Short excerpt from Mayhawk: Sojourner. Gawain and Caerdach, being...well, themselves. What more can I say? I went below deck to Balloch and Aonghus and made my pallet near them. I stretched out on the blankets, folded my hands behind my head and closed my eyes. “What are ye about?” Caerdach asked. “Hiding down here in the hay?” “Resting,” I replied. “Ah, long night I take it?” he asked. His boots were heavy on the planking, and I opened an eye. He leaned on Balloch’s rail and rubbed the horse’s nose. “Na’ a pleasant one,” I said. “Nightmares woke me and I didna’ sleep well afterward.” “Shame it wasna’ a nice lass keeping ye awake,” he replied. “But ye canna’ all have my luck.” I sat up. “Yer luck?” “Aye. The most sought after man in Caer Gwyar,” Caerdach puffed out his chest. I had little doubt he’d have his pick of the girls on our voyage by the time we reached the mainland, and then God only knew what trouble he’d cause. High time to have a laugh at the expense of his pride, while the sea was even and the journey was young. “Oh, that’s what they’re saying?” I asked, feigning surprise. “Na’ what I heard.” He leaned around the post, head canted in a pose that reminded me of Aonghus. I glanced to the dog, and he wore the same expression. “What…what did ye hear? If the seneschal is still on about his niece…” “I heard a trio of lasses having a row about ye na’ tae long ago. Seems tae me they all agreed ye belong in a pen with the hogs.” “Really?” “Oh, aye,” I replied. “What was that one lass’ name…Fiona or some such?” Fiona was one of Caerdach’s many hangers-on, and one he, arguably, spent the most time with. His face lost a little color. “I think I heard Moibeal….” She was the seneschal’s daughter, and Caerdach’s other primary distraction. More color faded. “Ye think, or ye ken?” “Hard tae tell. They were fighting like bear dogs. Seems they all found out about the others. And each other.” He slumped. “I guess it’s as well I left when I did, then, if those two were fighting. But ye said there were three?” “Dierdre…she was the worst. She’d have had ye gelded like a horse if it were up tae her.” “Dinna’ think I ken a Dierdre.” I laughed. “Na’ my fault ye canna’ remember their names.” He grinned. “Ye arse. Ye made all that up?” “Of course I did. Those women wouldna’ fight over yer raily hide.” “Ye think so? And what would they fight over, ye?” I shrugged. “I am crown prince, after all.” “Oh, aye…Prince Ratty Beard…It’s coming in a little thin there…” He indicated the edge of my jaw. “A bit of the mange, have ye?” Until that point, I’d been rather proud of my new, if patchy, beard. Suddenly self-conscious, I ran a hand over my jaw. “Mange? Are ye mad?” “Ye had yer laugh at me, it’s only fair I take revenge. I’ll leave ye tae yer rest,” he said. “We’ll be in Thurso before long. I’ll wake ye when we arrive.”
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:32:51 +0000
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