The next morning I awoke with new vigor even though the rain was stilling falling. After wondering into the woods to relieve ourselves Nicky and I sat down next to the fire and decided what to have for breakfast.
"Up 'n' Go or Mother Earth Baked Oaty Slices," I asked Nicky as I reached into my pack.
"Up 'n' Go, chocolate please," she replied.
Handing her one I grabbed myself one and began to drink it. The boys looked on curiously. I mean we were drinking out of boxes with straws.
"What's that," Rhett asked.
"An amazing chocolate power drink," Nicky replied.
He looked confused. Reaching over me Nicky grabbed two more and threw them at the boys and said, "Try it."
They seemed a wee bit confused about how to get the drink out of the box, so I got up grabbed the one Rhett had and took the straw and popped it through the top. Iwan copied the process. Sitting back down I noticed them looking at each other.
"We didn't poison them," I said annoyed. It was too early for this shit. I mean it had to be like 6 am.
Nodding at each other they both took a sip. Smiles spread across their faces. They finished theirs in a matter of seconds. Shaking my head I looked at Nicky and whispered, "Do you think giving them those will change history?"
"Don't think so but you never know. I mean Scotland, not Australia, may create the Up 'n' Go now."
A few minutes later the lads began packing up the camp. Within the hour we were riding again. My inner thighs were starting to hurt from all the riding and I knew that tomorrow wasn't going to be pleasant, but if all went as planned we'd be on way home tomorrow. Our path didn't take us back towards the rolling hills but into the forest, which the stream went into.
It was about midday when the lads started to converse about where to stop for lunch. Rhett seemed to think on the side of the rode was fine, but Iwan was convinced that we should go to a place more concealed. It was amid this argument that Nicky pointed out a group of ten British redcoats coming towards us.
"Shit. Lassies keep close to us. Rhett keep your mouth shut I'll handle this," Iwan muttered.
As the gap closed between our two groups the redcoat leader came forward and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Collecting our two younger cousins from Inverness who are visiting Scotland from the American colonies." As soon as Iwan said this the redcoats seemed to look down upon us, as if we weren't worth their time.
"Very well carry on," the leader said.
We passed by them without any other exchange of words. We were a few feet away when I heard one soldier say, "Colonists whores no better than the Scots."
Rhett and Iwan both stopped. "We shouldn't," Iwan said grinding his teeth.
"Oh but we should," growled Rhett.
Nicky and I looked at each other. "Lads really you don't have to defend our honor. We aren't the least bit offended," Nicky stated.
The boys were already turning their horses around. Just as Iwan opened his mouth to tell off the British soldier a gun shot fired. Not from the lads and not from the redcoats, but from the forest.
"SHIT," Iwan yelled as he turned back towards us, "RIDE."
Another gun shot went off. I looked towards Nicky she was losing control of her horse and I had already lost control of mine. I quickly threw my hands into Nessie's mane as she bolted into the forest. I looked back and caught a glimpse of Nicky's horse running in the opposite direction. There went our plan. As Nessie plummeted deeper into the forest I thought, "Well shit has hit the fan."