About an hour later the rain began to pick up into a full blown storm, and when I say full blown, I mean heavy rain and the type of wind the chills you to the bone. Nicky and I quickly stopped our horses and pulled out our heavy duty rain coats. Both Scotsmen impatiently waited for us to don our jackets, but as soon as they were on we were off again.

This weather totally made me rethink traveling to the Scottish highlands in April, at least we weren't any more north or we'd probably see snow and ice. This rain didn't seem to slow down Nessie, on the contrary it seemed to speed her up. All the sudden I left Nicky behind, and was riding next to Iwan.

"So Nessie seems to like the weather," I stated as Nessie fell into a pace equal to Drostan's pace, if not a little more brisk.

"Aye she would. Loved the water since she was a wee foal. Actually it is how she got her name," he replied.

"Do tell as Rhett seemed a little unwilling to tell," I said as I looked over my shoulder towards Rhett, who now was riding next to Nicky.

"He would as it made him look like a complete fool. We were at Loch Ness maybe four years ago. I was meeting Rhett and uncle there and as it was I arrived there first, and decided to let the young filly play in the water. Nessie was only a yearling and had just been broken, and I was having a hard time naming her as nothing seemed to fit her personality. Rhett came along shortly after, and wondering down the path to the beach saw the head and neck of some creature swimming in the Loch. Thinking it some Loch Ness monster he ran to grab his athair who was just behind him on the path. Well uncle came down to the spot were Rhett had spotted this creature and said, "Well son I think what you see there is a common Highland pony taking a nice summer swim." He hasn't lived it down since that day. Every time we go near Loch Ness he gets all uptight, but that is why her name is Nessie after the great lake just north west of here," Iwan laughed as he finished the story.

I was silent for just a moment and then began to laugh my head off. "Nessie, the Loch Ness monster," I said choking on the words because I was laughing so hard. This horse had created the most famous monster in the whole world. Iwan just smiled at me, probably thinking I was mad. As my laughing continued, Nicky and Rhett made their way up to us to see what all the commotion was about.

"Oh just learning how Nessie got her name," I said smirking at Rhett.

"You didn't," he accused Iwan.

"Tell me," Nicky chimed in.

"Don't you dare," Rhett begged but Iwan was already telling the story. The second time around was even better as Iwan was now exaggerating everything to torment his cousin, but by the end of the story even Rhett was chuckling admitting that he probably should have looked a little harder at the creature in the water, and not have immediately thought it was a water horse. To which Nicky stated that it technically it was a water horse, which immediately sent as all into fits of laughter again.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. As the sun began to set the boys found shelter from the rain in a cluster of birch and oak trees along the stream we had been following. The rain had thoroughly soaked the pants I had been wearing, so I asked if I could go change them and Nicky stated that she too needed to change her clothes and go relieve herself.

"I swear that we will not run away. I mean we would be fools to in this weather and in the dark," she swore to our captors. They nodded and said not to wonder too far. A bit away from the camp we started to strip down and get ourselves into dry clothes. I never knew that dry socks and dry underwear could be the greatest thing in the world.

"So what do you think we should do? I mean I think the lads are nice but we really need to get back to our time. I don't think I can rough it out much longer without having a break down," I stated quite frankly.

"Well we need to get back to those stones and it will be harder to get back there the farther we get," she replied.

"But when do we try to escape from the hotties?"

"I say some time tomorrow like when we stop for lunch and they go to relieve themselves. They seem to trust us a bit more, especially that Iwan," stated Nicky with a smirk in my general direction.

"Okay what is that smirk about?"

"Nothing, just that you may be using those big brown doe eyes to ensnare him."

"I would never. I only use my doe eyes for good never evil," I said acting offended.

"Well if they help us escape, use the hell out of them."

"As you command! So tomorrow then," I asked as I began to dig a poop pit with my shovel.

Nicky nodded in agreement and started to dig her own, and with that we relieved ourselves and headed back to the camp site.

Tomorrow the plan would be set in motion.