She said, “I am being a big baby, but I don’t think it’s broken.”
I said, “It daena feel like it, but there is blood everywhere and ye are goin’ tae have black eyes.”
“There’s a fire. Where are our kids?”
Right then Hayley ran up. “Got them!”
She handed Jack tae Kaitlyn, he cried, “Ma!”
Isla sat down beside her.
Hayley said, “You look terrible, and Magnus, you need a Band-Aid in a couple of places.” She dug through her bag.
“I need tae go fight the fire.”
“You need a bandage first, hold on.” She ripped a pack open and peeled paper from a Band-Aid.
I said, “Ma and Da both hae boo-boos, Jack.”
She put a Band-Aid on my neck and patted it down.
“Tis enough?”
“Hold on, you need one on your cheek too.” She ripped open a small one and peeled it off. “I should clean it.”
“Aye, but there is a fire ragin’ so daena worry on it, just put it on.”
She stuck it on over the cut on my cheek and pressed it down, “There, done.”
“Thank ye.” Then I said, “Isla, ye hold yer Ma’s skirts, and daena leave her side. Archie, ye stay with them, ye hold Haggis, and watch what is happening. If the fire comes near here,” I stood and looked around, “It winna, but if it comes close ye ask one of the men if ye should move. Daena let Haggis go, tis too dangerous, and if ye need tae move, ye move them, ye understand?”
He solemnly nodded.
“I hae tae go get a hook and a bucket and fight this fire. I will be back.”
I raced across the courtyard and grabbed the last fire hook from the wall and ran up the steps taking two at a time tae the corridor where the men were fighting the fire.
Sean ran up from the dungeon. “What did ye do tae my castle?”
“I bought ye the castle,” I grabbed a bucket and passed it down. “And that man has tried tae destroy it tae spite me.”
Fraoch ran by. “Why ye standin’ here? We need men tae pull down the rafters!”
One of our men took m’place in the bucket brigade while we ran taeward the fire, with the fire hook, grabbing a load of wet wool blankets as we ran.
Fraoch said, “I ken I hae been complaining about the rain, but we need it tae start again.”
I used the hook tae yank burning rafters tae the ground, and then men covered them with wet wool. I passed the hook tae Sean and he pulled down a rafter, we tossed another blanket on it.
Liam ran up. Sean asked, “Where ye been, I thought ye were behind me!”
“Had tae do something first, had tae help Lady Mairead.”
I grabbed a bucket and poured it on the wall. “What did she need help with?”
He said, “I freed Wilfrey and got her a shovel so she could get a vessel.”
I chuckled. “She is gone already with the last vessel? Och nae.” I swung a damp blanket onto a pile of burning coals. “Tis always her needs come first.”
