Page 10 of Torin and His Oath (Torin and the Princess #2)
LEXI
W e shared the last sips from the flask and picked over what little food we had. Then, in the lull, Torin’s stomach growled loudly.
“Hungry?”
“Aye, m’eyes are sweeping the horizon, hopin’ a sheep will hae the good manners tae lie down and season himself.”
I laughed. “Could we just find a sheep and have dinner? I’m not sure I could watch you kill something and then eat it, but I am really hungry.”
“Unfortunately by the time I caught it, I’d be too starved tae cook it proper. Better tae buy bread from a farmer. Or cook eggs, if we could get them.” He exhaled. “Och, I miss the eggs ye had at yer store. So many! Dost it always hae such bounty?”
“Yes. Every day.”
“In every season?”
I nodded.
“Och, that would be glorious.” His stomach growled again.
I asked, “How much longer?”
“I believe twill be another hour.”
I winced. “I need another bathroom break.”
He pulled us into the shadow of the woods and helped me down. I hobbled bowlegged toward a clump of trees, muttering, “Owie, owie, owie.”
Behind me, Torin laughed. “Och nae, ye are broken, I hae broken the princess.”
“Yes, yes you have.” I pulled up my skirts to crouch. “This is all your fault, you know. All of it. I would be in my fast car, with plenty of food.”
I peeked over the boulder. Torin was rummaging through a saddlebag. Dude stuck his head from the bag and meowed.
“See, Dude agrees,” I called over. “We were happy there.”
Torin didn’t look up. “I ken, tis all my fault.”
“You looking for more food?”
He nodded, closing the flap. “But there inna anythin’.”
I finished, shook dry, and gathered my skirts back into the belt. When I stepped from the trees, Torin was standing beside the horse, his shoulders heavy, his face set in something close to despair.
I said, to make him feel a little better, mostly because I needed him to be able to carry on, we had to get away from these woods to the next village. “But this is exciting. I’ll give you that. It’s an adventure. Death defying, I’m starving... but at least it’s not boring.”
Torin didn’t answer. Wordlessly, he reached in his sporran, drew out the vessel, and went through all the motions again: twisting, shaking, knocking. Nothing. He shoved it back into his sporran, shaking his head.
He strode into the woods and pissed in a loud rushing stream.
I tried not to notice. Traveling together had brought us into an intimacy that wasn’t acceptable — not between two strangers, plus I was in a relationship.
Here we were peeing, eating, and collapsing in front of each other, guarding each other.
.. and all because of Torin. He got me into this mess.
If not for him, I would be safe at home.
Doing a jigsaw puzzle. Eating snacks from my pantry.
Not starving and raw-skinned in the Scottish wilderness.
Back on the horse, Torin was stiff and less comfortable behind me. I assumed he was upset. I quietly asked, “Do you think they would have found me... if you hadn’t?”
“Aye, I believe they were close.”
“You’re not just saying that so you’re not responsible?”
His chest rose against my back, steady and heavy. “I am fully responsible. If I had seen that ye were the princess that first day, I should hae gone elsewhere, tae draw attention away from ye. Or carted ye away tae safety at once.”
“Would you have?” I asked softly. “I think if you’d known I was the princess on the first day, you would have done exactly what you did on the last, set yourself up as my guard. No matter what, I’d have been found, and we would have been kidnapped anyway.”
The horse plodded on, slow and steady, swaying as we passed through an ancient forest nestled in a narrow valley between peaks. The air smelled of pine and clean wind.
I said, “So even though you think you’re responsible, if you hadn’t been there.
.. who knows what would have happened to me?
I can’t even imagine what would have happened if those men had grabbed me one afternoon when everyone I knew was at work.
If I’d been carried into the past with no clue about time travel—” My throat tightened.
“You would never find me. I’d be all alone. Lost forever.”
Torin breathed out long and heavy. “Are ye sayin’ ye forgive me? Dost ye forgive yer servant, Torin, for drawin’ the scoundrels tae yer land?”
“No, not really. I can’t forgive you for upending my life, Torin. Maybe you’re not fully responsible, but you’re the only person here for me to blame.”
He stiffened behind me again.
“But I’m just upset. I feel like I might die here. I’m hungry, I’m uncomfortable, and scared…” I gave a weak chuckle. “I just, maybe if I got a meal, I could be nicer.”
“Food would greatly enhance our situation for the better.”
I nodded. “Exactly, I guess what I’m saying is... I can’t even think about forgiving you, until I get fed. I’m in a crappy mood.”
“I agree, we will eat and then we will discuss.”
We were quiet for a time, then I asked, “We need to lighten the mood, get my mind off my hunger. You said you would have carted me away — how do you mean? Where would you have taken me?”
“Aye, Princess, I would hae thrown ye over m’shoulder and carried ye tae a hidden tower.”
“Ah, the whole ‘throwing over the shoulder’ move. You said that’s what you’d do to a girl you wanted to marry. Would you want to marry me?”
He chuckled. “I canna answer it, Princess. Twould be an affront for yer humble servant tae lay claim tae ye. Ye are well above me.”
“But you’d still have thrown me over your shoulder?”
“Aye. Because ye wouldna listen.”
I laughed. “How do you know I wouldn’t listen?”
“Would ye hae?”
“Unlikely. What would you have said?”
“I would hae told ye plain: Princess, ye are a princess, and ye must come with me tae a strong castle for yer own safety .”
“I would never have listened.”
“Aye,” he said matter-of-factly, “that is why I would throw ye over m’shoulder and carry ye off, sometimes tis how it must be done.”
I arched my brow. “This is very interesting. It’s inappropriate to tell me you’d want to marry me, but it’s somehow acceptable to haul me off like a sack of grain?”
He laughed, low and warm. “I suppose it does sound as if I am takin’ liberties. But ye ken, Princess, I always ken what is best for yer protection. If we must go, ye must listen.”
I huffed and haughtily raised my chin. “If I’m a Princess, I’m not sure I have to listen to anyone. Least of all my so-called ‘humble servant.’”
“Aye,” he said dryly, guiding our horse around a widening ditch. “Therein lies the trouble.”
The path bent through the trees, the scent of pine sharper now.
“We are gettin’ closer,” he said at last.
“Thank heavens. I’m famished.”
“If we are questioned, ye are m’wife. I will be yer husband. I ken tis a sin tae lie, as tis a sin tae pretend tae a marriage we haena sworn. But if ye are unmarried, ye would need women about ye. And if ye are a lady of high standin’, ye should hae a larger guard.”
“Of course, though I doubt I will be in conversation with anyone. So far I haven’t understood a word anyone’s said.”
He didn’t answer.
I said, “I will pretend to be your wife, though.” Then I asked, “Are you worried, Torin?”
“Aye, the vessel nae workin’ has changed m’calculations.
Worse still, I canna pin the date. The season feels as it did when I left, which leads me tae believe it may be the same year.
The first men I spoke tae told me twas a fortnight from the flower moon — that places it close, but nae exact.
The farmer said twas a fortnight from the monthly market, which is nae precise enough.
I need a true date, and I need it exact, for time-travelin’ purposes. ”
“And here I thought you were all reckless charm and blind confidence. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard you so… pensive before.”
“I hae never had such a vast responsibility laid upon me,” he admitted. “It wears heavy. But… as ye said, Princess, likely if I eat something, m’mood winna be as ‘crappy.’”
“I am the heavy, vast responsibility?”
He teased, “Nae. Mostly Dude. I must get Dude tae safety and a full belly.”
We both turned to glance back at the other horse. A tuft of Dude’s fur poked out of the saddlebag, twitching in the breeze.
“He’s going to be up all night carousing after sleeping all day.”
Torin chuckled. “Tis the perfect cat life.”