by Alisa Adams
“What?”
“I said, I wasnae a little girl,” her voice was matter-of-fact and forceful as she finally met his eyes.
Gordon waited, watching the play of emotions across her face. He was watching her remember something. “Tell me,” he said quietly.
“It was after our parents died. Not too many years ago. Some of Mungan’s men were looking for me. Mungan was always demanding my presence. He wanted to marry me, even back then when I was just barely old enough. It was always sport for Mungan’s men to hunt for us for Mungan, to chase me and me sisters down. We tried to stay near Aunt Hexy or our guards, but sometimes, we were alone and we had to run and hide. One time, I fled into the tunnels that me father had told us about. Two of the men followed. I ran and ran, this way and that, in the darkness. I was terrified, but I could hear them. Always a wee ways behind me it seemed. I had no idea which way to go or if I was going up or down. I couldnae call out or they would know where I was,” she said wrapping her arms around her waist.
“Go on,” Gordon encouraged, his voice firm, reassuring. But inside, he was thinking he would kill the men if he ever got his hands on them.
“Finally, I couldnae hear them anymore. I stayed in there, listening and waiting. Then I began to walk, following the walls. I picked up a stone from the floor and made scratches as deeply as I could in the passages I took so that I knew if I was going around in circles and using the same passages over and over. Finally, I noticed the small trickle of a stream running down one side of the tunnel floor and I smelled the sea and so I walked in the stream, following the flow of the water on me toes. I just kept going toward the wonderful, fresh, salty smell of the ocean.” She paused taking a breath.
“Following the stream in the dark... That was brilliant Godet,” Gordon told her with admiration.
“Aunt Hexy said they looked for me for a day and a half. I came out on the beach—that’s where Flori found me. After that, me sisters and I made a point to learn all the tunnels and all the back passages leading to them in the castle, and mark the tunnels that we could use.” She pointed to a mark on the wall. “Watch for these lines scratched into the rock wall. A straight line up means the passage is good. A sideways line means dinnae go that way. Also, be aware of yer feet, sand means ye are nearing the beach. The tunnel floor will turn to dirt and stones as ye are nearing the castle and the cliff top. If we get separated and the torch goes out, walk in the stream and follow its flow.”
“That is why we are barefoot,” Gordon said quietly, “smart lass. But we will not get separated.” Gordon stared hard at her. He couldn’t imagine if they did get separated and he had to find his way back out. She had been in the dark tunnels, in total darkness, trying to find her way out for a day and a half.
“Ye are the bravest lass I know,” he said quietly. “Ye finding yer way out is admirable and brave Godet,” he added softly.
“Ye buckle doon and dae what ye have to dae when faced with things ye may not like. Now...” She dropped the Scotts burr and huffed out a breath. “Let’s go.” Godet took the torch out of his hand. She didn’t give him a chance to say anything, but instead, she turned and headed down the tunnel without waiting to see if he was following.
Gordon quickly caught up and took the torch from her. He grabbed her hand, keeping her close. His bare feet were on cold, damp sand. The torch lit up the glistening, wet caves walls, making their passing shadows turn to strange and grotesquely eerie shapes along the uneven walls. Every now and then a cold drip would land on his head, his shoulders, or his face. It was cool and damp and murky everywhere: the sand floor, the walls, the ceiling. It smelled of sea, salt, dirt, and dying fish or other unknown sea creatures that had been washed in with the tide and got caught and died and were rotting in the darkness.
Every now and then a tiny crab would scuttle away from them on the floor, or the torchlight would catch an eerie translucent looking crab or bug crawling up the uneven rock walls. He could still hear the ocean, though the sound of the waves bouncing along all the rock surfaces teased anyone in the passageway into thinking the sea was close, very close. Making you feel that perhaps, just perhaps, you weren’t buried in the center of the dark earth with no way out. That you could take a turn and come out into the bright sunshine and warmth and fresh breezes of the beach.
As they walked along, Godet pointed to the little trickle of a stream along the floor that followed the wall back the way they had come. The sand here felt more like cold dirt and less smooth on Gordon’s feet. The passageway started twisting and turning this way and that. Gordon could feel that they were going upward. Godet led him on, not giving him time to study the scratch marks at each turn into a new tunnel or the marks on the wall next to tunnels they passed. He glanced briefly into those yawning pits of darkness and stopped at one with an upward scratch mark, but he pushed on when Godet pulled on his hand as she shook her head ‘no’ to him.
“That one leads to the castle too, but it isnae safe, ‘tis far too dangerous!” she said as she hurried along.
The sound of the waves became quieter until he realized with a start that it was gone altogether, as was the smell of the sea. Instead, it smelled of dank and musty earth. There was no fresh air here. Just old, stale, dead air.
Finally, the floor was naught but dry dirt and small stones and the passage had leveled out. He knew they must be under the castle itself. Just as Gordon was fearing that the torch would go out, they came to some wooden steps that led upward. Godet stopped and looked at him with a small smile.
“Ye need to put the torch out now,” Godet whispered. “This leads up into the castle. Can ye put the torch up there on that ledge above ye?”
Gordon looked up at the ledge she was pointing to then snuffed the torch out in the dirt under their feet. With one hand, he felt for the ledge in the utter pitch-black darkness and with the other, he placed the torch where his hand had been. With the total blackness encompassing them, his respect for Godet grew one hundredfold. How had she managed to find her way out of this total blackness?
Godet grabbed his hand and started up the steps. Slowly, stopping every few steps to listen, they climbed the steep steps. When they reached the top, she stopped. He did not see her and walked right up behind her, pressing hard against her and almost knocking her off the side of the steps. He grabbed her tightly around the waist, pulling her close to his chest to keep her from falling. When he was sure she was steady on her feet, Gordon lightened his hold but kept her pressed to him. He lowered his head down to the side of her face and kissed the corner of her mouth.
“Are ye alright, lassie? I almost knocked ye clear off the steps, I dinnae see ye stop,” he whispered against the side of her lips. She turned her face, just enough. Their lips were against each other’s. He felt her lips move against his, in a kiss or a whisper he did not know, but he tasted the breath she released, felt her breathe in his breath, and let his lips linger close against hers. She did not retreat.
“I am fine,” Godet whispered with trembling lips against his. Gordon could feel her turn into him and place one of her fingers on his lips. He grabbed it and held it. She was so close that he could smell the floral, fresh scent of her. He could faintly see the light crystal of her eyes from the light coming through a bit of a crack in the wall.
Gordon did not want to let her go into the castle. What they were doing was dangerous. He lightly nipped and then gently kissed the tip of her finger. “Stay here,” he whispered as quietly as he could.
Godet shook her head adamantly at that. “Ye dinnae know yer way around Fionnaghall,” she whispered back to him. “Let me just go out and make sure no one is about. There is a back passageway behind another wall panel to the left of this panel. It leads up an old stairway to our rooms.”
“I’ll find it, stay put,” he told her as he turned to reach for the door.
Godet grabbed his arm. “’Tis almost impossible to find! And besides, ye willnae fit in the back-passage, Gordon! It’s
too small and narrow. I am sure Flori would have used it by now if it weren’t for leaving Loughlin behind. He’s too big too.”
“That makes no sense. Loughlin could find a way...” He paused, deep in thought. “Does Flori know the way out through the cave passages if she could get to this wall panel?” Gordon asked her.
“Och, ‘tis true! She doesnae! Only I know the way. Flori is terrified of the sea caves.”
“Just how small is this secret passage behind the wall?”
“Ye are too big, Gordon!”
“I’ll manage. It’s our best choice to get in and get them out.”
Godet stilled a moment, then he caught the nod of her head. He reached out and cupped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her to him and he kissed her hard. This kiss was a quick claiming, a branding, full, and deep as his tongue plunged into her open lips and mated with hers. Then he let go of her and nodded.
“Together,” he said taking her hand.
She nodded to him then turned and opened the wall panel, just a crack.
“I will go first, Godet!” Gordon said reaching for her.
It all happened within moments.
Godet was ripped from his grasp in one swift, forceful pull. Before he could charge through after her, a booted foot shoved against his chest with a mighty push and he sailed over the side of the steps, down, down, down into the darkness.
Gordon landed on the hard dirt floor and the last thing he felt was his head hitting the ground with what felt like a loud crack. He tried to get up, but he saw stars dancing before his eyes where he had managed to come up to his knees on the floor. He felt the pain and the darkness pulling on him and finally, the pain in his head and the numbing darkness in his mind took over. He fell, slowly, into complete, utter, darkness as he sank back to the floor.
A noise, some scuffling, and a muffled voice... Gordon tried to sit up. His head hurt like he had been kicked by Godet’s horse. He put his hand to his head and looked up toward the faint light at the top of the stairs. Godet! He had to go after her. He must!
But there was someone here with him, bending down to him. Someone large, very large.
“Laird? Is that ye?” came a hushed, out of breath voice.
Loughlin. “Yes,” Gordon groaned. “Where’s Godet, Loughlin?” Gordon came to his feet in an unsteady push off the floor.
“Couldnae stop ‘em,” he explained, catching his breath. “Lady Ceena and Lady Ina?”
“They aren’t here. Only Godet and I came. What happened? Where’s Godet?” Gordon demanded with fear in his voice. He grabbed Loughlin by the neck of his tunic and shook him. “Where’s Godet?”
“They have her,” he said tonelessly. “Mungan’s men have her and Flori.”
“No!” Gordon groaned and went to run back up the stairs. Loughlin grabbed him and pulled him back down.
“Ye cannae go after her.” He paused, his breath heaving in his chest. “We must be quiet. Where are the others? We need to talk about what I found out. We will need a plan, and more men,” he said emphatically.
17
“Tell me now. What happened?” Gordon demanded. “I am not moving from this place until I know. I willnae leave her here!”
“We cannae talk until we are well away from here. They heard ye and Lady Godet talking, behind the wall… They’ll know we are in this passage and that ye are still alive,” Loughlin told him in a hushed voice. “Godet told me ye had been pushed off the stair ledge.” He paused, peering into the darkness. He heard Gordon groan softly and turned to him, “I dinnae want to leave Flori either, but the two of us cannot take all the men in this castle, there are two clans of warriors here…”
“Two clans? Munroe’s and Ross’?” Gordon asked.
“No, Munroe’s and MacKenzie’s,” stated Loughlin curtly.
Gordon ran his hand through his hair, frowning fiercely.
“Tell me ye know how to get out of this place Laird?” Loughlin asked quietly with dread in his voice.
“Aye,” he whispered, lowering his voice. “One moment and I’ll have some light for us,” Gordon said quietly as he reached back up to the get the torch and striker.
Loughlin grunted when the torch lit up the small, dark tunnel they were in. “Cave?” Loughlin said with quiet dread. Then he looked up to the top of the stairs. “Ye fell from up there? Over the side?” he said with awe.
“Aye,” said Gordon. “Follow me, I think I can find the way back out. Hurry, mon! And tell me what ye know as soon as we are out of here.”
“Ye willnae like it. We must gather more men,” Loughlin said quietly.
Gordon paused, looking back at Loughlin. His face was harshly lit up by the torchlight, but Loughlin could see the anger there. Gordon made his way as quickly as possible through the dark cave. His mind playing back all of Godet’s instructions. Be aware of the changing ground from dirt to sand beneath your feet, follow the flow of the stream when in doubt, look for the scratch marks on the walls at any turn, listen and smell for the sea.
Gordon led Loughlin at a rapid pace through the twisting and turning dark tunnels. Stopping only to hold his torch close to the scratch marks on the walls when they came to a turn. He flashed his torchlight down at the stream, making sure it was flowing in the same direction they were headed. He passed many side tunnels but avoided them when he saw the horizontal warning mark on the wall, the stench coming from one of them suggested it was a dead end and something or someone had come to a grizzly end deep within.
It wasn’t long before they heard the sounds of the sea. It was louder than he remembered. Too loud. His footsteps slowed. Could the tide be coming in this quickly?
“Hurry, Loughlin, we must beat the tide. ‘Tis rising,” Gordon said, as he started to move faster down the tunnel. How long had he been knocked out for? he wondered.
They were jogging along on sand now. It was cold and damp under Gordon’s feet. The sound of the sea became a roar that bounced off the cave walls making them think it could be just around the corner. The sand became wetter and wetter. There were crabs scuttling along in the opposite direction they were going as if they were running from something.
Gordon came to a skidding halt in the sand when he felt a splash of cold water against his ankles. They had come to the small opening into the sea cave just off the beach. Waves were starting to lap over the edge and since the opening was part way up the wall, it meant the little beach cave was filling up with the rising tide as was the private cove beyond it.
Gordon turned to Loughlin with a grim expression. “The tide is against us. How strong can ye swim, Loughlin?”
Loughlin was just about to answer when a noise came from behind them in the tunnels. They looked at each other and turned to face whatever was coming their way.
“Those are footsteps,” Gordon said curtly. “Anything to dae with what ye need to tell me?”
“The Mackenzie Laird is aligning with the Munroes,” he answered, keeping his eyes on the dark tunnel before them.
“For what purpose?” Gordon asked. “Spit it out, mon, we’ve little time!”
“Mackenzie wants to control both coasts. With an alliance with Mungan Munroe, who has taken over the Ross’ land, he will have it. He will control the ports,” Loughlin spoke as rapidly as possible. He heard Gordon’s low growl when he stopped.
They listened as the footsteps moved closer.
“Anything else?” Gordon said urgently.
“I heard them saying that ‘twas the MacKenzie who devised the plan with Mungan Munroe to kill Laird Ross and his wife,” Loughlin spoke again in a rush as he watched the dark tunnel, listening intently for the footsteps.
Godets parents were killed by Mungan and Mackenzie? And Mackenzie wanted him to marry his daughter Brigda to get control of MacDonell whiskey. He would then have control of ports on both sides of the country to ship it freely. Gordon growled deep in his throat, braced himself, and leaned forward, his hands clenched into fists as he waited for
whoever it was that had followed them through the tunnels.
Two figures emerged out of the shadows coming toward them. They had no torch. They had come through the tunnels in the pitch blackness. Who could have managed that?
“Godet!” Gordon cried in a rush of breath and surprise.
“Gordon!” she shouted, rushing forward and into his arms. He grabbed her to him and held her tightly. He realized his arms were shaking as he held her. He felt the tremors running through her body as well as she clung to him.
Flori was right behind her. He heard Loughlin let out a small satisfied grunt.
“How?” was all Gordon could manage to say.
“They threw me in the room with Flori and Loughlin. I told Loughlin ye were probably hurt and he went mad,” Godet explained with shaking breath. “He knocked down the door like it was old rotting wood which it may be.” She paused, then rushed on. “Then he went after Mungan’s man. He grabbed the man by the throat that had taken me and pushed ye down the stairs!”
Flori stood there nodding her head at Godet’s words and wringing her hands. Loughlin said not a word, just stared at Flori.
“I grabbed Flori and ran. I took her into the back passage and down the old stairs. But we had to wait inside the wall before we could get to the cave passage as there were warriors running everywhere looking for Loughlin.” Gordon looked down into her strong face and her beautiful silver eyes.
“Didnae they know where the wall panel was leading to the cave passage?” he asked Loughlin. “They didnae follow yee?”
Loughlin grunted again. “’Twas only one man who happened to see Lady Godet come out of there and he is the one who took her and locked her in the room with Flori and me. I made him show me where it ‘twas that he found her. Then I took care of him,” he explained matter-of-factly.
“Oh dear,” whispered Flori.
“He hurt ye... and Lady Godet,” Loughlin said firmly.
“Still…” Flori replied softly.
“Are ye hurt?” Gordon asked harshly looking between the two sisters.
