I watched, taking it all in, with the rhythmic creak of leather saddles and the soft squelching clop of horses’ hooves on the muddy track. As we came to the woods, Magnus turned to show me Jack’s sweet head, heavy on his arm, he had fallen asleep…
We followed the path into the woods and the air grew cool and damp on our faces and then Fraoch said, jovially, “We are nearin’ where we intended tae surprise ye, Kaitlyn, dost ye need us tae do it again?”
“Nope, I have it all right here,” I patted my heart. “I am still incredibly surprised.”
Magnus said, “I am glad tae hear it, ye must keep rememberin’ that, and remindin’ yerself that I am tryin’ tae be romantic, and perhaps ye can stave off yer disappointment.”
I said, “I think you already told me what this is.”
“Aye, forget that until we get there, then I will tell ye again and ye will think tis amazing.”
I laughed to myself as we continued on. Small water droplets flicked off overhanging branches, the gentlest of reminders of the storms of last night.
Finally Magnus said, “We are here. Dost ye recognize it, Archibald and Isla?”
Isla looked around like she didn’t, but said, “Of course, silly,” all the same.
Magnus said, “Did ye call me silly, Isla?”
“Yes, Da, ye are the silliest of everyone, you brought us out into the woods to get a branch.”
Magnus said, “Isla, twas a secret!”
She said, “Ma, you didn’t hear me, did you hear me?”
I said, “I did not hear you. I have no idea what is happening.”
We all climbed down from our horses and Archie showed Isla the seedlings that they had planted a few months before, now a foot and a half tall. I said, “If you think about it, this forest remembers us. It’s got baby trees we planted, and when we are in our kingdom it has a large forest that came from these trees.”
Magnus said, “And many of these trees I planted years ago. Some I planted centuries ago.”
Fraoch said, “Is this it, tis why ye hae dragged us out here? Tae stand around and talk on memories and trees and beg us tae commend ye on yer romance?”
Magnus pulled a small axe from a pack on the side of Dràgon, and looked up at the branches of the trees around us. “I am going tae cut a branch, tae get a piece of wood, tae carve a heart.”
I teased, “Oh, surprise!”
He chuckled. “I already told ye!”
“I cannot remember if I’m supposed to be surprised or to know already.”
He laughed. “I am going tae carve m’wife a heart like ye had when we lived at Kilchurn years ago.” He kept looking up for the perfect branch, with Isla and Archie also looking up. I wished I had a camera because they looked so intent and funny.
Archie said, “What kind are we looking for?”
Magnus showed with his hands. “About this long, and about this big around.”
Then Fraoch said, “What about this one?” He reached down and pulled a branch up from the leaves of the forest floor. It was the exact same size and shape that Magnus had just described.
Hayley burst into laughter.
“But then I canna use m’axe.”
“Yer axe?”
“Aye, so m’wife can see m’muscles rippling when I use it. That is part of the romance.”
“Og Maggy, if tis all about using yer axe, I think we can cut off this end here. And then we can move ontae the next task.”
