Page 2 of The Empire and the Wolf King

Zoe asked, “What’s mac and cheese?”

I said, “Och nae, ye kids are goin’ tae break this auld man’s heart. I canna take it, ye need tae ken what mac and cheese is.”

Hayley said, “So Archie is going to rescue all of us, Magnus and Katie and… this is good news, but…” She blew out air. “Who am I trying to kid, this is depressing. I mean, I get it, I’m just not happy about it, plus it’s — is it going to be dangerous for Archie?”

Isla said, “Aye, twill be verra dangerous I think, I am verra worried for him.”

I patted beside me and Isla sat down and put her head on m’shoulder.

I took Hayley’s hand and held it on my knee.

She said, “I wish I could have said goodbye... we really don’t get the option? He already left?”

I nodded. “Aye, tis done, the wheel of time is rollin’ on.”

Hayley was quiet, then she asked, “Ben, how did he talk you out of going with him?”

“He told me I was needed here.” Ben huffed. “I daena think he understands how often I save his arse, like at Stirling Bridge and Falkirk.”

Isla said, “Ben, ye and Archie werna fightin’, ye were messengers.”

“I still carried a sword.”

I tried tae keep the conversation light, for the bairns. “Our Archibald has run off on a hero’s journey, leavin’ us here tae be guards of Innis Chonnel while he goes tae rescue theotheruncles. Important tae note, he came tae rescue Zach and me first.”

Zach joked, “Yep, we’re winning in the uncle battle. Of course hedidleave us without actually rescuing us…”

I said, “But if ye look around the room and think on it, we are doin’ the most important of the work, guardin’ the bairns.”

Ben groaned. “I am not a bairn, Uncle Fraoch, in just a month I am goin’ tae fight with Uncle Wallace and Archie for the throne.”

I said, “I ken, ye werna the bairn I was talking on.”

Jack said, “I am nae a bairn either.”

I laughed, “Nae one are bairns, I misspoke! Besides if ye think on it, Magnus likely thinks I am the most important person tae be rescued?—”

Hayley said, “He probably thinks Chef Zach is the most important.”

I said, “Och nae, this conversation is gettin’ even more ridiculous, I am Fraoch and I am his brother. I saved his life in a Florida Swamp from a log monster?—”

All the bairns groaned.

“Fine, we are all guardin’ Chef Zach, he is the one who has the magical recipe for mac and cheese. And Ben, ye are allowin’ Archie tae go on his verra easy journey, because ye are bein’ selfless. Tae bide yer time ye will continue preparin’ for the comin’ battle, by the time he returns ye will be a much stronger fighter.”

Zach said, “Besides, it’s better for only one of us to go: we want to keep people together and looping to a minimum. Who knows how often we’re going to need to do this all over?”

He sat down on the edge of the bed. “I know, Em, that this is not optimal, and it was hard to tell a rescuer to move on and come back for us later?—”

I said, “Or earlier as it were.”

Zach nodded, “It’s risky, we know it. But we wanted to save you the decision.”

Isla pulled from her pocket the gift she had been given from the visitor. “We all decided.. and, Aunt Emma, look what we got!”

Emma said, “Chapstick, wow! From where?”

“The woman who brought us the vessel had it. Plus some gum.”

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