hesitated. She knew that he was referring to her promise to never leave his side. Her words echoed in her mind as he looked at her, almost challenging her, seeing if she was up for the task. Shaking her head, Flora sighed.
“Find a horse. We can ride through the crowd faster than we can fight our way through.”
Seamus ran off to do just that, disappearing into the crowd for a brief moment. While he was gone, Flora turned to Connor and Liam.
“We will need ye to cover us. Can ye help clear a path out of here? And then get as many men as ye can to follow us out there.”
“Aye,” Liam answered, moving to get a better position.
“Finn!” she shouted up.
He leaned over the stone wall and looked down.
“We are going out. Get yer archers to cover us. Focus them all there until we are clear of his army.”
Finn nodded, though how he heard her, she knew was an act of God. It would take another one for them to make it out of the courtyard and to Campbell. There was no telling what would happen once they crossed the gates, but she knew she couldn't let Seamus face this on his own.
“Are ye ready?” he asked, looking down at her from atop his stallion.
“Aye.”
She took the arm he offered and pulled herself into the saddle. He waited just long enough for her to get settled before he took off, weaving the horse through the blood soaked chaos.
With Liam, Errik, and Connor leading several others, a path was made for Seamus and Flora. Campbell's warriors hardly tried to stop them. Regardless, Flora pulled her bow off her shoulder and loaded it with an arrow. Finn called out orders overhead, leaving the way clear for them to keep riding even after they made it out of the gates.
Seamus expertly maneuvered them through the soldiers, never getting close enough to let anyone touch them. While he focused on the road ahead, Flora turned around and shot off a few arrows, taking down the three men who had all ganged up on Connor. He gave her a grateful wave before turning his attention back to the fight. Once they were too far away for Flora to risk any shots, she turned back around to see where she was going.
Just as Liam had said, Campbell was tucked in a glen of trees, a small circle of soldiers and elders and councilors surrounding him. There were too many for Seamus and Flora to take down themselves, but that didn't stop Seamus from riding closer and closer.
“Those are nae just any soldiers,” Seamus called over his shoulder. “He saved his best men for himself.”
Flora huffed.
“What a coward. I dinnae ken why I expected anything else. Still, we cannae just rush in and think that will get us verra far. What is yer plan here?”
“Well, I?—”
Seamus was cut off as a single rider broke off from Campbell's group and started riding towards them. Flora drew her bow tight, aiming for his heart, but Seamus shook his head.
“Nay, I think Campbell has sent a messenger. I am curious to hear what he has to say.”
Stopping where they were, they waited for the rider to approach. He looked more like a boy than a man, and the paleness of his cheeks gave his fear away.
“Campbell has sent me to give ye a message,” the messenger said just as soon as he was within hearing distance. “But I will nae come any closer until I have yer word that ye will nae harm me.”
His chin went up yet quivered just a touch.
“I will nae harm ye,” Seamus vowed. “Now, tell me what that man wants.”
“He has requested that ye ride to him alone and unarmed. He wishes to discuss the surrender of the rebels.”
Flora's mouth dropped in shock at Campbell's audacity. The man was too busy hiding out to truly know how the fight was going, and he assumed that it was not going well. She was tempted to march over to Campbell herself and set him straight. But this was Seamus' moment, so her mouth snapped shut as she waited to hear just how he would tell the messenger 'no.'
Turning in the saddle, Seamus looked behind them. Flora did the same, surprised to see just how far the rebels had managed to bring the fight out of the courtyard. Liam, Errik, Connor, and even Finn were moving towards them, weapons drawn and ready to take down whoever stood in their way. Pride bloomed in her chest at the sight.
“He is only asking ye to go because he kens he will nae win this fight,” she whispered in Seamus' ear. “Dinnae go. Send the messenger away. We will defeat his army and then take down Campbell.”
He turned back to the messenger without answering her. A smug grin slid into place across her face as she waited for him to tell the boy just how foolish Campbell was.
