79. Chapter 79 - Magnus

Irode away from the castle in darkness. M' guard ought tae hae accompanied me, but I ordered them tae stay behind. Twas purely selfish on my part: I wanted tae use m'lantern as I rode through the woods, the King's Park. Twas a huge tract of land set aside for huntin' and m'pleasure in general.

There was a dim light from the moon and stars castin' a soft glow on the surroundin' landscape. The night air was cool on m'cheeks. I raised the plaid higher around m'shoulders tae cut the breeze.

Ahead of me were silhouettes of ancient trees signaling m'park — how auld must those trees be that they were ancient in the thirteenth century? Their branches reachin' up toward the sky were like long fingers lifted in prayer.

In the quiet darkness I heard the rhythmic sound of m'horse's hooves, and the gentle rustling of leaves as the wind blew through the upper canopy.

At the edge of the woods I switched on a lamp, a curse and a blessin' how it lit the way, yet blinded me tae all else.

I watched ahead of us at the pool of light, the forest dark around us, and allowed the horse, a long inhabitant of the castle, tae guide me tae the clearing.

We emerged out of the forest in an open field and I switched off my lamp and dismounted the horse.

I gathered some fallen sticks, and a fire log I had brought from the castle, and crouched tae build a fire beside a low boulder. I raised the flames and sat and warmed my hands in the heat.

I looked out over the dark land. From ground level this was a view I dinna take verra often at night. I was usually up on the walls. I breathed in the scent of smoke and burning wood, and beyond it, the earthy scent of the woods and field. I listened tae the creaking and clacking of the branches as the wind blew low in the field and rose at the woods, and behind me was an owl, hooting, soundin' irritated that I had built a fire where he was tryin' tae hunt.

I felt warm, inside and out, at home. Twas a good land, it would provide well for as long as we needed tae be here.

The flame burned down as the sky began tae lighten, and then the wind rose. Above us were banking clouds. I grabbed the reins of m'horse and pulled him intae the woods, safe from the winds, and tied him tae a tree. I drew as near as I could before the whipping winds kept me from goin' any closer.

And when the wind rose even higher, I ducked behind a tree and clamped my eyes shut and huddled against its rage.

And then twas done.

I rushed out of the woods tae see m'family in heaps on a drenched ground. Three horses. Haggis raised his head, his tail shifted back and forth in the mud, as he slowly woke up. I located Kaitlyn and the bairns and crouched beside her with my hand on her shoulder and as dawn broke I made out Chef Zach and his family, Hayley and Fraoch, and... Sean.

Och, how did that happen?

Isla blinked her eyes first. "Hi Da."

"Hi wee one, ye good?"

She nodded. Archie opened his eyes, looked up at me confused, he said, "Da?" And then he scrambled up and threw his arms around my neck and held on tightly, burying his face in my shoulder, almost pushing me off my feet.

I finally pulled his head up and with a hand on each side of his face and looked in his eyes, "Archibald, did yer dream go away?"

He nodded. "It changed, Da, to Long Live the King."

"Aye, twill be a long life, a good life. Ye got m'note in the book?"

He nodded. "It was amazing, you fixed it — Grandmother was furious you wrote all over the pages."

I said, "Here's the thing about me, Archibald, I always do what I say I will do, and I rarely follow Lady Mairead's instructions, especially if twill ruin m'fun. Let it be a lesson tae ye."

He laughed.

Jack raised his head.

I pulled him intae my arms. And then Kaitlyn began tae stir.

I whispered, "I am here, I hae the bairns, ye are safe."

She went quiet again.

Jack looked at her with his brow down.

I said, "Mammy sleepy."

I stood with Jack in the crook of my arm. Archie and Isla, Zoe and Ben were climbing on a boulder, unfazed by the jump.

Sean began tae stir.

I said, "Hey brother, why are ye lyin' in the mud like a mucag?"

He groaned and threw an arm over his eyes tae block the morning sun. "What kind of demonic enterprise is this?"

"Ye hae traveled upon m'ship, I am welcomin' ye at port — how was it?"

"Terrible." He sat up and looked around. "It looks like Scotland."

"Aye, tis. Why did ye come?"

"Ye sent the message tae me."

"The message...?"

"Aye, ‘Tha neart againn mar aon'. Twas meant for yer brother, Sean. As soon as I read it I knew ye needed m'service tae yer cause."

I nodded. "Aye, Brother, thank ye, I am glad ye understood it, and that ye came. It means a great deal tae me." I put out my hand tae help him tae his feet.

Fraoch lumbered up. "I told ye, Sean, dinna I tell ye?"

"Ye did, and somehow tis worse than ye said."

"But it inna endless scurvy-inducin' weeks upon the Atlantic Ocean, at least."

I said, "How are Lochinvar and the maiden? Where are Quentin and James?"

Fraoch helped Hayley up and counted off on his fingers. "James and Sophie are going tae stay at Balloch for a time, so the bairn is older before they travel. Quentin, Beaty, and Noah will come soon. In the meantime James and Quentin will be goin' tae Florida on supply runs. Og Lochie has tae convince the maiden tae travel. He says he will be here soon."

Hayley said, "He will need tae be persuasive. We are a million years in the past. I don't know if Ash is ready for this much fun."

Zach and Emma got up. He joked, "You called for me?"

I chuckled. "Ye ken it inna a proper home without Chef Zach."

He shook his head. "I'm going to guess that cooking now is going to be even more difficult since we're another four hundred years further in the past?"

"Aye, we daena hae a good fork tae eat with — did ye bring some?"

He said, "Yep, a few. Quentin's bringing more. Don't want to change time, but holy shit, gotta have forks to eat. We aren't barbarians."

Emma said, "He's also bringing more toilet paper and orange and lemon trees."

Fraoch said, "And m'good fishin' pole, with the blue tackle box."

I helped Kaitlyn up, and embraced her. Holding Jack between us, she said, against my shoulder, "Were you waiting for us?"

"Since the middle of the night."

"You were worried we wouldn't make it? That we would end up on some alternate timeline?"

I nodded my head against her cheek. "It crossed m'mind."

She smoothed my hair back from my head. "We made it."

"Aye, and all are well. Thank ye for coming so far back in time. I ken tis selfish, but if I hae tae hold this throne I daena want tae be alone."

"I don't want you to be alone back here, this is just another place, like all the places before. This will just be where we live now."

Her eyes drew across to the boulder where the kids were all marching in a circle, laughing.

I smiled at her. And she smiled up at me. "I really liked how you drew the dawn in the book, and here we are."

"Aye, mo reul-iuil, here we are, a new beginning."