Page 20 of A Keeper of Time

“She would. I’ve nae doubt. She would like to see more of ye as well.” He squirmed in his saddle once again. “Will we arrive soon? Me bottom canno’ take much more.”

“Aye. The spot is just up ahead.” Robert chuckled. “We’ll sleep well tonight I believe.”

They made camp and dug through their saddle bags for provisions to make a meal. Eleanor had made sure there was food for the next leg of their journey and they each had oats they’d taken from Breaghacraig.

The fire was blazing as they all sat around it. Robert passed a flask of whisky to Angus. He took a large pull before sending it on its way to Cailin. The warmth it brought was welcome. The rain was now coming down in earnest pelting the ground with force. As Robert had promised they were quite dry under the overhang, although the water cascaded in front of them like a waterfall, leaving huge puddles that flowed together like a raging stream.

***

Dunnet Head loomed ahead of them. The waves crashed against the craggy cliffs as the sun was beginning to set behind the home of Nick Mackall.

They announced themselves to the guard at the gates of Dunaill Castle and after a few moments they were allowed to pass through to the courtyard. Not surprisingly, Nick stood waiting for them as they dismounted their horses.

“To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” Nick asked as he clasped Robert’s hand, before turning to Angus.

“Angus!” Nick said, clapping him on the shoulder. “’Tis good to see ye.”

“We’re looking for Edna. She’s missing,” Angus explained, skipping the niceties. Now that they’d arrived he had no doubt Edna wasn’t here at Dunaill and she may not even be here in this time. He was beginning to lose hope.

“What? How long?” Nick took a step back as he glanced at the men.

Angus hesitated for a moment before speaking. “A couple of days, but there’s been nae sign of her.”

“She’s no’ been here.” A sad smile accompanied Nick’s words. His voice was soft, as though he worried that what he was saying would sting Angus.

Torches were being lit in the courtyard as the sky darkened and the Mackall clan prepared for the night ahead.

“Come inside,” Nick said, motioning towards the door. He greeted each of the men as they passed, appearing happy to see them all.

Once inside he led them into the great hall which was being prepared for the evening meal.

“Ye remember me wife, Katriona?” Nick said as he called his wife over.

The men all bowed politely.

“They’re searching for Edna,” Nick relayed to Katriona.

“Is she somewhere nearby?” she wondered.

“We’re no’ sure where she is,” Angus said. “We thought she may have come this way, but it seems she has no’.” His shoulders slumped in defeat.

“I’m so sorry. Nick, should we send the men to help?” she asked.

“I appreciate the offer, but there’s nae need,” Angus assured her, standing straighter and exuding a strength he wasn’t really feeling at that moment. “We’ve been to the Campbell’s and tomorrow we’ll set off for Castle Treun.”

“Well, come, enjoy a good meal and a warm bed for the night. We’ll send ye on yer way in the morning with provisions to last the rest of yer trip.”

The men followed Nick to a table laden with food and drink. As they ate, the solemn sounds of a bard seated near the fire and playing a lute filled the background with a song of love and loss. It tugged at Angus. The words reached deep inside his heart and soul. He felt them as if they were his own. An unusual despair landed on his shoulders causing them to drop along with his head as he leaned forward.

“We’ll find her, me friend. Never doubt it.” Robert placed a hand on Angus’s back obviously reading his mood.

“Robert kens of what he speaks,” Cormac said.

“We all owe so much to Edna. We’ll never give up until she is found,” Dougall added.

Angus gazed at the group of men accompanying him and felt a strong bond with them and a renewed sense of purpose. “Aye. We’ll find her.”

He’d always thought of Edna as meddling in other people’s lives, but he could see clearly now that was not the case. Edna had saved him from searching for something he may never have found. She’d matched these men with women who made their lives complete. They had families and love. That wasn’t meddling, it was knowing what these men and their wives needed and providing it for them.