“These were his words. He made me repeat them over and over so I would get them right. He said you would understand,” Walsh said, and took a fortifying breath then continued. “Flora, as seekers of knowledge we look for explanations to everything. However, some things in life cannot be explained. They simply must be lived.”
A smile lit Flora’s face, hearing her da’s soft yet strong voice speaking those words and the image of his bushy brows almost touching as they drew tight in concentration made her feel as if he was there with her.
“Thank you, Walsh, for delivering my da’s words and I am most grateful to you for being his friend and keeping your word to him.”
“I have yet to do that. I will see you safe before I take my leave,” Walsh said, his eyes drifting past her shoulders. His interest caught elsewhere.
Flora followed his glance and was not surprised to see that his attention had been drawn to Anwen smiling and talking with friends.
“Maybe it is time you followed my da’s advice and simply live,” Flora said and turned away, leaving him staring after her.
If her parents’ death had not forced her to come to the Highlands to her uncle’s clan, she doubted she would have understood her da’s message. While he had spent endless time in talk and studies, it was not until he took on an adventurous side and truly began to live, began to fully experience things, did he begin to gain the knowledge he sought. The reason he had accepted the king’s post as a spy. It had challenged him, and he had learned from it.
What an adventure it must have been for him and her mum, and Flora was glad they had gotten to live it.
Flora smiled when she saw her husband approach, though worried when he did not return the smile.
Torin took her hand when he reached her. “The men have returned from their mission, and they have news of the bounty on your head. I thought you would want to be there when I speak with them.”
CHAPTER22
“That is a substantial sum,” Flora said, learning the amount of the bounty. “And yet you say you could learn nothing of the person who offers this bounty.” She continued talking, not waiting for a response. “Why would anyone go after such a bounty without any proof that it would be paid? What if this anonymous person started a rumor of an offered bounty when there is none? What if it is his way of seeing it done without it costing him one coin?”
“That would be foolish, my lady,” the one warrior hurried to say.
“John is right, my lady, no person would take such a chance,” the other warrior said. “Everyone knows you do not double-cross a mercenary. You would be hunted down, and your death would not be an easy one.”
Torin hurried to ask a question before his wife could. “Were you able to learn where the bounty was first offered, Owen?”
“The furthest we could trace it was near to the lowlands from what one man shared, my lord,” Owen said.
“Who would the mercenary contact when ready to collect the bounty?” Torin asked.
“No one would say,” my lord, and I believe they did not know,” John said. “I think it was because only the individual leaders of the mercenary troops were given the information.”
“How would one confirm my death to this person, for surely a person’s word alone would not be sufficient enough to collect the coin?” Flora asked, and both men looked to Torin.
“You do not want to know, Flora,” Torin cautioned, the idea of what would be done to her sending a furious rage racing through him.
“Of course, I want to know. I want to be prepared for whatever may— OH!” Flora said when it hit her. “My head would be removed and presented to the person.” Her eyes sprang wide. “That would mean I am recognizable to this person.” She shook her head. “But I have been to too many places to recall all who may have met me or have seen me in passing or with my parents.”
“One other important fact, my lord,” Owen rushed to say when Flora paused. “The bounty was only offered to the most powerful mercenary groups, and they have made it quite clear that any rogue mercenary who attempts otherwise will suffer the consequences.”
“A sign this person is quite serious and is in a hurry to see it done,” Flora said and quieted as she tilted her head in thought, though not for long. “Why then has it been quiet these last few days with no attempts made?”
Torin had the answer to that. “Walsh! Word spreads fast and no doubt it has been learned that Walsh has accessed the isle and with the death of the first man in the trees when he arrived, the other man he killed supposedly to help me, and with the three recent deaths, it is probably believed that he stopped them, intending the bounty for him and his men.”
“Walsh has had ample time to kill me, and yet he has not,” Flora said and thought of the message he had given her from her da that had to have been from him or did she want to believe it had been?
“You cannot spend coin if you do not survive the mission,” John said.
Owen agreed with a nod. “Walsh is wiser than most of the mercenaries. He would make sure to carry out the mission and make his escape.”
Flora’s silence alerted Torin that she was upset, and he quickly dismissed the two men. “Go get food and drink. You did well.”
Torin turned to his wife, lost in her thoughts, he reached out and took her hand in his. He was glad she spoke before he could, not sure how to quell her troublesome thoughts.
“I just spoke with Walsh. He gave me a message from my da. It was meant to be given to me if I learned of his extra activities and continued to question. My da told Walsh I would understand it, and I did. I will not deny I longed to have a word with my da again and share in things he or I have learned. I want to believe he did not let death stop him from reaching out to me and sharing knowledge he had learned and wished to share with me. I also want to believe that Walsh was a friend to my da and not a foe. But I also do not want to be a fool and trust blindly in a man I do not know.”