A while later I felt him shift in the saddle looking in all directions. He pulled Finny off the path into the woods. “I canna go any farther. I hae tae sleep.”
He dismounted, tied Finny to a tree, and helped me down. He swept his foot through some leaves, spreading them out, and then dropped to his butt. “I think I am already asleep.”
“Do I need to keep watch?”
“I need ye tae be aware. Watch the path. But sit here. I want yer lap for m’pillow.”
I sat down on the ground with my back against a tree. He slumped over, put his head on my thigh, fluffed my skirts a bit, put his hands to the side, and muttered, “M’gun is here in m’holster, wake me if anyone comes up the…”
“Yes, no worries.” I ran my fingers down the side of his cheek, pushing his red locks back from his face. He exhaled like a sigh, and fell fast asleep.
It was a strange experience to be sitting in the woods, in a past century, with my newly married husband, in long-ago Scotland... I had no idea where. I needed to orient myself, but for now I was just lost. I was entirely dependent on this man, my Lochinvar. It was scary if I thought about it too much, so instead I focused on what was here — his wide shoulder under my hand, the side of his face, his strong jaw, his ginger hair. Fully relaxed, he was asleep on my lap, entrusted to me. I was his and he was mine.
We were in this together.
A bird sang above me and I watched as the sunlight filtered down through the leaves, dappling my skin. I worked my sore shoulder around in a circle, slowly, a low circle, but still, it was so much better.
I felt better, stronger, and filled with love for him. I wanted to protect him, keep him safe. He had guarded me while I slept and kept me safe, rescued me from that maniac. His heart was protective and it made me want to take care of him. Funny how that worked.
I relaxed and daydreamed, a dream of Lochie and me on a comfortable couch, laughing. I was on one end, he was on the other, our feet in the middle. In my daydream I said, “Lochie, if you make me laugh I’m going to wake the baby.”
Then I thought,what baby?
And everything went dark and cool as I looked down, there was a baby there in my arms,whose baby is this…?
Lochie’s voice whispering, “My baby.”
I blinked and looked around.
The sun was shining. The only explanation for that moment of darkness was that a cloud had crossed the sun.
The explanation for the waking dream was that I had Lochie in my lap, and was feeling love for him, that was all it was.
I counted on my fingers how many days it was until my next period, unable to shake the weird feeling I had that I ought to be getting close.
He shifted and turned and looked up at me with a smile that spread. “Ye are a verra fine sight when I wake up.”
“Glad you think so, my love. But that wasn’t long at all, a half hour, tops.”
“Tis fine.” He raised up on one arm and put his hand on my face and steadied me and kissed my lips. “Enough sleep, we need tae get m’lady under a shelter before nightfall. But first, we ought tae try the vessel once more.”
We stood in a clearing, my arm on his, Finny standing behind me with his head over my shoulder, looking at Lochie as he tried to twist and turn it.
I asked, “Does it run on batteries?”
He shrugged. “Might as well be magic, I daena ken, but I hae never been told that I need tae charge it or put batteries intae it.”
“If it’s magic, do we need a fairy?”
“Could be, we can ask the Dragon at the next stop where the fairies are.”
I said, “I know you’re making this all up, but I do wonder if you might be telling the truth.”
CHAPTER 43 - MAGNUS
ROYAL TENT IN THE MIDDLE OF KIPPEN FIELD - JUNE 20, 1291
My men and I climbed down from our horses and stalked toward the tent. Haggis was covered in mud and spattered as he walked.
