55. Chapter 55 - Magnus

We arrived at midmorning, waking up in a puddle of rain as a cart rolled by, driven by a farmer. He was movin' slowly and peering closely. I met his eyes and then remembered, we had time-jumped with a great deal of weapons and wealth.

I lumbered up as he continued on down the path, and then I splashed around diggin' through the horse packs making sure it was all still there. Lochinvar and Fraoch began tae stir.

I said, "Tis time tae be up, ye are rollin' in the mud."

"Ye sound like Sean."

I chuckled. "And ye look like Mookie."

Lochinvar said, "Mookie is usually cleaner than this." He climbed tae his feet and wrung out the bottom of his tunic. "Tis good we dinna need tae use the Trailblazer."

I said, "Aye, we were fortunate he blazed the path already, and now we ken more, he used the Trailblazer back tae 1296 and somehow he became king."

Lochinvar said, "Why are you going through our things?"

I said, "There are travelers on the path, a farmer takin' an interest, but our gear looks tae all be here. We might want tae get hidden afore word gets out that strangers are journeyin' through."

I buckled the side of a pack. "Tis mid-morning, we need tae look around and come up with our plan."

Fraoch said, "Och nae, I just woke up and ye are harrassin' me like an irritated squirrel."

I remembered comparin' Kaitlyn tae a squirrel, a verra long time ago, I had called it majestic. "I am more inclined tae think on m'self as a bear, we need tae rise out of hibernation — get tae yer feet. Let's go."

Fraoch rose tae his feet, wiped off and wrung out his cloak and tunic, and we mounted Dràgon, Thor, and Cookie tae ride closer.

We were on our stomachs on a ridge looking out over a valley and we each had binoculars tae our eyes, scanning the landscape.

There was a large walled compound, many buildings within a tall timber wall. I counted and said, "Sixteen buildings."

Fraoch said, "Great Hall beside the north wall, the guard barracks are near the gate." One chimney was emitting a large amount of smoke, the fire was large. We werna certain of the work within, except for a cart goin' through the gate with lumber piled on the back.

Fraoch said, "Dost ye think tis a brewery?"

I said, "Likely..."

Lochinvar said, "Aye, tis the brewery, I ken it. I count six guards on the east wall, two are dressed in modern gear."

I said, "Och nae, they are carryin' rifles."

Fraoch said, "Aye, rifles, they are time travelers."

I said, "I count ten guards on the west and north walls, I see three wearin' gear and carryin' guns. See anymore?"

Fraoch said, "Nae, but we ought tae assume there are. Dost ye see anymore weapons?"

I said, "Most of the guards hae bows and swords — why dost they need so many guards?"

Lochinvar said, "Because they are holdin' Ash inside and they ken I am comin'."

The wind switched and the smell of hops blew toward us. Lochinvar said, "Aye, told ye, tis the brewery, she's in there, somewhere, I am certain..." He swept the binoculars back and forth over the cluster of buildings. "Do we need tae ken what building?"

"Aye, if we go in at night, we will need tae ken exactly where she is. Just keep watchin'. Tis a fine day, she's likely tae come out."

I put my binoculars back tae my eyes. We watched for a long time, with nothing much happening.

Fraoch finally said, "Og Maggy, ye are worried on Archie?"

"Aye, he is tormented, but then so am I..."

"How so?"

I put down the binoculars and explained, "When I close m'eyes I see and hear, verra clear, a wide crowd yelling, ‘Long Live the King,' it haunts me... I daena ken how tae explain why, tis relentless, I canna turn it off. Tis one way that it bothers me, but more pressin', it is not a celebration but... how tae describe it...? Tis pointed... the voices are tellin' me, that ‘Long Live the King,' and I feel certain I am the king they mean, but tis medieval and as ye ken I was a king, crowned in 1290."

Fraoch said, "This is 1296, there is a new king."

I said, "Aye," I rolled ontae my back and looked up at the blue sky with the rolling clouds. "Tis like a rift in time has been torn open."

Lochinvar said, his eyes still focused on the compound through his binoculars, "I am new around here, how did you become a king back then?"

"A man named Sir Padraig used the Trailblazer tae forge a path verra far back. Ormr and Domnall, who ye remember?—"

"I helped kill them in the arena."

"Aye, they became kings through time. They were growing in power, I had tae fight them and in doing so I seized the throne and became the Scottish king in the thirteenth century. I lived there for... twas a year or more, I believe. Dost ye think, Fraoch?"

"I canna remember except I was soul weary from the battles tae win yer crown."

"Och, I remember being on the edge of a field, and the rain comin' down, Haggis was beside me. Meeting Haggis was the best part of becomin' king."

Fraoch said, "Aye. Tis true.""

"I had a tenuous grip on the throne though, time was shiftin', and James was screwin' it all up?—"

"How?"

Fraoch and I both said, "Loopin'."

I said, "This is around the time when we met ye, Lochinvar, we used the Bridge and I wasna listed as a king of Scotland anymore. History was settled as it ought tae be. The memories of my kingdom were all but gone. We wove a new pattern tae history."

Lochinvar said, "Until now."

I said, "Aye, now we are rememberin'. Our weaving has been torn."

Fraoch said, "Asgall has used the Trailblazer tae go back tae the year 1296. This is why the memories hae come back because ye were a king, it happened."

I narrowed my eyes. "But we over-wrote it. We made a new weaving, tis woven."

"Not anymore, Og Maggy, just because ye keep saying ‘we wove it' daena make it true. Time was changed, ye forgot what happened. Now ye remember again. If twas a weaving, the weave has been torn asunder by Asgall the Arsewipe."

"Och nae, so ye think it likely that the timeline has returned tae one where I was the King in 1290?"

"Aye, tis the best, simplest explanation, tis always the simplest explanation that is true."

Lochinvar asked, "But if that is true, then how did Arsewipe become king? If you were crowned king in 1290, how did he take the crown in 1296? Did he kill ye?"

I chewed my lip.

Fraoch said, "Tis highly unlikely as Og Maggy is sitting right here."

I said, "Archie is tormented by the chant ‘The king is dead, long live the king!' His chant is different than mine."

Fraoch said, "Of course he is tormented, he's just a young boy, he haena even grown auld enough and haena done anything embarrassing enough tae get his name — he's a nephew of Fraoch and still gets called Archie? Tis an embarrassment." Then he put down his binoculars as well. "But, all kiddin' aside, he looks verra frightened."

"Aye, he thinks he is a witness tae the death of a king, his father, and that he is bein' called tae lead a kingdom — och, tis dismayin', he is only a wee lad."

"And these both started at the same time?"

"Aye, it started near the same night. Like a time rift, exposin' us tae an echo."

"I bet twas when Arsewipe used the Trailblazer, he broke the world."

Lochinvar said, "But again, I wonder, how did Asgall become king if ye were king in 1290 and ye are still alive and he dinna kill ye?"

I said, "What dost ye mean?"

"Ye are thinking on it like tis a memory, or a rift, like a mistake in time, but perhaps tis a warning, or a message — a sign that ye ought tae be doin' something. If ye were king in 1290, how is he a king in 1296?"

"Tis a verra good question." I watched a hawk swirling in the bright blue medieval sky. "I was a king — what happened tae my throne?"

"Another man is wearin' yer crown, pretending tae be the king, ye hae been usurped."

I said, "Maybe the chant is telling me I still live, I am still king — och, I daena want tae be, seems an awful responsibility tae be a king in the thirteenth century, but..."

Fraoch said, "Ye bowed yer head and the crown was placed upon it. Ye accepted the responsibility, tis yers. What did ye do, Og Maggy, walk away from it? Lived yer charmed life, full of ease? Ye hae been livin' in exile and now another man is sitting upon yer throne? It daena seem like something our brother, Og Maggy, would allow tae happen. Does it, Lochinvar?"

"Nae, ye let a man take yer throne and now he has taken m'maiden? He is growin' in strength! Perhaps the fact that ye haena put Arsewipe in his place is frightening yer son. Perhaps Archie senses yer weakness?—"

I raised my head. "Careful, Lochinvar."

He shrugged. "I mean, he is fearful that he is alone and needs tae take the throne, ye canna deny he feels weak and ineffectual?—"

"As he ought, he is only eight."

"Aye, he should believe ye tae be stronger, tae be able tae protect him."

I growled. "Be verra careful."

Fraoch said, "Og Lochie has a point, if Asgall is a king, then ye are dead, that is what yer son is feeling. But ye are not dead, so are ye weak? Did ye allow yer throne tae be usurped? Ugh, I daena like the sound of it."

I watched the clouds and the birds ridin' the high winds, the chant in m'mind, Long Live the?—

Lochinvar said, "I see her!"

I flipped tae my stomach and pulled up the binoculars, directing them toward where he was looking. There was Ash, ye could tell because she was wearin' modern clothes, walking from one of the buildings. We watched her as she took a circuitous route through the courtyard.

He said, "Tis her, och, we found her. Lady Mairead was right about the date, but how long has she been here, should we come at another time?"

Fraoch said, "I daena ken, she looks unharmed."

Lochinvar said, "She's wearing modern clothes, she canna hae been here for long."

She paused at a few places, for a time, then she returned tae the building.

Lochinvar said, "Did ye see! When she went in, through the door, I saw a bed. That is the room where she is staying."

I said, "There is smoke from the chimney there, we can guess that is where she spends her time and sleeps."

Fraoch said, "Tis odd, she is not captive. She just walks freely."

"What can she do? She has nae where tae go." Lochinvar added, "We will go get her soon, right?"

I nodded and sat up.

Fraoch opened one of our packs and passed out some of our food. while I opened a weapons bag and divided the guns.

Fraoch said, "What is our plan?"

I said, "We are goin' tae toss the flash-bangs, create smoke, carry guns, shoot the arseholes, rush in, and rescue the maiden."

"Ye sound like Colonel Quentin."

"Aye, he's the one who designed the plan, he told me tae flash-bang-smoke-shoot. He calls me the boss but he's the one callin' the shots."

Lochinvar said, "We counted at least sixteen guards."

"We ought tae assume there are more."

"What about the drone, we could send it over tae see."

I mulled that over.

He said, "It would signal that we are comin', but tis verra quiet and if we distracted their attention in another direction we could send a drone in through the window tae tell Ash that we are comin'. She was a soldier, if she kens help is on the way she winna be as frightened, and she might be able tae help from the inside."

I said, "Alright, let's do that." I drew on the ground with a stick. "Fraoch will go around here and explode a smoke bomb, divertin' their attention here." I marked an x.

"I will fly the drone over the wall on this side and in through the window, here. If all goes well Lochinvar will be able tae speak tae her through the radio."

Fraoch wiped his hands of his sandwich and said, "Good plan, give me thirty minutes." He pulled on his bullet-proof vest, put on his helmet, grabbed a satchel with the flash-bangs and grenades in it, and mounted Thor tae go.