Chapter 2
Cailean's mind was reeling. He did not speak much as he and the others made their way through the hallways of Bruce Castle toward their war room.
Kier, Senan, Ewan, and Hamish rarely left the hall these days, constantly strategizing and debating and considering every option that was left to the rebels as they faced the impossible task that lay ahead of them.
Lady McKenzie had arrived once more a few days before with news of Neala, and it had launched a whole new range of issues to solve and potential dangers to avoid, as well as several discussions of their strategies for the next moves the rebellion could take.
What could Ferda have found that was so grave that she could not just tell them there and then?
He couldn't imagine, and it filled him with a kind of dreadful fear he wasn't used to.
And what about Neala? If Ferda hadn't found the White Sparrows' base, did that mean there was still a chance that his sister was there and alive?
Or… His blood ran cold at the thought. Could that be why Ferda was being so secretive?
Had she somehow discovered Neala, and she was… She had…
His head was still spinning as they entered the war room, and all four of the elders and Lady McKenzie looked up from what was clearly an intense discussion.
Lady McKenzie looked tired but still as regal as ever, obviously working hard to reclaim the life that her murderous brother-in-law had stolen from her until Cailean had managed to set her free.
The four councilmen were listening to her with the utmost respect, treating her as their equal, but they all fell entirely silent as they saw the others enter.
"Cailean. Maeve," Senan greeted in his usual unperturbed manner. "We werenae expectin' ye. Have we forgotten a meetin'? We were gonnae bring ye in and report later after yer trainin'."
"Eoin returned. And he's brought…" Cailean started, then shook his head and simply stepped aside.
"Ferda." Kier's gruff voice raised in unexpected surprise and pleasure, so different from the way that he usually spoke. He stood from his seat. "Me niece. Ye've returned. Are ye well?" He frowned. "Ye've been hurt. Are ye—"
"Uncle," Ferda interrupted. "Councilmen. Me Lady. Forgive the interruption, but… I come bearin' news. Important news."
Lady McKenzie tilted her head, eyes narrowed, as she considered. "Ye're a scout, aye?" she asked. "Come, then, lass. Tell us what ye've discovered. The ruminations of the old can pause for a moment while we listen tae ye."
Cailean nodded to the others, and they all went to their places—Cailean in the center, Maeve and Darren at his side.
Eoin and Breana found seats where advisors would usually go, and Ferda stood at the head of the table, commanding everyone's attention with her stance.
Cailean leaned forward, eager to hear what she had to say, but almost dreading it too.
"I was sent tae liaise with the Sparrows," Ferda announced.
"We ken that there are many with whom we are in contact and many more who are kept back from the main action of the rebellion, and with good reason.
With how things are changin', we kent we needed tae bring our groups closer together and gather any information we can as the fight ahead looms deadly and sure. "
It was so strange to think that, when Ferda had left, they hadn't known that Neala might be alive. Cailean had almost forgotten that—in his mind, it was all tied up together. The Sparrows. His sister. The future of the rebellion. He found it hard to separate it all in his mind and heart.
"I… I went lookin' for Ann. Ye all ken how…
anyway. I found her. But nae where she was meant tae be.
Actually, the fact I came across her at all was a pure accident.
She's…" Ferda closed her eyes, looking distressed.
"I found a small group of Sparrows near the old McNair Keep, Ann among them.
They asked me tae join their mission, and I did, believin' I would be able tae ask them me questions afterward. "
Cailean sat up straighter in his seat. The old McNair Keep?
His old home? Flashes of the old nightmare flooded through his mind, memories of fire and blood and ash.
"The whole area around the old keep was destroyed, and the castle with it.
Blackthorn Keep is miles away. What would Ann be doin' there? "
"She…" Ferda started. "The Sparrows, they had an important task. It was…"
"Is that when ye got hurt?" Darren cut in. "Who did it? How did they ken ye were there? Are the Sparrows alive?"
Cailean shot him a look, annoyed a little by the interruption, but he could hardly blame Darren for the pressing questions. It was clear that his friend was worried about his family, and it was also important to know if their closest allies had survived the attack.
"We were ambushed," Ferda explained. "There were four of us.
The False King's men attacked as if out of nowhere, overwhelmin' us.
One of the Sparrows, Dina, was killed almost immediately.
The rest of us fought back, but they were too strong.
The others were captured, and I–I barely escaped with me life.
I ran as fast as I could, and I found the refugee group some days later.
But the False King's men, they'd followed me.
They attacked me again, and that was when I was hurt.
I would have died, had Eoin and the scouts nae arrived right on time. "
The room fell silent, a moment of respect for the fallen Sparrow.
Cailean did not know and had never met nor even heard of Dina, but when he thought of her, he could only picture Neala.
So many young women and men lost to this awful war.
Had this Dina had a mother, a father, brothers or sisters?
Was she young or old? What had caused her to give her life over to the Sparrows, and ultimately fully sacrifice everything for the dream of a country that might never be fully restored?
No. It would be. Cailean would make sure of it, as would everyone else in this room. No sacrifice would be in vain—he simply wouldn't allow it. And knowing his fellow rebels, seeing the determination on Ferda's face as she spoke, he knew they wouldn't either.
"We're glad ye're alive, lass," Kier said after the moment had passed.
"Me more than anyone. I swore tae me brother I'd protect ye, and it's a relief tae see ye here.
But while I'm sorry yer friend was captured, and of course, we'll do all we can tae rescue her, I cannae see how this was worth the immediate interruption. It could have waited—"
"Ye said there were four of ye," Maeve said quietly.
The room fell silent, all eyes including Cailean's turning to her, then back to Ferda.
"Aye," Ferda said, sinking down into a chair, looking truly weary. "Dina, meself, Ann… and Morag."
Cailean inhaled a sharp breath. Surely, she didn't mean…
"Morag?" Senan asked, leaning forward, sounding much more serious now. "Ye mean…"
Ferda closed her eyes and nodded. "Aye. Morag. The White Sparrow leader. She's now in the hands of the False King and his men, and I dinnae even ken if she's alive."
Morag. The woman who had saved Cailean all those years ago, the woman who had cared for him until the rebels had taken him under their wing.
Morag, who had saved his life and given him the second chance to thrive again.
It had been more than twenty years now since he had seen her, two long decades filled with more events and love and heartbreak than Cailean could even begin to describe.
But when he thought of her, he still thought of those loving arms which had held him and brought him back to life.
He'd been heartbroken when they'd parted, though she'd explained to him even then that they had different paths and different duties that needed them. She'd promised they'd meet again one day, and he had not realized until this moment how desperately he had been holding on to that hope.
"We must rescue her. Both of them. I propose we prepare and head for Blackthorn Castle immediately," Cailean declared firmly, getting to his feet.
A tumult of chaos erupted at his words, a mangled ring of protests so numerous that he could scarcely make out the words.
"Dinnae be so foolish," Kier said in his usual blunt way. "We're in nae position tae tackle the False King's lair and all his army around him. We'd be killed in a moment, and all of our fightin' would have been for nothin'."
"Morag needs us. Ann needs us." Cailean protested. "What are we if we let our people anguish?"
"Ann is me friend," Eoin put in. "She's well-versed in the risks of her chosen vocation. She already risked her life once in this very castle when we worked tae protect and then free Maeve. She wouldnae want us riskin' ourselves for her, nae until we're prepared."
"But what of Morag? What are the Sparrows without their leader?" Cailean shot back. "We need tae find Morag. We need tae set her free. Without her, the whole operation could topple."
"And if ye're killed in a foolhardy attempt tae rescue her, the whole rebellion could be destroyed," Ewan pointed out firmly. "We are nae ready tae face the False King."
"Use yer head, nae yer heart. Be the leader we ken ye are," Hamish added.
"There are Sparrows stationed in Castle Blackthorn, too.
Nae many, but some. Enough that they'll be able tae look out for Morag, and Ann as well, until we can find out how we can save them," Ferda added, obviously attempting to assure him, though she still sounded worried herself.
"Racing in would be unwise, much as I wish tae as well. "
Cailean slowly sat back down, frustration and pain coursing through his blood. He wanted to act. He needed to do something. He was tired of hearing of those he loved being trapped and sitting here doing nothing about it.