Sneaks

by B Button

  “You did it,” I said, hoping I wasn’t blushing too.

  Ian was fourteen, I was sixteen. Even though I hadn’t spent a lot of time with boys, spending time with him was easy. I hoped I hadn’t done something wrong by touching his hand. I didn't know if I was making friends the right way or the wrong way.

  “Aye,” he said. He flashed a brief smile. “Excuse me, lass, I just remembered I’d told my Da I’d help him with some errands.”

  “Sure,” I said as he practically sprinted away. Was the dungeon my next stop? Was it against the rules to touch him that way? We’d had similar moments for days and it hadn’t seemed to matter.

  I sighed.

  I wanted to go home.

  And, I sort of didn’t.

  I’d been under castle-arrest for the last seven days, and yet I was doing things I'd never been allowed to do at home. I was fixing clocks and it wasn't a secret. I wasn't being watched by Govment officials, even though sometimes Corc seemed like a Govment official. I missed my mom more than I could take sometimes, but if I ever got to go home I knew I’d miss these people too, especially Ian.

  Originally, I wanted to escape the castle, but not so much now. I still wanted to get home, but I didn’t want to escape just to get away from these people. I’d learned that the Castle Lennox wasn’t far, but would take a full day to walk to. I had no desire to even try to get there.

  The only conclusion I could come to was that I needed to try to get back to the crazy old woman, Berna. She’d told me to get to the Castle Lennox or get back to her. Even though she was crazy, she knew I’d traveled through time. She was my best bet on figuring how to get home. I hoped. I didn't really know much of anything, though. She could kill me with her knife and no one would ever know.

  Not only did I hope she could help, I hoped she'd explain what a time sneak was - and was I really one? Was I really someone who could travel through time? Why? How did I do it? Could I choose where I wanted to go? Could I go back and visit Granny? Could I take my mom with me?

  Too many questions. No answers.

  But, the big party was only five days away and I might get my chance. The entire castle was becoming crazy with the preparations. I looked for possible moments to escape; especially after the uncomfortable moment with Ian. They’d put me right where there were always people, though. The kitchen was a high-traffic zone and I was never alone.

  I slept in a small room not far from the kitchen. I’d opened the door a couple times at night and had always seen someone doing something. With all the food and fresh air I was getting, I was exhausted at night and the feather mattress I slept on was as comfortable as a cloud and I had no alarm clock. I spent most nights sleeping instead of trying to escape.

  Ian came back the next day and sat beside me for a few minutes, but he didn’t stay long. He acted like nothing was wrong. He said he had to help the laird with the preparations for the party. I barely saw him over the next few days, but he did stop by on the day of the party.

  “Ye are invited to attend,” he said happily.

  “I am?”

  “Aye. Una will put a dress in yer room. I have to help my Da, but someone will stop by to escort ye.”

  “Okay. Well, thanks,” I said. The laird probably thought I wouldn’t be able to escape if I was in the middle of the party. He was probably right.

  “Yer welcome. I’ll see ye this even’in, then.”

  “Sure.”

  According to Una, it was called a Gathering. Citizens from all over the laird’s land would come to offer their pledge of loyalty to him. Even the death of the laird’s wife a month earlier hadn’t stopped the Gathering. According to Una, the death only meant that more people would attend.

  My dress was blue and had been altered to fit me better than anything else I’d worn. I didn’t put a ribbon in my hair or anything else on my face. I’d been given some too-small slippers, but they were so uncomfortable that I decided to wear my sneakers. They weren’t much of a novelty anymore, anyway. People had become accustomed to the clock-girl with the strange shoes.

  Satisfied that I looked as good as I possibly could, I opened my room door.

  “Miss.” Corc stood before me. He had cleaned up and wore brightly colored clothing, including a kilt that was all reds and yellows.

  “Corc?”

  He bowed regally and said, “At yer service, Mistress.”

  “Uh.”

  “Lord Duncan has instructed me that ye are a welcome guest in the castle. Ye are to be treated like family. I am here to escort ye to dinner.”

  “Really?”

  “Aye, mistress, really.” He tried to smile, he really did. But I knew that being my date to the Gathering wasn't going to be fun for him.

  “Well, thank you.” What else could I say? Telling him to go away and leave me alone wouldn’t have worked.

  And then he offered me his arm, which I took hesitantly. He sighed and nodded at me with a squint as if to say I wouldn’t catch anything deadly by touching him.

  We made our way to the great hall at the front of the castle. With each step, party-type noise got louder and I became more nervous.

  “Where’s Ian?” I asked Corc.

  “’e’s with his da, lass. E’ll have business to attend to this evening.”

  “Oh.” I wanted to know what business but I didn't ask.

  “Not to worry, lass, ye are in good hands.” Corc smiled and patted mine.

  “You don’t have to babysit me, Corc. I’ll be fine,” I said.

  “Babysit?” He looked doubtful. “Weel, we’ll just see how it goes, lass. Will that be agreeable?”

  “Sure.”

  I had never seen so many people in one place in my entire life. Most of them were men. And most, but not all, of them were shorter than me. There were so many and they were a loud bunch.

  “Come along now, lass, ye’ll be fine,” Corc said.

  I didn’t realize that I’d tightened my grip on his arm.

  “If you say so,” I said.

  Corc laughed. “Come along, Una has a seat for ye.”

  He threaded me through the spectacular crowd. The men, dressed in their best kilts, stood proud. No one paid a bit of attention to me as I listened to them mumble in rehearsal of their pledges. The women were in their best dresses, colorful and bright. Most of them stayed close by a man and offered their ears for the practiced speeches, but a few were working on their own. In my life, I had never experienced anything even close to the Gathering. It made me want to run, cry and laugh all at the same time. It was almost too much. I pulled Corc's arm tighter.

  Once we’d made it midway through the hall, I could see Ian and his father sitting in higher placed chairs and against a tapestry (I'd learned that's what the decorated rugs were called) decorated wall. Ian was in a red, yellow and blue kilt and plaid, which I’d come to learn was what they called the long scarf-type item that they wrapped around themselves. His father looked intimidating in his own get-up and I felt my breath suck in. I hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks and his presence made me remember just how much power he exuded. He was the picture of strength and seriousness, though both Ian and he greeted those around them in a friendly enough manner.

  “’ere we are,” Corc said.

  “Ah, Mistress Kally, welcome to the Gathering,” Una said as we joined her small crowd. She was dressed in a green dress that fitted her much better than her work clothes. She’d pulled her hair up and there were currently no stray fly-aways framing her face like there were after she’d put in a full day’s work. She had the night off, but most of her staff didn’t. They worked all around us, filling goblets and handing out all kinds of food.

  “Thank you,” I said and nodded to Maisie and Bonnie. But the young girls didn’t look my direction. Instead, they were looking up at Ian and his father, and smiling and whispering something. They were looking at Ian more than his father.

  He was the laird’s son, a boy who was educated and would most li
kely inherit a power that was coveted in this place and time. As far as I knew, these girls didn't have their futures planned for them. They would maybe want to date Ian, like Granny had dated my grandfather.

  I didn’t understand my feelings for him. He was two years younger than me. I thought we were friends, but when I saw the girls giggle, I felt a twinge of jealousy.

  I didn’t have time for jealousy, so I pushed it away.

  “I shall return for ye after the procession. For now, sit wi’ Una, if ye please,” Corc said in his most polite voice.

  “Okay. Thank you, Corc.” I was convinced that I was still being constantly watched. The laird was just trying to be more polite about it tonight. Perhaps he knew about my friendship with Ian.

  “The procession is about to begin. Come.” Una walked to some chairs that were closer to the laird and Ian, but up against a side wall.

  As I looked to the front, Ian caught my eye and smiled and waved. I started to do the same until I saw Maisie and Bonnie glance at me angrily. I was surprised by their looks, so I smiled stiffly and retracted my arm.

  Ian looked somewhat surprised but fortunately his father diverted his attention. Maisie and Bonnie looked away.

  “Have ye ever been to a Gathering?” Una asked me.

  “No, never.”

  “It’s is something to behold.”

  “I’m excited to see it.”

  Then with a boom of bagpipe noise from somewhere on the far side of the room, the crowd fell into a sudden and restless silence. Seriousness and music filled the air like thick smoke, changing the mood from party to everyone at attention.

  The bagpipes stopped, and somehow all the people in attendance knew where to go and how to line up. Then either one-by-one or two-by-two the men and women marched toward the laird and Ian. They were dressed in their finest, colorful kilts and fancy plaids, as they marched forward. They all stood proud. Their voices were strong and beautiful as they spoke the language I’d learned was called Gaelic. I didn’t know their words, but the way they spoke them, I knew what they were saying.

  Some were just there to offer greetings, but most were pledging their loyalty to Brian Duncan and his sons, Ian and MacCauley. It must have been the pledge of all pledges. This man, Brian Duncan, who might have punished me for a crime I didn’t commit, must have been thought of pretty highly. Either that or they were scared of him, but it didn't seem like that.

  It was beautiful and not even slightly boring.

  Toward the end of the long line, a man stepped forward with who I assumed was his wife. The man held a noisy baby so I was forced to strain to hear his words.

  “Duncan,” the man began in greeting, “as a neighbor, I pledge my friendship, my wife’s friendship and my new daughter, Isla’s, friendship to ye and yer sons.”

  “Thanks to ye, Lennox,” the laird said. “Welcome, and ken that my home is yer home.”

  Lennox? Did I hear that right?

  I stood and strained to see more clearly the family standing before the laird.

  “Kally, sit please. The procession isna over.” Una had her hand on my own.

  Reluctantly, I sat back down but still strained to see. The man wasn’t as wide as either Corc or the laird, but he was somewhat tall – taller than me, at least. His long, dark hair made a thick braid down his back. His wife was small and blondish, but I couldn’t see either of their faces.

  “Who is that, Una?”

  “Ivar Lennox, mistress, why? Do you ken him?”

  “I don’t think so. Who is he? I mean, who is he to the laird?”

  “A good neighbor.”

  The Lennox family moved away from the line and disappeared into a crowd of people. I wanted to ask Una if she would introduce him to me, but something felt wrong about that entire idea. What would these people think about a sixteen-year-old girl wanting to meet an older married man? I’d have to find another way to talk to him and see if he knew why I was supposed to get to his castle. My plans for the evening had suddenly changed. I wouldn't rule out escaping if I could, but I really wanted to meet the Lennox guy.

  After a few more pledges, there was another change. Apparently, the ceremony was over -- formal went away and the party came back in a big way. I was required to stay with Una, but my eyes wandered over the crowd constantly. Where had Ivar Lennox gone?

  Somehow a band of workers cleared the great hall and then filled it again with long tables and benches. The tables were then filled with food. Meats, potatoes, bread, butter, and plenty of fruit to go around. Most of the people, young and old, drank some of the bitter ale that must have been the soda of this century. It smelled awful. Fortunately, water was offered, too, and as I'd come to find out, it didn't need filtered.

  The party was picking up steam and I could see that before long the results of the ale would be the excuse many of the party-goers would use to let loose. My companions were unconcerned about the shift in the energy and enjoyed their meal and their time off from work. Una kept a sharp eye on her staff and smirked to herself every once and awhile. I’d lost sight of Ian, but I felt safe with Una at my side as I searched for Lennox.

  After the meal, the great hall was once again transformed, or just emptied. It was at that moment that Corc appeared again.

  “Ye’ll be by my side, lass, for the rest of the evening,” he said as he offered me his arm again.

  I looked at Una, who nodded her approval, and then I went to stand beside my chaperone as the dancing began.

  Bagpipe music once again filled the air and couples formed two lines. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing.

  “Would ye like to dance, lass?” Corc asked me, his voice raised against the loud music.

  I looked at him to see if he was serious. His cheeks were red from either the ale or embarrassment over feeling obligated to ask me to dance.

  “No, thank you, Corc, I don’t think I could manage the steps.” It was true. There was no dancing in my time. And, as curious as I was about it, I didn’t want to try in front of so many people.

  “Aye. Weel, speak up if ye change yer mind.”

  “Okay.”

  I saw Ian on the other side of the hall threading his way through the crowd. He looked up and caught my eye and signaled at me to stay put. I didn’t think I would have been able to take a step without Corc’s approval anyway.

  “Come on Kally, let’s have a dance,” Ian said as he reached us, beads of perspiration on his forehead but no ale on his breath.

  “Oh, Ian, I don’t know how to do that,” I said as I pointed at the dancers with my head.

  “It’s easy. Come on, I’ll show ye.”

  I looked at Corc, more for help than for approval. Corc kept a straight face and looked away from both me and Ian. I could almost hear his thoughts: the laird’s son is asking ye to dance, lass. Get ye out there and dance!

  “Ian,” I began.

  But he grabbed my hand before I could protest further and pulled me toward the lines of dancers. I turned one more fleeting glace to Corc, but he only smiled stiffly and looked away from my pleading eyes.

  It was ugly. I tried and managed a few steps correctly, but mostly I just ran into people and tripped over my own feet.

  And, I had more fun than I could ever remember having. I laughed, Ian laughed and those we danced with were just as jovial. Everyone pitched in and tried to help me learn the steps but mostly it was just fun.

  In the middle of all my fun, I finally saw him – Ivar Lennox, and his wife. Actually, I ran into and stepped on his feet as he and his beautiful wife twirled next to me and Ian.

  “Excuse me,” I said as my sneaker-clad heel got his toes.

  Somehow, he kept dancing while he smiled at me, bowed his head quickly and said, “At yer service,” before dancing away from us.

  I tried to keep up with my steps as I inspected the handsome man and his wife. I’m sure I drove Ian crazy, but I couldn’t help but stare – Ivar Lennox was very familiar to me. But I couldn�
�t place why. The memory of recognition kept coming to me in blurry pictures, never quite focusing enough. Did I somehow know this man?

  “Kally?” Ian asked. I’d stopped dancing, my thoughts taking over – where did I know him from?

  “Oh, Ian, I’m so warm. I need to go get some water. And some air.”

  “Come on.”

  I didn’t see Lennox as we made our way through the crowd. As we passed Una, Maisie and Bonnie, the two younger girls sent shy smiles Ian’s direction. He was oblivious.

  We found the kitchen in a bustle of activity. Ian grabbed us two goblets of water and some pastries and we made our way out to the back courtyard.

  I breathed in the fresh air and gulped down the water.

  “That was fun,” I said. “Thanks for having the patience to teach me.”

  “That was fun. And ye’re welcome.”

  We sat on a stone bench that wasn’t far from the back exit of the castle. There were a few people here and there, but no one paid any attention to anyone except who they might be with. And even with my distracted mind, I suddenly what was going on around us.

  A number of couples either roamed the courtyard or were sitting on other benches. There was far too much holding of hands, giggling and kissing noises for my comfort. Trying not to look obvious, I scooted an inch or two further away from Ian. These sorts of public displays weren't allowed in my time. Even married people were only supposed to do these things behind closed doors. I was suddenly very uncomfortable.

  “Mistress Kally, I have a question for ye,” Ian said, his voice way serious.

  “Okay,” I said.

  “Do ye ken if ye have a father?”

  “Oh. Well, I probably do. I imagine haven’t seen him in a long time, though.” I had to keep to my story of not remembering who I was or where I came from, but my father had truly left long ago. And he was a piece of crap to boot, but Ian didn't need to know that.

  “Do ye remember yer mother?”

  I did remember my mother. All too well. Ian’s question sent a stab of longing through my heart. But I wasn’t supposed to remember. “Not that well, yet. I’m beginning to get small flashes of memory, but I still don’t know …”