Loki ruffled Q’s hair and said, “I’d love to. Will ye promise me an apple from yer orchard in return?”
“We already picked some,” Wiley said. “Cook is making apple tarts for supper. Ye can have two.”
“Many thanks to ye. Maitland made ye a fine sling, but try these two that Lucas has with him. He and Kenzie will teach ye the way to shoot them.”
Maitland, Loki, and Tad stood back and watched the lads practice with their new slings, cheering when they hit the target.
“Maitland, ye’ve been on patrol, I hear. Anything ye wish to share about yer travels?” Loki asked, crossing his arms as he watched the lads.
“Not much. The English bastards have been coming much farther north and no one likes it, but we managed to send many of them back. Or bury them.”
Loki laughed. “’Tis the best place for them in the Highlands. Deep in the ground.”
“Have ye seen any along yer journey?” Maitland asked.
“Nay, but we travel quickly. I only bring four others with us, so we are less than ten. And I take advantage of my friendships for shelter at night. These bones are too old to enjoy sleeping on the ground anymore. I prefer a pallet anywhere inside. Idinnae need a soft bed, just a pallet inside away from the cold of winter.” He wore a thick mantle with a long scarf. “We often find a few lads and bring them home, but they are no’ used to the cold Highland nights either. I am grateful for yer hospitality, Menzies.”
“Think naught of it. We always enjoy seeing ye,” Maitland said.
Wiley ran over to stand in front of Loki, his hand full of small stones. “Lucas gave us each a sack to carry our stones in, but he also said to always keep some to stop bad men who might be taking us away or chasing us. He said to ask ye how ye did it.”
Tad chuckled along with his brother, and Loki asked, “Lucas is telling tales again, aye?”
Lucas said, “Da, ’tis a great story. Tell them how ye made the big, mean Norseman scream like a wee bairn.”
Q and Wiley waited patiently, their faces full of anticipation.
“’Tis a fine secret I’ll tell ye, laddies.” The tall man knelt down so he was at their level.
“What is the secret?” Wiley asked.
“What secwet?” Q mimicked.
“Ye put the stones in the villain’s shoes while they are sleeping. Then they canno’ chase ye.”
The two boys chuckled with glee and a hint of troublemaking.
“What did he do?” Wiley asked.
“What do?” Q repeated.
Loki leaned over and whispered, “A mean old Norseman I was following holed up in an abandoned house for the night. I knew I’d need to follow him when he left, but I needed to rest too. So after he went to sleep, I snuck over and put stones in his shoes. When the surly pig-nut put them on, he cursed and swore and yelled for half the hour. And I knew he was leaving so I followed him. Then I knew where he was going.”
Wiley looked at Q and said, “We must fill our sacks.”
The two ran off to complete their task, but Tad called out, “Ye’re never to do that to yer parents or yer uncles!”
Loki laughed as the boys ran off, then his expression turned more serious. “Have ye had much problem with reivers? We haven’t seen any about nor heard much news of trouble. Any insight from either of ye? We always run into marauders or reivers trying to steal sheep.”
“I dinnae see any either,” Maitland said. “And I agree with ye. Something is odd about that.”
What the hell was going on?
The Scot’s Reckoning
Book 7
Thea and Willum
