Chapter 33
As Dani emerged from the Inn Duncan could see that her face was pale, he walked over to her "are you up for this?" she smiled at him "Yeah the fresh air will do me good" she said as she linked her arm through his. They walked off towards the Loch; the sun was already burning away the mist from the Loch when they arrived at the water's edge. Dani looked up into Duncan's face, she could see from his eyes that he had drifted into another time, softly she spoke to him "tell me what happened here", without taking his eyes away from the Loch, Duncan started to describe what he was seeing and as Dani touched his arm she began to see through his eyes.
A mist covered Loch Shiel, he stood with others on the shore, they had been watching the Loch since dawn but still no sign of the boat that was bring with it their hopes and dreams. Duncan rubbed his hands together as there was still a chill in the air as the sun was not yet strong enough to warm through the men as they waited, some had retreated back into the barn to await a cry from outside. Duncan decided to warm himself inside for a while, he had just walked inside when a shout came from outside "I see it.I see the boat", Duncan looked around at the faces of the other men that were also in the hut, then they seemed to move as one towards the door.
They all watched in silence as a small boat broke free of the mist and glided into the shore, standing on the stern was the Prince Charlie, Scotland's true King, the man they had all been waiting for. As he came ashore, Duncan could see from his face that he seemed disappointed "is this all there is?" the Bonnie Prince asked the Chief of the MacDonald's "no.my lord.there are more MacDonald's travelling here as we speak" seeming satisfied with the answer the Bonnie Prince followed the MacDonald's into the barn to await the others. Several hours passed and only another 150 MacDonald's had joined the 50 or so men that had waited on the shore.
The prince walked out of the barn his hands behind his back, he walked down to the edge of the loch, lost in his own thoughts, Duncan watched from where he was sitting, on a pile of logs outside the barn, he could see the troubled look on the Prince's face. The MacDonald's Clan Chief joined the Prince at the water's edge, the prince turned to him "I know your men are strong and their hearts are true.but with barely 200 men we can not take on the might of the English", just as the Clan Chief was about to answer the faint sound of bagpipes could be heard, they both turned towards the sound, men started to come out of the barn and they stood together watching as over the mountain to the north came men from the Clan Cameron, a 1000 men marched down the mountain to join the Prince's army.
Dani let go of Duncan's arm and he blinked and shook his head as the images disappeared; he looked around as if he expected to see the Prince. "Let's move on" Duncan said still unsure of what had just happened but inside he could still feel the warmth of the hope he had that day over 200 years earlier.
They spent the rest of the day walking and talking; they stopped for lunch by a waterfall that fed into the loch. After they had eaten they lay back in the long grass just holding each other and watching the clouds blow gently across the sky. Just as they were about to leave Duncan pointed out some deer that had come to the stream to drink, Dani watched fascinated, as they nervously looked around, ever watchful while they drank. Duncan wasn't watching the deer he was watching Dani, her face seemed relaxed for the first time since he had found her and her eyes sparkled with the excitement of being so close to the deer.
As Dani emerged from the Inn Duncan could see that her face was pale, he walked over to her "are you up for this?" she smiled at him "Yeah the fresh air will do me good" she said as she linked her arm through his. They walked off towards the Loch; the sun was already burning away the mist from the Loch when they arrived at the water's edge. Dani looked up into Duncan's face, she could see from his eyes that he had drifted into another time, softly she spoke to him "tell me what happened here", without taking his eyes away from the Loch, Duncan started to describe what he was seeing and as Dani touched his arm she began to see through his eyes.
A mist covered Loch Shiel, he stood with others on the shore, they had been watching the Loch since dawn but still no sign of the boat that was bring with it their hopes and dreams. Duncan rubbed his hands together as there was still a chill in the air as the sun was not yet strong enough to warm through the men as they waited, some had retreated back into the barn to await a cry from outside. Duncan decided to warm himself inside for a while, he had just walked inside when a shout came from outside "I see it.I see the boat", Duncan looked around at the faces of the other men that were also in the hut, then they seemed to move as one towards the door.
They all watched in silence as a small boat broke free of the mist and glided into the shore, standing on the stern was the Prince Charlie, Scotland's true King, the man they had all been waiting for. As he came ashore, Duncan could see from his face that he seemed disappointed "is this all there is?" the Bonnie Prince asked the Chief of the MacDonald's "no.my lord.there are more MacDonald's travelling here as we speak" seeming satisfied with the answer the Bonnie Prince followed the MacDonald's into the barn to await the others. Several hours passed and only another 150 MacDonald's had joined the 50 or so men that had waited on the shore.
The prince walked out of the barn his hands behind his back, he walked down to the edge of the loch, lost in his own thoughts, Duncan watched from where he was sitting, on a pile of logs outside the barn, he could see the troubled look on the Prince's face. The MacDonald's Clan Chief joined the Prince at the water's edge, the prince turned to him "I know your men are strong and their hearts are true.but with barely 200 men we can not take on the might of the English", just as the Clan Chief was about to answer the faint sound of bagpipes could be heard, they both turned towards the sound, men started to come out of the barn and they stood together watching as over the mountain to the north came men from the Clan Cameron, a 1000 men marched down the mountain to join the Prince's army.
Dani let go of Duncan's arm and he blinked and shook his head as the images disappeared; he looked around as if he expected to see the Prince. "Let's move on" Duncan said still unsure of what had just happened but inside he could still feel the warmth of the hope he had that day over 200 years earlier.
They spent the rest of the day walking and talking; they stopped for lunch by a waterfall that fed into the loch. After they had eaten they lay back in the long grass just holding each other and watching the clouds blow gently across the sky. Just as they were about to leave Duncan pointed out some deer that had come to the stream to drink, Dani watched fascinated, as they nervously looked around, ever watchful while they drank. Duncan wasn't watching the deer he was watching Dani, her face seemed relaxed for the first time since he had found her and her eyes sparkled with the excitement of being so close to the deer.