Page 8 of The Empire and the Wolf King

We started walking again.

“How do you know?”

“Because we hae been walking for a few miles, and though this road is narrow and not used as much as the roads we are used tae around Scottish castles, it is still used for travelers.” He pointed. “See there, another three lines, travelers must hae a place tae rest. And if ye think on it, behind us is a brothel, tis necessary that there must be another?—”

“Magnus, we are not sleeping in a brothel.”

“Nae, but if there was one town with a brothel, there?—”

He grabbed my arm and pulled me off the road behind a tree. A horse was coming. Three horses. He drew me down to crouch behind a bush, hidden well, but we were too close. It was really scary as the horses trotted by, almost close enough to touch, I couldn’t watch.

I ducked my head and held tight, trying not to breathe. Magnus had his hand on my shoulder. I just concentrated on the weight; with a tap I would scramble up and run, but the horses passed by. The rumble of their steps loud and then growing quieter in the distance.

Then the buzzing of bug hum grew louder to fill the silence.

Magnus tapped my back and I exhaled.

He said, “Told ye, right around the corner.”

I asked, “Should we wait until nightfall? Walk in the dark?”

“Nae, I would fall asleep, and I worry I winna wake til morning. We will continue on. I am armed, I hae some gold in m’pocket, and a comfortable bed in an inn is callin’ m’name.” I followed him out to the road.

We walked about the length of a football field and then I was practically dragging my arms. “Can I complain?”

“Aye, ye can complain.” He gestured at his forehead. “I hae had it tae here with wanderin’ through this terrible landscape. Tis too green, the bugs are verra—” He smacked his cheek. “Och nae, there are wee beasties bitin’ us and I am verra hungry. I need tae sleep. There hasna been enough sleep in this godforsaken hellscape. There, mo reul-iuil, I began it for ye, ye can continue it.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard you complain quite that much.”

“I daena think we hae been in such a terrible situation.”

“Remember when I had mastitis in the wilderness of a Scottish winter?”

“Aye, twas bleak, I remember, and ye forget, I complained plenty.”

“True, and it was complicated, there were a lot of reasons why we ended up in the past and we couldn’t necessarily pin it on anyone, but this…”

“This is Arse-gall’s fault.”

I said, “Yep, so complaining is easier. Now it’s my turn. I’m starving, literally. I’m exhausted. I want to make love to my husband so we can both sleep and then I want to wake up in a few hours to worry about my babies.”

“Och, I like yer complaint, it held a promise.”

“Now we can go faster.” We picked up our pace and headed to the village that was right around the corner just as Magnus had predicted.

CHAPTER 3 - KAITLYN

A VILLAGE OUTSIDE OF STAUNTON - 1775

The village was small, too small for a proper inn. We skirted it in the woods and Magnus peered through a bush across a lane to the small village. “Och nae, we are dressed in a verra different fashion.”

“Yep, the women are wearing full skirts, the men are wearing pants. You, sir, are wearing a tunic. You do not look… right.”

He looked down at his clothes. “And I am filthy. Nae one will serve me food. I would give all m’worldly possessions for a cloak.”

I said, “But they’re not even wearing cloaks, the men are wearing coats.”

“Aye, we are not respectable, the larger town is that way and tae get there we will hae tae pass through this whole village or go around the long way.”

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