The Guardian by Diana Knightley

Twenty-two - Kaitlyn

Afew weeks later, Lizbeth and Sean and their families had to return to Balloch for the winter. They wanted to get ahead of the winter weather, because really from then on, it was totally foul, cold, and poured rain all the time.

We had some celebrations here and there, like Samhain, but by the time we were celebrating autumn holidays we had already been living through such crappy weather that it was hard to believe we had even more coming.

And it was only November 1st.

Fraoch made the Samhain celebration pretty great though. He gathered all the kids around and told ghost and evil fairy stories and regaled them with a long story about living in a swamp surrounded by monsters and finding Magnus washed up on shore. He stood and told all about saving Magnus from certain death at the teeth of the beast.

Magnus said, “Tis nae how I remember it at all, the monster was big, aye, but I think ye told me tae roll away from him and I did.”

Fraoch said, “But twas how I told it tae ye, I said ye must roll away from the monster or he will eat ye.”

Ben asked, “Uncle Fraoch, did you have to push Uncle Magnus?”

Fraoch said, “Why yes I did. Here, let me show ye!” He made Archie lie down and got Ben to roll Archie across the floor of the Great Hall. “Now ye reminded me, Ben, twas just like this — yer Uncle Magnus layin’ in the swamp, wailin’ and begging me tae save his life, and I rolled him over and over.”

I raised my hand from where I was sitting on the ground with Isla in my lap watching Fraoch’s storytelling. “I think seeing Ben push Archie is just not quite good enough for my imagination, can we actually see Uncle Fraoch roll Uncle Magnus? And now that I think about it, could Zach pretend to be the alligator monster too? Just so we have it clear in our minds how it went?”

Applause went up, with urging from everyone.

Magnus laughed. “Och, it sounds as if everyone wants tae see it.”

Zach got down on his stomach on the ground and gnashed his teeth. “They make a roaring noise, from down in their stomachs!” He roared again.

Fraoch said, “Og Maggy, ye must get down there, lay down beside him.”

Magnus pretended to be afraid. “I daena want tae, he is verra frightening.”

Ben and Archie yelled, “It’s okay, it’s just a play!”

And Isla joined in, “Play play!”

So Magnus lay down beside Zach and said, “Och, I am near death and verra close tae the log, and tis dark and I canna see his teeth.”

Zach gnashed his teeth.

Fraoch feigned surprise, “Och, who is this wee man lying here in the swamp?”

The kids all laughed uproariously.

Fraoch said, “The wee man is goin’ tae be eaten by the beast if I daena save his life.” He showed off his muscles and then set to work rolling Magnus across the floor. “Ye see, Og Maggy, ye are too verra weak tae save yerself, tis up tae me tae do it.” And rolled him all across the floor to the far door.

The kids were falling all around laughing and then for a while we had rolling-time until it devolved into bed time.