“Och nae, ye shouldna hae tae do it.”
“But I did, and I survived, now we have three vessels, damn, I’m badass.” She put her hands on her hips. “It was awesome. I had a gun in the bag, right there, and they didn’t take it, that was their mistake because I killed the hell out of them.”
She looked at me with wild eyes. “Come to find out I’m a terrible person, I am so amped up — is that okay, to be super excited and proud that I killed a bunch of men?”
“Aye, ye won a battle, ye are proud, ye hae a right tae be.”
“I grabbed bags from them, a vessel, and a flashlight to get home.”
“And ye gained spoils from the war, ye are a warrior.”
“Damn, that was awesome.”
I looked at her sadly. “Och, it sounds verra dangerous, so much could hae happened tae ye — how many men?”
“Like four men, Torin, fourbigmen, I killed them and got away. God, I am badass.”
I smiled. “Four men!”
She looked down and seemed to catch sight of her hands. Then she looked down on her clothes and frowned. “I’m covered in blood.”
“Aye. Tis gruesome.”
“I need to get the blood off my hands, I can’t think.” She moved past me intae the kitchen, turnin’ the blazing lights on easily.
I noted the button she touched tae do it, I wouldna forget.
She ran her hands under the sink, scrubbing with soap. “Ugh, I can’t believe now we have to go fight another fight. That was plenty. I was way down the road, back there, I had to walk so far!”
“Aye, twas a verra close call, ye might hae died. Och, what would I hae done?”
She toweled off her hands. “You would have been desperately sad without me, Torin, but I am a hero — what happened here?”
She looked at my face. Her eyes seemed to really notice me. “What happened to you?”
“There was a loud explosion, mo leannan. M’ears are ringin’ from it.” I tugged at my earlobe.
“You look sunburnt.” She put some lotion in her palm, brought it close, and carefully rubbed it on my skin. “Feel better?”
“Aye, it does.”
“Those guys had a bomb or something? That makes me furious, what assholes! They bombed my childhood home? I’m glad they’re dead.”
“Och, ye sound verra heroic.” I brushed a clump of dirt from her shoulder.
She exhaled. “I don’t feel heroic, I mean, I do, I’m pretty proud I got away, but I think I might be in shock, you look like you’re in shock?— “
“What is shock?”
“When you’ve been through something big and you’re carrying on as if you’re fine but you’re about to collapse. Your heart is racing and you’re confused.”
I nodded. “I was verra confused, I couldna figure out where ye were and how tae find ye, and…” I looked around at the room. “Couldna remember how tae turn on the lights. Ye were fightin’ for yer life and yer husband was unable tae turn on a lamp.”
“Aw, we are a mess.”
“Aye.”
She went into the laundry room. “I just remembered, I have sweats and a tee, right here in the dryer. I don’t even have to go upstairs, it’ll go faster.”
