Page 113 of Only a Breath Away

“That’s what I told Fraoch, nothing big, just look for the dog, come home, don’t die.”

“Yeah,” I said, “‘Don’t die’ I hope they listen. The trouble is, we’ve been in so much danger and drama for so long that it seems scary to choose to go somewhere by choice, on an errand, you know? What if something happens while we’re vacationing? How sucky would that be?”

“Well, they’ll be back tomorrow and if not, we’ll send our best men.”

“Quentin and James and or Lochinvar.”

She said, “You want to go check on him?”

“Sure.” We turned on the path and wandered up to the family cemetery. He was there, by himself. He waved and mopped his face with a hand towel, leaving a smear of brown. “Och, hello Queen Kaitlyn, Madame Hayley.”

“Hey Lochinvar, we were walking by after taking Fraoch and Magnus to the field.”

“I saw the storm, twas verra big, I canna get used tae it.”

“I know.” He was wearing a pair of yellow sweat pants, and one of Magnus’s t-shirts. I added, “That shirt is hilarious.”

He pulled it out, stretching it really far to look down, and pointed. “I ken, tis a figure. Do ye see? There is a line here and a spherical shape.” He cocked his head left and right and added, “I think tis the head, but also there’s a stick here, tis a sword, see? And his arm has come off. Tis verra funny.” He giggled, because Lochinvar did indeed giggle, which was hilarious.

Hayley said, “I suppose I should have brought you something to drink, some water, a snack. We’ll come back in a bit.”

I asked, “How long do you think this will take?”

He put his hands on his hips. “I daena ken, three days or more.”

Hayley grimaced. “Yeesh. That sucks.”

“I daena mind the work, twould be easier if there were more cookies here.”

I said, “Alright, I’ll send some up. What’s your favorite?”

“I like the ones with the wee dark spots.”

“Chocolate chip? That’s my favorite too.”

Hayley and I returned to the house. She said, “He’s ginger, unsophisticated, and has got such a silly giggle, but somehow he’s still hot.”

“I know, he’s like a boy trapped in a superhero’s body. It’s hilarious. But I remember when Fraoch was like that.”

“Fraoch was never that silly. He was very serious about keeping himself and me alive. I don’t know if this boy could keep anyone alive.”

“I’ve seen him battle in an arena, he saved Magnus’s life, he’s a pretty high-functioning hero.”

“Yet he’s still a boy, how old do you think he is?”

“Probably twenty.”

“He’s lucky we brought him away from the sixteenth century: he was practically middle aged!”

* * *

We told Zach that Lochinvar needed cookies and water and then relieved Beaty of kid duty. Hayley, Emma, and I took the kids in the two canoes out into the lake to the south end where we explored in the pools and shallow spots, drifting around the rocks, watching what Isla called the fairy flies, along with the darner flies, and the dragonflies, as they skirted and skated on the water around us.

CHAPTER 74 - MAGNUS

We landed in the evening. I had chosen a place that was farther from the castle, near a village, so we could visit the pub and ask questions about the castle and the current king.

As we trudged down the path Fraoch joked, “Twill be verra funny if ye walk intae a pub and ye are the king of this world.”

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