She laughed, “Princess Bride, funny, but you’re not left-handed.”
We banged our sword together. I said, “It’s okay, I’m ambidextrous, not my first time at the rodeo.”
We swung our swords to meet with a loud thwonk sound. She said, “You’re mixing a bunch of metaphors, is it your first sword fight?”
I said, “Guaranteed I’ve done more with a blade than you.”
“Yeah, probably right. My weapon of choice is a gun.”
I swung my blade catching hers and causing it to fly from her hand. We doubled over laughing, but then she pirouetted, picked it up and brandished it.
I said, “That’s how ya going to be?”
We swung, arced, thrust, and generally tried to beat each other, without wanting to actually hurt each other. It was fun, we kept going, spinning, arcing, sometimes dancing, a whole lot of laughing. Archie and Ben and some of the other kids watched us, too.
Emma shook with laughter while holding Isla.
Lizbeth entered the room and joined our audience as I jumped across two chairs and jumped off, swinging my sword, while Hayley went Matrix, bending backwards. My sword crossed right over her chest.
Lizbeth applauded and cheered. Hayley called a time out to catch her breath. I panted heavily.
Lizbeth joked, “Ye are battling your friends, ye might want tae save your energy for your enemies.”
I panted hard, grimacing. “Hoowhee, not easy killing this friend, she’s slippery.”
Hayley pulled the front of her bodice for air. “I have all my appendages still, I call it a win.”
I asked Lizbeth, “Where have you been?”
“In the chapel, praying for a peaceful victory.”
“Oh,” I glanced around the room. “Is that where all the women are? Now I feel like a really terrible Campbell wife.”
Lizbeth shook her head, “Ye arna just a Campbell wife, ye are Magnus’s wife. Your time might be better served practicing combat, since battles seem tae follow him home.”
“That is true.” I looked down at my wooden sword. “Like this one.”
Hayley said, “Make sure if you’re fighting for your life you’re better armed.”
“Hell yeah.”
Lizbeth said, “Sean, Black Mac, and Master James are headed out, we should find a safe place tae watch.”
Fifteen - Magnus
First we waited for the drones tae come, bringing their demands that we should surrender. But hour after hour they dinna move toward us.
Finally we sent our four ambassadors: Quentin, Sean, James, and the young man carrying the Earl’s flag. They carried minimal weapons because we couldn’t spare them. They would ride horses because we only had the two ATVs and we decided tae keep them hidden, so our enemies wouldna ken of them.
Quentin joked, “In case we need the element of surprise with our big guns.”
Twas nae truly funny.
I saw them off at the gates and returned tae the walls.
Fraoch and I watched as the four men on horseback thundered across the fields in the direction of the woods, the Earl’s flag waving above them.
Fraoch asked, “Dost ye think they will survive the day?”
“Och, I daena ken. M’brother should nae die because of a war from m’own kingdom. Quentin is too good a soldier tae die because he is nae armed well enough. I swore an oath tae protect the men that fought alongside me. The trade of their lives must always be for good cause, and they need tae be armed so our battles aren’t in vain. Twas a simple oath, but here we are, nae in m’kingdom, hundreds of years in the past, and one of my commanders, my close friend, is outgunned.”
Fraoch chuckled. “Ye should be better than this.”
“Aye, tis what I am tellin’ m’self.”
He gave me a sly look, “And what of your man, James?”
“Och, our friendship is complicated, but he is m’master builder, I daena want him tae die either.”
Fraoch asked, “Who dost ye think is doin’ it?”
"I believe tis a man named Roderick. I hae been fightin’ him for many long years and I became distracted for a time by Reyes, ye ken, ye remember, he had me captured in St Augustine.”
“I remember, ye killed him in Greece.”
“He was formidable though, defeatin’ him took a great deal of effort and while I was concentratin’ on him I hae allowed Roderick tae grow in power. He has a claim tae the throne.”
I leaned back on the wall. “Are ye hungry? I hae a bite tae eat.” I pulled a small hunk of bread from my sporran.
He said, “I hae some food as well.” Grinning mischievously he pulled a jar of coffee from his sporran,