The Empire and the Wolf King (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #21)

12. Chapter 12 - Archibald

CHAPTER 12 - ARCHIBALD

BALLOCH CASTLE - OCTOBER 9, 1683

I woke up with a groan. I had not time jumped in over a decade and hadna remembered it hurting so badly.

I muttered tae m’self, “We forgot the golden threads.” Then I wondered, Who is we?

Then I said, “M’self, tis me, I am the one on this god-forsaken journey tae rescue everyone in m’life.” I groaned, “Och nae.”

Had Ma gone without the gold threads all that time?

I owed her a hug if I ever got tae see her once more.

I sat up, blinkin’. “Och, tis bright, is it bright tae ye, Mario?”

I looked around blearily. “We need tae go tae Balloch, ye remember where tis? My best guess, that direction.” I chose northwest. I was almost certain.

I stood up, brushed off dirt and sand, and looked around. Twas familiar, I would go that way. I recognized this ? —

Horses were coming. I grabbed the vessel and Mario’s reins, and raced for the trees, breathing heavy.

I got deep enough inside the woods tae be certain they wouldna find me and quietly tied Mario tae a tree. Then I crept forward tae watch the clearing.

Three men entered and looked in all directions. I backed slowly away intae the deeper woods and crouched beside Mario, pressin’ my finger tae my lips, warnin’ him tae be quiet. When I felt twas safe, I pulled him quietly away, creepin’ even further into the dark forest.

Finally in the distance I heard the men leave the clearing.

I stroked Mario’s withers. “They came because of the storm. I ken ye were frightened, but tis okay.”

He shook his head and whinnied.

I said, “Aye. Dost ye remember what Uncle Lochie looked like?”

All I remembered was ginger and big, but then again I had been eight years old at the time. I was also big, now.

I led Mario and usin’ long ago memories tae direct m’path, traveled in the direction of the castle. I had been trained by Uncle Fraoch and Uncle Wallace how tae move through the woods with stealth when we were messengers during the Battles of Stirling Bridge and Falkirk. Ben and I had worked as a team, usin’ hand signals and eye movements tae communicate. Twas disconcertin’ tae be out on m’own, when Ben and I had always worked taegether.

I crouched behind a tree, then peered around it. Och aye, the castle is there.

I was relieved, that had been much more like a guess than I was comfortable with.

How would I find out if Lochinvar was in there?

With trembling hands, I retrieved the crumpled paper from my sporran and unfolded it. My eyes scanned over the words before flicking up to the towering castle ahead.

And then, I saw it — a flying machine, soaring through the sky, its propellers cutting through the air with a mechanical buzz.

My heart raced as I tried to remember what Quentin had called it. The memory of flying one on the beach seemed like a distant dream now, lost in the chaos that had ensued since then — a drone.

Naething good came from a drone flyin’ around an eighteenth century castle.

This meant I needed to proceed with caution, there were other time travelers here and something was — gunfire erupted from the flying machine. Och nae, this wasna goin’ tae be easy.

I pressed my back against the rough bark of the tree, hidden in shadow, hearing men shouting on the walls in the distance. The whirr of the drone made me look again. “Och, ye are a wee midgie, buzzin’ around, ye arna allowed tae be there, ye arna from this time. Ye ought not scare these people. I am goin’ tae teach ye a lesson.”

But I wouldna be able tae get through the gate, I couldna approach without bein’ seen.

“Mario, daena be scared, tis a drone. Tis a dead drone, it just daena ken yet. I am goin’ tae beat it tae death.” I looked around the tree again. “Now I canna see it, tis inside the walls... scarin’ the people. Ye got an idea, Mario, how I can get inside?”

Mario shook his head and dinna answer.

“There is a tunnel, it leads from the river through a door intae the castle. Da showed it tae me, and m’cousins told me twas haunted.” I peeked around the tree at the walls, then hid again. “If I make my way around tae the west side of the castle, I can use the tunnel tae sneak in. Ye ken, Mario? Ye are goin’ tae stay right here.”

I nodded. “All right, ye stay here, I am goin’ in tae kill that drone.” I jumped tae my feet and sprinted through the woods, towards the riverbank, and after a long jog made it tae the tunnel door. As I approached, a group of women and children emerged from it. They were frightened, and leavin’ the castle for safety.

I was doubled over, tryin’ tae catch m’breath. “Madame... och, Madame ...dost ye ken Lochinvar?”

She shook her head, grabbed the bairns around her and hurried away with the others, but she had forgotten tae lock the door.

I yanked it open, peering inside. Twas empty. I crouched low tae keep m’head from bangin’ against the low ceiling of the small tunnel and by the time I made it tae the other door m’thighs were screamin’ in protest.

I found myself in a storage room. Letting out a sigh of relief, I stood up straight and punched my thighs tae bring the blood flow back tae them.

Peering out, I saw the flying machine swooping past at the far end of the hallway. It was circling around a familiar staircase — one that I used to race down with Ben and my cousins when I was young.

I darted forward and hid in the shadow of an overhang as the flying machine swooped past again. A voice boomed from it, demandin’ that Lochinvar surrender himself.

Found him.

My heart pounded in my chest as I crept forward, my eyes fixed on the flying machine above.

Then it swooped towards me. I ducked intae the shadows in time, yet it hovered, its top swivelin’ as if it were searchin’ for me.

I tensed, verra slowly drawin’ m’sword, one... two.... three.... about tae spring. If Ben were here he might grab my sleeve and hold me back, but I had naething tae lose, nae one tae stop me.

And the machine was bein’ an arse, I would hae tae fight it.

With m’blood pumpin’ furiously, I jumped from the shadows, swingin’ m’sword, hard, knockin’ the drone against a wall.

The drone shook and almost recovered but I wailed on it, bringin’ my sword down again and again, raining blows until I had smashed it tae pieces.

I rushed toward the stairwell in the ground and peered in and whispered, “Lochinvar?”

A head came up, ginger hair, beard, lookin’ just as I remembered him. “Who is there?”

“Tis me, Archibald.”

“Archibald, who?”

“Ye ken, get out of the hole and come or I will leave ye behind.”

Uncle Lochie and a woman rushed up the steps and followed as I raced tae the safety of a shadowy alcove.

Once there, he asked, “Ye are Archie? How auld are ye? Who else came?”

“Nae one, just me, I hae killed the drone.” I looked tae the left and right. “And we daena hae time tae discuss, we hae tae get out.”

I raced tae the store rooms and crouched at the door tae the tunnel. “Ye gotta go in low, tis not easy. Were there more drones?”

“Nae, I only saw one.” He and the woman crouched down and rushed as fast as they could down the tunnel. I followed them, grunting from the effort.

At the tunnel door I peered out and gestured in the direction where Mario was waiting. Lochinvar nodded.

We raced from the tunnel intae the woods and ran along the river bank.

Lochinvar yelled, “Anyone followin’ us?—?”

“I daena think so!”

We dove intae the deeper darker woods, and found Mario and a place tae hide and collapsed ontae the ground tae rest.

Lochinvar asked the woman, “Ye all right, Ash?”

She nodded, pantin’ heavily. “And who is this?”

“Tis m’nephew, Archie, all grown up. Archibald, this is Ash.”

I said, grimacin’ from my puffing breaths, “Ye looked familiar, but I daena think I knew ye for long.” I tried tae calm my breathing. “We are hidden, I need tae rest afore we jump.”

“Aye, I agree.” Then Uncle Lochie asked, “But how are ye here? I left Stirlin’ and ye were a wee lad, what happened back there?”

“A great deal, Uncle Lochie, we hae been stuck in the past for ten long years. Uncle Sean was murdered by Asgall and King Edward attacked the castle, Ma and Da were kidnapped.”

Lochinvar’s face went white. “Och nae! Nae! I dinna take them the weapons! Tis my fault, I was supposed tae help bring the weapons and I dinna! Och nae. Dost they all blame me for it, twas my actions?”

I shook m’head. “Nae one blames ye, Uncle Lochie, at all. All of our vessels stopped working, we hae all been trapped. Tis not yer fault.”

He said, “Uncle Sean was murdered? Tis terrible!”

I said, “Aye, Da met the English king at Kippen Field, Asgall was there, conspirin’ with Edward, they murdered Uncle Sean during the negotiations.”

Ash said, “Lizbeth and Maggie will be devastated.”

Uncle Lochie said, “Aye, twill take a toll on the family, tis terrible news... where hae ye been living?”

“In Uncle Cailean’s castle, Innis Chonnel, in Loch Awe. Uncle Wallace has been takin’ care of us. Twas 1301 when I left?—”

“And in a decade nae one came tae rescue ye? Who else is there?”

“Uncle Fraoch and Aunt Hayley, Uncle Zach and Aunt Emma, Ben, Zoe, Jack, Isla, and me.”

Uncle Lochie said, “If nae one has come tae get ye, this is harrowin’, it has all gone tae shite. Ye hae been livin’ in the past without yer Ma and Da, where are they?”

I shook my head. “I daena ken, I haena seen them since... a verra long time ago when Asgall took them away.”

“Och, I am goin’ tae kill that guy.”

I said, “Ye will hae tae get in line.”

“Behind who, Archie — ye are goin’ tae kill him?”

“Aye, I am goin’ tae kill him. I hae been plannin’ it for long years. It involves flayin’ and his head upon a pike on my castle walls for all m’enemies tae see.” I howled “Arhoo!” and said, “Ben would hae howled along with me. They all call me the Wolf King.”

Uncle Lochie said, “Yer father will be verra proud — how did ye find us, the letter worked?”

I said, “Aye, twas found, Lady Mairead had a hidden vessel delivered tae me, I came as soon as I heard?—”

“And nae Quentin and James?”

“Nae, they are stuck as well.” I opened m’sporran and pulled out the papers. I unfolded them on m’knee. “They are at Balloch castle in the year 1710.”

Uncle Lochie said, “Tis where I left them.”

I said, “We are goin’ there next, we hope Uncle Quentin will hae the armaments we need tae fight Asgall.” I looked at him, “Ye think he has guns?”

“Aye, I had the diapers, he had the guns.”

“Good, the weapons will help.”

I pulled the vessel from m’sporran, but twas odd feeling, it nae longer felt like it worked. “Och nae, tis...” I banged it against m’palm. “Tis dead, och nae, tis not workin’ again.”

Uncle Lochie said, “Dost ye ken where more are buried?”

I nodded, “Maybe... I remember Da telling me about the guardian trees and all the chests buried around here full of weapons.”

Ash said, “Well that would have been useful information about ten hours ago.”

Uncle Lochie said, “Aye.”

I said, “I ken where there is one with a vessel, when I was verra young I dug it up, I remember doin’ it with m’hands. Twas a long time ago, but Da said he buried it… I daena remember when, but I think twas a different time.”

Uncle Lochie said, “I think if yer da buried vessels for emergencies, and ye needed it once, I bet he replaced it and buried them even farther back. He usually plans well and wants tae be prepared.”

“Aye, we ought tae try, tis under the guardian tree near the... the stone circle, ye ken?” I turned looking in all directions.

Uncle Lochie said, “I ken, tis tae the south-east.”

“We ought tae go, tis the only idea I hae.”