Chapter Twenty-Four
Magni
Magni stood in front of his cottage, watching his younger brother again, but this time he was frustrated. “Tenney, stop going over to the pile of horse poop. I told you to leave it alone.”
The boy was fascinated by this hunk of what appeared to be dirt, but Magni knew by the odor that it had been left behind by Simone’s horse when she arrived a short time ago. She was inside chatting with his mother and Lia at the moment, but he surely could use some help with the lad.
“Tenney, it smells. You cannot play with it.”
Tenney laughed and giggled but ran away from Magni as if it were just a game to him.
Finally, Magni thought of something. “I’ll fix you.
” So he chased after him, grabbing him like a sack of vegetables, then carried him over to the horse.
Magni climbed onto the mounting stone, then set him up on Simone’s stallion, who was busy munching on some grass.
Tenney landed on the saddle, and her horse lifted its head to look at Magni who patted him. “He just wants a wee ride. Simone will be back soon.”
The animal ignored him and went back to eating his snack.
Tenney, in the meantime, was having the time of his life. He sat on the saddle, grabbing the front of it to keep himself balanced, then bounced up and down as if he were really riding the beast across the beach. He laughed and giggled and carried on so much that it made Magni smile.
“I wish I could forget everything and have fun again, Tenney.” He sighed thinking of all the fears he still held onto, the ones his mother kept telling him he had to let go.
Fear of kidnapping, of smelly rooms and cellars, of mean men who hit you for no reason. Of old boats that could carry you to an unknown land and leave you all by yourself.
Of boats that could leave you on the shore of Mull, where you ran away with the hope you could find someone. And he had. His sister, who wasn’t truly his sister, but she loved him and protected him. Lia.
But then the cruel men could leave him somewhere else, where he didn’t know anyone. He wished Thane lived here with him because he would protect Magni when Lia was gone. And Connor Grant could live here too because he was the biggest man he had ever seen. And when he used his sword it scared Magni.
But so could Broc and Alaric. Their swords were bigger than Thane’s sword. And Lennox’s wife, Meg, could live with him too. She protected him once with an axe. And she hit the man right in the forehead, and he fell to the ground and never moved after that.
Mayhap he could get his grandfather to move here. Logan wasn’t really his grandfather, but he adopted him. Could he convince him to live here for one moon? And then Thane for the next moon. And then Lennox and Meg. And then Connor. And then Alasdair and John. They had that big blue sword.
And then there were the archers. Simone lived here already so he needed another one.
Would Eli come and stay for a moon with Alaric?
Or would Gwyneth come with Logan and protect him?
Or Dyna. Aye. Dyna could come with Tora and Sylvi and Sandor, and they would tell him if any bad people were coming for him.
They were all seers. Or Dyna was and Tora too.
And mayhap Sylvi. But Sandor could talk with dead people. Or was it only some dead people?
“Magni,” his mother called out. “Would you please carry my bag for me?”
Magni took Tenney down from the horse and carried him over to his mother. “Where would you like your bag, Mama?”
“In the boat, please.”
All set to do as she asked, something stopped him. He stared at the bag and then back at his mother. “Where are you going, Mama?”
“I’ve decided to go stay with Thane for a while. And your da will help me get there. Would you like to come with me?”
He took two steps backwards. His head shook before he could even shout his answer out. “Nay! I’m not leaving here, ever. And you can’t leave me ever again.”
Simone came out behind his mother and said, “Now, Magni. I heard that. You know Thane will protect you. Your mother is having a terrible time with her back, and I think if she spent some time on a good bed at night that she would heal. And she wouldn’t have so many chores at MacQuarie Castle.
Here she helps with all the bairns, and it is wearing on her. Why don’t you come along with us?”
“To MacQuarie land? Nay. Never. I’m staying here. Mama, you cannot go. Please.”
His mother came over and set a hand on his shoulder. “Magni, I’d like you to come with us. I’m not abandoning you. You belong with me, so please come along. Your sire will take me, but he’ll return.”
“But you can’t leave me.”
“Child, if I don’t heal my back, I won’t be able to walk much longer. Brenna gave me something to put on every day, but I have to figure out exactly what my problem is. Come with me.”
“Nay.” He stopped to think for a moment. He didn’t want his mother unable to walk. She needed to be fixed. Mayhap in a day or two she could return, and as long as his father was returning, it might be all right. “Will you come back when it’s better?”
“If you’d like me to, I will. But Da is coming with me. He’ll return for you if you insist on staying here.”
He wanted to cry but he was getting too big to cry. “I want you to come back as soon as you’re better.”
“All right. If it will please you, then I’ll do that.”
“And Papa.”
“Fine. I’ll have him return to you once I’m settled.”
“Lia will stay with me.” He looked around because he hadn’t seen her in a while. Where was she? “Lia?”
Lia came out of the house and strode right up to him. “Magni, I’m going with your mama. She needs our help.”
“Nay, you cannot go too, Lia. You’re my sister.”
“I know that, but I have something I must do on the isle. I promise to return.”
Magni felt his world fall apart. He glanced over his shoulder to see if someone was waiting for him. Or mayhap there was someone hiding in the trees waiting for everyone to leave. Or was there a boat approaching? One with ten men who would grab him and Tenney and steal them away?
Lia approached him and took his hands in hers. “Magni, I will not let anyone hurt you. I told you I’d protect you. But if you’re that uncomfortable here, then come with us. Thane and Tamsin would love to see you and so would Mora and Brian.”
The tears flooded his cheeks, and he couldn’t stop them, so he hugged Lia, hoping no one would see his tears. He wasn’t a baby, so he didn’t know why he was crying. “Please don’t go, Lia.”
Simone came out and took Magni by the hand.
“Say good-bye to your mama. Your father is going to take her there, and he will return. We all have to get her to Thane’s safely.
Then Artan and I will return. Your da will probably return in a day or two, once your mother is settled. Lia has other places she has to go.”
“But you promised, Lia.”
“I promised I would always protect you, Magni, and I will hold to that promise.”
“But you didn’t before. I was stolen away.”
“And you were saved each time.”
“But I don’t want that to happen ever again. I don’t like being stolen away.”
Simone waved his mother and father over to the boat. “Magni, come sit with me for a moment.”
“All right. Are you going to stay with me, Simone?”
“Nay, but I’ll be back soon. I will still live in our hut, but I’ll visit every day while Lia is gone. I promise.”
“But why is everyone leaving me? Don’t you still love me?”
Four voices cried in unison. “Of course we do!”
His tears turned to sobs, something he couldn’t stop. His nightmares were getting worse, and he hated it when he woke up in the middle of the night scared, but he would go lie in bed next to his mother and all would be fine.
Now he wouldn’t be able to do that.
“Magni, your mother’s back is hurting her verra badly.
Brenna came to check on her and said if she didn’t find a better place to sleep that she might not be able to walk in a few moons.
You wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?
Your mother wouldn’t be able to hug you from her bed if she had to stay flat all the time. ”
“Nay, I don’t want Mama,” he said with a hitch, “to be hurt so bad. But why can’t she get fixed here?”
“Because she needs a solid bed like Thane has. She’s going there for a while. And you don’t have to be alone. You may go with them right now. You and Tenney can climb in the boat.”
“But Tenney doesn’t want to go either.”
Simone arched a brow at him. “He doesn’t? Are you sure about that?”
Magni let out a huge sigh. “Nay, but I don’t want to leave, and I don’t wish for Tenney to go. I’m too afraid. God is here on Iona.”
Lia leaned over and kissed his cheek. “God is everywhere, child. I’ve told you that before, but I promise to return. You take care of Tenney. We have to go now.”
Simone gave him a big hug. “Artan and I will return before darkness descends. I promise.”
“Will you stay here with me?”
His father yelled, “I’ll be back on the morrow, son. Beatris, Geva, and Emma are all here too, Magni. Henry will be back soon.”
“Would you and Tenney like to sleep in our hut this eve?” Simone asked.
“All right.”
Simone waved and headed toward the boat.
Magni’s biggest fear had come true. He was all alone.