She nodded against him. She didn’t want to leave him, and it was insane! She didn’t fall for men in five days! Maybe instead of just accepting everything that happened, she should fight a little. She had no right to ask a fifteenth century knight to step into the future with her. How would he ever grow accustomed to the bright lights, the quick pace, the sometimes rude people one met on a normal day? What if he killed someone and went to prison for the rest of his life? Prison in her time was probably better than prison in his, but it was still prison.
They remained quiet for the remainder of the trip, but the silence was becoming familiar and comforting. They leaned into each other, listening to the other’s breathing.
They reached Walter’s house after noon. Now, in the daylight, Kes fell in love with the house. It was much bigger than she thought and covered in ivy and other flowering vines. It was at least four stories high with huge windows, their shutters thrown open.
Kes blinked, looking up. Was…was that a bird that just flew out of one of the windows?
“Come. We will talk inside.” Old Walter led them indoors.
This time, they followed him into a large, well-lit hall and were invited to sit at a long trestle table. Ale and black bread with jam were served by a man just a bit younger than Old Walter. His name was Jonathan, and there were two middle-aged women called Edith and Margery.
Kes looked at the large bowl of bread set before them and ate, and the smaller bowls of jams. Not exactly a healthy afternoon snack, but she went with it.
“How is the king this fine day?” Walter asked.
“He is well. Have you given any further thought to what you told us last eve?” Nicholas asked. “It all sounded very odd.”
Walter smiled at him and then flicked his gaze to Kes. “It is very odd, is it not, Miss…ehm, Locksley?”
Her blood drained from her face. She nodded. It was all she could manage as fear overwhelmed her. Why did he say Locksley as if he knew it wasn’t her real name? Her gaze flicked to Nicholas. He was watching them both.
“Are you a native to this time, Walter?” she asked him, tired of playing these silly games.
“What do you mean?” he asked in all innocence.
“How do you come by all these artifacts? Do you acquire them yourself?”
His smile deepened. “Of course not. I get them from the same sort of men whom you have secured.”
“Secured?” she echoed then looked at Nicholas when he spoke.
“Have you found someone already?”
“Aye, and I heard from him just before you arrived. He—”
“How?” Nicholas asked. “How did you hear from him so quickly? Is he right in the village?”
“My lord, ’tis better if—”
“Walter,” Kes interrupted, “please answer the earl’s question.”
“Very well. He is a frequenttraveler.”
“What kind of traveler, Walter?” Nicholas demanded.
“A time traveler, my lord.”
Kes felt relief like a flood wash over her. Nicholas didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked ill.
“My lord,” Walter said to him, “I trust now that you care for a traveler, you will say nothing.”
“I’m not a traveler, Walter,” Kes told him. “I was brought here against my will and dropped into the middle of a battlefield!”
“I see,” said the old merchant. “From when?”
“The twenty-first century.”
Walter gave her a pitying look. “This must be extremely difficult.”