Page 41 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

Chapter Sixteen

Nothing was as Bruce had thought. A few weeks ago, he hadn’t expected to be a guest at Balquhidder, but now he was sitting in the library by the fire, pouring over books and constantly being plied with cakes and ale. At night he was seen to by Master Faraday, with Elspeth assisting, and his wound was healing fast. Only yesterday he had been given permission to join the Labert boys in the practice yard.

In the absence of the hostility and ill-wishes he had expected from the Laberts, Bruce was forced to think on some unpleasant things. If Laird Labert hadn’t betrayed him then it brought in to question only one other person, and he was loath to accept even for a second that his childhood friend, brother in arms, Leo Sinclair had been behind his arrest.

Why would he have me arrested and then rescue me? If his aim was to wrest power and control over Dunnottar then he could have left me at Bass Rock to die.

No matter how much Bruce thought on the subject he couldn’t find an answer that would satisfy him.

Another concern dividing his attention away from the important task of figuring out the manuscript was the new development between Elspeth and the Labert boys. In all the years that they had conducted the spring festival, Bruce had never observed anything that could have prepared him for a marriage of alliance between the Laberts and Buchans. Yet, Laird Labert had said a marriage alliance was Domnhall’s wish.

Would a marriage between the two clans be so horrible? Elspeth would find the security and kindness she had always craved at Balquhidder. Other than a life of exile and the constant threat of the English capturing them, Bruce had nothing much to offer her. It would be best if he stood out of her way and let her find a stable future with one of the Labert boys.

However, the thought of Elspeth with anyone else made his blood run cold, and his temper run hot. The distance between them had only grown at Balquhidder. It was a little over a fortnight since they were captured by Laird Labert’s men but they hadn’t spoken more than two sentences to each other, and never alone. He had become so used to having her completely to himself, it was strange to share her with the Labert boys.

Scratching his chin, Bruce tried to concentrate on the book he was reading. He had read the same page thrice and not retained a single word. The Arthurian legend had been told to him as a bed time story, but the books in Laird Labert’s library contained scholarly texts that shed light on the whereabouts of Arthur’s Kingdom and Camelot. Bruce hoped to find a book that would shed light on the coded text on the papers the Bishop had left for him.

He was making another effort at reading the passage when Laird Labert entered the library. Bruce shut the book with a snap, grateful for a distraction.

“What’s this I hear about ye leaving tomorrow?” Laird Labert asked. He did not sit down. The old man looked agitated, and there was more gray in his beard than before.

“And did Master Faraday tell ye that he has given me expression permission to leave whenever I want to?”

Despite his look of disquiet Laird Labert smiled. “Yer a sharp one, there’s nae denying that. But must ye leave? Yer more than welcome to stay here until the hunt dies down.”

“Do ye think it will?” Bruce raised a brow quizzically.

Laird Labert shook his head, his face a picture of regret. “Nae, they willnae rest until yer back in Bass Rock. But I can keep ye safe,” he said, earnest.

“Ye have kept us safe,” Bruce said. He got up and took Laird Labert’s hands within his. “I have been hounded and chased these past few weeks. My wound wouldnae have healed so well if we werenae given safe haven in Balquhidder.”

“But why must ye go? What is it ye must seek? It cannae be more important than yer life.”

Bruce paused for a moment and considered if he should share his mission with Laird Labert. Maybe he knew something about the quest and could aid him on the way. But the doubts Leo had instilled in him made him hesitate. Until he was sure who had betrayed him, he couldn’t share his mission freely.

“All I can say is that it is more important than my life. I donae seek it for personal gain, but I have been trained for this quest my whole life.”

A spark of knowing gleamed in Laird Labert’s eyes, and he looked at Bruce intently. Then he nodded, as if accepting the answer but not entirely willing to let his stance go.

“It is still nae enough for me to let ye go,” Laird Labert said, shaking his head emphatically. “What will I say to yer father if anything were to happen to ye? Yer mother may never forgive me if I let ye go and the English caught ye.”

“Ye have proved yer loyalty, Laird Labert.” Bruce grasped the old man’s shoulder and pressed his forehead against Laird Labert’s. “Ye were more than a brother to my father, and ye are more than an ally for me. Ye are my blood, and ye have my undying love and fealty.”

When he stood back, he saw tears in Laird Labert’s eyes. “If only Jacob had lived to see what a fine man ye have become. He would have been so proud of ye, my lad.”

Warmth suffused Bruce, and he realized he was clutching Laird Labert’s shoulder a little too tightly. The last person to speak to him with such paternal pride was the Bishop. He had felt orphaned in that instant, but now a spark of being adopted by a father had flamed his spirit and he was buoyed to be better, to do better, so they would never be disappointed.

“Now, if I cannae persuade ye to stay then I must show ye something.” Laird Labert clapped his hands and stepped back.

Bruce was taken aback by the sudden change in Laird Labert. A youthful energy exuded from the old man, and a bright smile had replaced the worry lines around his mouth. Laird Labert walked out of the library, and Bruce followed, somewhat mystified by the request. What could the Laird want to show Bruce that he hadn’t seen before?

They hurried down the main passage and then toward halls that Bruce had never traversed in all the years he had visited Balquhidder. Laird Labert was skipping along like an excited child, an earnestness in the stiffness of his shoulders.

“Come through here,” he said when they reached a passage without any doors.

“Where?” Bruce said, looking around them. He could see no passage, no niche.

There were torches burning in iron rings along the walls that were covered in intricate tapestries. The scenes depicted were strange and varied. In one part of the tapestry a war was being waged between the armies of heaven and hell while on the other a coronation was taking place. It was unusual not only in its subject matter but also in its size. It was made to fit the entire wall, from ceiling to floor.