"Stop where ye are! I'm warnin' ye!" a threatening voice called out.
Breana pulled her horse to a halt, and behind her, Eoin did too. She squinted at the treeline, trying to ignore the looming image of McNair Castle in the near distance and focus on whoever had just called out to her. She slid down from her horse, glancing worriedly at how pale Eoin was on his own mount, and took a few steps forward with her hands raised palm forward.
"Ferda? Is that ye?" she called.
There was a silence, then the scout woman darted out from the trees, looking thoroughly astonished. It was clear that despite her still-injured arm, the Bruce woman had been acting as the main guard for the rebel guard just a little deeper into the forest, and Breana felt a thrill of relief at the fact they had located them on time.
"Breana!" Ferda exclaimed. "What on earth—oh, God! Eoin looks like he's about tae fall off his horse, what's happened?"
Letting out a shaky breath, Breana said, "The attack hasnae started yet, has it? Cailean and Maeve are still here?"
Ferda's facial expression was calculating, and then with a quick nod, she disappeared. Breana hurried to Eoin's side.
"I shouldnae have let ye ride here," she fretted. "Ye're bleedin'. Ye should have let me bring a Sparrow instead."
"I'm fine," he insisted, though his voice sounded more than a little pained. "Dinnae worry so much. We got here, did we nae?"
Before Breana could argue any further, Ferda returned, bringing Cailean, Maeve, Darren, and Fergus behind her. Maeve let out a little cry of relief and ran straight to Breana, and for a moment Breana lost track of everything else as her sister caught her in a tight embrace.
"Yer head is injured," Maeve fussed. "And Eoin looks half-dead. What happened tae ye?"
The sisters pulled apart, and Breana saw Darren and Fergus hurrying to tend the horses while Cailean helped Eoin down from the saddle.
"Steady, me friend," Cailean said softly, slinging Eoin's arm around his shoulder. Ferda hurried to the other side to offer more support. "We'll have a healer look at ye soon. Ye can stay back with the scouts during the siege. What happened? Were ye attacked?"
Maeve touched Breana's cheek. "What brought ye racin' back?"
Breana shook her head, her tongue-tied. She could not formulate what she needed to say as they led them deeper into the forest until the reached the small rebel camp. Maeve told her that they would rest until sundown when the siege would begin.
"We still need tae work out the way tae go about it," Maeve explained. "Now that ye're here, ye can help."
As they laid Eoin down and a healer went to work on him, the others swarmed upon them. Someone tried to offer Breana food, while Senan offered her a swig of the whisky he was drinking for courage.
Maeve gently led Breana to a log to sit on. "Rest for a while. Once ye're ready, ye can tell us what happened. Or if ye want, ye can wait until we've taken the castle back."
The confidence with which Maeve spoke was enough to break the spell that had held Breana's tongue in check. She impatiently swept away the hand of someone who was examining the healing wound beneath her hair.
"There's nae time for this," she exclaimed, more loudly than she'd intended. "Cailean, ye must call off the attack."
The whole camp seemed to still. Cailean, who had been talking in a low voice to Ewan, stopped, turning his head toward her. "What?"
"Bre? What are ye sayin'?" Maeve asked, her brow furrowed.
"This isnae what ye thought, Cailean," Breana told him urgently. "This isnae just a trainin' ground ripe for the takin'. The False Kingkensye're here."
"That isnae possible." Cailean shook his head. "Ye're mistaken."
"I'mnae," Breana insisted. "This is nae a force of unseasoned soldiers in trainin' waitin' inside. Some of the False King's deadliest warriors are waitin' tae ambush ye inside, and they're led by the deadliest of them all. Ansel Ashkirk is in command."
"The killer prince," Senan said darkly, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "If this is a trap, it was his design. They say he has all the wit his father lacks, and twice the brutality beside. They say he's a true monster."
Cailean's expression grew serious. "I can handle Ansel Ashkirk."
Maeve touched his arm. "Be sensible. If Breana is right, this changes everythin'. It's nae just him, but perhaps a whole army of prepared soldiers ready tae slaughter us. They may have reinforced the castle walls, or set physical traps, or…anythin'."
"But how can ye ken this?" Fergus asked, speaking up for the first time. "How can ye be so sure?"
"Listen tae her," Eoin's weak voice gasped from the place he lay nearby. "Listen… wefoundit…"
