I said, “Daena worry, Sean, tis not something ye need tae dwell on, I agree with ye, ye hae tae go home, ye must make certain Maggie and yer sons are well. We need tae ken of Lizbeth.” He pulled his horse behind mine.
I added, “If ye daena check on Lizbeth she will hold it against us.”
“Aye, that she will. Tis the whole reason tae do anything, tae keep our good names with Lizbeth.”
We continued on.
We came tae the field and settled around the boulder. They were going tae leave the horses with me, we would need all we had tae move men tae the meeting with Eddie.
They were taking a gun each and some small supplies, but they dinna need much because they were going to Balloch. That castle would hae what they needed, and Liam would meet them in the clearing.
Fraoch said, “I hate leavin’ ye at a time like this, Og Maggy, it goes against m’better judgement.”
“I ken, but we decided already — ye will return on the morrow, without the three day buffer, I will regale ye with stories about my meeting with Eddie in Kippen. I will hardly miss ye, tisonly a parley with the English King, he is an arse, but nae match for me.”
Sean said, “I ken ye think high on yerself?—”
I joked, “‘I ken ye think high on yerself, YerHighness.’”
He chuckled. “Yer arrogance might be yer undoing. I wish ye would demand tae speak tae him onyerterms, Young Magnus, ye could send a messenger, refuse tae parley until we return.”
Fraoch said, “I agree with Sean. Ye could refuse.”
I said, “Och, this sounds like yer arrogance, not mine. Dost ye think me incompetent tae negotiate on a battlefield? Ye think I need m’older brothers around me for a good outcome? Ye think I might fail!”
Fraoch and Sean looked at each other and nodded.
I scoffed.
Sean joked, “Tis not that we daena trust ye, Young Magnus, tis that we think ye are but a wee lad who needs our wisdom and guidance.”
Fraoch grinned. “Aye, Og Maggy, daena fret over it. We arna insultin’ ye, we just daena think ye can do it without our help.”
I scoffed louder. I said, “Madame Hayley, what dost ye think?”
“I don’t want to get in the middle of it — between my husband and the king and his older brother? Nope. But I will say this, we’ll be back tomorrow. It’ll be more helpful to have us here, and the sooner we go, the sooner we get back.”
I reached in the saddlebag on Dràgon, pulled out a vessel, and passed it tae Fraoch.
He looked down on it while Hayley and Sean drew around him. Hayley slung her bag over her arm.
Fraoch flashed a light beam on the vessel, and asked, “Tis set?”
“Aye, tae Balloch.”
“Are ye certain — it feels odd.”
“I am certain.” I dug through the saddlebag for another vessel. I turned on a small penlight, held it in m’mouth pointed down on the vessel in my hands, looking it over. “This one is set tae Florida, that one is...”
I held the vessel up tae his. “Aye, see, that one is set tae Balloch. I ken it, I set it earlier in the day.”
“Feel it though, it daena hae the heft. It feels dead.”
I felt the one in my hand, it also felt dead. He placed his vessel in my palm, I weighed them both. “They feel the same, but tis not... they daena feel right.”
Hayley poked it, nothin’ changed.
I was tired, and grew exasperated. I shook my head. “Tis fine, tis ready tae go. I am goin’ tae draw the horses over there, then ye will twist it.”
