Conall nodded in agreement. “I do. But Molly is...different. Fierce, maybe a little too independent for her own good. But there’s something about her.”
Fiona smirked. “Ah, I see. She’s caught yer eye.”
Conall scowled. “Oh, shut it. It’s naught like that.”
Fiona laughed. “Whatever ye say, Conall. But be careful, aye? Ye dinna know anything about her. She could be trouble.”
Conall sighed. “I know. When did we start suspecting everyone, Fi?”
“The moment we started playing this game,” Fiona replied with a sad smile. “It’s the price we pay for the life we lead, for the oaths we made. Trust is a luxury we canna often afford.”
Conall nodded, his expression serious. “Have ye heard from any of the others? Kai, Magnus, Oskar?”
Fiona shook her head. “No, I havenae. No word from any of my Order of the Osprey contacts. But there’s been a lot more activity of late on the shipping lanes and people coming in who I’ve never met before. I’ve had to increase security.”
Conall’s jaw tightened. Fiona’s words confirmed what he already suspected. “We were attacked by raiders on the way here. They flew no flags, and I dinna think they were privateers.”
Fiona frowned. “Then why attack ye?”
“I think it was because I saw them and they didnae wish to be seen. They had powerful weapons, ones not seen in Scotland before. Cannons and what looked like arquebus long guns like those rumored to have been developed in the east that fire shot. Molly and I were lucky to escape with our lives.” He looked at Fiona. “Have ye been offered any weapons like that or seen anyone come through Lanwick selling them?”
Fiona tossed her braid over a shoulder. “No, I havenae,” she said firmly. “I would have alerted the Order if I had. I dinna like the sound of this.”
“Me neither. If these new weapons havenae made it here, then it means they’re not yet on the black market. And that means they are being used by specific people for a specific purpose, not just yer general mercenary or raider.”
Fiona’s eyes narrowed. “Our mutual enemy, do ye think?”
“Aye, I think.”
“Then ye need to send word to Dun Saith, alert the Order.”
“And tell them what? I know naught for sure. I was sent up here to track him down but all I’ve found are whispers. The bastard is as elusive as smoke. But I know he’s up here somewhere, Fi.” He thumped his chest. “I know it in here. He’s toying with us, taunting us, thinking we’ll never catch him. But we will.Iwill.”
Fiona watched him, her expression troubled. She chewed her lip, as though deciding on something. Then she crossed to a shelf and took down a rolled parchment.
“Here,” she said, and thrust it out to him. He stared at it a moment, before taking it gently from her hands.
“What’s this?”
Fiona shrugged. “I’m not sure to be honest. Perhaps naught. I wasnae sure whether to give it to ye but after what ye’ve just told me, ye need to know.”
Conall looked down at the parchment in his hands, running a finger along its edge before examining the seal. It was broken of course, as Fiona had no doubt already read it, but he could still make out the image imprinted in the wax.
A falcon holding a torch in its claws.
His heart quickened as he unrolled the parchment and read the words carefully. It was an order for long guns, shot and cannon.
No, he thought.This canna be.
But if the falcon seal wasn’t enough to convince him, the handwriting was. He would recognize both anywhere. His hand trembled as he scrunched up the parchment and looked at Fiona.
“Where did ye get this?”
“From a merchant who refused to pay his taxes. We confiscated his goods and found that on his person.” She watched Conall steadily, pity and compassion shining in her eyes. Conall hated it. He didn’t deserve either.
“I think we might have figured out who is supplying our enemy with weapons,” she said softly.
“Aye,” Conall whispered. He stared at the broken seal, at the falcon emblem. Would he never be free of it? “I think we have.”
