Page 65 of Torin and the Princess

He began to write while asking, “Torin, what’s the biggest political issue going on in Scotland right now, according to you?”

Torin looked up at the ceiling for a moment, “We haena been home tae Castle Glume in a while as we were on our quest, so I haena been privy tae the conversations in the Great Hall. That is where we usually hear the news of the day, but in the tavern the other night I was told that the Dauphin of France, Francis, has married our Mary, thereby bringing the thrones of France and Scotland taegether.”

I said, “Mary who?”

“Our young queen, Mary Stuart.”

Cooper wrote fast then read over it, before asking, “You said you overheard it in a tavern, how much does a tavern cost in your time?”

Torin said, “This is a complicated question, Master Cooper. Max negotiated for our room, and he dinna negotiate well, we had tae share it with another traveler. We were all sleepin’ on the same bed, but twas the last room available. Twas cheap considerin’—”

“An estimate is fine.”

“I drank about four pints, Max and I shared a meal, we gave the innkeeper a shillin’ and a half.”

Cooper exhaled. “What is a shilling and a half?”

“About eighteen pence.” Torin dug in his sporran and pulled out a few coins, placing them on the table between our plates.

He placed a finger on the gold one. “This is a pistole, this silver one is a shillin’, and these two are groats.”

Cooper picked up the gold one. Jen and I each picked up the silver coins.

I said, “Wow, that is, wild. You might have wanted to lead with this, Torin.”

“Ye haena seen coins like this?”

The one I held was not uniformly circular. It looked like it had been inexpertly stamped. It had a shield and… “Cooper, this one has a date.”

He took it and read, “1558. The gold one says 1552.”

Jen put her coin on the table. “That’s kind of conclusive, huh?”

“Or it’s part of his costume — coin collections are a thing, you know.” He added, “Alright, one more, Torin. What did your tavern serve for dinner?”

“In Moulin? Och, in Moulin twas naething special. I will tell ye of a fine dinner we had in?—”

Cooper said, “Nothing from, like, Glasgow, a place we all know about. That’s not going to prove anything.”

Torin asked, “Dost ye ken of Muthill?”

“Nope.”

Torin leaned back with his hands clasped on his stomach. “Max was in a fine mood so we stopped in Muthill’s best tavern. Tis a common spot tae rest and their larder is full, the fare is known tae be hearty. We met up with some friends on their return tae Castle Glume and they were long from their last meal, so Max ordered a grand feast. The table groaned under the platters. We had roasted venison and wild boar?—”

I screwed up my face.

He asked, “Ye haena tasted wild boar, Mistress Lexi? Och, tis rich and gamey, twas served with a sauce of red wine and crushed berries. Beside that was salmon, verra fresh, caught in the River Earn, and we had side dishes of neeps in butter, parsnips, and bannocks?—”

Cooper was writing furiously.

Jen asked, “Neeps?”

“Turnips.”

I asked, “What’s a bannock?”

“A type of bread, twas served warm with heather honey.”

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