The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,56
us all about their wedding, we split up for a bit. Fraoch and Haley went to the dock to take a boat tour of the loch. Magnus and I returned to Balloch with the kids. This time we were going to show Archie and Isla the riverbank like we had in the past just before Roderick had come calling.
“You know what I want to do with the kids?” I was carrying Isla. Archie was full of energy beside us, weaving around us, ten steps to each of our one steps, so busy and active — Isla kept hanging off my side trying to touch him or get his attention in some way.
“Ochee!” She tried to grab his head as he ran by.
Magnus’s eyes went to the sky, following a falcon swooping high through the air. “I hae a guess.”
“What?”
“Ye want tae take them tae see the river we camped beside.”
“Exactly, you read my mind. Tonight let’s look at the map and see if there’s a road that will take us there.”
“I would like that, mo reul-iuil.” He led us through the woods along a winding path that brought us to the door to the underground tunnel — it was hidden well, and locked with a padlock.
Magnus joked, “Would hae been fun if twas unlocked, we would be inside the castle by now.”
We continued down the path to the riverbank. He asked Archie, “Dost ye recognize it?”
“Kind of.”
“Come sit beside me and I will tell ye how tae remember a place.” Magnus sat on the wide rock in the warm sun, only batting midges occasionally.
Isla and I stood at the river’s edge and watched fishies swim by. Over and over she exclaimed, “Fishies!”
Magnus said, “First ye find yer direction, here in Scotland ye look for the beinn. Ye note its shape and the size of it. The mountain winna change, ye can use it tae guide ye. This one is Ben Lawers,” he nodded his head toward the peak. “When I first found myself in our kingdom, I was able tae look out the window and see the mountains, twas when I kent I was going tae be okay, because I was a’ready home. After ye find the mountain, ye will look tae find the oldest tree, dost ye see it?”
“Nae,” said Archie.
“Tis there, a sturdy darach, an oak that I used tae admire in its youth, still here. Can ye believe it Archie, that it has been growin’ so long? Yer ma told me how long they can grow and she was right in it. This tree is verra, verra auld.”
Magnus and Archie both looked up at the tree, their jaw at the same tilt. “Tae remember a place ye will want tae note the youngest trees as well, such as this feàrna, or alder. Ye hae tae understand the relationship between the auld and the young, because the one will outgrow the other. Someday ye will walk intae a wood and the auld tree will be gone, and a new one growing, in a different place. Twill confuse ye if ye arna paying attention.”
He paused. “Dost ye ken, Archie, the beith needs tae be near the bank, the giubhas likes tae be higher up, tae lord it over the others.” He sat up, and gestured to the water. “Here ye can see the river and ye can see its twists and turns. But rivers will change over time as all the earth does, and since ye will be timeless ye will hae tae learn not only tae ken a place, but tae remember it. Ye will need tae foretell how twill be, or ye will ever be lost.”
“I am timeless?” asked Archie.
“Aye, ye are a time traveler and a prince. Ye hae the power of impermanence, and the strength of the bloodline of kings. Ye will be a ruler someday and tis a great deal of power tae hae. Ye will someday be responsible for the land of yer kingdom, but more importantly ye will be responsible for yer actions and yer heart. Ye must be serious and take yer responsibilities with grace and humility.”
He looked down at Archie whose brow was drawn. “And ye must hae a sense of humor about it all. If ye think on it, ye are at once the oldest man in every time and often the youngest as well, ye are tae be a king, but ye might need someone tae explain how tae turn on the lights.”