by Jane Stain
Being family should make it easier for Vange to get the children to safety should anything happen to me and Dall and Peadar…
“Vange, will you please take my boys to the hotel right away? We’ll get someone else to take us there as soon as we can.”
Vange hugged Emily back, and then she stared at Emily’s phone.
“OK. Are you … leaving?”
Emily shook her head no even as she navigated to the Time Management app.
“No, they’ve disabled actual travel on this thing. I can’t leave anymore, but I know how to report Aiden to ‘druid central’ for threatening my children.”
“Good,” said Vange. “Come on, Peadar. Let’s go rescue our kin.”
The two of them hugged Emily again and ran off to follow Dall. It wouldn’t be difficult. Emily could hear the commotion from fifty yards and see the crowds rushing toward it. Not to mention all the dust they were raising.
Emily stepped into the empty kitchen tent.
After fiddling with the settings in the Time Management app, she finally brought up a reporting screen and tapped in what amounted to a long text message.
And waited what seemed like forever.
She got a message back.
She tapped in a series of replies.
“Yes, Aiden really threatened my children.”
“Yes, I demand justice.”
“Yes, he is being detained nearby.”
“Yes, there are witnesses.”
“In fact, I bet if you check, the whole thing is logged right here on my phone. Just listen for Aiden’s voice as you go backward from now. It hasn’t been very long since he uttered the threat.”
The druids replied in a businesslike manner.
“Stand by while we retrieve and review that log.”
Emily spent the longest fifteen minutes of her life waiting for them to do just that. She wanted to go check on Vange and Tomas and Tavish, but she didn’t dare leave the privacy of the tent, in case—
A visual whirlwind appeared in front of her.
And then Eamann was there in the cooking tent.
A woman who was a stranger to Emily stood there with him.
Eamann visually reeled for a moment, and then he set his jaw and looked stern.
Emily gawked.
“Vange says druids can’t time travel, yet here you are.”
Eamann opened his mouth to answer.
But at the mention of Vange’s name, the woman stranger grabbed Emily’s hand.
“So worried I am about our Evangeline. Pray tell me she is safe.”
Emily did her best to reassure the stranger, half looking at Eamann for his answer.
“Vange is safe. Who are you?”
“Aideen. Evangeline’s friend I hope I am.”
Eamann spoke briefly.
“Aye, we can travel through time, but we only do in dire circumstance, as it does shorten our lifetimes.” And then he grilled her on what had happened and why she had called him and what she planned to do next.
She explained she wasn’t going to do anything. She had done all she’d planned on doing by calling him.
And I’m starting to wonder if that was enough. Come on. Dall can only hold the man for so long.
Finally, Eamann seemed satisfied.
“Do take me to where he is being detained. Take me to Aiden.”
Emily ran up the road with the elder druids.
They were an unusual sight, but the few faire customers who lagged behind barely glanced at Eamann and Aideen after the show Dall and Aiden and the whole Scots guild had put on.
As soon as she could see the children’s dell, Emily started running to it, turning briefly aside to hail Bethany, point out her guests, and then shoo them over to her.
Dall and Peadar and Aiden were nowhere to be seen, but the clan were whooping and drumming and bagpiping such a clamor that Emily felt confident no one but the clan knew where they had gone.
I need to know Tomas and Tavish are safe with Vange.
Emily composed herself and slowed to a brisk walk before she got to the dell.
No need to run up in a panic.
The childcare worker, a nice woman named Jade, smiled in greeting.
“Hi Emily. Dall checked your boys out a few minutes ago and sent them home with your sister-in-law.”
“Oh, good. That’s … that’s so good. Thank you. I was just checking to make sure. Did you see where Dall went?”
Before the childcare worker could answer, Bethany and Aga came running up.
“Uh, hi Jade. Emily. Come quick.”
“Bye Jade. Thank you.”
Emily followed after the two, who ran right past where the clan were now dancing to bagpipes before a clapping and stomping crowd. The two women ran up over a hill, stopped to lift the burlap wall, and ran off into the woods shouting.
“Are you coming Emily?”
She shouted back.
“Yeah, I’m right behind you.”
At last they came to a clearing. Dall stood behind Aiden and held him by his elbows, while Peadar guarded the front of him. Eamann and Aideen had just stopped talking to them all and turned around, probably to see what the interruption was. Their faces relaxed when they saw Emily.
Eamann pointed back toward the clan.
“I thank you, lasses. Do go and rejoin your fellow actors. You shall see Dall and Emily at this evening’s festivities.”
Bethany and Aga nodded uncertainly, waving at Aiden.
“Bye Dall, everyone.”
“Bye.” they all said cheerfully.
Even Aiden said it that way.
Wow, the habit of keeping the secret goes deep. I might be pleading with Aga and Bethany to go get the police, in similar circumstances. But then again, I would never threaten a child…
Apparently satisfied that this was some secret ritual or another non-worrisome affair, the young women turned and trotted away.
Emily watched to make sure Aga and Bethany went under the burlap wall, and then she went to stand by her husband and listen to Eamann.
I hope Eamann doesn’t still wish I weren’t with Dall. We’re married now, so he’ll just have to accept me.
“Dall and Peadar have completely satisfied our questioning on the matter, Emily. Aideen and I will be taking Aiden in for justice. Lend us a hand and use your phone, if it please you.”
Emily sighed.
“I can’t travel with my phone anymore, Eamann.”
He reached for it.
She handed it over.
Eamann swiped the screen a few times, tapped in a password, and handed the phone back to her.
“Now you shall be able.” He looked over at Dall. “She will be back to get you. I ask that you all come and speak to me further after your festivities conclude this evening.”
They all nodded in affirmation.
But Dall’s brow wrinkled.
“For what reason do you wish to see us all later?”
Eamann looked back toward the faire.
“For to work out how you will take over the running of this traveling enterprise for us in this timeline, you ken?”
Emily hadn’t swirled in two years, but she went right to the correct place inside the Time Management app and set it for Kilchurn Castle in 1543. Eamann had to help her with the date, and he suggested a time, but she did the rest.
Eamann took out some rope and tied Aiden’s hands behind his back in much the same way as today’s police officers handcuff someone they have apprehended.
“Here, Emily lass, hold him by the arm so that he travels with us.”
Emily didn’t want to touch the creepy old druid, but it was far better than him touching her. She looked the other way while she grabbed his arm.
She gave Dall an air kiss, hit the button, and then the three of them were swirling.
~~Swirl~~
They arrived behind that same curtain in Eamann’s dungeon healer hole.
Emily hadn’t been to the Highlands
in two years. Dall had gone back to his time without her ever since children came into their lives.
When Eamann pulled back the curtain, her Kilchurn Castle arrival point looked much the same: a basement carved out of stone with a large wooden examination table in the center and several counters and cupboards filled with herbs, large iron saws and razors, leech jars, rolls of cloth for bandaging, and other medieval barber surgeon implements.
This was also a dungeon, complete with iron chains attached to the walls. Eamann chained Aiden to the far wall with his back to them.
Emily didn’t want to dwell on that. She looked longingly at the stairs.
Eamann smiled with the corner of his mouth.
“Go on, lass. Have a quick look up the stairs. I chose this day and time as there is much activity, what with the fair on inside the castle courtyard, aye? You will just be one more person in the clamor.”
Emily beamed a smile and held up her long plaid skirts as she rushed up the stairs into the large castle kitchen.
She hadn’t noticed before, but there was a lot of activity. She didn’t know any of the people she saw.
But then someone was hugging her.
Emily’s heart soared at the sight of her, and she addressed the woman in her now fluent Gaelic, thankful that she and Dall still used his language at home.
“Hello, Mairi.”
“Emily. How long are you staying?”
Emily hugged Mairi back.
What am I going to tell her?
As much of the truth as possible, of course, said her common sense.
OK, good idea, she told it.
“Nay, I am but passing through. Eamann has a man downstairs who has threatened my children. I came as a witness, but I must go back to them.”
Mairi tsked at that.
“Have you time for a wee walk and talk? It has been so long.”
You couldn’t keep me from walking out there to behold the Highlands again.
“Aye, a wee walk I do have the time for.”
Arm in arm, the two friends walked out into the courtyard.
Mairi moved as if to take Emily around the fair, which looked more like a farmer’s market than the renaissance fairs she helped run in modern times.
Emily instead tugged Mairi past the cistern and out through the gateway cut into the rock of the castle wall. The two friends talked and got caught up about how their children were doing.
But Emily was drinking in the view of Loch Awe all the while she walked and chatted.
All manner of wagons were parked outside, and the horses were grazing along with the castle’s cattle and sheep. They made a pretty foreground for the water of the loch, which surrounded the castle on three sides.
Today the sky was full of puffy clouds with rays of sunlight cutting down onto the loch in jagged patterns that made dazzling light shows on the waves blown by the cold wind from the snowy mountain peaks all around.
Mairi stopped once they had reached the shore of the loch and were alone. They knelt and scooped up water in their cups, which were fastened to their belts along with their pouches. Emily didn’t drink out of hers.
Mairi drank hers down and refilled it again, then gave Emily a sad smile.
“Aye, you are vexed I can see, about your children.”
Emily nodded.
“I am. I must leave now to return to them. Eamann has arranged transport for me, and—”
Mairi hugged Emily again.
“No need for stories, Emily. I do know thy mode of travel.”
Emily blinked at Mairi. “Does everyone know my mode of travel?”
“Ha heh. No. No, but Alistair does, and I do.”
Emily had a moment of panic for her friend.
“Mairi. Listen. In 1547, the Campbells are going to kick the MacGregors out of Kilchurn Castle—”
But the tough highlander woman put a hand over Emily’s mouth.
“Nay, do not tell me the future. Today has enough trouble of its own. I would learn to find the joy in life and not dwell on what I cannot change, you ken?”
Emily hugged her.
“Aye. Aye, I do ken. Take care of yourself and yours, Mairi. I hope to see you again soon, more often, and under happier conditions.”
“You take care too, Emily. I would that you fared well.”
Emily walked Mairi back to the kitchen, went back down the stairs, waved goodbye to Eamann, ignored Aiden, ducked behind the curtain, and used her bookmark of Vange’s photo to go check on her boys.
~~Swirl~~
Emily found Vange slumped between two cars in the parking lot of the faire. The boys were nowhere to be seen. Vange’s face was bruised, she was crying.
“Vange. What happened? Vange.”
Emily shook her friend to get her to stop wailing and answer her.
Vange sobbed out a response and then collapsed into crying so intense it was crippling.
“Siobhan surprised me, Emily. She took the boys. She’s got them in her trailer by now. I’m so sorry, Emily.”
Now I know why I had the urge to take that picture of Siobhan.
Emily pulled up that photograph, set it as a bookmark in the app, and put her phone in front of Vange’s face.
“Look, Vange. We can go right to her this instant. We’re going to get them back.”
Vange’s eyes filled with resolve and she was up on her feet in two seconds, wiping her tears away and no longer sobbing.
“She took me by surprise last time, but that won’t happen again. I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
Emily gave her friend a hug and a sharp nod.
“If she has other people with her, then I’ll say the ‘do over’ phrase and we’ll go get Dall, Peadar, and more of the guild if we have to. But if she’s alone with the boys, then I want to take care of it right here and now, before she has a chance to do them any harm.”
They spent a few minutes planning and preparing, and then Emily pressed the ‘Go’ button to take them wherever Siobhan was with Tomas and Tavish.
~~Swirl~~
Yep, they were in the living room of Siobhan’s trailer. The rays of the setting sun came in through the trees, making weird shadows all over. It wasn’t the same trailer they had stayed in back in the states. This one was all blue and green, but the layout was the same.
The druid had the boys tucked into makeshift beds on the couch. They were under her spell, because although it was early yet and they were fidgeting a bit, they were falling asleep.
Emily looked into Vange’s eyes to make sure her friend was ready.
Vange’s eyes showed a fierceness when she nodded back.
As soon as Siobhan’s hands were free of her sons, Emily ran and tackled the druid woman, pushing her across the room and onto the floor.
Siobhan was saying something.
Emily paid no attention. She didn’t care at all what the druid might be saying.
She did spare a second to glance over and see how Vange was doing as she passed by in the middle of her tackle.
Her friend met her eyes with panic.
Emily glanced down to her boys.
They were still fast asleep and showed no sign of waking up.
Vange was picking Tomas up and she nodded to indicate she would take him outside and come back for Tavish.
Emily had to trust that her oldest friend would accomplish her part of the plan, because Siobhan was fighting her for real this time. If Emily didn’t defend herself…
The druid landed on her side with Emily on top of her and was turning toward her, trying to get her arms beneath her so she could get up. At first, her face was concentrating on whatever she was saying or singing, but as soon as she realized her magic was having no effect, her face turned mean.
Cruel.
Crazed.
There was nothing left visible of Hailey at all, just a druid who had stolen Emily’s children and beaten up Emily’s friend.
That makes it easier to do whatever I need to do.
Em
ily got her foot in front of her and kicked the druid in the stomach as hard as she could.
Twice.
Three times.
Four times.
The druid finally quit struggling and doubled over.
Looking up to see Vange getting Tavish out of bed, Emily stood up and got her phone out of her pouch.
Siobhan lunged up from the floor at Emily.
Emily kicked her back down, sat on her enemy, found the setting, and pushed the ‘Go’ button.
~~Swirl~~
“I have another one for you, Eamann. Will you please help me get Vange’s bubble gum out of my ears?”
19 10 Years Later
Emily smiled proudly as she stood on main stage facing the local volunteer actors who had shown up for the first day of workshops. There were a record number of them this year, as there had been every year since she and Vange had started the website and forum—the same year that the four of them had taken over running the faire. She turned and smiled at Vange.
Her best friend and closest confidante grinned back at her and crossed her eyes. Even at 35, Vange was full of silliness, and Emily hoped she always would be.
Peadar turned toward them briefly to see if he was missing anything, but he just chuckled and shook his head when he saw it was only his wife’s normal kidding around.
Dall was finishing his excellent motivational speech.
Their old friends in the audience of volunteers heckled him whenever he paused, making everyone laugh.
“Aren’t you hot?”
“Did you make that yourself?”
“Are you the queen?”
But this was all pre-arranged.
Part of the reason the faire had grown so much was that the four of them made everything genuinely fun now, without relying on druid magic to subdue everyone and just make them think they were having fun.
And then they all four went backstage together—a special backstage only for them, where they could truly be ‘off’ for a few minutes every once in a while.
This faire site was in a hard-packed desert.
Their private area was a huge yard on the outside of the donut, away from the parking lot and walled off with burlap. Inside it, they had several nice trailers, an outdoor seating area under a canopy, and some play equipment for the kids.
