“Aye, almost as much as they like meat!”

The lads gulped.

Ulchel said, “Ye canna go in the water!”

I said, “They also come out on land!”

Dawy said, “Och nae, how fast are they?”

“Verra fast.”

The lads looked terrified so I finished it with this, “But they can only run in a straight line.”

Their eyes went even wider.

I said, stridin’ intae the middle of the floor, “So ye must run likethistae get away.” I ran in a zigzag from one end of the chamber tae the other, and around the table with all the lads jumpin’ from their chairs and joining in tae zigzag around the room. Cailean and his sons and their wives all laughed and clapped.

Then I collapsed in the chair, breathin’ heavy. “I ken not tae carry cookies in my pockets and I learned how tae run in a zigzag, tis why I hae never been caught.”

I watched them excitedly taking their chairs. They were laughing and shouting, and their mothers were tryin’ tae get them tae settle — my heart grew heavy.

This was verra difficult, because Ben had told this story about the beasts tae these same lads and lasses just a few weeks before. And it had transpired the same way, they had asked the same questions, and ever since they had been zigzaggin’ around the castle, laughing about the log beasts.

Och nae.

None of them remembered me or Ben. I almost wept, liftin’ my goblet tae drink my ale, blinkin’ back signs of m’sadness.

Cailean was watching me.

Dom said, “Now that we hae heard a tale for the bairns, let us hear one about your darkest battle.”

Cailean said, “He is verra young tae hae a darkest battle. Archibald, tell us a story about one of Mag Mòr’s battles.”

I thought I might use it as an opportunity tae see what they remembered and tae try tae understand the shifts that had occurred. So I launched intae a long yarn about the English king attacking Stirling Castle. I began with, “This tale may or may not be true…” I told it enthusiastically, actin’ out the explosions, wavin’ my arms, holdin’ Cailean’s family’s rapt attention, especially the wee ones. “Then the warriors ran inside the walls tae defend the castle from the advance! The archers were upon the rampart, but Edward’s war machines?—”

Cailean asked, “The large catapults ye mentioned?”

“Aye, they were stationed on two sides and then Edward’s army began tae attack the walls. I heard the men rushed up the stairs tae the main tower and they were firin’ arrows at the?—”

Dom interrupted, “I hae never heard this before, atStirling? Ye are certain? Yet, the castle still stands!”

I laughed and waved it away. “Nae, I am nae certain, I was a young lad, and might hae misremembered. Perhaps twas a drunken brawl in the courtyard.” I sat down as everyone laughed.

But I glanced at Cailean and his brow was drawn down.

Dawy said, “Tell us more of the battle!”

I said, “Dawy, dost ye ken the story of the wolf that awakened tae save Scotland?”

He whispered, “Aye,” and rested his chin on his hands. “But tell me!”

I told the story of the wolf, just as Da had told me and as I had told Jack for many long years. Then I said, as if it were a fictional tale about a fictional laird, “And then after the Siege of Stirling, the castle was all a pile of rubble, and the laird was lost, and as the laird was lifted from the courtyard on the back of one of Evil Edward’s dragons, his young son, verra close tae yer age howled?—”

Cailean said, “Ahrooooooo!”

I said, “Exactly, Ahroooooo!”

Dom’s young son said, “Ahrooooo!”