“Doona ye think he will be furious when he finds out? Do ye no think that he will come after us?”
Bri’s smile returned and I found that I was changing my opinion of her. I’d first thought her to be a rather serious mannered, laced-tight kind of person, but upon spending further time with her, I was learning that she was more mischievous than she let others know. “Well normally I believe yes, he would come after us immediately. But you see, there are guests here now, and I don’t think he will leave them. He’ll be spit-fire angry I’m sure, but he’ll get over it.”
“Aye, well he’s no me husband. If ye are certain we should go, I willna worry meself over it.” I picked up the bag Bri had filled and, moving as silently as we could, we made our way out the back entrance of the castle and to the stables.
A torch burned outside and as we approached. Bri called out to the old stable master, “Kip, are the horses ready?”
“Aye! I already sent Kip back to bed, but they are all ready for us to leave,” answered Mary’s voice.
Bri and I exchanged a questioning look. “Mary, what are you doing?” We could see inside the stables now. Bri approached Mary to question her. I stood back doing me best to refrain from laughing at the site of the short, round woman balancing astride the horse, beaming with the widest smile I’d ever seen on her.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m coming with ye. I’ve been telling Eoin and Arran for years that I needed a break. After the past few weeks, I feel I’ve earned it. Besides, I need to see with me own eyes how Arran is fairing in his new home.” She nudged the horse with her pudgy heels, and it took off at a slow trot out of the stables.
Neither of us argued. After mounting our horses, we followed her. Away from Conall Castle we went.
*
It turned out that Bri was perhaps a tad less adventurous than she’d wanted to be. By mid day she’d worried herself into such a state of guilt that she rode in complete silence with only her pained expression to keep us company.
I, on the other hand, enjoyed every minute of being astride a horse again. The feeling of being out of the city without the car horns and other modern-day noises that had kept me consistently nervous had me feeling more like meself than I had in ages. As long as I tried to keep our journey’s final destination out of me mind, I found meself even feeling happy.
Mary remained cheerful but consistently complained about the torture her backside was experiencing after riding atop a horse for such a long time. Me own backside was feeling the effects as well. The months away had softened me previously horse-accustomed bum.
Eventually, as the day progressed, Mary’s good humor found a way to crack Bri’s worry-creased brow, and the mood lightened. By the time we drew our horses up at the side of a small break in the trees to camp for the evening, all of our middles ached from laughter.
As we dismounted, our bodies stiff and achy, we slowly hobbled along as we made camp, each of us moving as if we were decades older than our given ages. I started a fire while Mary lay out the bread and cheese she’d packed for the journey. Bri went in the direction of a nearby stream to gather some water. Shortly thereafter, we each lay under the stars, our stomachs full and our bodies sore.
I was just on the edge of sleep, and I expected Bri was as well due to the loud snort that burst forth from her. Suddenly, Mary’s loud, overly-excited voice caused us to both sit up quite startled.
“What is it, Mary? Did something frighten ye?” I scooted closer to the fire so that I could see the expression on her face more clearly. She looked more excited than anyone should have been after riding for hours and sleeping on the ground.
“Aye, me bum was so sore I almost forgot what I took from Arran’s old room. Wake yerselves up, lassies. I have just the thing to soothe our aching bodies.”
Bri, who was sitting up but hunched over in a half asleep position, looked up at Mary from under heavy eyelids. “Sleep? Yes, I believe sleep will do the trick just fine.”
“Nay, ’tisna sleep, though I expect we shall all sleep quite soundly after we partake of what I’ve brought for us. Now wake yerself up.” Mary stood and made her way over to her bag propped up against a nearby tree. Reaching inside, she withdrew a large bottle of what was certain to be stronger than wine.
“Mary!” Bri was awake now as her shocked voice echoed through the open space around us, sending the maid into a fit of giggles.
“I told ye that I was in need of a break from me work and a break is what I shall have. I doona think there is anything wrong with Old Mary allowing herself just one night to be foolish. Now, ye lasses will join me whether ye like to or no.” She extended two wooden cups in our direction, and we each reached for one without question.