76. Chapter 76 - Kaitlyn

It was mid afternoon, Jack was exhausted, sleeping in my arms. Zach and Emma and their kids were packed and ready. Sean was stoic, holding the reins of the horses. He had been quiet, just asking where he needed to be and then watching and following.

Fraoch, on the other hand, was running the enterprise like he was the CEO. He ordered where everything and everyone ought to go.

Lady Mairead had already left, headed to Riaghalbane.

She left Archie's book here, James was the keeper of it. If we needed anything we would leave a message inside.

Quentin and James accompanied us to the clearing. After they saw us off they were going to go to Fernandina to get supplies. Everyone had a plan, a place, something to do.

Mine was basic: get to Magnus.

I tried not to think of all the times the ‘get to Magnus' had happened under duress, completely frantic, fleeing something horrible. Or the time that I ended up on an alternate timeline and had been stuck there... that time had been Stirling Castle too.

I gulped. I had been trapped in that castle, completely alone, no chance of escape.

It had been terrifying.

But, I told myself, this was a different situation, a very different circumstance. Everything was going to be okay?—

Emma said, "You know what this is like? It's like we're with our family on the docks, getting ready to get on a ship, headed to the new world. Except it's a very very old world."

"It does seem like that. We're all in our best clothes, gathered with a very small amount of our worldly possessions, babes in arms, Sean looks seasick already."

We glanced at him, he looked very nervous.

Fraoch said, "How is everyone, ye ready tae go?"

I looked down on Archie and he looked up at me. I said, "Ready?"

"Yep." He scratched Haggis behind the ears. "Ready to go, boy?"

We all gathered in a circle and held on, arm to arm, and Fraoch twisted the vessel and the mighty storm began. Sean said, under his breath, "Och nae."

I said, "Hold on." And the vessel grabbed hold, hard.