“Aye, I suppose they will hae tae — the future will demand it of them.”
“Dost they know they are goin’?”
“Not yet, I was goin’ tae tell them on the morrow.”
I chewed m’lip thinkin’ our conversation through, then the rain that I hadna noticed comin’ began tae drip, a slight sprinkle at first, a few large drops.
Sean and I did as we always did — in all the years that I had stood guard beside m’older brother on the walls in the rain, we ignored it, pretendin’ it wasna happening a tradition begun in our youth when we were forced tae stand on the walls and dinna want tae. Because back then we had tae follow orders and tae begin tae complain meant we would become miserable.
So instead we played a game: how long could we go before the first of us would mention it?
Tonight Sean and I stood, looking out over the landscape, stoically. With big splashing drops landing on our faces, wetting our shoulders, chilling the air. We lasted near ten minutes, me bitin’ my lip tae keep from laughin’, he looking at me from the corner of his eyes, willin’ me tae break first.
Then finally he said, with rivulets of rain streaming down his face. “The rain is comin’.”
We both burst intae laughter.
I was near drenched and fought back the laughs tae say, “Aye, twill be here by morn.”
CHAPTER 18
MAGNUS
LIZBETH CANNA SETTLE HER MIND
We heard someone comin’ up the far stair. “Liam’s come tae join us on this fair night.”
But beside him was Lizbeth, holdin’ a plastic raincoat above her head tae keep the rain off. She held back, near the wall, while Liam approached, and nodded, “Magnus, yer sister wanted tae speak tae ye.”
“I daena think she has wanted tae speak tae me on the walls before.”
Sean said, “Definitely not in the rain in the middle of the night.”
Liam said, “Tis important, she canna settle her mind.”
“Aye, I understand.”
I walked down through the puddles on the parapet tae discuss…
“Lizbeth, tis too wet for ye, tis not fit?—”
“Ye are here, and I want tae speak tae ye.”
“Aye, but I am a bear, tis not fit for a lady tae be here.”
“I behaved horribly, Young Magnus. I need ye tae…” She looked distressed.
“Och nae, Lizbeth, tis alright,” I looked back at Sean and Liam at the walls. “Dost ye want tae go tae yer chamber, where tis dry?”
She nodded.
I gestured tae Liam that we were goin’ down, put out my arm for her tae take, and the two of us went quietly down the stairs tae their chamber.
She opened the door on a fine sitting room, a well tended hearth with a warming fire. She dropped her raincoat tae the floor and a maid whisked it away. “Would ye like a drink, Young Magnus?”
“I had a great deal of whisky earlier…”
“I hae some wine.”
