“You would do that for me?”
“Aye.”
“Thank you.”
“Wait here.” He crossed the courtyard and vanished into the keep.
While he was gone, Beth paced back and forth, trying to wake her exhausted limbs. A headache was building behind her eyes. She needed rest and she wasn’t going to get it here. She just hoped when she got home the images of the battle would vanish along with her memories of this place.
She didn’t want to remember it anymore. She had been mad to think she could stay at all. Andrew was a violent man in a violent world and he fitted in right at home swinging a sword about. She’d just thrown a couple of stones and it was enough to make her feel ill.
Besides, she should get back to her mother, look after her like she was supposed to, not leave her to fend for herself. She tried not to think about leaving Andrew behind. The thought of being without him did something deep inside her, opened a void that threatened to swallow her whole if she gave it as much as a moment’s thought.
Get home, she told herself. What happens here is nothing to do with me. It all took place hundreds of years ago if I look at it properly and I shouldn’t be getting involved at all. Butterfly effect and all that.
She looked up at the walls, seeing the scaffolding that was only in place because of her. She had already changed the future. The place would be far stronger when it was done. She would be sorry not to see the end of the work but this was the right thing to do.
“Are you ready?” Derek asked, sneaking up on her from nowhere. “Meet Rufus. He was just on his way out and he’s agreed to take you back to Pluscarden.” He nodded to the other man. “Isn’t that right Rufus?”
“Aye,” the mountain of a man next to Derek said, dark eyes all that were visible from under his even darker hood. “Come on, lassie. Let’s get going.”
