Magnus said, “That is enough, Haggis.”
The dog sat down beside Magnus’s legs and growled in that direction.
I saw a brief glimpse of a movement, very far away. I didn’t see it as a group on horseback at all, just as a change in light, but Magnus and his guardsmen were all tense, watching. Magnus strode to the horses and retrieved his binoculars from a side bag.
I peered in that direction, but it seemed miles away. I saw nothing to my naked eye.
He trained the binoculars. There were hawks soaring above the place where we were focusing.
He said, “There are men there, at least six... not mine, the coat of arms is...” He quieted while he looked, then added, “English.”
He watched through the binoculars for a long time, then said, “I daena see anything anymore.”
I said, “I don’t mean to sound like an idiot, but maybe it’s just some English men out for a ride?”
He looked up at the hawks winging through the sky, then squeezed my hand. “Nae, I ken ye are tryin’ tae set our minds at ease, mo reul-iuil, but if the English are journeyin’ through Scotland, it is likely there is an enemy gathering strength. I haena met him yet, but I fear he is just over the horizon.”
He called the guards over and they conferred. My husband’s voice was low and rumbling, speaking in Gaelic, it was comforting though I didn’t understand. Then he sent two men to investigate and we waited quietly, occasionally watching through his binoculars.
He said, “I am sorry this disrupted our ride.”
I said, “It’s fine, it was a good day, and I'm glad I was here. It’s been a long time since we rode together — how about we pretend we weren’t interrupted?”
“We can try.” He reached out and brushed a strand of my hair blowing against my cheek and tucked it behind my ear. Then he kissed my temple, where the sun was warming my skin, his mouth lingered there.
I said, “Thank you.”
“For what, mo reul-iuil?”
“That kiss, the view, the moment alone.”
“Nae problem, I needed it as well.” He checked his watch. “We ought tae get ye back, m’guards will catch up.”
He held my horse’s reins so I could climb up, then he climbed on Dràgon and led us on the return path tae the castle.
After the guardsmen caught up and he spoke with them, I asked, “What did they find?”
“Naethin’, m’men dinna see anything or anyone over there. They are probably scouts for the English King, but they daena hae permission tae be on my lands.”
We continued on.
“What do we do? There’s no phone, no way to call England and say ‘Hey, we just saw your dudes here, that’s an uncool thing to do, don’t do it again.’”
“Aye, we daena hae phones, a lot could be solved with phones. Instead I will hae tae send m’own scouts out, taeascertain where they are. Engage with them, demand an accountin’ for the trespassing.”
“At least he’s an old school king and not involved in time travel.”
“Aye, it gives me an upper hand.”
Just as we were about to emerge from the forest at the wide fields, the guard behind us called, “Mag Mòr!”
We both slowed our horses and turned. He was pointing at the sky ahead of us. Through the canopy, between us and the castle, we had a glimpse of a large storm. The trees began to whip in the wind, a loud roar above us, thunder rumbling.
I said, “Isn’t that the place that we jump in and out of? If it’s Lochie, isn’t he a day early?”
Magnus urged our horses to go faster.
CHAPTER 9 - KAITLYN
