“Ah’m much older than ye though,” he said before she could leave.
“Perhaps older, but ye don’t look it. And ye’re kind. Ah don’t see ye as an old.” She could feel her face flood with heat and a sudden urge to hide. She was not usually so forthright.
Baile smiled, grabbed his book and read again. Mazey left, hoping she said the right things.
Morning came much too quickly.She wanted to sleep longer, but they needed to depart. The floor was cold, and it was still dark outside. She lit a lantern and dressed quickly so she could wake Siusan and get her ready to go. Her bairn kicked and wiggled all night, making it impossible to sleep soundly. Now she was up however, the wee baby in her belly sat quiet and content. Seems her luck was always against her. They would travel all day and a good nights’ rest would have helped.
She carried the lantern next door, to Siusan’s quarters. Dark curls fell across the pillow and her mouth lay open, a light snore escaped into the quiet room. She kicked off every blanket on the bed, even though the air was frigid.
“Siusan, it’s time to get up.” Mazey shook her icy arm gently.
Siusan woke up and slowly blinked her sleepy eyes. “It’s still dark outside.”
“Aye, but we have to leave. The road is long, and it’s best to start early in the morning. Let’s get up and get dressed.”
Siusan rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and slid out of bed like a pile of goo. “Ah’m too sleepy to travel.”
Despite her protests, Mazey dressed the girl. “Just think, we get to go out on horses and ye’ll get to ride one all by yerself.”
There was a twinkle in her eye. “Ah want to ride the bay horse. Can we ask Faither if ah can ride the bay?”
Mazey nodded and put her hand out. “Let’s break our fast. Ye can ask him over the meal.”
The light creptover the horizon; the colors changed from blacks and purples to warmer hues. The stars overhead shown bright in the early morning sky and the crescent moon waned small, limiting the amount of light they could see by. Siusan wanted to ride her own horse, but Baile insisted should anything happen on the road, he wanted her with a more experienced horseman. Should they need to get away from anything or should the horse have any problems, Siusan would still be safe. She pouted and cried. Mazey wasn’t great at riding. Her extended belly, although still small, would not provide room on the horse. Siusan got to ride with her father.
Mazey rode behind Baile in line, and two guards rode behind her. One led the way. The front guard was Gohrich, the man who told her the clan would protect her. He always made a point of saying hello to Mazey. Gilla, the maid who tended the fires, traveled in the rear. She came along to clean up and make meals. The other guards were people she only saw around the keep and never spoken to. The man who road closest to her, behind the group, was attractive. She was uncomfortable even looking at him, for fear he would see how attracted she was. Everyone rode in silence for the first part of the journey. It was so early the birds weren’t even aware the sun was coming up. The air was cold and crisp. It kept Mazey alert. This would be a long trip.
“Faither, ah have to relieve myself. Can we stop?” Siusan danced in the saddle.
Baile sighed. “Aye, we can stop. Ah forgot how much a wee child has to break when traveling.”
Mazey got closer and climbed off her horse. They walked off the side of the road. Poor little one. It took a few minutes for her to figure out how to not make a mess on her dress, but she did it.
“Thank ye, Mazey,” Baile said when they got back.
“Aye, ‘twas nothing.”
“Walk next to me, please. The silence is good for a while, but ah wish to hear from ye while we walk.”
Mazey climbed atop her horse and they began their journey again.
“Do ye know why we journey today? Did Siusan tell ye about it?” Baile asked.
“Aye, ah heard from her. She talked about it every day for the last fortnight. She said you travel to the ocean every year as a family and do fun things.”
“My late wife loved the ocean. She enjoyed it so much, we made a habit of traveling there often. We camp on the sands and make a fire. There are lots of little things the girls enjoyed. Moire was always most at peace when she could sleep with the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean. So ah take them still. Malmuira loves this trip. Ah’m sad she couldn’t join us. Siusan will be happy to have you here.”
“Ah’m glad. Ah’ll be happy to help.”
“She’ll fare well enough. Enjoy yerself. Have ye been to the ocean before?”
Mazey shook her head. “Nay, ah never got to go. Ah know it’s not far, but the only traveling ah have done was from my old clan to this one. My maither could never take me far. Ah’ve always dreamed about going though. Malmuira told me stories about the things found. It fascinated me. It sounded like another world. Like the one wee fairy folk come from.” She felt silly telling him her thoughts. He was far too mature to entertain dreams of fairy folk and fantasy.
“Ah agree with ye. Ah read the girls stories about fairy folk and the land north. Ah told them of the Tuatha De Danann and their mischievous spirits.”
Siusan interjected. “Tell us of the Tuatha, faither.”
He laughed a good belly laugh before he agreed. “All right wee’un, ah’ll tell ye about the fairy folk, but ye have to make sure ye listen good. Ah’ll ask ye to tell me about the story later.”
