Page 2 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

He was standing by the refreshment table drinking some ale.

“Could I steal ye away for a minute, Father?” Bruce asked.

The Bishop looked down, and his sharp eyes instantly took in the situation.

“What’s the matter, Lady Elspeth?” the Bishop of Orkney asked, placing his cup on the table.

“Elspeth has done herself an injury.” Bruce stepped back so the Bishop could have a closer look.

“’Tis but a small cut,” Elspeth repeated, her eyes steady and serious, all traces of her tears gone. “I donae want to miss the shadow puppets. I’ll wash it in the sea.”

Bruce was impressed by her composure. He didn’t have any siblings to compare her behavior with, but he had been under the impression that little girls were prone to tears, which once triggered took a lot of persuading to stop.

“Nae need to go all the way down to the beach. I have some thyme oil in my pocket that should clean it up nice. Let’s sit there under the willow tree, what say ye, Bruce?”

“Aye.” Bruce fell in step with the Bishop as they led Elspeth to the willow tree. “Though I’m surprised ye didnae suggest Holy water as a cure-all.”

“Are ye being cheeky with a man of God, Bruce Grant?”

Bruce grinned. “Ye were father’s uncle long before ye became a man of God.”

The Bishop of Orkney had been a permanent figure in Bruce’s young life. His grandfather had passed away when he was only a year old, but he had never felt the loss of a grandfather. The Bishop, a cousin of his late grandfather, had filled those shoes. He was a constant source of wisdom and insight into matters of right and wrong. Their conversations ranged from theology, politics, and Scottish legends, and their friendship was not limited by the distance between Dunnottar and Orkney. The regularity with which they wrote to each other amused his parents and disgruntled the messenger boys.

“I see I’ll have to keep my present to myself then. Cheeky lads cannae expect presents for bad behavior,” the Bishop said, shaking his head in regret. “And me, having lugged it all the way here. My shoulders ache from carrying it such a ways way.”

Bruce laughed. “Is it the book ye promised?” He didn’t fear the present being denied him. The Bishop was teasing, as he often did when Bruce joked around. “About the Honors of Scotland?”

“Hush, lad.” The Bishop looked around to make sure no one was privy to their conversation. “Or do ye want a riot on our hands?”

“Nae one believes the legends, Father,” Bruce laughed. “’Tis only you and I who find the lore of any interest.”

“Still, I’d like ye to keep quiet about the legend.”

“What legend?”

Elspeth was looking up at them with fascinated, round eyes.

“The Honors of Scotland,” Bruce said. “Have ye nae heard of them?”

“Nae. Were they brave warriors?”

The Bishop chuckled. “Nae, lass. Come, let’s sit ye down here and take a look at that cut.”

“But what are the Honors?”

“Tell ye what,” the Bishop said, removing a small bottle from the inside of his jacket. “If ye stay still and nae chatter on I’ll tell ye.”

Elspeth must have taken his warning very seriously because she pursed her lips shut and nodded with a slight shake of her head lest a vigorous nod be taken for conversation. The Bishop sat her down on the grass. Bruce joined her. He was nearly thirteen, a young lad just shy of manhood, but he was still a child where the Honors of Scotland were concerned. The legend held a fascination for him, and he could hear the story several times without getting bored.

“Are ye comfortable, lass?” he asked removing a handkerchief from his pockets.

“Aye.” Elspeth squirmed a little, pushing her hair off her brow with her uninjured hand. “Is it a great secret, the Honors?”

“Nae,” the Bishop shook his head, pouring some of the concoction on her hand and cleaning the cut. “Everyone knows of them. But few believe they still exist. They have been hidden so long they’ve swept out of Scotland’s memory.”

“But what are they?”

“They’re the royal regalia of Scotland, gifted to King James IV by the Papacy as a sign of their faith in him as a man of God. Ye see they foresaw him, and those of his line as the rightful rulers of these lands in the eyes of God!”