Page 70 of Highlander’s Quest of Desire

Chapter Twenty-Seven

By Saturday morning they were in the village a few miles from Dunnottar castle. Bruce had made sure to cover his face when they had entered his lands, lest he be recognized. It would not do to compromise their expedition at the outset. Leo must not know that he was alive and returning to win back his love, and his lands.

“Ye must stop here,” he said to Laird Labert, and Domnhall. Edward had accompanied them, while Daniel had remained behind in Balquhidder to defend it if need be. “Take rooms at the inn and send messengers to Leo that ye have arrived to attend his wedding. Domnhall, I want ye to send a formal request to meet with Elspeth. It will be denied, but ye need to see Leo and convince him that ye are happy with the union. Laird Labert, once ye make yer presence known he will invite ye to stay in the castle. Both of ye will accept.”

“I will have my men surround Dunnottar so Leo cannae call for help. Nae men in and nae men out. And what of ye?” Domnhall asked.

“There are secret ways into Dunnottar, and I will use one of them. I shall be inside the castle by nightfall.”

“Are ye certain ye have yer men’s support?” Laird Labert asked.

“Aye,” Bruce said, grinning. “Leo didnae bring any of my men to ambush me. He used English soldiers and filth. He kens he stands on unsteady ground. My men will turn on him as soon as I present myself.”

“Then we shall see ye at the wedding.” Laird Labert shook his hand.

“Do nae get caught,” Domnhall said, and shook his hand.

“I do nae intend to. And Domnhall,” he said, mounting his horse again. “I meant to tell ye something.”

“Aye?”

“Yer sister and I wish to wed. I hope ye have nae objection.” He said casually, communicating that he didn’t much care for Domnhall’s opinion because it was decided.

Domnhall eyed him for a tense moment then shrugged. “Better ye than that Sinclair scum.”

“Good. See ye at the wedding!” He slapped the reins on his horse and galloped out of town. After a mile he turned the horse into a small wood that ended at the beachline. Once he was at the farthest edge of the woods he secured his horse to a tree branch and went the rest of the way on foot.

Dunnottar did not have a secret underground passage like Balquhidder, but it did have concealed steps along the sheer face of the cliff atop which it had been built. The steps weren’t easily seen by the naked eye. You needed to know they were there to make them out, and he had been climbing those dangerous steps since he and Leo were children.

Leo Sinclair.

Bruce didn’t think he could ever recover from the betrayal of his brother. The sight of the sea and of Dunnottar Castle looming above the cliff brought back memories of his childhood, and Leo was a part of every memory. They had spent every day together; every waking moment had been in each other’s company. How could he not have seen the ambition hiding in Leo’s breast? How could he not have realized that Leo did not feel the loyalty for Bruce, that Bruce felt for him?

Taking precautions, Bruce secured his cloak, and lowered his hood on his face to make sure he would not be recognized. The beach was not empty. There were soldiers swimming and lounging at the beach. Bruce hid among the overgrown bushes at the base of the cliff, out of sight, and a fair distance from the soldiers.

They had not rested much since they had left Balquhidder almost three days ago. They had eaten and slept in the saddle. The morning sun shone down in his eyes, and the heat made him sweat. He lay down in the tall grass, seeking its shade. His drowsy eyes closed, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

By the time he woke up the sun had travelled to the other end of the sky. There was a lot of light to see by but in a few hours the sun would set and the difficult task of climbing the steps would become impossible. Unlike the passage to Balquhidder, the secret stone steps to Dunnottar were insubstantial, perfect for a child’s feet but too small for an adult. They were also constantly at the mercy of the salt wind and erosion. He wouldn’t be able to find them or maintain his balance in the dark.

Stretching his aching limbs, he sat up and observed that the beach was now empty. Thanking God for small mercies, Bruce began the climb. This was his second climb in three days, and he wondered what sin he had committed that he had to redeem himself with more than one climb.

Morris’s words came back to him – A climb is the best medicine for a fall.

And Bruce had fallen, in more ways than one. He had failed to put Elspeth first, and he had failed to see how foolish and naïve he was to think the Honors would resolve everything. It was a child’s wish for a magic staff and sword that would rid his kingdom of evil. But all it had done was make things worse. The Honors were hidden for a reason, and now Bruce was convinced that they needed to be put safely in hiding again until Scotland was ready.

The stairs were practically notches in the rock. Bruce’s calves ached as he tried to steady himself during the climb. He prayed no one would walk onto the beach because he would be completely exposed with no way to hide or come down. If he took an arrow to the back now it wouldn’t kill him, but the fall would dash him against the sharp rocks below and be his undoing.

Will nae that be an ignoble end?Bruce thought. Perished while sneaking into my own castle like a thief.

A strong wind buffeted against him, and he nearly slipped. His fingers dug in, and his bruised shoulder jarred in its socket, making him grit his teeth in pain. He was still for a few minutes, panting. A curse came to his lips for Leo.

Once his breathing was under control he began the climb again, but the pain in his shoulder only became stronger until it was a burning sensation that radiated to his chest, back, and neck.

The sun was dipping low on the horizon when he finally reached the top. He lay there for a minute, resting his cramping shoulders. The sky was shot with red and violet. Indigo fingers swept up the little of the blue that still remained, and night came on him fast. Bruce was glad for it. The darkness would be his friend.

In the cover of night, he walked into the back gardens that were inside the castle walls. The opening was mostly used by the gardeners and unguarded because the cliff was a deterrent for any attack. If Laird Labert and Domnhall had followed his instructions they were probably inside the castle now, and Leo must be confident in his victory now that the two ally clans had accepted his claim to the throne.

In the gardens he found a lone figure bent over his mother’s prized rose bushes, clipping buds into a basket. Bruce tiptoed closer on silent feet and on closer observation recognized one of the young chamber maids, Gwen.