A Time of Madness by Marti Talbott

Author:Marti Talbott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Scotland, Young Adult, scottish, family saga, medieval, series, laird
Publisher: MT Creations
Published: 2011-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

EVEN THE GROUND SEEMED softer in the tall grass near the sea and sleep came easily to the MacGreagors. The sound of crashing waves comforted them, the fish filled their stomachs, and all of them agreed this was a very fine place to build a new home.

Their first morning on the new land meant a thousand decisions had to be made. What they needed most was a roof over their heads and four walls to protect them from the wind and rain. A large structure was always the first built and would become the Keep once there were cottages for the families.

Fortunately, the art of building had been handed down through the generations and they’d managed to bring a few tools. The tools, each of them realized, were thoughtful gifts from those left behind and they were very grateful.

One guard standing on the top of the hill could see for miles around in every direction and Daniel took the first watch. It allowed all the other men to turn their attention to gathering beer stones, a white chalky substance they could grind and mix with sand and water to make mortar. The tempting grass kept the horses from straying very far away and bright orange peacock butterflies flittering through the air dared the three and the five-year-old to capture them. All the while, the sounds of the ocean seemed like music to their ears.

Yet there was so much to do and with no mistress to make decisions, the women began to loudly discuss who would do what. Finally, Sawney started up the hill to try to sort it all out.

Just then, Daniel whistled and pointed up the beach. The women quieted, the men ran up the hill to protect them, and the little ones scurried to hide behind an adult.

On a dapple-gray, a woman dressed in a blue plaid rode along the beach. As she drew closer, it was easy to see she had a pleasant face, light hair, which she wore in two braids and she was likely in her forties. When she spotted them, she waved and turned her horse up the hill.

“She rides alone,” Blare muttered. MacGreagor women were not allowed to ride alone and he hoped it meant dangers were few in this part of Scotland.

Sawney was disappointed it was not the woman he met the day before. He’d been thinking about her all morning and often glanced at the woods where he last saw her just in case she was watching them. If she was, she was very good at hiding.

Keter scratched the side of his face, “Perhaps she can say where we might barter for a cow and some sheep.”

Gavina giggled. “Aye, but we have no churn for butter or a curds and whey press for cheese.”

“We have no kiln to bake bread, on which to put the butter either, but we will make them, my love...in time. For now, we will do it the way the ancients did; we will put the milk in flasks, put the flasks over the backs of horses, and let their constant movement churn the milk.

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