He ran his hand through his hair. “So now I am responsible for Quentin and Tyler and—”
“We are responsible. Plus he might be helpful. He was military. He could drive one of the machines, help us get them out of here.”
“Och, aye. I will accept your word on it. Do you think he can ride a horse?”
“I hope so because we aren’t all fitting on one.”
Chapter 25
I returned to speak to Tyler.
I explained to him we would get him back to Florida very quickly, but, and he agreed, we couldn’t do it yet because that shit hurt. And we needed to get out of the cold. I mentioned that we were here to pick up Quentin. I spoke fast and sure and managed to convince him that he didn't have any more questions.
Frankly it was like he was in shock.
Much like how I felt after every time jump.
Magnus assigned us jobs and Tyler went straight to being argumentative about the ‘how’ of packing up our gear but overall he was helpful. Magnus ignored him mostly and I had to be the go-between. We unpacked the saddlebags on the horses once they were subdued enough from the pain of time-jumping and kept everything that looked expensive or important. My guess is that the men had been from the past. Their clothes seemed like it, but then again they were well fed, good teeth, clean. I couldn’t place them in any part of history.
We packed our stuff onto the horses. Tyler did luckily know how to ride.
Magnus made Tyler follow, but said, “I will have my back on ye, but also, Kaitlyn is on my horse. I am trustin’ ye nae tae try anythin’ dangerous while she is close.”
Tyler scowled. “I won’t try anything.”
We, Magnus and me on one horse, a horse full of our supplies, and Tyler in the rear, headed in the direction of Balloch Castle.
It wasn’t far.
But near the end of the trail, Magnus slowed our horse.
“What’s happening?”
“Shhh. I am listenin’.”
I listened too, but it was all very very quiet. Nothing to actually listen to. Magnus looked left and right and around and behind us. He said, quietly, “Move from the trail.” He turned our horse toward the woods and Tyler expertly moved his horse from the trail as well.
We all went still in the midst of the trees. Listening. Waiting.
Finally Magnus gestured with his head away from the castle, and he silently moved our horses the opposite way we came. I held on with my arms around his back. Scared by his silence. Waiting for what would come next.
* * *
“What happened back there?”
Magnus said, “The castle has been captured.”
My voice went quiet. “How did you know?”
“Twas verra quiet. Without the sounds of the usual day.”
Tyler said, “That’s the way it sounds right before an ambush.”
Magnus said, “Och, aye.” We rode quietly for a moment. “We will go to the village, see if my family has gone there, find out what has happened. Twill be a cold ride. Can ye accomplish it, Tyler?”
“Yeah. I can do it.”
Magnus urged the horses and their pace quickened.
Chapter 26
I looked back at Tyler. “You warm enough?”
“Yeah, thanks for the wool socks that helped.”
We could see our breaths. Frost covered the trees. We passed below a ridge of snow-covered mountains, our horses picking a path that had frost-covered mud banks to both sides.
Tyler asked Magnus a few questions about the mountain ridge and the trees we were passing under. Magnus answered his questions curtly, his body tense, his back stiffening. I tucked my face to his tartan and squeezed.
I didn’t know 100% what he was so worried about with Tyler. He had never been jealous for one minute with James. He had restrained himself with Braden. He usually trusted me, completely. But his concern over Tyler interfering in our lives was new, unexpected, and it should have bothered me — jealous husband wasn’t something I wanted, but the truth was, he wasn’t wrong. Tyler had been overly familiar since I met him. And I didn’t want to tell Magnus this, but I was worried about Tyler’s motivations too.
Because in all this time since we arrived here, he hadn’t really asked any big questions as if this was normal. Or expected. So I was in complete agreement with Magnus — Tyler wasn’t to be trusted.
Our only disagreement was that I also thought we needed to trust him. We could use his help.
But Magnus had to be on guard and I needed to accept it.
Magnus had suspicions and I trusted him, that was the thing. His suspicions were mine, too.
I asked, “Where are we going, how far?”
“Not too far, there is a village, a tavern I am headed tae.”
“I can’t feel my toes. It’s so cold.”
* * *
Later we pulled our horses up in front of a two-story stone building in a village farther along the River Tay. Magnus dropped to the ground and held his arms up for me. I landed on the ground with a groan. My legs would not go straight. I was stiff and my hips ached. Plus my thighs. Magnus tied off the horses and led us inside. It was warm and dark, just a couple of small lanterns. A crackling fire at one end. Six tables and some chairs. So dark. I could barely see the shifting forms of people near what looked to be where the drinks were served. At one of the other tables a couple of men looked bleary-eyed and leering.
Magnus spoke with the man at the bar and came to me with a whisky. “I will be back in a moment, stay here, daena talk tae anyone. Tis ruffians about but I have tae get the horses tae the stable. The owner is watchin’ over ye.”
“Okay, sure.” I was happy to have a whisky that would go a long way to warming me up.
Magnus grunted at Tyler, “Come with me, we have tae see tae the horses.”
Tyler glanced at me, around at the room, then followed Magnus out the door.
I swigged from the whisky. It was smooth and warm and filled me with strength. We were good. Unfound. Now we were rescuing Quentin, it was all part of the plan.
Sitting and waiting in the 18th century was so bizarre. Like what I imagined a sensory deprivation tank to be like. My sight was barely working. Darkness closed in all around the edges, I had to squint and concentrate to make out the details. My hearing was muffled, except my internal body sounds: they were too loud. I put both hands on the whisky glass and concentrated on it. The table top. Waiting for when Magnus would return. Wondering briefly how I would manage without him.
Finally they did return and I was relieved again that I wouldn’t have to deal with being alone here. Because I had already dealt with that once before. To punctuate the precarious position I had been in, one of the men leaned in, his head wobbling, spittal flying from his lips, “What a bonny lass issshee — want tae sssshhhh — ye doin’ ashhsum—”
Magnus brought his whisky to the table. “Would ye speak tae your own wife with such a smooth tongue? Or are ye merely practicin’ with my wife? I canna say tis improvin’ ye, and I ken tis makin’ my wife quite damp from the spittle and your want of mastery on it.”
The man’s head wobbled quite comically. He muttered something then passed out with his head on his arms.
Magnus sat down with a laugh. “Tis a quiet night at the tavern. I suppose the weather has kept the regulars away tonight.”
Tyler blew on his fingers. “I can’t get the heat in them. This is like New York City.”
Suddenly the front door blew open and Uncle Baldie, Quentin, and Liam, Lizbeth’s husband, blew through with big voices and boisterous slams and thuds.
Magnus jumped up so fast he tipped his chair, not a hard feat, the legs barely matched and my chair was rocking on three long legs and a short.
Magnus hugged his uncle Baldie and his brother-in-law Liam, and then he and Quentin were hugging and beating each other’s backs. Magnus said, “You are half the man ye once were!”
Quentin laughed, “Peril and Starvation have knocked ab
out thirty pounds off me.” He turned left and right. “I’m on the Medieval Diet plan.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “It’s not medieval times, I keep telling you, plus...” I came around the table and threw my arms around him. “I don’t think you look that bad, what are you, forty-three now?”
“Ugh. I’m twenty-four. Or am I? You guys were gone so long I might be seventy-four. Why the hell is Tyler here?”
We hid our voices from Baldie and Liam. “Sorry about that. We took a month. Magnus’s ribs are much better, Zach and Emma got married—”
“He finally did it?”
“He did. We came back on this date to be here for Lizbeth’s birth. Sorry we left you for so long. There’s a lot more to tell you about — we were found and Tyler was there and we had to jump — he’s here accidentally.”
Quentin squinted his eyes in Tyler’s direction. “I don’t trust him.”
“Join the club, but he’s here and he’s going to help and—”
“Well, we can use it. This here is a shitstorm of epic proportions.”
We all pulled chairs up to the table and Magnus ordered a round of whisky. “Where’s Sean?”
Liam gruffly said, “He has taken the Earl’s side in it. There is a man there, Commander Davis, he says he is from Donnan’s kingdom. He is here tae arrest ye for crimes ye committed there. He’ll be wantin’ your wife too.”
Magnus leaned forward. “The Earl means tae turn me over?”
Baldie said, “The Earl wants the weapons, we could use them in the comin’ wars. Davis has promised more weapons if they will turn ye over. We have had a rift in the family over it.”
Magnus scowled. “And Sean is with the Earl on this?”
“Och aye, Sean is with the Earl. Lizbeth tried tae persuade him tae see the reason of it, but he sent us away, and is convinced the weapons will bring the Campbells to power. He winna listen tae reason.”
I asked, “Where is Lizbeth now?”
“We had tae steal her away tae the home of McClelland. His wife, Madame Greer, is carin’ for her as the bairn is near.”
Magnus and I looked at each other. Magnus said, “Kaitlyn would like to see her, she has brought medicines and trained with a—”
Liam’s brow drew down. “I canna let ye use your witchcraft, Magnus. There has been enough of the work of the devil here already.”
Magnus said, “Tis nae the work of the devil. I promise ye, as a brother, my wife can help bring Lizbeth through tae safety. My Kaitlyn is a god-fearin’ woman and...” He looked around searching for words. Then focused his speech directly to both Baldie and Liam, “I ken tis mighty devilish the weapons that have come, but they arna mine. They belonged tae Donnan and they have chased me here. I came askin’ for refuge. I dinna mean tae bring such destruction. I will fight with everythin’ I have tae bring our family back taegether.”
Liam looked skeptical.
Magnus continued, “You remember they were nae with me, they were against me. They were nae with Kaitlyn, they were used against her. We escaped with no more than our lives. I had tae depart tae be healed, but I am home now tae fight or if tis the only way tae remove the weapons I will turn myself over tae the Commander, what was his name?”
Baldie said, “Davis.”
“Aye. Are there more men?
“He makes the number six.”
Tyler said, “That’s not that many.”
Baldie said, “They have the weapons of a larger army, they daena need tae waste the souls on us.”
Magnus hung his head. “You have tae believe me, Liam, I am in earnest. I will lay down my life if I have tae, tae undo what has happened here. Please allow Kaitlyn tae see Lizbeth.”
Liam sat quietly for a long dreadful moment, then said. “Aye, Young Magnus, I will.”
Baldie said, “And though ye say ye are willin’ tae lay down yer life, I ask ye tae remain alive long enough tae rid us of these weapons. If they arna yours, I surely hope ye can remove them and turn Sean’s mind back to his former self.”
Quentin said, “I thought he was on our side too. I was in charge of the weapons. He helped me keep them locked up. We had a deal, use them if the castle was attacked. Then this Commander Davis strutted in and gave the Earl this whole bullshit story about you. Sean believed it. He all but forced Lizbeth from the castle.”
Magnus asked, “Maybe he was getting ye all out tae safety.”
Quentin shook his head. “He said some shit though, made it sound like he had gone to the dark side. He said you should have fought for your kingdom, and now he would ally with Samuel since you weren’t capable of ruling.”
Magnus scowled.
Liam said, “Lizbeth is devastated that Sean has left us, she dinna want tae leave his side. We had tae drag her away. I think ye may be the only member of the family he will listen tae about it.”
“I will talk tae him.” Magnus’s face was pensive. He took a deep breath and then patted Quentin on the shoulder. “How did it go with ye then?”
Quentin shrugged. “Twas life and death for a bit there but I have managed it—”
Magnus laughed. “You sound Scottish in your tongue, ye are truly a part of the family?”
Quentin grinned. “They dropped the Magnus from my name and now I’m just Black Mac. Still not sure how I feel about that.”
Baldie threw an arm around Quentin boisterously. “He is a Campbell now, he has shared the whisky, the brawls, and the foul winds of the—”
Quentin joked, “Campbell men.”
Baldie laughed, “I was goin’ tae say the Scottish winter, but that will do tae answer Young Magnus.”
I said, “So all we have to do is secure the weapons, retake the castle, kill the commander, and change Sean’s mind?”
The corner of Magnus’s mouth turned up in a smile. “That’s all we have tae do, mo reul-iuil.”
I swigged from my whisky glass and grimaced from it. Feeling quite tipsy I said, “Easy,” and snapped my fingers.
Through all of this Tyler drank. He slammed another long draught of whisky, banged the glass on the table and said, “I don’t know what kind of crazy-ass Jumanji-bullshit role-playing D&D thing this is, but whatever you just decided to do, I’m game. But how about another round first, I’m finally feeling warm.”
Chapter 27
I bundled up and hugged in under Magnus’s arm. We left Tyler and Quentin to sleep in the bunkhouse at the tavern and walked through the dark down a village path to the McClelland house where Lizbeth was bed-resting. We would stay there with her. Liam walked a bit ahead of us showing us the way. I was a bit tipsy. I had let down my guard because this had been an insane few days and it looked like insane days stretched into the future. And whisky had been put in front of me. Plus it was cold outside.
It was a frosty, cold night, our breaths puffed. I clung to Magnus for warmth but I was weaving a bit from the drink and when I bumped him I giggled. He said, “You arna walking well, Madame Campbell.”
I said, “Me thinks, hiccup, Madame Campbell has had too much of the whisky.” I stumbled against him again. “Ugh, why do I do this? What if Lizbeth goes into labor tonight?”
“Sleep on it. If somethin’ happens ye will be fresh enough.”
“God, you would say that. You can drink and it doesn’t affect you. Except that one time...” I wrapped my arm around him, our feet crunching on the frosty ground. “You like me a lot, don’t you, Master Campbell?”
“I adore ye, ye art the beat of my heart, mo ghradh.”
Liam pushed a door open and slipped into the house.
“I have to pee.” I wobbled to the edge of the path, hiked up all my skirts, pulled down my long warm pants exposing my bare bottom to the elements, and peed on the frosty ground. Magnus stood beside me and peed in a graceful arc into a ditch. “How come mine takes every thigh muscle I have and you can just do it like it’s the easiest thing in the world?”
“My parts are made tae be simple because I have one pu
rpose. Ye have been cursed with the weight of womanhood, mo reul-iuil. You have many purposes.”
I sighed dramatically. “What are my purposes?”
He adjusted his kilt. “Bairn and...” He stopped. “Taking care of everyone.” He straightened my tartan on my shoulders, kissed my nose, “We are here.” He led me into the house. I only tripped on the stoop a little bit, but it wasn’t really my fault, it was an uneven stoop.
* * *
Lizbeth was asleep and wasn’t in labor. So with quiet whispers Liam led us into a very small room, with a wooden bed and a straw mattress. I said, “This is going to be uncomfortable. I call tops.”
He said, “I canna sleep with ye tonight, I must join the guard at the door.”
“Oh. It’s like that?”
“Tis like that.”
“Aw man, I shouldn’t have drunk so much whisky.” I hiccuped to punctuate my distress.
“You deserved it after the days ye have had...”
“You too though, and now you don’t get to sleep?”
“You will sleep for both of us, I will take mine when I’m relieved.” I dropped my backpack off my back to the ground and scrounged through it. Here’s your walkie-talkie.”
Magnus chuckled. “Tis a funny name.”
“You remember how to use it?”
He nodded and clipped it to the belt across his chest.
“Okay,” I pulled my tartan around my shoulders and climbed into the bed. It was more uncomfortable than it looked, being not much wider than an ironing board. Magnus tucked my blankets in around me. “G’night, mo reul-iuil.”
I asked, “You aren’t going anywhere? Just outside?”
“Aye, just outside. And we will speak on the walkytalk.”
Entangled With You Page 11
