67. Chapter 67 - Ash

Hayley said, "So how are you doing?"

"The pain meds are wearing off, the soreness is coming back. I was just kidnapped, held for days, that's going to need some therapy, and my surroundings look ancient... this is not normal."

"You're in the past."

"So this is real? I'm not losing my mind?"

"This is absolutely real, you are not losing your mind. I was jumped into the past once, stuck, it was terrifying, but that's how I met my husband so I guess it wasn't all bad."

"When did we invent time travel?"

"Someone else invented it, we've just stolen the tech, and now we're using it."

"Like... aliens?"

"I don't know, honestly, could be. We sit up discussing it all the time, some of us think yes, aliens, but the vessels don't take us off-planet."

"Yeah, that's weird."

"The fact that it stays on-planet makes me think it's a group of us from the future-future."

"Or humans that descended from aliens in the past-past, the same alien-human-hybrid who built the pyramids."

Hayley chuckled. "I can see you'll be a good addition to our discussions. Zach will enjoy having someone in his camp."

I said, "A question... when I was in the compound, Lochinvar sent a drone into the room, he asked if he should come now — what did he mean?"

She said, "I think he wasn't sure when you got there, you might have been there for months, he might have wanted to try to rescue you earlier."

I thought that through. "He could have done that?"

She nodded. "Yeah, time travel, but note I said, ‘try to', he would have had to leave you to do it, and a lot could go wrong. Time could shift. Things might change. There would be a chance he might lose you again."

"Ugh, then I'm glad I didn't understand the question — I'm glad he didn't try." I took a deep breath. "So I'm not going to wake up and this will all be over?"

"It's been years, no, there's no waking up — this is your reality now, unless of course you want to go back to your regular life and never see Lochie again."

"No, that's not what I want." I blew out air. "Jimminy Jehosophat, this is a mind mucker."

"Exactly. And I don't want to freak you out, but this is dangerous. Sometimes it's insane how dangerous it is — you have soldier skills? You'll need them."

"I don't know how to ride a horse."

"You'll learn. Katie didn't know how and she figured it out. She didn't have any soldier skills, she was kidnapped once, here in the past, it took Magnus a couple of days to find her, and somehow she survived."

"Damn, what did he do?"

She leveled her eyes. "He killed all of them in front of her."

I gulped. "Oh... and Lochie has killed people before?"

"Yes. It's safe to assume he's killed a lot. There's an arena in Magnus's kingdom where men fight to the death?—"

"In front of an audience? Did Lochie kill someone in front of an audience?"

"Yeah... but it's like war, you know? Kill or be killed."

"Yeah I know. So how many people are Magnus and his brothers at war with?"

Hayley pretended to count on her fingers then said, "We've had peace for a while, no enemies. It was blissful, but here we are, Asgall is new."

"I want to kick his ass."

"Then welcome to the family."

I took a deep breath, my shoulder was beginning to hurt. "How is everyone related to Lochie?"

"Fraoch, Magnus and Lochie have the same father. They're half-brothers. James, Quentin, and Zach are as good as brothers. They would all fight for each other. They all do. Fraoch and Lochie argue like crazy, but don't let it bother you, Fraoch really cares about what happens to him. When Lochie said he needed to go find you, Fraoch and Magnus just packed their bags to go. That's how they feel about each other, and you're part of that now too. I guess what I'm saying is, he's a good boy."

I chuckled.

There was a knock on the door, Lochie stepped in.

I asked Hayley, "Do you know where there're more pain killers? My shoulder is aching."

Hayley found the bottle on the side table and gave me two with some water in a mug. Lochie helped me sit up to drink it. Then she left us alone.

I said, "You relieved yourself? Where does that happen?"

"There is a garderobe down the hall or a chamberpot in the corner."

I joked, "Och nae, another pisspot."

He smiled.

"I also went tae see m'nephew. He is not well, I am concerned for him."

I put my good hand out and he held it, looking down on it. His thumb moving back and forth across my fingers.

"What do you mean by not well? He's sick?"

"Nae, tis more like he is anxious. He feels he has seen the future, where his father dies and he becomes a king. He is haunted by it."

"Poor kid."

"Aye, tae be a prince is a hard thing."

I looked up at him and he met my eyes.

Then he averted his eyes. "I hae been wonderin'..."

"Wondering what?"

"If ye meant it when ye took the thumb oath, if ye still mean it... ? I never meant tae beguile ye, Ash, or bring ye intae danger. When ye were taken I felt verra lost..."

I watched his face, his eyes cast down, handsome and yes, seeming lost, worried...

I said, "You have a heart as big as the world, Lochie. I am so grateful that you're in love with me, and yes, I meant the thumb oath." I put my thumb in my mouth and held it out, covered in slobber, because I was getting pretty loopy again.

He sucked on his thumb and then pressed it to mine. "From this day forward, I winna beguile ye."

I giggled, sleepily. "Good, because I would kick your hot, sexy butt. "

He laughed.

I said, "Will you come get in bed with me? I'm starting to feel loopy. You love me, you have to hold me while I sleep, part of the deal."

He pulled off his shoes and socks and said, "Sorry tis a frightful stench." He moved them away.

I said, my voice kind of slurring, "I'm a frightful stench... been wearing these clothes for years." I giggled.

He said, "Ye are a wee bit odiferous."

"My breath or my pits?"

He climbed onto the bed behind me. "Tis yer pits, they smell as if ye fought a battle in the thirteenth century."

I said, "Ugh, I guess we're moving right past looking beautiful for you, to you telling me I stink."

He jokingly pulled up his own arm and put it near my nose. "Ye are always goin' tae smell better than m'own stench. We must grow used tae it, there inna any smeary sticks of deodorant anywhere near here." Then he pressed his nose to my arm near my pit. "Yers smell of battle that has been fought and won and a bit of onion, so it calms me and makes me hungry. These are good things."

I laughed. "And you still love me."

"Aye. Even more." He spooned me with an arm draped around my side. "Does this hurt yer shoulder?"

"No," I wriggled closer, so his face was right behind my head, his deep breath near my ear.

He asked, "Did he hurt ye?"

I shook my head. "No, he didn't even touch me. He made me sign a contract, Lochie, claiming it made us ‘married' but I didn't even sign my last name. I don't think it would hold up in a court of law in any year or in any time."

"Aye, ye signed under duress. Also ye already pressed yer spit-covered thumb tae mine, he canna hae ye, ye pledged yerself tae me first."

I smiled. "It was so important. I didn't know it at the time, but I am very glad I pressed my spit-thumb to yours."

"Twas important, especially after holdin' my hand and servin' me yer pie."

He exhaled. "I am glad he dinna hurt ye. I am still goin' tae kill him, but this means I can revenge upon him more methodically, with more thought."

"Revenge is a dish best served cold."

"Aye, tis verra wise."

"I can't take credit for it, it's a quote from someone..."

We lay there for a few minutes and then he said, very close to my ear, "I am real."

"I know you are, Lochie, I'm sorry I said it. I didn't mean it."

I turned and he kissed me on the corner of my mouth. But then twisting hurt my shoulder. I went back to lying on my side and his arm went back around me, his hand right in front of my mouth. I kissed his thumb.

I said, "So this is what we are going to do, time travel together?"

He said, "Aye. Twill be a good life, Ash, although twill be dangerous, I winna lie?—"

"I don't mind a little danger, but if we can go anywhere, in any time, m'laird, we ought to make sure there are better mattresses."

He kissed me right behind my ear. "I will take ye everywhere in the world, tae every time. I will give ye a soft bed whenever I can, I will be a lord of time and ye will be m'lady."

I giggled, "The Lady Ash of Lochie's Soft Bed."

He said, his voice low and rumbling, "Aye."

And then I slowly fell asleep.