Chapter 10 #2
“What say ye? Are ye ready to travel longer today before we find a spot to camp this afternoon?” Her horse whinnied in response, indicating its level of energy.
She took off riding a trail close to the river.
They stopped to camp before it got dark, and Elayne found a secure location to bed down by her horse for the night.
She made a cup of tea with her tin cup, using her flint to light a fire.
Dangling a line and hook in the river, she caught a couple of nice-sized trout for her dinner.
Elayne and her horse bedded down for the night, and the noises of the forest settled around her.
She had never been alone at night in a forest. Owls hooted in the trees above her, and she heard rustling branches nearby, causing her heart to stutter in trepidation.
Indignant at herself for her fears, Elayne redoubled her determination to save Cailean and the captured men.
She refused to let her fears undermine her efforts to free Cailean.
Failure wasn’t an option; she had to succeed.
Too much was at stake. Elayne couldn’t bear to think about what could happen to Cailean in the dungeons as a prisoner.
How would the men deal with being imprisoned, confined with no escape? The feeling of being smothered without the sun and sky overcame her. Although she had never seen one, she ken dungeons were dark and dank. I must free Cailean and his men.
Elayne arose at dawn as the sky held its first rosy blush that pierced the indigo sky.
She waited for her horse to eat her fill of grass and drink water from the burn before they were off again, following the river.
The oatcakes and apples she ate in the saddle saved time.
Elayne had never traveled so far from home.
She enjoyed the feeling of independence and freedom.
Her main fear was being discovered as a lass.
Aware of the dangers as she traveled, she remained alert but enjoyed the scenery as she rode and camped in late afternoon to rest. The next day, she followed a similar course.
Every night, Elayne reaffirmed she would set Cailean free.
Compelled by her feelings for him, Elayne claim-ed, I will be successful.
On what Elayne hoped was the last day of her trip to free Cailean, she thought about what she would say to the Cameron laird to negotiate his release and decided on the best course of action to achieve her goal.
On the crest of a hill, in the early afternoon, Tor Castle stood starkly against the sun in the distance.
As she approached through the forest, Elayne remained cautious, on the lookout for scouts or others hiding.
Still dressed as a lad, she approached the guard at the gate and demanded to speak to the laird.
A guard admitted her but directed another guard to accompany the lad to the laird—if the laird would even grant an audience.
The grooms took the lad’s horse to the stables, and guards escorted him to see the laird of the Cameron clan in his study.
The laird looked imposing and powerful seated behind his desk.
Elayne bowed to the laird as she stood before him and, by sheer force of will, did not allow her voice to tremble.
She stood tall and proud, and spoke in as low a voice as she could, creating the impression of a young lad whose voice had nae deepened, having not yet reached puberty.
“I come to negotiate for the release of yer prisoner and his guards. I speak of Cailean of the MacPherson clan and his men.”
“The laird of the MacPherson clan sends a mere lad to do his bidding. I have nae sent a ransom note yet. I’m surprised he kens they are my guests,” he said sarcastically.
“Aye, he kens, and I am here to secure his release. What is the ransom?” She remained direct and focused, and the laird admired the lad’s fortitude and courage in facing him.
The laird named a significant sum of money, and Elayne wondered if the clan could pay it. They may need to secure a loan from their allies to provide the sum.
Elayne sought to plant seeds of doubt and undermine Laird Cameron’s determination. “I do not have the funds to secure his release. Laird MacPherson may not have that sum either. It could take considerable time to gather it from other sources. I have a better deal for ye to consider.”
“What is this deal ye offer me?”
“Ye can avoid bloodshed by releasing Cailean and his guards now. Loss of life in battle is regrettable, but it also drains the coffers of yer clan. Fewer tenants can pay ye in taxes, and ye have fewer men to labor in the fields producing crops or livestock to sell at a profit to others. Why not start making money now by accepting my wager?”
The laird’s eyes showed his surprise at her bold words. “Aye, what ye say is true. What is yer wager?”
“I am a blacksmith, and I will trade my skills to work for ye for three months. I will work from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week for three months. I will expect meals in the great hall and a comfortable room in the servants’ quarters to sleep in.
I cannot do my best work without food or a comfortable night’s sleep.
I ken ye may not believe me, but I apprenticed for my father at an early age.
Ye may want proof of what I say and that my words are true.
I will show ye.” Elayne gave a small lantern to the laird for him to inspect.
While he examined the lantern, she pulled the dirk from her belt and placed it on top of his desk.
“I made that small lantern and I’ve also made larger ones.
I made the dirk as well. Ye can inspect the workmanship and feel its weight and balance.
Ye can appreciate the grip of the hilt.” Next, she placed a horseshoe and a couple of short nails for him to inspect.
“I ken as laird of yer clan, ye have many horses for yer warriors, and they need to be re-shoed. It takes more than an hour to make one horseshoe and much time to make as many shoes as possible. Also, farmers and others need shoes for their horses.”
“These items are finely made, but ye could have bought them and presented them as yer own.”
“That is true, but I created these. Ye can see my sword as testament to the truth I speak.”
“Take the lad’s sword.”
The guard standing beside Elayne took the sword at her back from its sheath.
Elayne’s highly polished sword reflected the flickering firelight from the hearth and candles in the room.
The laird stood and held it up, marveling over its craftsmanship.
His own blacksmith had never crafted as fine a sword.
He passed the weapon to the other men present for them to inspect.
“How could I, a young lad, afford such a magnificent sword if I dinna make it myself? But even now, if ye have reason to doubt me, I can go to yer forge and make a horseshoe under the eyes of yer blacksmith and ye can see for yerself.”
“Aye, before I accept yer wager, I would see the horseshoe ye make by watching ye work. If what ye say is true, I would accept yer wager, but for six months of work.”
“I would accept the agreement that at the end of the six months, I am free to leave yer clan without harm, and that our wager isna shared with the laird of the MacPherson clan or any of his clansmen.”
“Then let us see ye make the horseshoe first.” A guard escorted the lad to the forge with the laird, giving instructions to his blacksmith.
The blacksmith nodded. “Aye, my laird.” The He did not question his laird and did not ken why the laird would instruct a small lad to attempt a man’s work.
He placed a long piece of iron in the forge and gave pliers to the lad as well as leather gloves for him to wear.
When the tempered iron was hot enough, the lad retrieved the hot iron, placed it on the anvil, took his own hammer from his belt, and began forcefully beating and pounding the iron.
The lad plunged it into the bucket of water.
Then placed it back in the forge, heating it again.
When ready, he beat and hammered it into shape, much to their amazement.
Finally, the finished horseshoe cooled. The blacksmith looked at it and assessed the fine workmanship before handing it to the laird.
The blacksmith asked the lad, “What other items can ye make?”
“I have made short and long nails, axes, swords, dirks, hammers, weapons, arrowheads, lanterns, tools, and wagon wheels.”
“If he makes the other items like this horseshoe, he is nae apprentice but a full blacksmith. I would be happy for him to work here. As ye ken, my laird, there is more than enough work for two people.”
“Then that is what we will do. What is yer name, lad?”
“Edward,” Elayne replied quickly.
“Edward will bunk in with the servants in the castle and eat in the great hall. He has agreed to work from sunrise to sunset seven days a week for six months. Tell him in the morning what work ye want him to do.”
“I will see ye in the morning, Edward. Ye can start by making more horseshoes, as we are running low, and, after that, short nails for the horses needing new shoes.”
“Aye, I will make them for ye in the morning.”
The guard escorted Edward back to the laird’s study.
“My guard will escort ye to the housekeeper, who will assign ye a room with the castle servants. I will release Cailean and his guards tomorrow morning, and ye can watch them leave from the forge. I will keep my end of the bargain we struck, and ye will keep yers. Ye can have yer sword, dirk, and lantern back. Make ten large lanterns for me when you are done making horseshoes for the blacksmith.”