Chapter 5

5

R ory opened the door to find Torrin standing there.

"Ye are late," Rory scowled. "The rest of them are below." He wasn't about to start referring to the group as ‘us'.

"Aye, sorry, Isla was wagging my ear. She just will nae let it well enough alone."

"I'm sure she dinnae want ye tae get intae trouble, that's all."

Torrin waved a dismissive hand through the air. "Ye sound just like her now."

"Perhaps that's because we are reasonable," Rory said, but his words fell on deaf ears and he knew it.

Torrin was already marching towards the basement hatch, descending to the area below the forge. Once, this place had housed a very large and very illegal distillery, but those days were long behind Rory. Occasionally, he caught a whiff of whiskey, but put it down to his mind.

Torrin was greeted by nods and clasped fists by the other men in attendance. Rory hadn't realized there were going to be so many. The group was made up of prominent citizens of the clan. There was a merchant, a keep guard, seasoned warriors, and other guild members who all expressed concern for the future of the clan. Rory had been introduced to them all, but he had failed to remember their names.

"Now that Torrin is here, we can finally begin," one of the warriors said.

"Aye, I dinnae want tae be away for tae long," the keep guard said.

"First we hae a simple matter tae attend tae," Torrin said, turning to Rory. "Dae ye swear secrecy, Rory?"

"I'm hosting this meeting in my forge, is that nae enough?" he asked in surprise. The eyes of the men around him were flinty and cold. They stared at him expectantly.

"It's nae. We need yer oath. Promise that ye will nae share word of this meeting tae anyone, nae even the laird himself, should he demand it. We are putting ourselves at risk meeting like this, sae swear tae secrecy," Torrin said.

Rory noticed that one of the warriors was carrying a dagger. His hand went to it, his fingers stroking the hilt. Rory rolled his eyes. He didn't even want to do this. Torrin had practically forced him. He thought that providing the location for the meeting would have been enough to show that he could be trusted, given that it was him who would face the wrath of the laird if this meeting was ever discovered. Even so, he shook his head and sighed.

"Aye, I swear that I will nae breathe a word of this tae anyone, even if the laird himself hae a blade at my throat."

Torrin exhaled deeply after hearing Rory's words. The other men seemed to relax as well. Rory studied them closer, and after some effort managed to recall their names properly. The keep guard was Declan, a stoic man he had encountered a number of times when he made his deliveries to the keep. They had rarely exchanged words, but Declan had always struck him as dutiful, which suggested to Rory that this group had legitimate concerns. He couldn't imagine Declan conspiring against the laird unless matters were extremely serious. The seasoned warriors were Tarbuck and Rab. Rory had witnessed these men regaling people with stories of risk and valor. They might just be angling for a fight. The other man was Michael, a timid baker who seemed out of place. However, the fact that these men were from such different walks of life was cause for concern for Rory. If they could all be persuaded that something was amiss then perhaps something really was wrong, and if so, could he stop it? Should he?

"Why dinnae ye tell us what ye hae tae share from inside the keep?" Torrin said, looking towards Declan.

Declan took a step forward and gave a heavy sigh. He had long, lank hair that framed his face in straggling lines. He had one thumb shoved behind his belt, and placed his weight upon his right foot. "Things are getting worse. They were already bad when Cade, the laird's son, was wounded. Healers came day and night. Prayers were sung. Remedies were tried, but none of them worked. Cade passed away."

"That damned boar," Rab muttered, shaking his head.

"Aye, a wee hunting accident can change the fate of a clan," Declan's head dropped. He shook it softly. "Laird Boyd hae lost himself in grief. He lived for his son and now, well, it's like he hae become a ghost himself. I know that some people need a wee bit of time tae work through grief, but he is the laird. He should be leading this clan, especially when there are wolves at our door."

Rory opened his mouth, about to question this, for he did not believe it was the right phrasing to use. However, he refrained from speaking. If he was going to persuade them to abandon this course of action, then he needed them to like him.

"And the worst thing is that the coward Glennrock is in charge," Declan spat, clearly showing no affection for the man. "I cannae understand how the laird can be sae blind tae trust him. Sometimes I stand at the gates tae the keep and I think that the walls separate different worlds. They dinnae know the problems common folk face, and believe me, I side with all of ye. I grew up in this village. I used tae look up at the keep when I was a boy, thinking that one day I would make it behind those walls tae the world beyond. I used tae think it was some kind of paradise, but now that I hae seen it for myself…" he paused to run his hand through his hair, as though he could still not believe that the childhood dreams of a boy had been crushed by reality.

"Hae there been any talk of protecting the clan? Increasing our presence in the territory?" Tarbuck asked, his voice trembling with a hint of worry.

Declan's face turned pale. He looked sick as he gave a negative response. "He's a passive man. He stands there and lets the rocks fall all over him. All he cares about is the keep. As long as they are safe behind their stone walls, well, the rest of the village can burn. He's called back many of the guards and hae put a hold on delivering supplies. He's storing up in case there is a siege. He dinnae seem tae care about the folk down here," Declan let out an exasperated sigh as he spoke, ashamed of this craven act.

There were gasps and shocked expressions on the faces of those in attendance. Rory frowned, uneasily listening to the words. Unfortunately, this reaction did not surprise him. Glennrock was not a noble man, not like his daughter. Rory found himself wishing that Lucy had stayed here, for she might have been able to talk some sense into him, although it was unlikely considering that Glennrock had disowned her. If he found it that easy to force his daughter into becoming an outcast, was it really hard to believe that he would be willing to cast aside the entire village?

"And what about all the riders we hae seen coming intae our territory? Are people nae allowed tae defend themselves?" Rab asked.

Declan shook his head. "Glennrock is already in the process of spreading word forbidding violent action. There can be nae retaliation, and nae signs that we are preparing tae defend ourselves against an attack. We are supposed tae continue with life as normal."

"What is he playing at?" Torrin put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "I cannae believe he would be sae passive. The entire clan could be at stake, and all he wants tae dae is hide in the keep?" his voice rose with indignant anger.

Michael responded with a quiet voice. "He is looking out for himself. If an attack dinnae come, he is safe. If an attack daes come, then this village can burn, and the flames will nae penetrate the walls of the keep. We are mere sheep tae him, and he can afford for us tae be slaughtered."

"Nae that he would ever come out and say that, of course," Tarbuck rolled his eyes.

"What if we spoke tae him? Shared our concerns? If he knew the way the village felt, then he might be more willing tae help us," Rory piped up, although he immediately knew that he was in error by the derisive looks shot his way.

"Dae ye think there is any reasoning with a man like him? By the gods, his own daughter fled the keep because she dinnae want tae suffer his tyranny! He hae never cared for the people, he only wants power, and now he hae it all," Torrin said.

"And what about the laird? This is only happening because he hae shut himself away. Could we nae get someone tae stir him and make him remember who he is?" Rory asked.

Declan shook his head. "He is guarded day and night. Everything gaes through Glennrock. Trust me, if we sit by and dae naething, then we are the ones who are gaeing tae suffer. The people in that keep dinnae care about us. If we are gaeing tae defend ourselves, we hae tae dae it ourselves. We cannae rely on help from the keep. We may as well consider ourselves our own people from now on," Declan said gravely. A grim atmosphere settled over the men gathered in the basement of the forge. Rory was thinking about matters, trying to find a way out of this situation.

"Let's just be clear about what we're discussing here," Michael said, a furtive gaze dancing around the basement. "This is a rebellion."

Rab cursed and slashed his hand through the air. "It's nae a rebellion. We are fighting for our lives, nae against the laird. If he pulled his finger out of his arse then maybe we would nae hae tae gae tae these lengths."

"That may well be the case, but we must think about how our actions are gaeing tae be perceived. We are arming ourselves when the orders are tae remain peaceful. If we are attacked, Glennrock might blame us for provoking things. He may even punish us. We all know the man dinnae like us making our own decisions. He managed tae put a ban on drinking."

"He wants tae strip men of everything that makes them men. The next thing he's gaeing tae dae is stop us all from taking women tae bed," Tarbuck muttered.

Rory felt a rush of blood flow to his cheeks at this point. He had never lain with a woman before, even though a few village girls had fluttered their eyelashes at him. There had been a girl he had danced with when he was younger, just before Ian and Lucy left. It started with promise, but had quickly fallen into failure when he realized he didn't quite know what to do after they danced. Without Lucy there to give him guidance, he found himself lost.

"Aye, well, if he daes try such a thing then there will surely be a riot," Torrin replied, and there was a hearty laugh from the other men.

Rory wasn't sure why this happened, but an image of Elvira appeared in his mind. He clamped his eyes shut, trying to dispel the thought of her extraordinary beauty. There was no sense in thinking about her at all.

"Let's nae talk about riots," Rory said, stretching out his hands. "The fact is that we hae nae been attacked yet. If we start acting rashly we might make things worse."

"I would rather feel safe," Rab said.

"We need tae protect ourselves. If there was any other way…" Declan replied, wearing a despairing look. Torrin stroked his chin.

"It seems tae me that we should arm ourselves and prepare for the worst," he looked at Rory as he spoke, noticing Rory's wide eyes. "I think our young friend here hae a point. We dinnae need tae gae brandishing the swords and charging towards McKovac lands just yet, but we should be careful. That's why I think we are in the perfect place. Rory, would ye be able tae forge swords for us tae distribute throughout the village? Fine weapons could make the difference here."

Rory felt as though the rug had been pulled out from under his feet. The other men looked at him expectantly. He knew what they wanted him to say, but he wasn't sure he could.

"Torrin, everyone… it's worrying that Glennrock seems tae hae sae much power at the moment, but that will nae last. Laird Boyd will recover. Sharing weapons with each other may only make things worse. I dinnae want tae get people in trouble. What happens if Glennrock starts searching our homes, and he sees that we are all stashing weapons? There will nae be any village left because we'll all be sent away, or worse," he shuddered as he thought about being thrown into a dungeon. "McKovac hae nae attacked yet, and there is naething tae say that he will. I dinnae think we should gae looking for a fight. I'm sorry, but I cannae help ye."

He bowed his head, not wishing to bear the looks of disappointment that were cast his way.

"Ye are just as craven as Glennrock himself," Declan spat.

Rab shook his head. "Ye might hae learned a lot from Ian at the forge, but nae about being a man. He never would hae done this. He knew tae stand up for what's right."

"When people start dying, their blood is gaeing tae be on yer hands," Tarbuck said. Michael and Torrin remained silent, although this spoke volumes. The guests slowly filtered out of the basement, disappointed in how the meeting had ended. Rory felt a taut knot in the pit of his stomach, torn between his moral compass and his desire to avoid trouble. Holding a meeting was one thing, but supplying the clan with weapons was something else entirely. It just wasn't possible, and he hoped that these men were worrying over nothing. After all, it wasn't as though people were rushing towards the village, screaming for salvation.

Elvira skulked around the side of the building and found a small window, which she managed to pry open. She bent down and peered through the narrow opening, where she could see a group of men gathered in the basement of the forge. They weren't making any attempts to be quiet, as they likely did not expect that anyone was spying on them. She listened intently to the meeting, her heart flaring as she heard them speak about defending themselves against McKovac, while at the same time despair pooled in her stomach upon hearing that those in power did not take the threat seriously. Perhaps coming to this clan had not been safe at all. Sometimes she wondered if there ever was a safe place for the Romani people.

Her gaze persistently drifted towards Rory. He was younger than the others, but his body bristled with strength. She wondered if she had been mistaken about him. Perhaps he had turned her away not because he was a cruel man, but because he was protecting himself from prying eyes. If he hosted meetings like this, then he must have been suspicious about being found. However, Elvira was soon disabused by this notion as she heard Rory speaking out against taking action. He even refused to make weapons! Elvira wore a disgusted look on her face and had to swallow her own indignation lest she bring attention to herself. Rory had a skill that could help the village, but he obstinately refused, and the only reason she could see was because he was a coward.

He didn't seem to understand the threat that McKovac presented. She wanted to scream at him, to shake sense into him, to let him know of the terror that spread throughout the land from McKovac's fist. He was just another ignorant man, though, unable to understand the plight of people who were not as fortunate as him. He had this large forge, a steady business, and a skilled hand. Life had been kind to him, and he did not wish to risk this for anything. Well, at least there were people in the village who understood what had to be done. If McKovac was sniffing around these lands, it was only a matter of time before he set his demons loose. Elvira knew that she could not simply sit around reading people's palms. She had to make a difference. Unlike Rory, she was not going to sit back and do nothing.

Eventually, the men left. Elvira pressed herself close to the wall, hiding in the shadows. The men were all too annoyed to peer into the shadows. She waited for them to pass before she moved. She cast one more glance down into the basement and saw Rory standing there, a man alone. She shook her head, almost feeling pity for him because he would never know the joy of doing something righteous. Well, he could keep his forge to himself. It wasn't as though McKovac was going to spare it from destruction when he came to this village. Everything was going to burn, unless Elvira found a way to help.