Chapter 6

I waited until they were both up and I left, heading north. I passed no-one for the whole two days I journeyed, always within the cover of the trees. Since Edgar Palmer was leading a gang of footpads, I kept a close watch that I was not being watched. At night I kept my rifle in the sleeping-bag with me, almost sleeping with one eye open.

The third day I had just come on a spring flowing from a rock outcrop and I was having a drink when I sensed I was being watched, for the hair on the back of my neck seemed to rise. While pretending to wipe my hands on my thigh I slipped my 9mm into my hand and spun round just as a scruffy individual was creeping up on me. I fired one round at his feet and he nearly died of shock. His partner actually tripped over his own foot and fell to the ground.

I was ready to put a round into them if they stepped one step closer. A voice in English shouted, "Stay there." They both turned and looked in the direction of the voice. Out of the woods stepped two men one dressed in a suit less a tie but really in rags. The other was dressed the same as the others, with rough weave frock tied at the waist, leggings tied with thongs to the knee and sandal like footwear.

"Christ, a man armed with a sniper's rifle, you certainly are not from this era." He said as he strode towards me.

Somehow right away I did not trust him, or his companion, I saw the way they were eyeing my two weapons.

"Are you Edgar Palmer, if you are I have come to take you back, that is if you want to."

"You know how to get back to our own time, how I searched and searched in that area and could find no way."

"I have been back and forth between different time periods and know what to look for and when, for these openings are only for a very short time and have a strict time cycle."

"I've been here for twelve years; I don't think I could live in our time now, from what I hear from Edgar. By the way I'm Mark Simpson."

"I have already got one woman, who accidentally came back in time, I still have to get a young lad who is living with a man called Hanlaf, and then I can get back."

"You are looking for Hanlaf's bum boy Kenny, you will have a fat chance separating these two. Anyway Hanlaf is a friend of ours and we wouldn't let you take the boy" Shouted Edgar. "Here I say what goes, now give me these weapons, for a real soldier." He reached to grab the rifle and I shot him in the chest and he was thrown off his feet and thrown about six feet back.

"No-one touches these guns; I don't give a damn, who he is. Get it?"

There was no need to check out Edgar I had loaded soft hollow nosed rounds and half his back was missing.

"God what have you done?" Mark shouted in Gaelic.

"I came in good faith to take him back, he may have dominated you people but he will not dominate me. Did he think I was some stupid idiot, I too am a soldier, a sniper and this is my weapon and no man touches it. If he was such a good soldier he should have known not to grab the barrel of a weapon pointed at him."

"You speak Gaelic like the Druids, how did you learn there dialect?" Mark now curious, asked?"

"I have druids seeking information for me; it was them that told me your location. Now I have found Edgar, which is one part finished, for now he won't be coming back, idiot. Do you want to stay here or return with me?"

"I would like to go back, but everything will have changed, all my friends gone."

"Even if you have to start anew, conditions are far better than here. You will be among people of your own kind. But first I have to find Kenny; I also have his mother with me. You could be a great help."

"I have nothing here; we are hounded by all the lords and kings men. So I will help you look for Hanlaf, I know where he hangs out usually. Let me get my things and I will go with you now, the men here will take care of Edgar's body."

So Mark and I took off still in a Northerly direction. We came on a cottage in a clearing in the late afternoon, and we approached the two women who were at the entrance. It was obvious that they knew Mark, and were more than just friends.

"We can stay here for the night and make a fresh start in the morning, one of the women would be happy to comfort you."

"We can stay, but I will be in the woods, you stay with the women. I'll collect you in the morning, early."

Mark disappeared into the cottage while I moved into the woods. I found a nice spot where I could see the cottage. I never put up the tent but I got into my sleeping-bag, after I cooked a meal and with my Gillie suit over me I doubt if I could be seen by anyone five yards away. I just wasn't sure about Mark yet, so I was going to keep a close eye on him for a while yet.

Dawn I got up splashed some water from my water bottle on my face cleaned my teeth, made up my bedding and strolled down to the cottage. I banged on the side, nothing, so I fired a round from the 9mm and Mark came rushing out.

"God the sun is hardly up, you don't get up this early every morning do you?"

"Yes and sometimes earlier, get your things were moving out."

"The women haven't seen Hanlaf, but he will be at the festival of Diana."

"I know that, I have already been told by the Druids," I answered.

"Let's wait for him there then, it will save us wandering all over the country, and I don't want to be caught and sent to fight the Romans."

"You're right let's head back to my camp then."

During the four day journey I found out a lot about Mark. He had stumbled into the shimmering on his way to see a woman friend, and from how he described her I have a funny feeling it was Lilia he was on his way to see.

We arrived back and the women were nowhere to be seen, but after a short time they emerged from the forest.

"Mark Simpson, so you didn't stand me up, you fell through the hole also."

Well this confirmed my suspicions anyway.

'Who is Mark Simpson? I thought you went looking for Edgar Palmer?" Mary asked.

"Edgar Palmer is dead, in fact I killed him, he went to grab my rifle and I shot him."

"You shot him, just because he wanted your rifle?" She said staring at me with a shocked look on her face.

"He was aggressive and domineering, I am a sniper and no-one takes my rifle off me. It was the only thing I could do. I came to take him back, and I think he didn't like it. I have a feeling he dominated Mark and had him under his thumb. Anyway, there is some good news, Mark knows Hanlaf and we are going to go and meet him when he comes to the temple. Meanwhile we will just stay here, keep as quiet as possible, until we can return.

Mark and Lilia were together and at night they shared their bedding, while I and Mary shared the sleeping-bag. We dug latrines and Mark had picked up good hunting skills and kept us in fresh meat, and wild vegetables, so much so we hardly touched the emergency rations.

Time passed quickly and I found that Mary was a warm caring woman, who revelled in sex. How her own husband ignored her I have no idea, but then I only had her side of the story. I wasn't caring that much as long as she was willing then so was I. There was no strings attached, I made that clear from the start. Mary was only too eager to agree to these terms.

Mary insisted that she would come to the temple with us, nothing would stop her.

So when the day of the festival to Diana came round we made our way to the woods surrounding the temple. I hunted around until I found a lie that would give us a good view of the area and watch the people who would arrive. We waited well in the woods watching worshippers gathering for two days, the others were getting fidgety, having to lie up in the same position. They just couldn't lie still. I knew how to get Mary to lie still though. I slipped my hand up between her legs and she purred like a cat. During the past few weeks we had become very intimate and she just couldn't get enough sexual attention.