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“As long as the wind and the tide wish it,” he replied, the oars splashing in the water as they rode onwards towards Mull and the continuation of their adventure…
* * *
The sea was growing rough, and in a small boat like that of Longtooth MacGregor, every rise and swell of the water seemed like the possibility of the end. Murdina clung to the sides of the boat, but Longtooth seemed unperturbed, his course steady, and the island of Mull fast approaching.
“We will be dashed on the rocks if we are nae careful,” she exclaimed, but Longtooth only laughed.
“Ye would be, aye, but I have rowed this way hundreds of times. I know the tides better than I dae the paths across the moorlands, lass,” he said, and Murdina could only cling on to the sides of the boat as they headed into an inlet between towering rocks.
The sea suddenly grew calm, and a small beach lay ahead, the waves lapping gently on the shore. The tide washed the boat gently, and Kin leaped out to drag it up onto the sands. Murdina was glad to be back on dry land, and she scrambled out, jumping down into the surf, and running a few paces up the beach.
“I thought we would perish,” she said, glancing back out into the choppy waters beyond the inlet.
“It was nae as bad as the storm which brought me to ye,” he said, and there was a strange look in his eyes, as though the passage across the waters had revived further memories.
“Dae ye know where ye are goin’ now?” Longtooth asked, and Kin nodded.
“Aye, thank ye–this path will lead us to the nearest settlement, will it?” he asked, pointing to a sandy way which led up through the rocks.
“Aye, to Tobermory. Tis’ about a mile further north. Where is it ye said yer family lived?” Longtooth asked, and Kin smiled.
“They are crofters, tis’ nay where in particular,” he replied, and Murdina could not help but be impressed by the skill with which he had weaved their lie since they had arrived in Lerwise the previous day.
“Then I wish ye well. There will be men in Tobermory who will row ye back across, and boats docked there to take ye south, should ye choose it. Well, good luck to ye,” he said, and with a run, he pushed the boat back down into the water and leaped into the stern.
Murdina marveled at the sight of the man now rowing against the tide. He must have been eighty years old, yet he had all the youthful vigor of a man far younger. They watched as the boat disappeared out into the sea, and Longtooth waved to them before the boat rounded a rock out of sight.
“There now, we are on Mull,” Kin said, losing his brogue–much to Murdina’s relief.
“Ye played yer part well, Mr. Macleod,” she said, and he laughed.
“The sea brought back a lot of memories, just like the fire. I remembered the wreck–the night of it, at least. We struck a rock. I was sleeping beneath the deck, and there was an almighty crash, water pouring in. There was chaos and confusion; men swept out through the hole and lost to the waves. The bow was broken, but somehow, I managed to get myself up on deck. The captain was shouting orders, the rain was driving– I am not certain what happened next,” he said, shaking his head.
“But dae you remember why ye were on board? It was an English ship. Were ye there as a spy?” she asked, and he thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
“I can only remember being an outcast–or rather, I was not a part of the crew. That was why I survived the wreck. I did not do as the captain ordered the rest to do. He thought he could save the ship, that by bailing out the water, they would stand a chance. But once the hull was breached, there was no chance at all. Dozens of them must have perished below, but I was on deck, and when the ship hit the next rock, I jumped into the water. I used a piece of wood to float on. Exhaustion must have overcome me, but I was washed up on the beach, and… well, you know the rest,” he said.
There was a look of some relief in his eyes, as though the piecing together of the puzzle brought him hope. She smiled at him, glancing up at the clouds above, which were now threatening rain.
“Well, we are on Mull, and perhaps ye will now remember somethin’ more of yer mission here,” she said, and he nodded.
“I can only hope so. But come, we should find lodgings for the night. The afternoon is drawing on,” Kin said, offering her his hand.
They made their way up the sandy path, having now to carry their own belongs. It was hard going, and Murdina stumbled several times before they reached the top of the rocky cove and could look back across the waters towards Lerwise. Out on the sea, the tiny image of Longtooth’s boat was just visible, and Murdina marveled at the old man’s knowledge of the waters.
“He wouldnae have allowed yer ship to dash itself on the rocks,” she said, and Kin laughed.
“Perhaps it was fate that allowed it,” he replied.
Murdina pondered his words. She had only his word for the truth of his forgotten memories and no real way of knowing if what he spoke was really to be believed. It could all be an elaborate ruse, and this could be an abduction, albeit a strange one. She wanted so desperately to trust him, but the selective nature of his memories, and the strange manner in which they emerged, cast doubts in her mind–doubts she could not easily assuage.
“Then let us hope fate will lead us down the right paths still,” she said, and he nodded.
“I am sure it will if we allow it,” he replied.
They had emerged onto a plateau, much like that of the mull where her father’s castle lay. Heather stretched out on every side, the undulating landscape dotted with crofts and remote dwellings. A path ran along the cliff top, the waves crashing on the rocks below, and Murdina knew that had it not been for Longtooth, they would surely have suffered their own shipwreck that day. She imagined the storms which surely blew up in the channel between the island and the mainland, cutting off the boats and supplies which ferried back and forth. This was a lonely place, a place of mystery, and, she hoped, the place where their own mystery would be solved.
“Then we must search for the knot,” she said, looking out across the island and wondering where best to begin.
