“Thanks to this one,” Gavin replied, shaking Keith’s hand. “You’re becoming a squire, my lad.”
“Thank you, my laird.” Keith grinned so wide his eyes were watering.
“It’s not over yet,” a woman’s voice said from the darkness of the cave. Gavin looked as Tanya emerged, looking sorrowfully at the dead bodies stretched out on the ground. “There is one more battle left to fight.”
“The old crone,” Gavin said. “Where is she?”
“She ran when the tide turned your way.”
“Where’s she gone?”
“To her cave. You must finish this, Gavin. You and Heather.”
Bruce held up a hand. “The old crone cannot be killed by a mortal blade. I say we let her stay in the cave, maybe block the entrance up.”
“She will return,” Tanya said, shaking her head. “We must deal with her now.”
Bruce shook his head. “How? There is no mortal blade that can harm her.”
“The knife Gavin holds in his hand is no mortal blade.”
Gavin looked down. It looked like any other dagger. “This?” he asked, waving it through the air. “What’s so special about it?”
Tanya came over, lowering her voice so only Gavin and Heather could hear. “Forged by the druids who made the six keys. That’s why Tony wants the knife. He is what the witches call a collector.”
“He said it was to stop people dying,” Heather said, sounding shocked.
“It was to get the knife. With it he can slice through time. Go wherever he wants.”
“Why not come back and get it himself if he’s that bothered about it?”
“The key wouldn’t work for him. It had to be you, Heather. Now listen. The two of you need to go deal with the old crone. The knife is the only thing that can hurt her but remember, there are more ways of dealing with people than through bloodshed. Go now before she moves elsewhere.”
“Dinnae go,” Bruce said. “You have done more than enough. Let someone else deal with her.”
“This is my responsibility,” Gavin replied, shaking his hand firmly.
“Our responsibility,” Heather added, placing her hand on top, looking at Gavin. “Where you go, I go.”
Bruce looked as if he was about to say something but then he merely shook his head. “You always were a stubborn one.”
“Taught by the best,” Gavin said with a smile. “Take the clan back to the castle. We will see you there if God wills it.”
He whistled and Lairdkiller came trotting up the hillside a moment later. Turning to Heather he held out a hand. “Ready?”
She nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”
“Then let’s do this.”
He helped her onto the horse before climbing up behind her. “Just one thing,” he said, looking down at Tanya.
“What?”
“Where are we going?”
Tanya laughed. “You have seen her cave already, remember?”
Gavin thought hard. “Where she was talking to Jimmy the Snout?”
