Page 130 of The Dawn

I stood there, swayin’ on m’feet as one of the tanks fired another round aimed at the wall of the stable. It slammed intae the side of it, horses inside screamed.

Twas difficult tae think over the sound of screaming horses, flashes in my mind of Sonny, and I doubled over.

Fraoch was talkin’ furiously intae the radio — the world had gone slow. Men were racing tae save the horses, their shouts interminglin’ with the horses’ cries. I couldna see through the smoke billowin’ out, and I feared the horses were gravely injured.What of Dràgon? Mario? Would they survive?

I heard my marshal call, “Ready, aim!” And there was a row of my men-at-arms drawing their bows, aimed at the tanks, but without a chance tae win against the machines of war. My walls were rubble. The castle collapsed. He had accomplished it all with two tanks, methodically, strategically —

Cailean yelled over the roar and fury, “What dost he want?”

Chef Zach yelled back, “To fuck with us, sounds like!”

Fraoch looked down on the radio. “Tis a great deal of fuckery!”

I couldna hear what Fraoch was saying tae Asgall on the radio, Asgall spoke and I saw fury in Fraoch’s eyes.

I wiped blood from my head and swayed a bit on m’feet. “What is he saying?”

He held the radio closer tae me, Asgall’s voice sayin’:

...wife and children are in the cellar, the entrance is behind the kitchens at the north corner of the…

“He is threatenin’ m’family?”

Another thunderclap, and the whistle-scream as a missile whizzed past, aimed at the kitchens, near the cellars where I had sent Kaitlyn and the bairns.

CHAPTER 50 - ASH

A CELLAR UNDER BALLOCH CASTLE - OCTOBER 9, 1683

Iwas in that pitch black dark for about twenty minutes, when, coming from further down the tunnel I heard footsteps.

Who was it?

Someone was running toward me, there was a swinging beam of light, coming closer. I froze, waiting.

But then it was Lochinvar. He pulled me into his arms. “Och nae, twas menacin’ — are ye well?”

I nodded my head against his shoulder.

“I raced tae the other stairwell, I wasna sure if I could get here from that side.”

“Thank God.”

We both turned toward the opening at the top of the steps.

He said, “Did the drone find ye?”

“No, not yet, maybe it can’t see us under here.”

“Perhaps.”

I said, “Where are we?”

“Near the store rooms.”

“What are we going to do, wait for morning? Will we be able to leave?”

“The drone must grow tired eventually, then we will sneak out with the market day crowds.”

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