“For now.”
“What do we do now?”
“You put the necklace on and go home.”
She shook her head. “Not until I find out what’s on the island.”
“Why? Why not go now while you can?”
“I don’t know.” She sank to the ground, sitting cross legged and leaning back on a tree stump. “Something tells me I need to stay with you for a while.” She shivered. “Anyway, can we make a fire?”
“I dare not. They would see the glow. Come, sit beside me.”
He held out an arm, wrapping it around her as she shuffled across to him. She felt safer and warmer at once. “Is that them?” She could just hear movement in the distance, the sound of twigs snapping and muffled voices talking low.
“Aye but they are going the wrong way. I left a false trail for them to follow.”
“Should we get moving?”
“Not yet. We would make too much noise. We rest here until I am sure we are safe to go on.”
“To the island?”
“Aye.”
She shuffled closer to him as a cold breeze blew past. “How do you know where it is?”
“Kirrin Island? I went to the monastery there to be blessed when I came of age. It was some time ago but I remember the route well.”
“How long will it take?”
“We will reach it tomorrow, God willing. You should try and get some sleep while you can.”
“I doubt I’ll ever sleep again.” Her stomach rumble loudly in the darkness.
“You are hungry?”
“I’m fine.”
“Wait there.” He got up, heading away. He didn’t want to leave her but he couldn’t let her starve. He went back the way they’d come, searching for the rabbit warren he’d seen a few minutes earlier. He found it and it didn’t take long for him to trap two of the more foolish ones. He brought them back to her.
“We go on,” he said. “Down there is a sheltered spot. No one will see a fire no matter how hard they look.”
A few minutes later they were in a sheltered glen next to a loch. Cam soon had a fire going and the smell of cooking meat filled the night air.
“Tell me something,” he said, looking at Rachel in the darkness. “Why aren’t you going home now?”
She shrugged. “I told you. I need to stay.”
“To see what’s on the island?”
“Exactly. I’ll tell you something though, when I do go home, I’m going to have quite a few stories to tell.”
“What about?”
“About here. About you, about this time.”
“It’s different to your time then?”
