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

15. Chapter 15 - Lochinvar

CHAPTER 15 - LOCHINVAR

LEFT BEHIND NEAR CROFT MORAIG STONE CIRCLE - OCTOBER 9, 1683

T he storm rose right beside us and Ash wasna holdin’ on.

Archibald yelled something, but Mario reared, pullin’ me away. I stumbled backwards. Ash screamed. The winds buffeted us, knocking me tae the ground. The reins of the horse ripped from my hand. I rolled up in the fetal position as the storm flattened me with wind and power.

From a distance I could hear a voice, “Lochie! Lochie!”

I peeled an arm off my head. “Ash? Ye okay, Ash?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

I shook my head tae try tae get the blood flow back, then I smacked my face tae try tae get conscious. “Och, that had been close tae death.”

I said, looking up at the sky, “Archibald was taken, och nae.”

“Where did he go?”

“I daena ken, dost ye hae Mario?”

She said, “Yes, he’s giving me a look.”

I pulled myself up to sit. Ash was behind one of the stones. Mario was in the trees a little beyond. And he was indeed giving a look.

I lumbered up, stumbled over, and put out my hand. I helped her up and pulled her further intae the woods and collapsed down, my back against a tree.

She tucked in under my arm.

“What do we do now?”

“Now we need tae wait for another rescue. I hae a gun, tis good that I hae a gun.”

“We have any money?”

“Nae, but I will take care of us… daena worry.” I glanced over at Mario, his saddle had bags hangin’ from the side. I groaned and stood and stumbled over and rifled through them. “Bread, dried meat. A ceramic jug with medieval...” I pulled the stopper from it and sniffed. “Cider.” I found a small sack and looked inside. “A few coins.”

I brought the bread and meat and cider tae the tree and sat back down beside Ash and we shared a meal.

“Thank you, Lochie. Wow, I really needed this.” She chewed for a moment, then swallowed and said, “It doesn’t really matter though, right? Someone is going to rescue us any minute now. Lady Mairead likes you, I think she likes me, she won’t let this happen.”

“Aye, ye are right.”

We sat there for a while, eating quietly, with Mario grazing as if we dinna just hae a frightening brush with death.

I was tryin’ tae get my heartbeat down and m’breath tae slow.

She asked, “What if no one comes? Has your family ever lost a war before?”

“Och nae, Ash, we are Campbells, we daena lose. We are never thoroughly beaten. Daena speak of it.”

“Everyone loses some?—”

I pressed my finger tae her lips.

“Nae, my Yggdrasil, the tree of life, Ash, I canna hear it, it canna happen, tis not… tis not in my nature tae… Did I ever tell ye the story of my first arena battle? I had barely met anyone in the family. I was an orphan had been livin’ a terrible life but then I was rescued from Dunscaith castle by Lady Mairead, brought tae the kingdom of Riaghalbane and there I found riches beyond my imaginings. Twas a glimpse of a life of luxury and splendor and twas all mine. And best of all, I was given a box of cookies and told tae wheesht and take a seat. There was a battle ragin’ and in the middle of the arena, my brother Magnus was gettin’ his arse handed tae him, and the women sitting in the royal box, his wife and mother, were desperately frightened. It dawned on me, if I dinna help, twas likely that I wouldna get those cookies anymore and once I had a taste of them, I couldna let that happen without a fight.”

Her eyes went wide and she looked up at me. “So what did you do?”

“I asked Lady Mairead, ‘Is it tae the death?’ But I kent the answer already and Magnus was the king, yet he was fightin’ two men, and he was goin’ tae die, so I wiped the crumbs off my hands and jumped ontae the rail and watched for a moment. I saw Magnus’s opponents’ weakness — then I ran down intae the arena with m’sword carried high.”

“That was brave.”

“Twas foolhardy. If I had died it would hae been because of those cookies and that is a verra dumb reason tae die, but since we killed his opponents, I survived, and Magnus was victorious, I am able tae say that I fought because I wanted Magnus tae win. I dinna tell myself that I would lose, or even that I might lose. I told m’self that I was goin’ tae win. I only thought that I could fight those guys, and win the delicious cookies. Ye hae tae be hopeful. Ye canna talk about losing.”

“Point taken, I’m sorry I said it. We are going to win this.”

“Aye, I will fight for reasons that are brave and reasons that are foolhardy, but I will fight tae protect my family. We are not goin’ tae lose. Not while I hae more than a last breath in me.”

“This doesn’t feel like fighting, we’ve spent a lot of time sitting and waiting to be rescued…”

“Tis time travel, sometimes it takes time.”

She was quiet, then she asked, “Who do you think stole Archie away right then, Asgall?”

“Aye it could be, he might hae wanted Archie, but... now that I hae had time tae think, this feels more like someone we ken, my money is on Lady Mairead.”

She pushed against my chest to straighten. “Why would Lady Mairead do that? Isn’t she on our side?”

“She is, but she might be coming up with diabolical plans.”

“Like what? You mean she… what? ”

“We daena ken, she might hae wanted us tae go somewhere else first, she might hae intervened.”

“But we’re still here.”

“Aye, in that case there will be a rescue party sent.”

“Okay, I’m going to hope that happens any minute now.” She craned looking around.

I watched her bonny face so full of worry and then put my head back against the tree. “We hae some food, cider, coins, and a gun. We just need tae wait.”

She sighed and put her head on my shoulder again.