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“Aye.” He straightened, and rubbed his good hand down the front of his tunic. “Dost I look well enough?”

“You look very handsome, blue is a good color on you. Do you think we’ll see the king?”

“What king?” He tugged his ear.

“The man who told you he was a king, he was in the room…?”

His face screwed up. “When? Ye mean the ghost? Ye saw him as well?”

“Yes, he was in the room.”

“Och nae… three men? They came intae the room, twas nae a dream?”

“It was not a dream.”

He looked concerned. “Dost they ken I was in the battle at Dunstaffnage?”

“Yes, Torin. You really don’t remember?”

“Tis vague, I canna recall the conversation.”

“You gave him the castle, you came to an agreement, and he said he would help us get home.”

He laughed. “Och nae, I ought not make contracts with kings in m’chambers when I am in a state.”

“Still, you did.” I chewed my lip. “But this is good, right? He was nice enough.”

“If he is a king, he inna goin’ tae be nice. What king?”

“Robert.”

His face screwed up. “Robert the Bruce was in my bed chamber? It canna be true.”

“It is, you called him Bobby.”

“Och, he is likely tae be ornery. Well, there is nothin’ tae be done about it, let us go ask the brothers for some food.”

He put out an arm and led me down the corridor, across the courtyard full of the men of the monastery quietly walking and working, no sounds at all.

Torin said, “Twas so quiet I forgot the place is full of monks. My ears are not verra good though. Ye ken?”

“Getting better though?”

“A bit, daena worry, and see, mo leannan, there inna an army here, nor a king.”

“Maybe they left. There were a lot of men here, I saw them ride up, and the king was definitely real.”

“I am glad ye dinna go out and I am glad I woke up from m’healin’ sleep.” He added, “This way tae the hall.”

“I can’t believe you know how to get around in here, you were dragged in three days ago… I had no idea where anything was.”

“Tis easy, the Great Hall will be far from the gate. Ye hae tae put the dining area in the middle of yer hold, so ye can eat in peace without strangers at yer gate seein’ ye at the business of it.”

I laughed. “You don’t want strangers to see you eat?”

“Only if they are eatin’ as well. Ye share food, because everyone is weak when eatin’.”

I said, as we walked, “Explain this to me.”