Max said, “Aye.”
Aenghus said, “We will meet ye kids there.”
They leftus in the clearing. We gathered the horses together to ride and Torin said, “They call ye the ‘kids’.”
Max closed a pack. “They are auld,everyoneis young tae them.” Then he grunted. “Ye are honest, Torin, we hae fought this battle before?”
“Aye. I never lie tae ye, m’laird.” Torin strapped a pack to one of the saddles and put Dude inside.
“I just daena understand how we can lose, it seems a certain?—”
“Ye ken battles are never certain, m’laird, especially when ye are meetin’ an adversary for the first time, tis why I am furious with the uncles. Twas egregious tae not tell us.”
I said, “I’m sure they thought they were getting smarter.”
“Aye, but Max and I were left in the dark. We are the best warriors, we ought tae ken the stakes.”
Max looked thoughtful. “How many more times will we need to fight?”
“This will be it, we are done with the trials. I will win this time, I hae learned what I need.” Then Torin said, “Ready tae mount up, Alexandria?”
I took Ferrari’s reins. “You want me to mount up, my love? Watch this.” I put a foot in the stirrup. “Alright, Ferrari, I’m going to mount up.” The horse sidestepped a bit, but it didn’t matter, I pulled up, got my leg over, and settled in the saddle.
I grinned at Torin.
Torin said, “Och, I liked that verra much. I am verra proud.”
“I’ve been practicing, waiting for you to come back.”
He grinned. “Ye made m’dreams real.”
Max said, “Och, ye are verra sweet, I am verra pleased for ye both,” as he finished packing all the bags on all the horses.
Max climbed on Dà,Torin mounted Cathbarr, then he led all of us from the clearing toward the military camp.
Lambo walked beside me. Dude poked his head up out of Lambo’s pack. “It’s like we’re in the past right, Dude? Except we’re surrounded by a whole herd of horses now and Max is with us.”
Then I asked, “Torin, howdidye get so many horses? I know how you got Lambo and Ferrari, but what about the others?”
“Och, tis a long story, even without tryin’, I keep gatherin’ them up.”
I said, “We have about a twenty-minute ride, you might as well tell it.”
Torin began to do what he loved, what I had grown used to as we rode through Scotland, sitting half-turned on the horse, looking back, the reins casually held on his thigh, talking to me…
God, I loved him.
37
ALEXANDRIA
SEPTEMBER 16, 2185 - THE ENCAMPMENT ONCE MORE
The sounds of the encampment were loud, the soldiers were busy, the morning was bright. It hummed with the energy of a full day. The two extra horses clopped behind Torin, Max, and me in a train. Dude was in a bag on Lambo’s withers, his head poking out like a smug little lion king. Torin was now facing forward, sitting tall in Cathbarr’s saddle, one hand on the reins, the other resting on the hilt of his sword. His eyes scanned every shadow as if Rannald himself might step out of one of the tents.
Max passed him to ride in the front.
A young sentry in black tactical gear snapped his rifle up the second we emerged from the trees. “Halt! Identify yourself?—”
