“The bastards have got the jump on us, lad,” he boomed. “While we’ve been watching the roads east, he’s taken the long way round, sailing upriver to the estuary and then down the coast. I’ll give it to him, that man’s got balls. If an autumn storm had blown up, they could have all been drowned before ever a one set foot ashore. But it seems he’s got the devil’s luck.”
“Aye, it helps if ye dinna give two shits whether yer men drown or not doesnae it? No other commander I know would have risked such a thing but I shouldnae have underestimated that man. I willnae do so again. Send word to our outposts to north and south to muster at Hartcliffe Fields. That’s where we’ll ride out and meet the bastard.”
“Already done,” Edgar replied. “They’ll be there, dinna worry. If Campbell thought to catch us napping, then he’s sorely mistaken.”
Cinead nodded and a groom came over, leading two saddled horses. One was a huge black warhorse, the other a slightly smaller brown mare, both of which chomped at the bit and pranced around in a way that made Abi extremely nervous. Layla and Cinead swung up onto the horses as easily as if they did this every day. Which they probably did, Abi reminded herself. It was yet another reminder of how different her friend’s life had become.
“Come on, Abi,” Layla said, reaching down a hand. “You can ride with me.”
Abi grasped Layla’s hand and boosted herself into the saddle, aided by one of the grooms. She settled herself behind Layla, holding on tightly to her friend’s waist as the riders in the courtyard began to move out.
As they exited through the castle gates, she saw that more warriors were waiting outside, and still more were streaming in from the village and lands round about. Some of the warriors were mounted, most were not, but every one of them carried weapons and looked like they knew how to use them. Clan Muir, it seemed, had been preparing for this confrontation for a long time. Her stomach tightened with dread. She’d seem a skirmish before, of course, when Reid had first taken her from Kalmack Castle, but that seemed nothing like this. This was an army and it was about to ride out to meet another. How many of these men would make it back alive?
Cinead spurred his mount and they set off, heading up the wide, paved road that led north, Cinead’s honor guard spread out around them. His commanders rode to either side, the rest of the men falling into ranks behind. The mounted warriors soon left the infantry behind. Urgency was written in every line of Cinead’s face and the expressions on the faces of his commanders was grim.
They passed through villages and small crofts, all busying emptying as Cinead’s messengers had ridden ahead to warn of Campbell’s approach. As a result, they had to pass through long lines of refugees which slowed their progress to a crawl.
Perhaps an hour later, Cinead pulled the column sharply to a halt at the edge of an upland meadow that gave out onto a fertile floodplain below. It was bordered by thick forest to the east.
Abi looked out and realized what had made Cinead stop. On the far side of the plain, a shadow was spreading like a pool of ink. It took Abi a moment to realize that the shadow was actually a tide of men. Weapons glinted in the sunlight and the tramp of many feet echoed over the distance.
Campbell’s army.
Ahead of the tide of warriors was a line of fleeing people.
“The garrison at Hog Pass,” Cinead said. “Looks like they’ve been holding Campbell back whilst the villagers flee.”
“And done a damned good job of it,” Edgar added, a tinge of pride in his voice. “They’re not fleeing but retreating in an orderly fashion, staying just far enough ahead of Campbell’s rabble to keep them interested.”
“And in so doing, string out Campbell’s line,” Cinead finished with a nod. “But they canna keep this up for much longer. It looks like they’ve got women and children with them from one of the villages.” His hands tightened on his reins. “When Campbell’s line catches them this will be a bloodbath.”
“And we are too far away to do anything about it,” Edgar growled. “Damn Edwin Campbell. The man has no honor at all.”
Abi watched in horror as the Campbell forces drew closer and closer to the fleeing Muir ones. Then something caught her eye: movement at the side of the plain. She turned to look in that direction and gulped as a mounted group of warriors emerged from the shelter of the trees and began moving at right angles to Campbell’s main force, cutting across the plain. It was much smaller than Campbell’s main army but still larger than the retreating Muir one. Every one of them was mounted and they would catch the Muir garrison between the two forces like a vice. At their head rode a man whose white-blond hair whipped out behind him.
Abi’s heart leapt into her mouth and she gasped in recognition. “Reid!”
Fury flashed over Cinead’s face. “That bastard!” he growled. “Still think he’s worth saving?” he snapped at Abi. “That’s the real Reid Campbell! Or should I call him Reid Muir? After all, he’s about to slaughter his own clan!”
Abi stared in shock. What was he doing? Reid!
Nobody on the hill moved. They were too far away to affect what was happening and could only watch in mute dismay as Reid’s force bore down on the fleeing Muir warriors.
Reid suddenly stood in his stirrups, raised his sword so it flashed in the sunlight, and bellowed a command. His warriors responded immediately. Sawing on their reins, they pulled their mounts around hard, swung wide of the Muir line, and slammed instead into the advancing Campbell infantry.
For a moment, there was stunned silence on the hilltop. Then Cinead was shouting, “Get down there! All units! Go help my brother!”
