Page 55 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

Bruce paced around the empty circular room squinting at the papers. The little light there was in the room was fading fast. With a whoosh rain came over them. Thunder cracked, and water splashed overhead.

“Ye said the Latin was some riddle?” Elspeth asked, more to find a distraction than to know what the papers said.

“Aye,” Bruce said. “My Latin is a wee bit rusty. But here’s what it says.”

The failing sun will light yer way

Nae just the mountains the ground will sway

Truth is a circle and the eye sees all

They honor is at the center of it all

“I cannae make head nae tails of it,” he said.

“The room is nae a circle,” Elspeth said pacing around while the rain intensified. Lightening flashed, providing a modicum of light inside. “See?” She pointed toward the back of the room where a square stone plinth sat. “Is that where we’re supposed to measure the center from?”

Bruce shrugged. “It’s worth a try.”

He went and stood by the plinth and started measuring the distance between it and the door opposite with his feet. Then he retraced his steps and stood in the center of the room. Elspeth stood beside him and looked up. Indeed, the vaulted ceiling met up at that point above them.

“I’ll bring the shovel.” Elspeth rushed to grab it from the set of tools by the door. It was too heavy for her, and she dragged most of it on the floor, displacing a lot of the packed earth.

Bruce marked out an x with the tip of the shovel then began to dig. “D’ye think Liam will be pleased to find his granary in such disarray?” he asked after a few shovelfuls of packed earth were heaped up on the side.

“We can pay him the money Laird Labert gave us,” Elspeth said. “And invite him to our wedding.”

Bruce laughed. “Aye. Beatrice and her husband as well.”

“Of course,” she laughed. “Our wedding would nae be complete without Beatrice. I shall need her to prepare me for the day.”

Bruce grunted as he dug. “And how do ye intend to prepare for the day?” he asked, his tone teasing.

“A long bath,” Elspeth counted off on her fingers. “Then preparing my body with scented oils. I will place flowers in my hair, and on my dress. Oh, how I wish I could weave a dress of flowers. Would nae that be grand?”

“Seems like ye have given this much thought,” Bruce said, stopping for a moment to wipe sweat off his brow. “Tell me true, ye didnae imagine all these fancy preparations when ye were being wooed by the Labert boys by any chance?”

Elspeth gasped, offended. “How dare ye accuse me of that. Ye ken I have only ever loved ye.”

“It gladdens my heart to hear ye say it. Although ye did seem mighty fond of Daniel.”

“He’s a wee lad,” Elspeth said, waving her hand dismissively. “I find men to be more attractive.”

Bruce laughed. He dug some more, and Elspeth saw that he had made a lot of progress. The storm had passed, and the clouds had dispersed enough to allow watery sunlight to enter through the door. In its light she saw that the hole was deep, but there was no sign of anything hidden beneath.

“Elspeth,” Bruce said, suddenly serious. “This doesn’t feel right. The floor looks like it has been dug up and packed over the years. If this is so then the Honors would have been found a long time ago.” He threw the shovel to the side and frowned at the hole. “Maybe our suspicions were right. Someone discovered the Honors a long time ago and stole them away.”

Elspeth hated seeing Bruce so disheartened. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair leaving a streak of dirt on his forehead. She paced the room again, thinking hard. This couldn’t be the end. There was more hidden in this room. They just couldn’t see it. “What was the riddle again?”

Bruce sighed. He didn’t look too keen to pursue the riddle, but Elspeth insisted. He took it out and read it out again.

The failing sun will light yer way

Nae just the mountains the ground will sway

Truth is a circle and the eye sees all

They honor is at the center of it all