“It must be a dress?”
“Aye, ye will be in the past, ye daena want tae be in pants, I promise ye, twill solve a great deal of trouble. This is another coat dress, but tis thicker and darker, with a soft shirt and pants. Twill do?”
“Yes, perfect.” The pants were a dark olive green, thick. The shirt a pale green silk. The coat dress was built like a jacket on top with a skirt attached, and was in the same olive hue. The jacket on top was in velvet, which gave it a rich, deeper effect. The attached skirt went down to the floor in a lighter, more flowing fabric. The ensemble belted around the waist. The jacket had embroidery down both sides of the buttons, and there was a thick light-brown fur collar. I might be unprepared and untrained going to battle, but I would look gorgeous.
It wasn’t wasted on me that this was a ridiculous thing to do.
Aunt Claray said, her hand rubbing back and forth on the velvet. “Ye are truly goin’ tae battle, niece? I will be worried on ye.”
I saw Torin cut his eyes at me as if he were waiting to see how I would answer.
“I am, I need to be there.”
She said, “Ye ken we hae lost all of yer family and we hae only just found ye again.”
“I know, but it doesn’t change my decision. I’m going. It’s important… I won’t be talked out of it.”
She squeezed my shoulder. “Dost ye need help changing?”
“No, thank you, I will see you in the war room.”
She left.
Torin was buttoning the top of his shirt, looking in the mirror. He said, over his shoulder, “Ye are goin’ tae be havin’ that conversation quite a few times today.”
I pulled on the slacks and buttoned the waist. “Yeah, it’s going to suck.” I pulled the silky shirt over my head and tucked it in.
His face screwed up.
“What?”
“I dinna make out what ye said.”
“Oh, I said it’s going to suck to have to explain myself.”
He nodded, then said, “What they daena ken is once ye hae set yer mind, ye are verra difficult tae turn.”
I chuckled. “Yep. Better hope I’m right, because there’s no talking me from it.”
I pushed my arms into the dress sleeves. “Luckily I’m right about this.”
He lifted my belt, wrapped it around me, and buckled it. He passed me a blade to sheath at my waist. I would need to ask for a holster for a gun. I wanted a gun.
“How do I look?”
“Like a princess about tae go on an unwarranted exploit. How dost I look?”
“Like my warrior about to go fight for my kingdom.”
We admired each other and helped straighten seams and smooth and brush off each other’s backs.
He said, “I am takin’ ye, I winna be deterred, but if we are on the battlefield ye will hae tae listen tae my every word. If I tell ye tae run, ye run. If I say hide, ye?—”
“I hide.”
“Daena get caught, daena let them use ye against me. I winna be able tae fight.”
I nodded solemnly.
