Murtagh
I heard the metal beast first before I saw it. A loud growling sound unlike any I have ever heard before made me jump and turn. The mere site of of the great smoking beast caused me grow roots where I stood as I watched it charge straight for us and neither Jamie nor I with a dirk between us. This great green and white closed wagon bore down upon us; it's face like nothing I had ever seen before. It had two large sulfur colored eyes glaring down on me, like the great water horse, from the stories of my youth, out on land. A large windowed forehead with a man, clearly being eaten, in it's mouth. It's shinny metal mouth and teeth smiling as it approach, knowing I would be it's next meal, having no yet finished eating the one it's started. It made a horrible rumbl'n noise and then squealed, like a pig, when it stopped. Truth be told, it scared the e'ffing Jesus out of me. This sassenach, and Jamie, showed no fear of it at all, as it approached, nor when a panel slid aside, opening it's great belly. With no hesitation at all, Jamie and Claire just walked up the steps and into the beast's mouth as I stood fixed in the grass like I was stuck up to my knees in a bog. Jamie had to come back for me, calling me out of my stupor, smiling and extended his hand, motioning for me to follow him. Jamie called it a 'bus', a 'horseless carriage'. As I entered I ken I was going to be eaten alive. The beast closed it's large gaping mouth behind me and continued it's search of prey.
I sit on a bench in the belly of this 'beast' with my mouth pressed shut. My lips are a thin straight line, white from being squeezed tightly together, to keep me from wag'n my tongue. Jamie, my verra own godson, said for me to be silent until we got to where we were go'n as we left the 'prison'. That did'na mean I could'na or would'na watch and listen.
"Dinna fash," Jamie told me and squeezed my shoulder in comradery. He said that everything would be explained when we got back to the Sassenach's home. He would answer all my questions, even if it took all night. He'd better no be tired then as I had a great many questions for the lad. Like where the ifrimm'n hell were we, te start with, aye? So I was silent, silent as the grave. I would bide my time.
First, what the ffrumph Jesus was go'n on? I clench and unclench my hands as I work this morning's events through my heid. Jamie finally comes to get me and he has this lass in tow. "They found me" Jamie said. They. Said he did'na realize I had come through the Stones until Claire showed him a 'picture of me in the newspaper' whatever the 'iffrin that meant. Jamie said she works there, at the 'Hospital'. She kens those people and made it possible for him to get me out. If she works there, she's one of them, aye? And her be'n a sassenach ta boot. British, the verra word tasted bitter in my mouth. But Jamie seems to trust this lass, they seem to have a bond, and I trust Jamie, with my life. I will keep quiet and bide my time.
Jamie said Claire is 'a nurse', a healer that's why she works at the Hospital. That might come in handy with the lad and his propensity to get himself into a stramach without much effort. As big as Jamie is, ye think that men would leave him be, but more often than not, a loon with too many drinks in him will come and try to start a fight with the lad. When he can, Jamie will turn the other cheek, but more often than not, it comes to blows. And Jamie's Uncle Dougal, Angus, Rupert and the rest of the MacKenzie muck will jump in and before ya ken it, whatever tavern we happen to be in is broken to bits.
Claire is bonnie, verra bonnie indeed. I can see what Jamie sees in her. She looks like a lass but had the makings of a woman, what some people would ken as an auld soul. She seems a kind, caring sort and she's look'n at Jamie the same way he is look'n at her. There is more go'n on between them than either is say'n, that for certain.
Claire must have ken I was upset when the doctor asked to speak to Jamie privately in his office, which is located on the other side of the locked door. Claire placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and kissed me on the cheek, in attempt to calm and reassure me, before she and Jamie left with the doctor. I was verra nervous, almost shaking with the thought that Jamie would leave through the locked door and be unable to return for me. She seemed to sense this fear and took a moment to whisper in my ear that they would be right back; promising that Jamie and she would not leave here today without me. I quietly released the breath, which I did not realize I was holding, and I felt the tight grip on my heart ease a little . I will no say I like her but, but British or no, I will speak civil to her as she is responsible for my release and the healing of my godson as I quietly bide my time. I look at her and give her a weak smile. She pats my arm and leaves with Jamie and the doctor.
Just sit'n here watch'n Jamie's face and I ken he's fallen for the lass. Hard. Since they arrived at the 'prison', Jamie has hardly taken his eyes off her. They are latched on to her like a blue eyed hawk that had found it's prey. Last time I saw a man look at a woman like that, Brian, Jamie's Da, laid eyes on Ellen for the first time, in the Great Hall at Castle Leoch. The verra next night they had run off together. I shook my head. I was no want'n te deal with that along with everyth'n else going on. If Jamie was over the moon for this Claire, just like Brian was for Ellen, Jamie would na be go'n anywhere without Claire. I clearly notice that she finds favor with Jamie as well. Well of course she would, the lass would have to be daft not to fancy Jamie. But right now is not the best time to be woo'n lasses. Certainly not while Jamie has a price on his heid. Just how many ruddy days have I spent in that ffrumph'n prison? I will have to have a talk with Jamie about Claire when Jamie is done talk'n te mw. I will bide my time in silence. Hurrumph.
I do'na think I really remember anyth'n until I was in...what had the Sassenach called it, a 'Hospital', whatever the shite that was. A prison is what I'd call it, though it was na kept by British Soldiers in Redcoats. These guards wore white. They stripped me of my clothes, shaved my beard, cut my hair, made me stand under a strange waterfall and clean myself, with soap no less, and even poked me in the arse with a real shape needle, muttering someth'n about kill'n something they called 'germs'.
I can'na remember a time I was more glad to see Ellen's boy, as when he walked into the large open cell that held me and about 20 other men. Came to take me home he said, only we were going to the Sassenach's house na Lallybroch. On the 'bus', Jamie and this Claire sat on the bench beside me. My bench faced the windows of the far side of the 'bus'. Claire and Jamie's bench sat facing me. I could easily watch them and they me. I had a clear view out the bus windows opposite me and all the strangeness that passed before my eyes. Jamie had a tight hold of her hand even before we left the hospital. It was clear he was never letting go of it. His other hand he kept constant on my shoulder, squeezing and patting it to reassure me that everything was go'na be alright. How the ffrumph was that going to happen? Noth'n made sense. Noth'n was familiar. Where in Judas Priest were we? I sat in silence, biding my time.
The 'bus' stopped occasionally. People got on and people got off, almost all the benches were full with men, women and bairn. As I sat, my eyes scanned the carriage. There were two long benches that faced each other...on each side of the bus. I sat on one side. There were 3 rows of seats facing the way we were headed on my left and 8 benches to my right. Jamie and Claire sat on the first bench on my right, so they are facing me. There is another long bench in the verra back. If I have to sit in this carriage, I must say that at least the seats are verra comfortable. A damn site softer than my saddle; they are nicely padded and covered in leather. Verra nice. Damned if this 'bus' is no the largest carriage I have ever seen in my entire life. Must be 15 paces long. My head ached as I attempted to search for an explanation of what these th'ins were. It would take 10 horses to pull this carriage when it was full of people. They would have to be large horses too, like those Percherons Jamie and I had seen in France, not some Gentleman's pleasure horses. Yet we were mov'n without any horses that I could see. My eyes flitted from the dozens of horseless carriages that passed by us to the verra clothes these people were wear'n. Out in public too. The women, even this Claire, all with their skirts torn show'n all of their leg, from the knee down, just like the lasses in the 'hospital'...I shook my head. Unfathomable. Jamie tried to hearten my resolve by whispering explanations of the things that were coming into view, in Gaidhlig. It did help keep the panic from my throat but deep down, my gut was churn'n. I dinna utter a word.
"First we needed to go to the police to get back your weapons, Murtagh" Jamie said.
I nodded my head in affirmation. Aye, I certainly needed my dirk, sword and sgian dhu; I could'na walk around unarmed in a place such as this. The men in blue uniforms that had left me at the prison had taken them from me. They had even found the sgian dhu hidden in my boot. I can'na be without them for long. It feels wrong. I feel naked without them. I can and will remain silent.
While we were in France, I had heard about a man that flew above the ground in a basket by capturing hot air. Even though Jamie and I had been in France, I had never actually seen it. Maybe that's where we were, France. No, not even Paris was this strange. At least in Paris the Frenche's dressed appropriately, though a wee too frilly for my taste. London perhaps? I'd never been to London, but I had heard some pretty daft stories and the British were a verra strange lot. I had heard of a Englishman that had built an 'engine' that used steam to pump water from copper mines; I dinna ken what steam is but I was told ya make it by boil'n water and I ken do that just fine. Another Englishman used a bell to breathe while walk'n under water. I can'na even imagine how that would work; a single man would'na be able to carry a church bell by himself, no even a small one. It made sense that there would be other strange contraptions but this was an entire village filled with odd sights and things I dinna understand. Nothing I saw since I woke up by the stones made any sense ta me. It was all beyond anything I could imagine. Made my heid hurt.
Maybe I was deid and the 'hospital' was my purgatory. Jamie must have died too. That made perfect sense...when my horse went down and now, as my angel, Jamie has come back to collect me. I will see Ellen again, and Brian, of course. "That's it, I'm deid", I muttered softly to myself. It must have been loud enough for Jamie to hear for he squeezed my shoulder. But, somehow, I ken I was'na.
I leaned my head against the glass window behind me, closed my eyes and tried to remember how I ended up here. As ill luck would have it, Jamie and I had ridden into a band of MacKenzie men; surprising Jamie's Uncle Dougal and his men steal'n cattle. Jamie had thought it might be best to go back to Castle Leoch and lay low with his Uncle's while we figured out what our best move was. That verra night, with Dougal and the poached coos, we rode right into an ambush of British Redcoats.
I closed my eyes again and remembered...Jamie's horse had gone down. The lad had been nimble enough to keep his leg out from under the beast when it fell and had scrambled to his feet. I'd be damned if I'd leave Ellen's son; Jamie was entrusted into my care and protection by Ellen herself. I was no gonna leave him behind to be captured by the 'iffrin British Soldiers, especially with a price on his heid. Ellen's very own brathair, that Bastard Dougal, had led them right into the midst of an ambush with 30 head of stolen cattle. Fhalbh! I had circled back and was attempting to pull Jamie up on the back of my horse and get us the Hell out of there and as far away from Dougal and the soldiers as one horse could possibly carry the two of us.
Just as Jamie was try'n to climb up, my horse lost its footing on the rain slick rocky ground. The horse stumbled and both Jamie and I were thrown from the damn beast. I still had a good grip on Jamie when my other hand hit one of the Stones, breaking my fall, and everything went black. The last thing I remember was the sound of bee's buzzing. That makes no sense because it was full night and bee's do'na fly at night. Maybe the bees had a nest in the stone I hit; it had a large crack down the middle of it. When I came to, the sun was just beginning to set and I found myself in the middle of a brier patch. Cut myself up pretty good trying to work my way out of it too. I'd lost a complete day by my figur'n.
How'd I come to be in the briers to begin with? Maybe Jamie hid me there while he went for help. And when the lad came back a couple of days later, with help, I was gone and it took Jamie this long to track me. That's it. This thought makes me smile.
Once free from the brambles, I had no trouble finding that large stone again. I could see it from the bramble bushes. As I approached, I realized the large one with the split down the middle was surrounded by 6 or 7 other large stones, forming a circle. A circle made of Stones, all twice the size of Jamie. All on top of a bloody hill, on the edge of MacKenzie land, in the middle of Scotland. What fae built that, and why? And that loud buzzing started up again the moment I walked inside that circle and I saw no bees. It made a shiver run up my spine and I quickly stepped back out. I wanted noth'n more to do with those bloody stones. I needed to find Jamie and get the hell back to Lallybroch. I'd had enough of Clan MacKenzie.
I had'na found Jamie yet, but ken he would be hiding, somewhere near water. All I needed to do is find the closest source of water. As I walked away from the stones and it's hidden buzzing bees, I scratched my head in thought. Where were the others? The MacKenzies? Surely they would not leave Jamie on his own. Where was Jamie's fallen horse, or my horse for that matter? They must be here somewhere. I would look for the horses while I looked for Jamie. Water. That was the key. Finding water. And somethi'n to eat. I needed to be canny, keep hidden and then get out of here before the British patrol returned. I quickened my pace. I had a goal, a purpose and I strode toward it full force.
I had stayed near the water for 2 days, waiting for Jamie to appear. I carefully checked the area both days for signs of Jamie and the horses. I walked both up and down stream looking for tracks. The mud left by the rain should have made the tracking easy te spot but there was no sign of either. It suddenly dawned on me, that maybe I was the one that had been left. Maybe Jamie could'na find me and had left. I was na familiar with this area. This was MacKenzie land, the lad had grown up here, living with his uncles for a year. He ken the lay of the land. I did'na. I ken Lallybroch was west of here and to the north. I would head in that direction. I had some coin. Perhaps I could barter for a horse and I could catch up with Jamie.
I found a trail easily enough and set out on the morning of the third day. That's when I met with the first pair of strangers. Two men, dressed in strange breeks, lace boots, wool coats with odd sacks tied to their backs. They had laughed when they saw me, asked me if I was lost and someth'n about a 'reenactment'. I asked them which direction Inverness lay and they pointed me down the trail, so I ken to walk in the opposite direction – that would be the way to Lallybroch.
I kept to the woods for as long as I could. Eventually I had to come out. I had reached a trail, unlike one I had ever seen before. Black as night and hard. It was going in the direction I wanted to walk so I stuck to the edge of it. Made the going easier as I did not have to fight the underbrush or use my sword to cut my way through. That's when two soldiers in black uniforms found me. They came from behind. They climbed out of a strange box on wheels. Now I think about it, it was just like this 'bus' only much shorter. The two men approached me.
"My partner and I are with Police Scotland. Do you need help sir?" the tall one asked. "Are you lost?" At least by their voices I ken they were Scots.
"Tha mi air chall. An urrainn dhut mo chuideachadh?" I asked. I am lost. Can you help me?
Both men looked at me then at each other. "Do you know what he just said?" the shorter one asked the taller one.
The taller one shrugged his shoulders and said. "Na, but I ken it's Gaidhlig. My grandda stilll speaks it. Been trying to teach me for years. Then they both turned back and looked at me.
"Do you speak English?" the taller man inquired.
"Aye, I speak English. You mean to tell me two Scots do'na have a word of Gaidhlig between them?" I threw back at them in astonishment.
"Look sir, I am Officer Ross and my partner is Officer Reid with Police Scotland. Someone called into the station and said someone were wandering alone out here and might be in need of a bit of help. We have come across you out here in the middle of nowhere. Now, are you lost? We'd be happy to give you a lift back home or back to town, maybe from our office you could call someone. Family? Friends? They could come pick you up.
"Can you tell us your name, sir or where you live?" the short one inquired.
I did'na want to start a stramash. "I'll be fine," I said and I started to back away. "I can walk from here."
They moved toward me. "Stop," the taller one said. "We can not leave you out here alone. Come now, give us your name and tell us where you live, and we will take you home. You look like you have been out here for a couple of days already. Perhaps your family is worried for you. They might already be looking for you."
I kept moving backwards, never taking my eyes off them. I did na want to draw my weapons if I did'na have to. I needed to get back to the woods. I would be able to loose them there. That's when I fell. There was an edge to the the black path and I miss stepped when I stepped off the path. Both men fell on me in the blink of a eye. They flipped me on my stomach and had tied my hands behind my back before I ken it. They helped me to my feet and the shorter man took my dirk and sword. They had not found my sgina dhu, safely hidden in my boot. They placed me in the back of the horseless carriage and took me to 'the station'. From there they took me to the hospital, where they bathed me, shaved my beard, cut my hair, fed me and gave me a sharp poke in the arse with a needle. A shutter ran through my bones as I remembered.
When Claire announced we were at our stop, she and Jamie stood up and made their way back the way we came in. Jamie smiled and motioned for me to follow. Out of the beast's belly we emerged and into the sunshine. The beast closed it's mouth and took off in search of more prey. That beast must have an upset whammy because it left a nasty stink in its wake.
Suddenly I look up and see where we are. 'Police Scotland' read the plaque beside the door. Jamie said they would get my weapons back and so here we are. We walk in the door and an hour later we walk out with my weapons. Jamie and Claire work well as a pair, I will say that. I did as Jamie bid, like a bairn, I was seen and no heard. When we stepped back out into an overcast sky, my stomach started to rumble.
Jamie laughed and said, "Why did you not say you were hungry, Murtagh? I think we could all use a meal and an ale about now, aye?"
I nodded my head and patted my stomach. "Aye, I'm fair starved. And if I'm hungry, you must be light heided by now" and I lightly punched Jamie in the arm and smiled for the 2nd time since I had woken up in the briers.
"Clachnaharry's is a great tavern not too far a walk from here. It's right on the water, Beauly Firth. Maybe we can get a table outside, enjoy the view and answer some of Murtagh's questions, Jamie." Claire suggested. "They have great food as well. I am sure you both will like it."
We turn the corner and made it to the tavern door just as it started to rain.
"We were meant to stop," I said as I removed my coat and hung it on the hook beside the booth. Jamie and Murtagh removed their coats as well. The waitress came and I ordered a pitcher of Guinness, a round of Glenlivet shots and an order of chips to start. She left us to peruse the menus. With lunch ordered, libations and snacks in front of us, Jamie and Murtagh began their discussion. I scooted closer to Jamie, so our shoulders touched. He paused in the conversation and kissed me on the top of my head. My hand reached over and touched his thigh and he placed his large callused hand on top of mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. I leaned my head against his shoulder and listened to them speak in a language I was beginning to develop a love for; its very rhythm and sound. I had no idea what they were specifically saying to each other but it did not matter, because I knew what was being discussed. Tomorrow was Samhain. Tomorrow Jamie would leave. I closed my eyes and tried to will myself not to cry.