Page 16

TORIN

T he next morn, with the dawn, wearin’ m’cloak and with m’belongings in m’sporran, I walked out of the wee cottage and closed the door behind me.

I left Mistress Lexi’s lands and strode south down the road until I made it tae a large field.

It looked unused, and there was a corner hidden from the road and passers-by.

I stood there and got the vessel from m’pocket and looked it over in the dim light.

I dinna understand the markings, but I had beheld them for many days — they were the reason why whenever I returned tae Scotland twas fleeting, and somehow I ended up here in the New World once more.

If I could understand the markings I could rule them.

Without following them, I was forced tae rebound back and forth, in and out of time, with nae way tae influence it.

I tried tae make sense of them. Which ones would send me where or when…

? I dinna relish the idea of provin’ the sequence, the journeys were too painful, but I feared I would need tae begin.

I mulled it over last night: I could change the order, one marking at a time, until I understood the device.

But this would mean journeyin’ and reboundin’, and — och nae , twould take a pound of m’flesh.

I loathed the idea.

I decided I would do as I had been doing, twisting the form and pray that this time Max would be a’waiting.

I would hurl the vessel at him and say, tis yers, Max, I daena want it. And I might beat his arse for not explaining how tae use it earlier.

Nothing would ever compel me tae use it again, not even the chance tae see the bonny Mistress Lexi, twas unnatural and I felt certain that God dinna approve.

I exhaled long, looking down on the vessel. Unless Max needed me tae accompany him, I would do it if I were asked. But I dinna think Max would request it of me. He would ken that this had been too great a sacrifice.

I said a prayer that I would be delivered home and that this time Max would be waitin’ for m’arrival and would join in the battle.

I could hear Max’s voice in my head, ‘Och nae, Torin, ye are too hopeful, ye always think everything will work out. Ye place too much trust in things.’

He dinna ken that I often had doubts, but I hid them because I wanted tae keep his spirits up. He had lost a kingdom by the time he was eight years auld, if anyone needed a friend tae be hopeful, twas Max.

I decided tae ignore m’doubts — what if this time it delivered me tae death’s door? I twisted it. The vessel began tae quiver, and the now familiar power grasped me by the arms and yanked me clear from m’conscious mind.

Arise, arise! Ye must arise!

I pulled m’self up and looked around at the hazy world. It looked Scottish but I couldna be certain. I rose ontae m’shakin’ legs, clutchin’ the vessel in m’hand, and beat m’thighs tae get the blood flow tae them, lookin’ around the landscape tae determine how much danger I was in.

A great deal — I couldna tell where or when I was.

But at least I dinna hae villainous thugs tryin’ tae kill me.

Twas midday, overcast.

I would hae time tae get m’bearings and tae find a meal and a place tae sleep afore nightfall.

Then I heard voices.

I scrambled up, rushed tae the trees and crouched in the darkness. Och, I wished I had a horse so I could get from this place.

Two men on horseback rode up, their swords drawn. One man said, “The storm was centered here.”

I peered out, wonderin’ if the person was friendly, but he looked villainous.

The other said, “We need tae search the forest, he’s likely on foot. He’s got it on him, we need that vessel.”

I silently crept further back in the dense underbrush, until there was enough distance, then I turned and ran. They yelled when they saw me and began tae pursue.

I raced through the forest and continued on, until the trees thinned, and I kept going even though m’chest ached from the pounding, and my legs were weary from the chase.

I found m’self racing across a wide field.

I looked over my shoulder, were they still in chase?

When I turned back, I was at a cliff’s edge, I slammed tae a stop, m’arms careening against momentum — I was dangerously close tae fallin’, pullin’ against the air.

I swayed for a moment, but then the ground slipped away and my foot descended, gravel and dirt, spilling down the side.

I was goin’ over, swinging — I grasped frantically and found a root, hanging by my good arm.

The root was rope-like, but the surface was smooth and hard tae grasp.

I slipped down an inch. Och nae. Wincing with pain I pulled my other arm up, and tried tae get purchase, higher up, but the pain near knocked m’breath from m’lungs.

I glanced down, the drop was not sheer, twas a steep incline.

I was about forty feet up, below me were large rocks that would break me when I fell.

Dampened with sweat, my hand slipped, I dropped another inch.

I looked down again. Twas makin’ me dizzy, my body ached — could I survive the fall?

Twas unlikely.

But then from a distance, I heard Max’s voice, “Torin!”

I yelled, “I am here!”

“Hold on, I’m coming!”

He sounded far away, “Hurry, I canna hold on!”

I had tae climb up, but m’other arm was useless, then above me a man chuckled, “Och, ye are in a bind, Torin?”

Twas nae Max’s voice.

I looked up, the face was in shadow.

“Where’s Max?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “He winna make it in time, ye’re about tae fall.”

I groaned.

He said, “And ye hae something that is mine.”

I joked, “It is about tae break upon the rocks, perhaps ye ought tae help me up from this precipice so Max and I can discuss yer property.”

The man flicked his boot, sending a cascade of gravel down on my head. “How about ye pass up the vessel?—”

“Why does everyone want this blasted thing? Tis nothing but a pain in the arse.”

I slid another inch down, and groaned, twistin’, lookin’ down at my certain death. I yelled, “Max, hurry!”

There was nae answer.

I told the man, “Ye are about tae lose it on the rocks if ye daena help me up.”

I couldna hold on with one hand much longer. I jammed the other hand in my sporran, rummaged around, and wrapped it around the vessel.

He knelt down and put out his hand. “Give it tae me. Tis mine.”

“Nae, ye canna hae it.”

I would fall tae m’death on the rocks, or I would journey through time. I dinna want tae do either. They were both brutal and terrible and I felt certain they would both kill me. If I tried tae do one would I end up doin’ them both at once?

“Max!”

His voice was still too far away, “Hold on!”

The man said, “Give me yer hand.”

Either way I was certainly a dead man. I might as well depart.

I pulled the vessel from my sporran, tucked it under my arm, clamped down, and twisted it with one hand, grunting from the effort. I felt the dragging clawing pain shoot up my arm and body as m’other arm slid from the root and I was flung.

I was pulled tae consciousness once more. Everything ached. My body was tormented by pain, but the sun was bright, the smells intense, the feel of the wind was soothing, the now familiar smell of earth and grass — twas the time of Mistress Lexi and I was somehow returned tae her lands.