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“You’re right.”
“As always.”
They laughed in unison, a rumbling sound that echoed through the cave, reminding me of rocks rolling down a hill.
The warmer hands finally released their grip, only for one to retake my hand, shaking it enthusiastically.
“My name is… well, you may call me Mac. And this is my brother-“
Cold fingers pushed away the warmer ones until my hand was shaken again. I didn’t even try to pull away this time. I was too stunned to do anything much.
“Ben. I’m Ben. And you are?”
“Claire,” I said automatically. “Claire MacDuff. But you already know that because you’re in my mind. Why am I even talking to you?”
“Because you know that you’re making excuses,” Mac chuckled, none of the earlier sadness remaining. “You can feel us. You can hear us. And soon, you will hopefully be able to see us.”
I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. Or if I should reply at all. Maybe I should just lie down and wait to be rescued. I wasn’t usually one to take a passive role in life, but there was a first time for everything.
“Just to double check,” Ben said close to my right ear, “You’re a MacDuff by birth, not marriage, right?”
“I’m not married.”
“Good. We got it right. This time.”
“This time?” I repeated weakly.
“About fifty years ago, another MacDuff came to us on Winter Solstice. We were so hopeful…”
His voice trailed off.
“What happened?” I asked, even though I still didn’t quite believe this conversation was real.
“She couldn’t see us. Couldn’t even hear us. Not like you.”
A cool hand touched my cheek. I flinched for just a moment, then forced myself to look at the air where Ben would likely stand. If he was standing.
“Are you ghosts?” I blurted. “Do you float?”
Both of them laughed in unison.
“No on both accounts,” Ben said, his hand still on my cheek. I should have pushed him away, but I strangely enjoyed his touch. Guilty pleasures like this were allowed in dreams.
Mac cleared his throat. “It’s a long story. But I suppose we have time until the sun reaches its zenith. Have you ever heard the story of the Grey Man of Ben Macdui?”
I would have stared at him in surprise and disbelief if I’d been able to see him. “Of course. Everyone here does. Am Fear Liath Mór, the Big Grey Man. A creature that haunts the mountain. Crunching footsteps behind you. Shadows that move. Strange noises. And tales of a man, ten foot tall, broad shoulders, dark hair, skin the colour of the rocks that line the summit.”
“Men. It should be men.” Mac sounded annoyed. “Nobody ever mentions that there are two of us.”
“At least most of the other details were right. Not sure I agree with skin the colour of rocks. Depends on the rock.”
“You’re the Grey Man…Men?” I interrupted. “Alright, now my mind is scaring me. Changing a myth into… what are you? Brothers?”
“Twins,” Mac said happily. “Two sides of a coin. Ben here is doing the haunting. I do the opposite, leading lost hikers to safety. Or into caves to get warm.”
I could hear his smile in his voice. He was talking about me.
“Let’s pretend I believe you, believe all this. How did you get me here? Where is this cave? And what are you planning to do with me?”
