Page 29 of The Empire and the Wolf King

How would I find out if Lochinvar was in there?

With trembling hands, I retrieved the crumpled paper from my sporran and unfolded it. My eyes scanned over the words before flicking up to the towering castle ahead.

And then, I saw it — a flying machine, soaring through the sky, its propellers cutting through the air with a mechanical buzz.

My heart raced as I tried to remember what Quentin had called it. The memory of flying one on the beach seemed like a distant dream now, lost in the chaos that had ensued since then — a drone.

Naething good came from a drone flyin’ around an eighteenth century castle.

This meant I needed to proceed with caution, there were other time travelers here and something was — gunfire erupted from the flying machine. Och nae, this wasna goin’ tae be easy.

I pressed my back against the rough bark of the tree, hidden in shadow, hearing men shouting on the walls in the distance. The whirr of the drone made me look again. “Och, ye are a wee midgie, buzzin’ around, ye arna allowed tae be there, ye arna from this time. Ye ought not scare these people. I am goin’ tae teach ye a lesson.”

But I wouldna be able tae get through the gate, I couldna approach without bein’ seen.

“Mario, daena be scared, tis a drone. Tis a dead drone, it just daena ken yet. I am goin’ tae beat it tae death.” I looked around the tree again. “Now I canna see it, tis inside the walls... scarin’ the people. Ye got an idea, Mario, how I can get inside?”

Mario shook his head and dinna answer.

“There is a tunnel, it leads from the river through a door intae the castle. Da showed it tae me, and m’cousins told me twas haunted.” I peeked around the tree at the walls, then hid again. “If I make my way around tae the west side of the castle, I can use the tunnel tae sneak in. Ye ken, Mario? Ye are goin’ tae stay right here.”

I nodded. “All right, ye stay here, I am goin’ in tae kill that drone.” I jumped tae my feet and sprinted through the woods, towards the riverbank, and after a long jog made it tae the tunnel door. As I approached, a group of women and children emerged from it. They were frightened, and leavin’ the castle for safety.

I was doubled over, tryin’ tae catch m’breath. “Madame... och, Madame ...dost ye ken Lochinvar?”

She shook her head, grabbed the bairns around her and hurried away with the others, but she had forgotten tae lock the door.

I yanked it open, peering inside. Twas empty. I crouched low tae keep m’head from bangin’ against the low ceiling of the small tunnel and by the time I made it tae the other door m’thighs were screamin’ in protest.

I found myself in a storage room. Letting out a sigh of relief, I stood up straight and punched my thighs tae bring the blood flow back tae them.

Peering out, I saw the flying machine swooping past at the far end of the hallway. It was circling around a familiar staircase — one that I used to race down with Ben and my cousins when I was young.

I darted forward and hid in the shadow of an overhang as the flying machine swooped past again. A voice boomed from it, demandin’ that Lochinvar surrender himself.

Found him.

My heart pounded in my chest as I crept forward, my eyes fixed on the flying machine above.

Then it swooped towards me. I ducked intae the shadows in time, yet it hovered, its top swivelin’ as if it were searchin’ for me.

I tensed, verra slowly drawin’ m’sword, one... two.... three.... about tae spring. If Ben were here he might grab my sleeve and hold me back, but I had naething tae lose, nae one tae stop me.

And the machine was bein’ an arse, I would hae tae fight it.

With m’blood pumpin’ furiously, I jumped from the shadows, swingin’ m’sword, hard, knockin’ the drone against a wall.

The drone shook and almost recovered but I wailed on it, bringin’ my sword down again and again, raining blows until I had smashed it tae pieces.

I rushed toward the stairwell in the ground and peered in and whispered, “Lochinvar?”

A head came up, ginger hair, beard, lookin’ just as I remembered him. “Who is there?”

“Tis me, Archibald.”

“Archibald, who?”

“Ye ken, get out of the hole and come or I will leave ye behind.”

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