Luag dreamt Katherine had schemed somehow to be his wife. She had bargained for him and won, and he had to live with her. Be nice to her. Dote on her. Leif and Taran thought it was the best arrangement possible, as she was friends with their wives, and the six of them were rearing Leif and Taran’s younger sister Amena together.

His eyes popped open. A ray of sunshine had come through the gap between the odd tapestries that hung in front of the windows. Good thing. Roland likely had to relieve himself, and Katherine had muttered something about a fine for any damage to the bed. And speaking of Katherine, she smelled so nice, like roses touched by a summer rain.

Wait, why could he smell her?

There was movement around his head, why?

Oh no.

What he had thought was a pillow was actually Katherine. She was curled around his head like one cat around another.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he lifted her arms off his shoulders. No need to wake her just yet. It was so peaceful and quiet without her talking. Holding his breath, he got up, watching her peaceful sleep — just for the slightest sign he had disturbed her and needed to run, mind.

He went into the other room to check on his prisoner. The druid was awake, and badly in need of relieving himself, just as Luag had suspected. Roland wasn't quite straining yet against the bonds that tied him to the bed, but Luag could tell he was close.

Silently, Luag cut the bonds and escorted the small man into the bathroom. He'd seen some very eye-opening stories last night on what Katherine called the TV, and he showed Roland how to operate the toilet and the shower, then trapped him in the bathroom by dragging the heavy dresser in front of the door. The druid was so blocked from magic that there was no way he'd be able to get out.

Secure in that knowledge, Luag used the other toilet and the other shower, all the while marveling at how easy it was when the water came to you, rather than you going to get water. And this water was hot! Eager as he was to get home and warn his friends about Donald's imminent plan to raid Aberdeen, he could get used to this.

Katherine was awake by the time he finished dressing. She had been into the bedroom and seen the dresser in front of the bathroom door, because her face was a bit stricken. To her credit, she didn't comment on it.

She brushed by him on her way into the bathroom. "I see you've already showered. Good. Breakfast and some other things I ordered will come in a few minutes. Would you please let the man in when he comes with them? Go ahead and eat. I'll grab a quick bite once I'm done in the shower."

Curious what she'd had sent, he raised his eyebrows and nodded her into the bathroom. He let Roland stay in the other bathroom until after both the food and Katherine's things had arrived. One of them was a masterfully crafted leather satchel.

The breakfast was amazingly variable, but like all food here, it tasted a little… bland. He couldn't put his finger on the reason why, but the milk had barely any flavor to it, and neither did the eggs. They filled his stomach though, and so he shrugged it off.

The telephone rang and Katherine answered. "Okay, go ahead and check us out, and we'll be right down."

Luag resisted the urge to stare at the vast expanse of the open ceilings on the way out, but it was difficult because they seemed even more grand in the daylight than they had at sunset the day before.

Out the front door, they were greeted by one of those jeweled monstrosities complete with a stranger to drive it. He was standing on the smooth walking surface beside the machine chewing something but not swallowing it. The monstrosity had doors, and they were all wide open.

The most disturbing thing was that hideous music came out of the monstrosity, loud and thumping and frightening.

"Hello! I'm Gregory, but you can call me Greg. Going to Big Bear, huh? No luggage? Oh, can I take your bag?" The young MacGregor held out his hand to Luag for his knapsack.

Not wanting to offend, Luag looked at Katherine and signed, "Is it the custom for me to give him this bag? Because I don't want to."

She signed back, "Tell him you'll command it."

Luag mustered what smile he could and told the man, "I'll command it," in as serious a tone as he could manage, just so the man would know he meant it.

But the man raised his hands in the air in mock surrender. "Suit yourself. All right ma'am, I think you should sit in front," he said, helping Katherine into one of the doors. "And you sirs can sit in the back." He gestured for them to get in.

Just like he'd seen on the TV last night, Luag put Roland into the vehicle, putting a hand on top of his head to keep him from suing anyone, as Katherine had explained. After slamming the door shut with a satisfying bang that made Roland wince, Luag rushed around to the other side and got in before the druid could get out, rather pleased with himself for handling it so smoothly.

And then the man who had called himself Greg and so must be a MacGregor got in. “Fasten your seatbelts, gentlemen.”

Not knowing what he meant, Luag looked to Katherine.

Licking her lips, she leaned into the back from the front of the vehicle. Looking first at the seat and then at Luag, she grabbed some things on the seat to either side of him, held them up in front of his sporran, and then rammed them together with a snapping sound. “You fasten Roland’s seatbelt,” she told Luag.

But the little man had been watching and got it done by himself.

MacGregor started the engine.

Luag spent the next two hours with a white-knuckle grip on the seat in front of him. How were there so many of these jeweled monstrosities? And so much smooth white surface. How did they go so fast? How did Katherine stand this music?

Gradually, they left the city and re-entered nature, as Katherine had promised. They'd been going up a winding road onto a mountain with trees and flowers and plenty of other foliage for quite a while when Roland spoke up.

"I know I told you I'd take you back with me," he said to Luag in a whisper, "but my druid kindred will be gloriously angry with me—"

"I'm not letting go," Luag whispered with his hand on Roland’s wrist, "and I know from speaking with Katherine and her friends that your contact with me will bring me back anyway. So I will be there with you, like it or not. And Katherine has changed her mind and wishes to go as well. That's not so critical. However, if you make me disappoint the lass, I will be very angry with you myself, ye ken?"

Trembling, Roland nodded that he indeed understood.

Softening a bit, Luag pointed out, "And anyway, they won't be too mad at you once you tell them you've seen the destruction of nature in so large an area and the implications for Scotland. They'll have other things to fash about."

Roland relaxed a little. "Aye, ‘tis likely ye hae the right o’ it. Already I can feel nature returning to me — though I canna do much about it inside this machine."

"Good," Luag said to himself loudly enough for Roland to hear.

That made even Roland chuckle a note.

"Okay, we’re here!" The MacGregor announced, opening the door on Roland's side of the monstrosity. "Here you are, sir."

Roland eagerly moved to get out alone.

But Luag still had firm a firm hold on his arm. Not wishing to give the little man even the smallest opportunity to escape back to 1411 alone, he told the MacGregor, "Close that door and come on around to this other one."

Obviously unaccustomed to taking orders, the MacGregor looked to Katherine, of all people, for direction.

She gave him a smile that would have convinced a man to give up his last copper. "Go ahead and do as he says, Greg. It's all right."

With a dopey grin on his face, the MacGregor did as she asked.

Once they were all out and the monstrosity had left, Katherine turned toward the top of the mountain and indicated a trail surrounded by the tallest pine trees Luag had seen yet.

Roland stared at the trees all the way up to the top of the trail. Several times he tried to break away toward one tree or another, and he would have forgotten to drink water if Luag hadn’t insisted. Even this high up it was quite warm here, and they emptied all the little water bottles Katherine produced from her new knapsack.

When they crested the small mountain, Katherine stopped and threw up her hands with a smile. "We're here. This is as far away from civilization as I can get you in a few hours without flying."

Flying?

But Luag didn't voice his question. Roland was distracted enough by the trees. With Luag's hand still firmly on his arm, he was now leaning against the tallest one nearby, eyes closed with a look of amazement and elation on his face.

Katherine noticed. "How long do you want to give the tree hugger before we insist he take you home?"

Luag shrugged. "We can give him a few moments."

They stood there watching Roland's face move as if he were talking to someone in his mind, which they supposed he was.

But after a while Luag grew impatient once more. "Come on, old man. We need to get home and warn our friends, and you need to get home and warn your fellow druids about all the monstrosities world domination creates, remember?"

Roland opened his eyes looking so happy, Luag was glad he'd given the druid those few moments. "If ye are ready, I think I hae just enough power tae dae the job now."

Luag opened his mouth to tell the man to get on with it.

But the world was already spinning.

In a panic, he reached out his hand toward Katherine.

She was instantly in his embrace, latching onto him for all she was worth.

Luag allowed himself to enjoy the nearness of her while the world flip-flopped all around them.

They arrived at the top of the mountain above Leif's manor. It was midday, just as it had been at the top of the mountain in Big Bear, California. And it was still July, because Luag was only slightly shivering in the skimpy clothes Katherine had purchased for him. He chuckled to see her teeth chattering as she hugged herself for warmth, goose flesh on her arms, she was so cold.

Luag let go of Roland.

The old druid ambled his way down the opposite side of the mountain from Inverurie. "Ye hae the right o’ it. I dae need tae get back tae my druid kindred and show them my memories o’ the terror that waurld domination brings upon nature in the future." He turned a mischievous look on Luag. "And ye need tae go and warn yer friends about yer kinsman."

Luag started down Leif’s side of the mountain, wondering if Katherine would follow him.

She did, and for a time there was blessed silence between them, silence being golden during times of tension between allies, so far as Luag was concerned.

When at last she did speak, it was not with the anger he'd been preparing himself for. No, her voice was sickly sweet in the Gaelic the druid magic formed her words into.

"Sae Donald is kin tae ye?"

At first, he was at a loss as to how to respond. “Aye” was all he said, keeping his eyes on the faint trail down the mountain toward Leif's manor.

"And I assume ye want me tae keep this little secret o’ yers safe from Leif and Taran and everyone in Inverurie?" she said in mockingly sweet tones.

She had crossed the line.

He rounded on her. "They all dae ken, every last one o’ them. If ye had been paying attention tae anyone but yer sacred self this past year, ye would hae kenned as well. I hae had enough o’ yer superior attitude. If yer gaun'ae speak tae me, dae sae with respect. Otherwise, I would rather na hear from ye."

"Suits me just fine," she said with that same superior attitude.

Well they are almost back to Cresh Manor now, so there really wasn't any need for him to speak to her anyway.