Page 28 of Darro

“It isn’t funny,” she said firmly, but the chuckling had already begun.

“No brother ever prevailed over our youngest,” one of the bigger patrollers said. “No’ even Chieftain Darro. No’ once. And now that wee lass lays him out cold.”

“With a log near as big as she stands,” the man next to him put in, glancing in the direction Esme had gone. "We should make her a guard for the laird.”

“She’s a strong and sneaky thing, lads,” Sawney said, and elbowed one of the wall watchers. “Best you watch for her and the MacBren.”

Rory finally got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head and then grimacing at his bloodied palm before he sighed.

“Mayhap you should spar with the wee dark lass, Chieftain,” he said to Darro. “She’s more than a match for me.”

Grace expected the laird’s brother would laugh it off, but instead he walked over and bowed to Rory.

“The match, ’tis yours,” he said, his tone stiff, and then retreated into the stronghold.

“Why did he do that?” she asked her husband.

He gave her a wry look. “Pride wouldnae permit him accept a victory delivered by a female hardly larger than his boot, my love.”

Farlan went with her and Rory to the infirmary, where Ben examined the wound on the back of the armorer’s skull and extracted a few splinters left by the log. The armorer sat very still and silent, and stared down at the floor as if mortified.

“That little journalist did this?” the healer asked as he applied some salve. “She’s barely five feet tall. How could she reach that high?”

Farlan cleared his throat. “She waited until he bent over.”

“Smart girl. Alec ought to recruit her for the garrison.” Ben wrapped his head in a bandage before he said, “It will be sore until tomorrow morning when the enchantment heals it. If you want something for the headache, I can mix up a feverfew and lavender poultice. I’ve also some willow bark tea if you’d like something faster.”

“I’ll drink the brew, please.” Once Ben went over to his medicine shelf Rory regarded Grace and Farlan. “You neednae stay, Brother, my lady. ’Tis but a lump and a bad cut.”

“That’s not why we’re staying,” she admitted, and then told him about the discussion they’d had about insects during the morning meal. “It reminded me of the reports of the silver-winged butterfly some people saw when Ava first arrived here.”

He nodded. “’Twas likely enchanted to lay eggs in the gardens, which hatched into those caterpillars that attacked us.”

“I think the wings of the butterfly were replaced by, or maybe encased in, silver metal so it would fool the spell trap into allowing it inside,” she said. “Just as my grandmother’s gold locket was able to pass out of the spell trap when she first came here. The barrier may not be able to stop precious metals.”

“’Tis unlikely, but we may easily find out.” Rory stiffened. “Ah, now I see. You wish to ken how much silver and gold we’ve in our stores. Before the curse, the clan paid our debts after the harvest, and didnae yet collect what others owed us. I fear ’tis but a few ingots of each—no’ enough to encase a mortal.”

“If you make the silver and gold into something else, the enchantment, ’twill replace it,” Farlan said. “How long might you need to acquire enough gold to encase me?”

“No.” Grace didn’t mean to shriek it, but her husband had just scared the life out of her. In a quieter tone she said, “It has to be someone from the modern world. They belong in the time out there, not you. Also, if you even got through, the police would never believe your story.”

“They’d believe me.” Ben came to join them. “Sorry, I was eavesdropping.” He handed a mug of brew to Rory before he said, “It would be better to experiment first with a small object you encase in gold and then throw at the barrier. If your theory proves correct, and it passes through, then you can try something slightly bigger, like one of the birds. Then a mammal like one of the dogs. That’s better than sacrificing a human.”

“Unless passing through the barrier ends everything that tries.” Rory shook his head. “Or a creature waiting on the other side slays them.”

“Killjoy,” the healer said, but nodded his agreement. “I have too much to live for lately, so I will tactfully retract my offer to be a barrier-passing lab rat. We still might be able to get something else to the outside world that could help us, maybe like a letter to the authorities.”

“They wouldn’t believe it any more than they believed the message Inga put in her locket,” Grace said, sighing. “Still, let’s talk to Ava about this idea tomorrow. In the meantime, would you retrieve all the precious metals from the stores, Armorer?”

Darro went first to the guest room, where he heard the sounds of splashing water through the door. Elspeth came to join him, a steaming bucket in her hand.

“The lady, she’s been most upset, Chieftain,” the chambermaid told him in a tactful tone. “She speaks in her own tongue, and sounds furious. She’s also uttered your name many times, and no’ in a good way.” She then offered him the washing water. “Mayhap you should try and make peace with her.”

“My thanks, Elspeth.” He took the bucket, knocked on the door and then went inside the chamber.

Esme had stripped out of her garments and donned a linen shift that had damp patches on it from the water she was splashing on her face. Her bare feet and loose hair gave her the appearance of a much younger female, one who had yet to reach her maidenhood. For a long moment it was all Darro could do not to stride over and drag her to the bed.

“Thank you, manita,” She groped for a towel and dried her face before she turned and regarded him. Her expression shifted immediately into a scowl of displeasure. “Why did you come in? Don’t you have someone else waiting to beat you into the ground? Get out.”