Timeless

Chapter Twenty

Chapter 20

"You're not going to have to get naked and dance around a bonfire in the middle of the forest under a full moon, are you?"

"What? No! No, nothing like that," Ri shook her head, bemused. She and Fiona had retreated to the privacy of Ri and Shaw's room. Ri pulled a fresh pair of trews from her trunk, along with one of her shirts, and an old cap and hooded overcoat of Shaw's she'd found earlier that week. "Here, put these on. Hide your hair in the cap."

"What? Why?" Fiona complied to Ri's orders even as she questioned them.

"Because I need someone to watch Iain while I do this," Ri explained, "and with you disappearing into your room for the past few days, you'll be watched, too conspicuous. And if he sees you hanging around him too much, he may get suspicious. No, we'll dress you up as a boy. Just stay small and out of everyone's way and you'll be fine."

"Okay, okay, and what'll you do? How are you going to do this?"

"I have to go back to Agatha's hut. She may be gone, but I have to believe she's left something to help me. At the very least, she was genuinely concerned about saving Shaw from this threat. She wouldn't've just up and abandoned him."

"But how are you going to get there? After what happened, I doubt Shaw'll let you out of the castle without at least an escort, if not him himself – wait, does that make sense? Him himself . . ."

"Not really, but I know what you mean. I'm disguising myself as a scullery maid. I'll slip out when the rest head to market. Here," Ri rubbed her fingers on the stones of the hearth, gathering soot and reaching to smear it of Fi's cheeks.

"What the–?" Fi pulled back.

"Remember Flicka? It worked for her," Ri pointed out. Fi scowled, made a few weak noises of protest, then rolled her eyes and moved back within Ri's reach. Ri gave her a healthy looking shadow of stubble, then considered her twin. "The overcoat is big enough that your boobs aren't too noticeable, but it might be better if we just tape them down. Then again, if something happens and you have to run, it would be best if you could breathe freely. What do you think?"

"I'll be fine," Fi covered her breasts defensively. "You are not squishing the girls, now shoo!" Fi scooped up the cap, twined her hair into a loose braid, and twisted it up atop her head beneath said cap. "I have work to do. And so do you," she reached over and hugged her twin. "Good luck, Gods' speed, stay safe and all that," she pulled back and grinned. "See you soon," and she was gone.

"Good luck to you too," Ri mumbled. She felt horrible for lying to her sister, but it had been necessary. What she was about to do was a big risk, a big sacrifice; one that would worry Fiona, but one that Ri was determined to make. Ri took the dirk Shaw had gifted her along with a small paintbrush and the brass basin by the door and slipped through the darkened corridors and servants' paths, down to the courtyard. She'd bribed the guards at the gate with the purse of coins she'd taken from Fergus, the one she'd never managed to give to Shaw. They turned their heads as she passed, literally not seeing her as she left the castle grounds. They would never have betrayed their Laird like this for someone trying to get in, and they'd made sure she knew they wouldn't lie to him if he asked after her. They just wouldn't offer the information freely. And that was just fine with Ri.

She hurried through the country side and around the town, but she didn't turn towards Agatha's cottage. There was nothing left for her there. Everything she needed was burned into her brain. She'd lied to Shaw as well. She had dreamed of Austin last night, but that had only been the beginning. Because then Agatha had come, pleading with her to remember, cutting her, stabbing her, and repeating the same words over and over again.