Chapter 25

Chapter 25
"Jane, ye were amazing!"
Tavish felt refreshed, seeing someone finally putting Alice's group in their place other than Delilah.
It's no secret that Alice also had a huge crush on the laird. She too refused to marry because of this, hoping the laird would set his eyes on her. But just because she wasn't married didn't mean she wasn't playing the field. Alice was an expert at giving several foolish men hope, keeping wrapped around her little finger.
Though a majority of Scottish men and women hated the way the English went about pretentiously, there was always that one group of black sheep that secretly admired their pretentious skills, learning to act weak to get a man's attention.
Most Scottish won't fall for that, since they loved tough women who didn't cry at every turn. However, a small group of Scottish men fell for Alice's manipulations. And no matter how their friends or families advised, they acted like foolish flies following a corpse into a dug grave.
It was only a matter of time before the ground was thrown into the grave, burying the flies alive.
Tavish has had her fair share of quarrels with Alice all of which resulted in a loss. So how can she not be excited by Jane's operation?
She was laughing so hard recalling the battle.
Hahahahhahahahahaha~
"Did ye see their faces? Pfft~... they looked like they had swallowed a fly."
"Alright. Alright." Jane placed her hand on Tavish's shoulder helplessly. "Let's not ruin our fun thinking of them."
Following Tavish's actions, Jane tied the large horned object around her waist.
This was a jug padded with dry animal skin. Jane felt it stored roughly 400~500 ml of ale.
Without any good methods of disinfecting water, it was risky to have fresh spring water stored in the castle.
Stagnant water was a good breeding site for diseases. So only by turning it into ale or alcohol, could they drink it without risk of diarrhea, cholera and other deadly illnesses of this era.
Though Werewolves had stronger systems compared to humans, it was still possible to get diseases from stagnant water.
Since everyone, including children, drank Ale, it was made with different strengths. Some were made for heavy drinking, others for light drinking, and some for everyday purposes.
Jane couldn't taste the alcohol content from the ale given to her. If anything, it only left a faint but refreshing fruity taste on her tongue.
The horned-shaped jug also had a thick wooden cork stopper at its mouth. As for her food, it was carefully packed and kept in a sac.
A Keep was the heart of a castle structure, usually the tallest and strongest building enclosed within the walls. In other words, it was the main building Jane and Tavish stepped out from.
"What a great day."
Looking at the sun, Jane felt excited about their little tour.
"So, friend. Do we use horses or go on foot?"
"We could use the horses, but if I'm being honest, the land is sweeter to take in on foot."
Jane smiled. "I was thinking the same thing."
Both girls looked at each other and chuckled.
"Com'on! Let's start with the buildings and lands within the fortress walls.
"Yeah!" Jane agreed. And soon, she, a Scottish Historic lover, fell into deep awe at the many facts and sights before her.
The Keep was connected with two other buildings by a long outdoor corridor.
Why, the corridors spanned for a little more than a quarter of a standard street block.
The corridors were as wide as a single lane road and were made to feel rough on one's feet. The design was so that even during winter, one wouldn't easily slip.
The corridor's extended roof came out like a dragon's wings, reducing the amount of snow that would find its way in the wide corridor space. It was amazing to see how this thoughtful design landed perfectly with its surrounding space.
The left building connected with the corridor, was a sleeping and training site for Alexander's warriors.
The structure was built like a cube, with a vast open space in its middle for outdoor sparing. This was their training courtyard. From how wide the building was, Jane could also tell the open courtyard should also be huge.
If she had to say, she felt the three-story massive cube structure that should be able to accommodate thousands of people in it.
Behind the structure was another identical one also connected to it by an enclosed bridge on the 2nd floor. From what she saw, it seems there was construction adjacent to them.
"Another training site?"
"Yes!" Tavish nodded. As the Mackay population grows, the laird has been blessed with more and more knights these past years. Room needs to be made for them and any in the future."
Well, being a knight, guard or warrior was one of the top jobs in today's era. And unlike other clans, history depicts the Mackays as people who only lost a few of their men during the battle, compared to the thousands left dead in their enemy's camp.
Jane thought it was due to their rigorous training and their amazing leaders that they were able to train most of their men alive after the battle. And with more youngsters choosing to be warriors, of course, expansion was a must.
There are only 2 completed training buildings, but Jane vaguely recalled seeing 7 of these buildings during her museum tour.
However, since her tour began and abruptly ended in the main building, she didn't know what these structures represented until now.
Well, it's good to know that even after Alexander fell, the Mackays stood the test of time, growing into a powerful force to be reckoned with in the 21st century. Still, she felt pain for Alexander who wouldn't live long to see the current construction being realized.
Jane knew that if she was going to come up with a scheme to keep Alexander safe, she knew she couldn't do it alone. But looking at the many intimidating structures, Jane's thoughts spiraled, noticing how difficult it would be to sneak away or meet someone in secret.
No wonder Alexander had her live in the main building.
It was all to keep a better watch on her!