King Arthur Returns (Book #1 of the King Arthur Returns Trilogy)

Chapter Twenty-One

    Speaking into the mobile again I laughed as I asked. 'Morgayne, you probably heard your very loud knight demanding that you remain well until his return.' There was a double tap, I was about to ask if she wanted me to pass the phone to him when there was another two taps. Then a string of them. Tap-tap tap-tap tap-tap tap-tap.

    'She's sending you her healthy heartbeat.' There was one tap to confirm my guess. But I had become so used to knowing that the absence made me remember why I had called in the first place.

    'I can't feel you anymore. Can you?'

    No.

    'Do you know why?'

    Three taps. Maybe.

    'Is it the distance? Or maybe there was a time limit?'

    It could be.

    'I thought I'd always have that bond with you.'

    We still do.

    'I'm really going to miss you, Morgayne.'

    Same.

    Arthur's light long-sleeve shirt caught the few tears I cried after ending the call.

    I knew we were getting closer to the Newquay Airport when there were more planes in the sky. They were still distant, but they were there in greater numbers than our secluded cliff normally saw. As Branok directed Tristram soon there was an audible rumbling of the planes over head. And they were flying unbelievably low. The guys muttered together in Cornish as it almost looked like we were driving alongside one, separated by a fence.

    'These are planes then.'

    We cracked the windows so they could hear them better.

    'Noisy beasts!'

    'Not beasts, machines!' I called over the roar of the nearest one diving over us. Although there were some beasts in the fields we were driving past. The guys should see Heathrow, the amount flying to and from those runways would really shock them.

    And then it was time for more goodbyes.

    My suitcase was sitting on the walkway beside the Jeep and I had my backpack on, it had the Wine Snob laptop with our story. Even though it was saved to the cloud, I didn't want to risk losing the more physical copy. Not while I was currently losing the real life versions.

    'It's not really goodbye, is it?'

    'Nay mistress. Ye'll nawt be rid of us so easy, I'm getting good at writing missives on the typer-

     'Computer.'

    'Ye'll hear from all of us.'

    'Glad to hear it.' Tristram scooped me up, back pack and all, for a hug.

    'Bye fer now, little witch.' He set me back on my feet and then Branok stepped forward, intending to bow to me, but I stopped him.

    'Come here, big guy. We are so past formalities.'

    'I'm trying to respect ye maid, since Tristram called ye a wee witch.'

    'He's not wrong though.' I tried to grab him round the middle - and almost succeeded - my hands didn't quite meet at the back.

    'I did nawt want ye to remember us that way.'

    'As what way? My friends?' I would not get teary dammit. 'Just promise me you'll send baby pictures.'