Page 17 of Only a Breath Away

His eyes narrowed.

Why was I arguing with a man in the thirteenth century about skin color? My head ached and I was losing patience. I changed tack, “You’re looking to overthrow Ormr? He’s holding two members of my family prisoner inside Stirling. I’m willing to help with any plans you might have.”

His eyes narrowed more. “Why would I allow a stranger tae help?”

“I have weapons. Good weapons. Firearms like that one.” I held out my hand for it.

He shook his head. “Show me how tae use it.”

“We need to be pretty far away. The castle will hear a gunshot.”

He nodded looking down at the weapon. “What did ye call it? What will it do?”

“A gun, you’ve seen one before — the men in the castle have them, right? It’s a little like an arrow, it will pierce an enemy right through.”

“Aye, we canna mount an attack. Ormr’s men have many of them.”

“Have you confiscated any?”

He picked up a cloth bundle, dropped it in front of me, and pulled the cloth away, uncovering three firearms.

I checked them: all were loaded, the safety made them useless to these guys.

“I’ll help you wage war against Ormr, using these weapons and more, if you will help me get inside the castle for my family.”

“I will take ye tae a field so ye can show me how they work.” He held my weapon over his shoulder and rose. The whole time I was grateful the damned thing had the safety on.

He commanded one of his men to pick up the other confiscated weapons, then said, “Follow me.”

I was weaving a bit, holding my head as I followed them into the woods. We walked a good while, away from Stirling, until we came to a distant field. The main guy passed me the firearm.

“Cover your ears.” I pointed the semiautomatic rifle, and fired.

It was loud and terrifying. Birds rose from the woods.“Want me to show you how to use them and help you mount an attack? I help you — you help me get my family members out. Do we have a deal?”

“Aye.” We shook hands.

I asked, “What’s your name?”

“Will Wallace.”

I grinned. “Okay, Will Wallace — is that really your name?”

“Aye.”

“Okay, then, that’s cool, so um… let me show you how to use guns.”

I spent the next couple of days instructing him and his men how to use the firearms, and planning an attack on the castle.

CHAPTER 19 - MAGNUS

“What do we know?” asked Zach.

I said, “I hae been able tae use m’vessel tae leave the thirteenth century. I jumped tae the twenty-fifth century and dinna see any sign of m’descendants—”

Fraoch said, “Ye dinna see Ben or Archie?”

“Nae, I dinna go tae the castle, but I searched the outskirts of the city, twas desolate, it led me tae believe that something had gone wrong on our timeline.”

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