Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

T he sun set low on the horizon. Mary looked at it through the half open shutters on the window. Ivy had been right that the sun was not a friend to the goblin body which made her very depressed. Not being able to move around in the sunlight would make her unable to shorten the time that she would be able to deal with this situation. She didn't plan on walking around the castle during the day but had thought perhaps there was a private place that she could get fresh air and some sun, however that was now out the window since she found out that her skin didn't handle it very well.

"Mary? It's me, Ivy. I'm coming in," she said with a knock at the door followed by the key moving in the lock.

The door opened and Ivy stepped in with one of the men who had been with Hamish the day they'd found her. The guard set the tray of food on the table and walked out the door. Though he left the door open, he stepped into the hallway to give them privacy. Ivy had a bundle of material in her hands.

“I thought maybe you'd want to eat before we set off for Maggie's place. She doesn't live too far away, but it would be better for you to not be too hungry when we arrive. I think Maggie's appetite matches yours." Ivy giggled.

“I am a bit hungry. I hate this body, you know? Not just because I'm angry and hungry all the time but look at me!” Mary said sitting at the table and starting on a bit of fruit and bread. "I'm a hideous monster!"

"You are not. You're just…"

"A goblin. I know. This sucks." Mary ripped a piece of bread off the loaf and bit into it.

"I also brought this for you,” Ivy said putting a flask of whisky on the table. It will make the trip a lot more tolerable. We've got more for Maggie as well as some shortbread, which she adores.”

Mary grabbed it and immediately took a swig. “Good thinking. You're a good friend, Ivy. I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“I also brought this,” Ivy said shaking out the bundle of material. It was a plaid hooded cloak made of very thick wool with a ribbon around the neck and around the waist to keep it tied.

“That is very beautiful. Museum quality,” Mary said realizing the irony of present-day items being museum quality in her modern life where she worked at a museum.

"I bet once you're able to see everything here, you'll think that about nearly everything," Ivy replied with a grin.

"Probably. I still can't believe we've traveled back in time. Or that there are creatures like me running around."

“I know, it's very bizarre, but eventually you'll get used to it."

"Okay, I think I'm good now." Mary hopped from the chair and took the cloak from Ivy. She slipped it over her shoulders, pulled the hood up over her head and attempted to tie it, but her fingers wouldn't work properly. "Ugh!"

"Here, let me." Ivy leaned down and tied the ribbons to cover her. "There. Let's take the rest of this with us. It's a pretty short trip, but you might want to nibble on it during the ride."

"I'm not going to have to ride a horse, am I?" Mary asked. "I don't think I'm going to be able to get up in the saddle let alone manipulate the reins."

"No, and the horses probably wouldn't let you on them anyway. They'd see you as a predator, unfortunately."

"Oh, I didn't even think about that. So what are we going to do?"

"Hamish has a wagon for you to ride in. Don't worry, there won't be any iron, it's all wood, well except for the wheels, but you won't be near those."

"Okay." Mary dropped the bundle of food and the flask of whisky into the pocket of the cloak.

“Ready?”

“Yes. The sooner we get there the sooner I have answers to what is happening to me. Maybe she can turn me back. I am hoping,” Mary said.

Moments later, they were exiting the castle into the courtyard. Hamish smiled as she and Ivy made their way down the steps to him and the waiting cart. That smile of his did more to calm her insides than anything she'd tried on her own. Not only did it calm her, but it set off a legion of butterflies and made her heart race with excitement. She'd never been so attracted to a man before. She just wished she didn't look so disgusting so that he could maybe feel the same attraction to her.

Hamish was glad that the Laird had agreed to allow him to take Mary to see Maggie this evening. It was his night off from patrol, so that wasn't a problem. Convincing him it was necessary had been a bit of a task, but it was worth it to see the smile on her face as she greeted him.

"Good evening, ladies." He gave them a slight bow.

"Evening, Hamish, gentlemen," Ivy said for the two of them.

Hamish supposed she'd told Mary to keep her voice low, so they didn't draw too much attention. "Are you ready to go see Maggie?"

Mary nodded enthusiastically.

"Did you get the shortbread and whisky from Blair?"

"Yes, tucked into my saddlebag."

"Then we're ready. Do you need help up, Mary?" Ivy asked, turning to her.

Hamish watched her look at the handle of the wagon and then realized there was indeed a problem. The handle was iron. "Allow me," he said as he gently reached for her waist and lifted her into the wagon. She weighed hardly anything at all and he wondered if that was due to the fact she was currently a goblin or if she was always so tiny.

"Thank you," she whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

"My pleasure, lass." He regretted the fact that he wasn't the one driving the cart, Leith was, but he would ride next to its side and keep her company as they made the short trip to Maggie's cottage.

Ivy mounted her horse, and so did the rest of his men. They all would be going to Maggie's just to be sure the real goblin witch didn't attempt to ambush them. It struck him then that they wouldn't know it was her though, if she did appear.

"Mary, what did you look like when you were human?" he asked abruptly.

Mary looked across the wagon at him, startled.

"I want to be on the lookout for the witch who stole your body," he explained.

"Oh. Good idea! Well, I am tall, taller than Ivy I think, and slender. I have black hair that's pretty long, it came down to the middle of my back, and I have green eyes."

"You sound lovely."

"Thanks. I never really thought I was all that pretty, but I was more attractive than I am now," she said with a bit of sarcasm tinging her voice.

Hamish chuckled. "Well, I think the woman beneath the skin is very intriguing, so I'm sure once we get your body back it will match the lovely woman I have learned you are." Hamish really did think that she was a probably much more beautiful than she imagined she was. The woman he was getting to know was sassy and lively and he found her fascinating. He wanted to know more about her.

"Thank you. I think that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

"Are we ready to go?" Ivy said, joining them.

"Aye. Go ahead, Leith. I'll ride at the side, Sean take the lead."

The men all moved into position with Sean leading, Leith driving the cart, and three others riding behind them. Ivy rode on the cart's other side.

"Tell me about your life in New York," Hamish said once they were headed down the land bridge.

"I was rather boring I think. I didn't really do anything but work, but I loved my job."

"You said you worked in a museum? What did you mean?" He'd wondered what that meant since she'd mentioned it.

"Oh, well it's a building full of things from the past," then she laughed, "Though now that I'm living here I suppose you could say it's a building full of things from your time period as well as others that people from my time period can see to understand how you live your lives here."

"Sounds interesting. What kind of things?"

"Oh, well there are tools, and furniture, weapons, like your crossbow for instance. It would be considered antique and very valuable in my time. This cloak I'm wearing would be a treasure beyond measure. To find one in this kind of condition? It would be worth thousands of dollars in my time. Then there are the dinosaurs…"

"Dinosaurs?"

She nodded. "Huge creatures that roamed the Earth millions of years ago. Their bones have been dug up and reassembled so that we can see how truly magnificent they were. But the first one won't be discovered yet for probably another hundred years or so. I know it was in the last quarter of the seventeenth century. Still, what's even more amazing is you have one swimming out there in that lake!" Mary pointed toward Loch Ness.

"You mean Nessie?" Hamish asked.

"I don't… do you mean that nice creature is the Loch Ness Monster?" Mary gasped and looked at Ivy.

"Took you long enough to put it together." Ivy laughed.

"Oh my God, I didn't even consider that! How amazing! And she's real!"

"Very much so."

"I am actually not surprised she helped you. Our Nessie is a pretty bright girl. Brighter than me apparently, since I didn't know the difference when I first met you." Hamish sighed. How he had not noticed immediately that this woman wasn't actually a goblin was beyond him.

"It's not your fault. I think Nessie can tap into thoughts because it was as if she had read mine as she helped me to shore. She must have realized I wasn't what I looked like because of it."

"You could be right. Normally Nessie will eat any goblins she comes across," Ivy commented.

"What! Oh my God, I was almost Loch Ness Monster food!"

Ivy laughed. "But you weren't and you are one of the few who've actually gotten to interact with the beautiful girl in years. Nancy does on occasion, and Maggie of course, but the rest of us… well she's a bit angry with most of us because she got hurt by some cruel men."

"Oh, that's so sad."

"Maybe she's coming around. She's helped out on several occasions, even if she doesn't come visit us as often as she used to. Remember? She at that Kelpie not too long ago." Hamish was enjoying their conversation and didn't want it to end, but they were drawing closer to Maggie's cottage.

"Oh, right, she did. I'd forgotten about that."

"What is a Kelpie?" Mary asked.

"If you ever see a horse that has seaweed around its neck and hooves and acting as though it's stuck in the lake water, stay away from it. It's not a real horse. It's an Unseelie Fae creature bent on dragging you into the water to drowned you and eat you," Hamish explained.

"Noted. Stay away from horses near the lake water." She nodded.

"What else do you do in Brooklyn?" Hamish asked, making an effort to pronounce it the way she did. "Did you live with your parents? Do you have siblings?"

"No, I didn't. I shared an apartment with three roommates. Can't really call them friends, I mean I guess we were, sort of, but it was more that we lived together out of convenience and to keep the rent reasonable. And I don't have any siblings, but I have a cousin. Her name's Erin. She was still in college when I… came here."

"An apartment with three others? How big was it?" Ivy asked.

"Two bedroom, one bath, open kitchen and living room. So two to a room. New York is outrageously expensive, but I didn't want to move over to Jersey where my parents were. I liked being in the city. Not that I did much but go to work. Still the restaurants and shopping were nice."

"I wish I understood what you are talking about, lass." Hamish chuckled.

"Oh, right. Okay, so New York City is really big, like London. Brooklyn is more or less a large area in the huge city. My parents live in another town, in New Jersey, which I would imagine might be equivalent to the distance from London to Dover or thereabouts. I've never been and can't say the exact distance between those two places, but perhaps that gives you an idea?"

Hamish did understand what she meant and said so. "I have traveled most of the Continent. I've been abroad, and to London and Dover as well."

"You have? That must have taken you a good while to travel."

"A few years. Scotland is home though. No place like it that I can see."

"If you look up there, Mary, you can see Maggie's cottage."

Mary turned and followed where Ivy was pointing. It looked like a small witch's cottage from a fairy tale. "Is she a witch?"

"Many people think so, but she's actually half-Fae. And don't be surprised at her appearance."

"I could never judge anyone by their appearance. Especially now," Mary replied softly.

"Sean," Hamish called out. "You and the men keep guard while we visit with Maggie and see if we can't break the spell on Mary."

"Aye," each of the men called back.

Leith parked the cart as Hamish and Ivy tied their horses to the hitching post. A moment later Hamish returned to the back of the cart and helped Mary down, setting her on her feet. He held her steady until she was able to move on her own, but as she pulled out of his grasp, he suddenly wished she's stayed in his grasp longer.