Domnall (Immortal Highlander, Clan Mag Raith Book 1): A Scottish Time Travel Romance
Page 19
“’Tisnae a present threat to us,” Mael said after giving it more thought. “I’d clear the garden first. Take stock of the maze after, and learn if ’tis safe or no’.”
Broden snatched up his food, mumbled something like an apology to Jenna, and stalked out.
Edane made a rude sound, caught Domnall’s eye, and then turned his attention to his trencher.
After they finished the meal, Domnall lingered to help Mael bank the hearth and take apart the trestle table, which when not in use they hung on wall hooks.
“I might have first asked you to serve as my seneschal,” he said.
“You never ask, for you’re never wrong.” Mael grinned at him. “’Tis facking annoying. Dinnae keep your lady waiting so you might smooth my feathers. You plucked them all long ago.”
“Still, Brother.” The chieftain inclined his head. “My thanks.”
Mael watched him stride off in the direction of the chamber he shared with Jenna. The thought of seeking his own empty bed didn’t appeal to him, so he took down a torch. There weren’t enough of them to stand regular sentry, but he could patrol once around the ruins. It might tire him out, and keep him from staring at the wall cracks for half the night.
Outside the great hall he navigated from memory the warren of dark, cluttered passages until he stepped over the rubble of the inner ward’s back wall. Beyond it lay the front of the wild garden. He and Domnall had cleared a narrow foot trail, down which a sudden, chilly wind now blew. It brought with it a booming sound, like echoed thunder from the ridges, as well as a strange, stuttering, metallic noise. Holding his torch aloft shed light on nothing new, so Mael started down the path.
#
The wind buffeted Rosealise Dashlock with the fervor of its intent on flaying her to the bone. Yet even as she whirled and tumbled through the air, she felt gladdened. The pale curls lashing her face could be brushed and pinned. Her limbs, now no longer limp and leaden, felt very strong indeed. As soon as she found some footing and a handhold, she would defeat this wretched gale, and then she would…
…and then she would…
There had to be something she would do. Rosealise simply couldn’t think of it for the buffeting and twirling.
The clouds below her parted, revealing a flaring flame, a silhouette of an enormous figure, and a huge web of shadows surrounding both. Instinctively she flipped away from the fire, falling squarely atop the figure beside it, which collapsed beneath her. The fire fell away, illuminating the face of a very large man. He stared at her, his topaz eyes wide, and then promptly swooned.
“Such an abominable denouement.” She pushed herself up from his very broad chest and felt his rough shirt graze her breasts—her bare breasts, she saw as she glanced down. “Hello? Sir? Good gracious, have I killed you?”
The large man said nothing, but she rose an inch as he took a breath.
“Thank heavens.” Rosealise struggled upright. In addition to straddling the large man in a most inappropriate manner, she hadn’t a stitch of clothing on her tall, pale body. She regarded the man’s primitive-looking tunic, which she still clutched with both hands. “Sir, forgive me, but…might I borrow this?”
• • • • •
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Glossary
Here are some brief definitions to help you navigate the medieval world of the Clan Mag Raith series.
aulden: medieval slang for archaic
bairn: child
bannock: a round, flat loaf of unleavened Scottish bread
bloodwort: alternate name for yarrow
borage: alternate name for starflower (Borago officinalis)
broch: an ancient round hollow-walled structure found only in Scotland
burraidh: Scots Gaelic for “bully”
cac: Scots gaelic for “shit”
conclave: druid ruling body
Cornovii: name by which two, or three, tribes were known in Roman Britain
cottar: an agricultural worker or tenant given lodgings in return for work
Cuingealach: Scots Gaelic for “the narrow pass”
deamhan (plural: deamhanan): Scots Gaelic for demon
doss: leaves, moss, and other detritus covering the ground
dru-wid: Proto Celtic word; an early form of “druid”
drystane: a construction of stacked stone or rock that is not mortared together
fash: feel upset or worried
grice: a breed of swine found in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and in Ireland
groat: a type of medieval silver coin worth approximately four pence
gu bràth: Scots Gaelic for forever, or until Judgment
hold your wheesht: Scottish slang term for maintaining silence and calm
hoor: medieval slang for whore, prostitute
jess: a short leather strap that is fastened around each leg of a hawk
kirk: Scottish slang for church
kithan: Medieval Scots term for a demon
luaidh: Scots Gaelic for “loved one” or “darling”
maister: medieval slang for master or leader
máthair: Scots Gaelic for “mother”
nag: slang for horse
naught-man: an unearthly creature that only looks like a man
nock: the slotted end of an arrow that holds it in place on the bowstring
panay: alternate name for self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
parti: the ideas or plans influencing an architect’s design
peridot: a green semi-precious mineral, a variety of olivine.
rooing: removing sheep’s loose fleece by hand-pulling
skeg: Scots Gaelic for “demon”
stand hunt: to watch for prey from a blind or place of concealment
stele: an upright pillar bearing inscriptions
stockman: a person who looks after livestock
tapachd: Scots Gaelic for “an ability of confident character not to be afraid or easily intimidated”
taverit: Scottish slang for worn out, exhausted
trigging: in stonework, using wedge pieces to secure a construct
woundwort: alternate name for wound healer (Anthyllis vulneraria )
Pronunciation Guide
A selection of the more challenging words in the Immortal Highlander, Clan Mag Raith series.
Aklen: ACK-lin
bannock: BAN-ick
Broden mag Raith: BRO-din MAG RAYTH
burraidh: BURR-ee
cac: kak
Carac: CARE-ick
Clamhan: CLEM-en
Cornovii: core-KNOW-vee-eye
Cuingealach: kwin-GILL-ock
Cul: CULL
Danar: dah-NAH
Darro: DAR-oh
deamhan: DEE-man
Domnall mag Raith: DOM-nall MAG RAYTH
Dun Chaill: DOON CHAYLE
Eara: EER-ah
Edane mag Raith: eh-DAYN MAG RAYTH
Fargas: FAR-gus
Fiana: FEYE-eh-nah
Fraser: FRAY-zir
Galan Aedth: gal-AHN EEDTH
groat: GROWT
gu bràth: GOO BRATH
Hal Maxwell: HOWL MACK-swell
Iolar: EYE-el-er
Jaeg: YEGG
Jenna Cameron: JEHN-nah CAM-er-ahn
Kiaran mag Raith: KEER-ahn MAG RAYTH
kithan: KEY-tin
luaidh: LOO-ee
Lyle Gordon: lie-EL GORE-din
Mael mag Raith: MAIL MAG RAYTH
marster: MAR-stir
máthair: muh-THERE
Meirneal: MEER-nee-el
Nectan: NECK-tin
parti: PAR-tee
Rodney Percell: RAHD-knee purr-SELL
Seabhag: SHAH-vock
Sileas: SIGH-lee-ess
skeg
: SKEHG
Sluath: SLEW-ahth
tapachd: TAH-peed
taverit: tah-VAIR-eet
Wachvale: WATCH-veil
wheesht: WEESHT
Dedication
For Mr. H.
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 Hazel Hunter
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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