Time of the Draig (11 page)

The woman, Alyssone, answered, “I ken it and thank you.” A wracked cough sounded behind her, and she added, “Please excuse me. Wee Roden is ill, and I must tend him.”

Before another word was spoken, Samantha felt Boomer’s hand on her shoulder. He whispered in her ear, “Private Miller heard that cough. He’s chomping at the bit to get in there.”

Samantha turned to see the request on Miller’s face and said to Alyssone, “I have a fine healer. May he come in and see your son?”

The hesitation was clear on her face. Faolan added, “The healer, Miller, tended my own wounds. He is verra skilled.”

Alyssone nodded her consent, and Miller pushed his way to the door with his med kit in hand.

Samantha took another glance into the small but tidy cottage. “Private, this a clean personal dwelling. Remove those muddy boots before you enter.”

As the private removed his boots, Alyssone looked at Samantha. “Are you going to join him?”

Samantha saw the fear in the tear-stained eyes. With a nod, Boomer took her pack, and she removed her boots. The air in the cottage was scented with mint and something else she couldn’t name. A small pot boiled over the fireplace.
That must be the source of the aroma
, she mused
.

Alyssone led Miller into a side room, and Samantha followed as far as the doorway. A small boy with dark hair lay in the bed. As another cough wracked his tiny frame, she felt Faolan at her back. While Miller asked the mother questions, Faolan spoke.

He asked, “Do you believe your healer can help him?”

“I hope so.” The answer surprised her. The act was meddling with the past and would change the fabric of time. Given the barking quality of the cough, she was certain the child would most likely be destined to an extremely short life in a world with no medications. Her gaze stuck on the small boy, and compassion stirred in her heart.
How can I not try to save his life?

Miller sat on the bed and held the scanner over the child. He frowned and reported, “Three-year-old boy with bronchial pneumonia.”

“Do you have the supplies needed?” Samantha asked.

“I do, but you need to know I can’t replace the antibiotics,” Miller replied.

As thoughts of timelines, interference, and repercussions danced in her mind, Samantha saw the pain on Alyssone’s face. “Treat the boy.” Immediately Faolan had her hand raised to his lips and placed a kiss to her palm. The touch of his lips was brief, yet the tingle lingered.

He whispered, “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Even with the treatment, the child still needs rest and care,” Samantha said and then turned to Miller. “Why are you standing still? Do what you can and then meet us at the keep. I want a full report on the child’s condition. Make sure Alyssone is healthy. All of this stress can’t be good for her.”

She walked to the front door and called to her men who waited dutifully outside. “I want someone to keep an eye on Miller.”

Mark stepped forward. “I’ve got his back.”

Somehow that didn’t surprise her, with a child as the focus. “Good man.”

Faolan joined her outside and told the woman to seek whatever she needed from his stores and turned back to Samantha. “Already you treat my people as your own. ‘Tis a fine beginning.” Before she could reply, he called out to her men, “Come, to the comfort of my hall.”

Chapter 9

Samantha blinked in the dim light of the hall. They had entered via a large wooden outer door and then, within five paces, a second set of doors. The room was made of uneven stone blocks and had a floor to match. On the far side of the room, a massive fireplace sat empty, though a few torches that hung along the walls were lit. Long tables with bench seats filled the room. Only one exit was visible, a corridor that led into what she presumed was the kitchen. That deduction had come compliments of a woman who carried a tray of food into the hall.

If she and her men were stunned by the surroundings, the residents of the keep matched the emotion. All noise and conversation ended as they entered. The several men who rose upon their entry stood like statues, and the apparent serving women froze in place.
I bet I could hear a pin drop.
She had no doubt the sound waves would echo in her ear.

Faolan’s voice broke the silent void. “Welcome to my hall. Please set your packs aside and be at ease.” He asked Samantha, “‘Tis how you command the men to rest?”

She blinked several times at the foreign setting before she answered, “Close.” She turned to the men. “At ease, men. Packs against the wall. It looks like lunch is being served.”

As she set her pack along the wall adjacent to the front door, Jeff marveled, “This is like a movie set or something.”

With a smile and silent agreement for the comment, she ordered, “Break it down, Captain.”

Jeff stood a little straighter and assessed their surroundings. “Given my weak knowledge of history this must be the central gathering place for the household. I would have expected rushes on the floor to collect debris, but the room is spotless. There is a stairway to the right that I assume leads to the second floor that was visible on approach. The door to the left must be to a food prep area.

This appears to be the only portion of the building made of stone. The outer buildings and second floor appear to be made of wood, like additions after main construction. The locals seem too intimidated by our arrival to be a latent attack force. There is no hint of a threat, though the food could be a possibility.”

As if on cue, an old woman with silver gray hair entered from the kitchens. She said, “My food is fresh and quite tasty if I do say so. The only threat is if you continue insulting what I spent the morning making for you.”

Faolan’s laughter filled the hall, and he swept the old woman off her feet in a massive hug. “Put me down and introduce me already,” she scolded him.

Faolan led the woman to stand in front of Samantha, Jeff, and Boomer. Samantha could see the wrinkles on her skin and a frame that stood straight even with advanced age.

Faolan said, “Gran, I present Major Samantha, Captain Jeff, and Sergeant Boomer.” His eyes turned to hers as he continued, “‘Tis is my grandmother, Dana.”

Dana spoke first. “If this is a rescue mission, you are over fifty years too late.”

Never in her life had Samantha ever felt like fainting, until that moment. Boomer’s hands on her shoulders were the only things holding her upright.

“Could you repeat that?” Jeff asked, clearly stunned by the statement.

“I said you’re a bit late to rescue me,” Dana said as her eyes surveyed the men. “We can talk while we eat. Trust me when I say poison is not something I’m fond of in my cooking. It ruins the flavor.” The woman led the men to the table. “We weren’t sure exactly when you would arrive, so it’s a cold meal complete with my smoked meats, fresh cheese, and the bread is right out of the oven.”

Samantha knew her feet followed, but she moved as if in a trance. Boomer forced her legs over the bench and made her sit.

He whispered, “Keep your shit together, Sam.”

She nodded at Boomer and turned to the old woman. “Dana, what do you mean a rescue?” Yet she didn’t really want an answer.

Faolan placed a plate loaded with food in front of her. “Are you unwell?”

Samantha never answered the question as Dana sat across from her and Jeff sat next to the old woman. Someone handed her a cup, and she took a drink without tasting whatever the cup held.

“I asked if you were sent here to rescue me,” Dana repeated.

It was Jeff who answered. “No, ma’am. We had no idea you were here. But I think now may be a great time to tell us who you are and where you’re from.”

Dana laughed and said, “Really? You’re in my home. You start.”

Jeff gave a light version of their story: When they were from, a war that ravaged the world, an object of power that needed to be captured, and a crash landing into the time period. He followed it up with the complete version of how they met Faolan.

“After that you came home with him? You must be desperate,” Dana said. She fixed a glare on Faolan and scolded him once more. “What in the hell were you thinking? How dare you try to buy a woman!”

“Gran, I thought . . .” Faolan began.

“No, you didn’t think, you fool. Or maybe you were thinking with the small brain you men seem so fond of consulting for advice,” Dana continued as the men chuckled around her. “You are supposed to be better than the barbarian stock you came from.”

“Dana, where are you from?” Jeff asked.

“Apparently we come from different places. I came from . . . well, let me think . . . maybe I left Arizona nine or ten years later than you, but there had been no world war. I mean there was always a small war somewhere but nothing that large. The Arizona I left had a government.”

Samantha broke her silence. “How did you arrive here?”

With an expression that dared Samantha to listen, Dana asked, “Would you believe some kind of magical door?”

The blood ran cold through her veins. Her mind raced with potential reasons, and her fingers itched for the keyboard of the laptop. “Would you please explain in a bit more detail?”

As Dana spoke of being chased down a dark road at night, Samantha’s hands opened and closed and opened and closed. She continued with a description of a light in the distance and the sight of what she assumed were bikers in that light. Dana needed help so she ran into the light.

“People always said bikers were the meanest-looking nice people on the planet. The ones that ate at my diner had always been so sweet, and great tippers,” Dana explained. “I ran through the door and remember falling flat on my face with dizziness. The hand that lifted me up didn’t belong to a biker . . . it was Faolan’s grandfather.”

Samantha gripped the edge of the table and clarified, “There was no war in your time, and you ran through a door and wound up here fifty-plus years ago.”

“Honey, you don’t look well. Do you need to lie down?” Dana asked with clear concern in her voice.

“No!” Samantha barked. “This is too important. Are you certain?” A silent prayer echoed in her mind that the old woman was delusional.

Dana said, “I may be old, and some days I forget why I walk into a room, but I know where I came from and how I got here.”

Again the world swam for Samantha. The implication of timeline violations crashed around her as she again surveyed the room. Recalling her conversation with Efraim, she asked, “How many changes would you say you made to this place?”

Dana sat back and grinned with pure satisfaction on her face. “A lot, and all of them were needed.” She said as she began the very long list. “This place was beyond filthy when I was brought here as a prisoner. The food was rancid, and the kitchen was no better than an outhouse.”

“Did you say prisoner?” Jeff interjected.

“I did. My sister and I were brought here for ransom,” Dana said. She explained about the other woman who had also been captured. The other woman, Heather, had arrived three or four years earlier and had married the leader of the Campbell clan. The conqueror known as the Draig was going to kill her on the spot, but Heather claimed her as her sister and said her husband would ransom them both.

Dana paled and said, “Let’s just say my first few weeks here were bad and leave it alone. I don’t like to talk about it. Just know that it got better, and I built a good life here. I raised four children and loved my husband, eventually.”

“As far as improvements, it’s all so much cleaner. I think I may have invented the use of soap. Heather had a thing for romance novels, so we began calling the tribal leaders ‘laird.’ It caught on. My sister created the plaid. It took a bit longer to become a fashion craze, but it beat the long tunics the men used to wear,” Dana explained.

She continued with explaining the outer buildings; Dana took full credit for those. She said, “The warriors and the serving women used to sleep in the hall at the end of the day. Again, I will be brief and say those were not good days, at least for the women. I had the barracks built to house the men and women separately. Consent is a word I have added to the local dictionary.”

Dana finished with, “I raised my children to be better, and that influence was supposed to extend to the next generation.” Again she glared at Faolan.

All Samantha could mutter was, “I’m so sorry.”

Dana asked, “For what?”

“I did this, I made the door you came through, and I am so very sorry,” Samantha whispered.

The old woman stared at Samantha and said, “If you had told me that in the first few weeks I was here, I would have probably tried to kill you. But life surprised me and led me where I belonged. If you need to hear it, I don’t blame you.”

Boomer answered for a silent Samantha. “Thank you.”

Dana asked, “One thing has always bothered me. Do you have any idea how I spoke all the languages here?”

Jeff said, “Think of the doorway as having a universal translator built in. It’s the best analogy to date.”

The language question brought the thought to mind. It was better than the implications that two women had entered the time via quantum doors that could only be a result of her work. Samantha said, “Dana, when we fought with the men who stole your livestock, we spoke with one of them. He said something about coming for the Draig, that the gods of Faolan’s ancestors wanted revenge.”

Dana surprised her by laughing. She answered, “I can imagine lots of people wanting some form of revenge.” A wistful smile covered her face when she said, “That man would have loved knowing even the gods wanted a piece of him.”

“Do you think it was a real threat?” Samantha asked.

“I doubt it,” Dana replied. “While I don’t know everything about his life before he came to this place, I’d be extremely surprised that anyone was left to hold a grudge.”

Samantha glanced at Jeff, who nodded at the statement, but she could see doubt in his eyes. Her father had been correct. Jeff missed nothing. Something had been left out of that answer. Yet both left it alone for the moment.

“I have one more question. It was winter in Phoenix when I left, but spring here. Can you explain that?” Dana asked.

“You arrived on May 4
th
. All the time shifts were set for May 4
th
,” Samantha explained with a flat voice. She added, “It was my father’s birthday.”

Dana nodded and said, “Good, those were the little things that bugged me. You know, maybe we’re from different realities or something like that. It could even be that another you in another reality created my door.”

Samantha shook her head but remained quiet. Her fingers twitched with a need to connect to UNK005 to try and make sense of the surreal moment. She leaned over to Faolan and asked, “Is there some place I can work in private?”

“Gran, Samantha wishes for some quiet time. What chamber does my mother have prepared?”

“Your mother left this morning when she heard you were on your way home safe and sound. Riders came in from Margaret, and her time is almost at hand.” The woman explained how Faolan’s sister wanted their mother at her home as she waited for the birth of her first child. She added, “Your mother was grateful for the excuse to leave. It’s too hard for her with your father gone.”

“I can understand her wish to be away from a place of grief.” Faolan said, “Tell me she dinna ride alone.”

“She rode with the recognized messengers and two of ours,” Dana said, and she extended a greeting on behalf of her daughter-in-law. She continued, “Samantha, Jeff, and Boomer have chambers waiting upstairs per your instructions. One of the barracks has been made ready for the rest. None of ours will sleep there. It’s private.”

Jeff said, “I prefer to sleep with the men, thank you just the same.”

Samantha stood abruptly. “Forgive me, I forgot that you lost your son in the last few weeks. On behalf of my men, our condolences.”

After a nod from Dana, Samantha asked, “Could I see that chamber now, please?” She turned to Boomer. “You have two minutes to declare it secure. I need to work now.”

“Delay that order, Sergeant Michaels. Major, you have two men in the village, and your men have yet to be secured. Not to mention that you haven’t eaten a thing. Whatever you need to do can wait a little bit longer,” Jeff said.

Samantha stared at Jeff as his words took hold, but he didn’t understand. There was no way he could grasp the enormity of the situation. Two women from a future that didn’t exist lived in the time. Quantum doors had made that possible, but she had never initiated them. The past had irrevocably been changed.

Her father’s voice whispered in her ear, “
See to your men.
” Jeff was right, and it shamed her. The men needed to come first. She regained her composure and sat down. “Thank you, Captain.” With that said, she ate food she couldn’t taste.

While she ate, Jeff asked, “Dana, the men need to know where they can do some laundry. We only have one change of uniform.”

“Leave it outside the barracks, and I’ll have Keira send someone to take care of it. In fact, later I’ll introduce you to her. Keira is basically the housekeeper or the one who keeps everything running around here. She can also get everyone something a bit more appropriate to wear.”

Private Weiler asked, “Do we have to wear kilts?”

“No, you don’t, but you might like some pants and shirts like everyone else wears. It will help you blend in and stand out less,” Dana offered. She looked up at Boomer and said, “We may have to make something new for you. Damn, you’re big.”