“Aye. When I get ye home ye must show me a portrait of yer grandfather’s uniform.”
“Sounds good.”
10
LEXI
1558 - HEADED SOUTH
We shared the last sips from the flask and picked over what little food we had. Then, in the lull, Torin’s stomach growled loudly.
“Hungry?”
“Aye, m’eyes are sweeping the horizon, hopin’ a sheep will hae the good manners tae lie down and season himself.”
I laughed. “Could we just find a sheep and have dinner? I’m not sure I could watch you kill something and then eat it, but I am really hungry.”
“Unfortunately by the time I caught it, I’d be too starved tae cook it proper. Better tae buy bread from a farmer. Or cook eggs, if we could get them.” He exhaled. “Och, I miss the eggs ye had at yer store. So many! Dost it always hae such bounty?”
“Yes. Every day.”
“In every season?”
I nodded.
“Och, that would be glorious.” His stomach growled again.
I asked, “How much longer?”
“I believe twill be another hour.”
I winced. “I need another bathroom break.”
He pulled us into the shadow of the woods and helped me down. I hobbled bowlegged toward a clump of trees, muttering, “Owie, owie, owie.”
Behind me, Torin laughed. “Och nae, ye are broken, I hae broken the princess.”
“Yes, yes you have.” I pulled up my skirts to crouch. “This is all your fault, you know. All of it. I would be in my fast car, with plenty of food.”
I peeked over the boulder. Torin was rummaging through a saddlebag. Dude stuck his head from the bag and meowed.
“See, Dude agrees,” I called over. “We were happy there.”
Torin didn’t look up. “I ken, tis all my fault.”
“You looking for more food?”
He nodded, closing the flap. “But there inna anythin’.”
I finished, shook dry, and gathered my skirts back into the belt. When I stepped from the trees, Torin was standing beside the horse, his shoulders heavy, his face set in something close to despair.
I said, to make him feel a little better, mostly because I needed him to be able to carry on, we had to get away from these woods to the next village. “But this is exciting. I’ll give you that. It’s an adventure. Death defying, I’m starving... but at least it’s not boring.”
Torin didn’t answer. Wordlessly, he reached in his sporran, drew out the vessel, and went through all the motions again: twisting, shaking, knocking. Nothing. He shoved it back into his sporran, shaking his head.
He strode into the woods and pissed in a loud rushing stream.
I tried not to notice. Traveling together had brought us into an intimacy that wasn’t acceptable — not between two strangers, plus I was in a relationship. Here we were peeing, eating, and collapsing in front of each other, guarding each other... and allbecause of Torin.Hegot me into this mess. If not for him, I would be safe at home. Doing a jigsaw puzzle. Eating snacks from my pantry. Not starving and raw-skinned in the Scottish wilderness.
