Page 8 of Love Set Apart
“Is that no’ a bridge of sorts?” Angus asked.
Edna’s hand dropped from her head as her eyes went wide. “Did I no’ tell ye ye’re a genius?” Edna took his hand and hurried to the nearest ferryman. “Can ye take us across?”
He held out his hand for payment and Edna reached into her purse and removed another of her bottomless coin collection to hand him.
Once they were aboard and had traveled about halfway, Edna checked to be sure the ferryman wasn’t paying attention to them. She motioned to Angus to put his arms around her. As he did, Edna closed her eyes and drew on her experiences at the bridge in Glendaloch to create a whirlwind of foggy mist that swirled around the two of them, taking care to make sure they stayed as far away from the ferryman as possible in order to not accidentally take him along on their journey. In her mind’s eye, Edna pictured their destination and breathed deeply as she saw the boat heading through the mist and depositing them along the banks of another river. This time in France, or so she hoped.
“Where are we?” The man’s shock was evident as his mouth gaped and his eyes seemed as though they might pop right out of his head.
“I doona ken,” Edna said. It was an honest answer. They should be in France, but she couldn’t be sure just yet. Wherever they had landed, the ferryman and his boat were still with them. Angus hopped off the ferry first and then placing his hands on her waist, lifted her onto the shore. “Ye’d best head back the same way. The fog must have taken ye off course.”
“Aye. That must be it, but I’ve traveled this route every day for years. I’ve never seen this spot. Are ye sure ye wish to stay here?”
The man seemed very concerned about them, which Edna found endearing. She had faith that there were good people everywhere, if one only took the time to look.
“We’ll be fine. Go on now. Head back to Edinburgh.” Edna shushed him away with a wave of her hand.
The man pushed the boat away from the shore with his oar and as he did, he entered the swirling fog once again. Edna guided him with her mind until she knew he would be back where he belonged with an incredible story to tell anyone who’d listen.
Chuckling to herself, Edna turned to her husband who was wearing a large grin. “I doona ken about ye, but I’m getting tired. This has been a long day.” Edna looked around the banks of the river and saw nothing but a dirt path leading away to who knew where. “Seems we’ve nae choice but to go this way. With luck we’ll ken where we’ve landed before long.”
Angus took her hand in his and they started on their way, but Edna stopped him. “I’m going to change into something a bit more comfortable.” With a wave of her hands as she spun around twice, her clothing changed from her traveling outfit to one less cumbersome. Angus nodded his head in appreciation of the new look. Edna scanned him from head to toe, but decided that his Highland garb was acceptable for almost every instance, so she left him as he was and they headed off once again.
They’d been walking for what seemed hours and hadn’t seen another soul to speak of. “I havenae walked this much in ages,” Edna said, stopping beneath a shade tree to rest against its solid trunk. “How do we ken we’re even heading in the right direction?”
“I suppose we doona.” Angus leaned against the tree as he examined the sky. “The sun will be setting soon. I’d hoped we’d find a place to stay the night.”
Edna was about to answer his concerns when the sound of horses and a carriage moving quickly could be heard just out of sight. A thick cloud of dust announced its approach as it topped the rise of the hill they’d just traversed.
Angus moved quickly into the middle of the dirt road.
“Will they stop?” Edna worried.
“Stay there,” Angus ordered, as the carriage sped towards him. Waving his arms back and forth to signal the driver, he stood his ground.
Edna on the other hand was quite worried he would be run over and so she did what any good witch would do, she spelled the horses, forcing them to stop just short of Angus. She let out a sigh of relief and joined her husband as he approached the carriage.
The driver seemed quite perplexed as he hopped down from his perch muttering to himself in French. Edna wasn’t fluent in the language and neither was Angus, so she cast another of her spells so they could understand and be understood by anyone they encountered.
The driver’s complaints became clear to them as he cursed the four pure white horses who stood perfectly still as he examined them. He checked their hooves for stones and he checked their harnesses. When he could find nothing wrong, he scratched his head and turned to Angus.
“What have you done?” He was a smaller man and Angus towered over him, but that didn’t seem to bother him in the least as he poked Angus with his finger.
“No’ a thing,” Angus answered, removing the man’s finger. “Me wife and I are in need of a ride. Do ye think ye could help us with a ride to the nearest inn?”
“This is King Louis’ carriage.” He obviously felt this was an adequate answer to the request.
“Is he in there?” Edna asked, approaching the passenger compartment.
The man raced to stand in front of her before she could open the door. “No!”
“Sir, we would be most grateful if ye would help us,” Edna said, all the while silently placing a spell on the driver. “We doona wish to be any trouble and nae one would have to ken.”
The man’s demeanor changed immediately. “Of course, Madame.” He opened the door and waited for Edna and Angus to get inside. “There is an inn not far from here. I will take you.”
“Thank ye… Ye havenae told us yer name.” Edna said.
“Nicholas,” he swept his arm across his midsection as he bowed.
