Then chaos erupted.
"MacTavish? Here?"
"That's impossible."
"How long has he been there?"
"QUIET." Magnus's voice cut through the noise like a blade. "All of ye. Quiet and listen."
The men fell silent, though anger and disbelief remained clear on their faces.
"Me faither has been on Barra," Ada said, her voice steady despite the tremor Magnus could hear underneath. "Probably since shortly after I arrived. Maybe even before."
"But why?" Fergus asked. "What daes he gain from hidin' in the woods like a common bandit?"
"Control." Magnus moved around the table, his finger tracing the area where they'd seen the camp. "Think about it. Every attack we've suffered—the poisoned well, the fire, the attempt on Ada, the man we caught today tryin' tae poison another well—all of it happened after Ada arrived. All of it was meant tae weaken us. Tae spread our forces thin. Tae make us look vulnerable."
"And Donnan?" Torvald's expression was dark. "He's been feedin' information tae MacTavish this whole time?"
"Aye. He kent our routines, our patrol schedules, where our defenses were weakest." Magnus's hands curled into fists. "He's been playin' the concerned guard, makin' sure Ada was 'safe,' while reportin' every detail back tae her faither."
"That treacherous bastard." Bjorn's voice was a growl. "I'll kill him meself."
"Ye'll dae nae such thing." Magnus's tone brooked no argument. "We need tae think strategically. If we move against Donnan now, if he disappears or dies suddenly, Conall will ken we're ontae him. He'll either attack immediately or disappear and regroup. Either way, we lose the advantage of kennin' where he is."
"So what dae we dae Hamish asked. "Just let the spy keep walkin' around our keep?"
"Fer now, aye. We watch him. Carefully. And we feed him false information if we can." Magnus looked at each man in turn. "But our bigger problem is Conall himself. Those men in that camp, they're nae just watchin'. They're waitin'. Probably fer reinforcements. Fer the right moment tae strike."
One of the village elders, an older man named Callum, cleared his throat. "Me laird, if I may. Why would MacTavish dae this? I thought the Pact was meant tae create peace. Why would he risk the king's wrath by attackin' one of the jarls?"
"Because he's clever." Ada's voice was quiet but everyone turned to look at her. "Me faither daesnae dae anything without a plan. If he attacks Magnus directly, he's breakin' the Pact. But if he can make it look like Magnus broke it first—if he can claim he cannae protect me, that I was mistreated or endangered—then he becomes the loyal faither protectin' his daughter. The king would support him."
Magnus nodded grimly. "That's why the attacks have been subtle. Poisoned wells that make it look like we cannae protectour own people. A fire that suggests we're careless with our defenses. An attempt on Ada that I only barely stopped." He met her eyes across the table. "He's buildin' a case against me. Makin' me look incompetent or cruel. And when he has enough evidence—real or fabricated—he'll take it tae the king."
"And the king will give him permission tae remove ye," Torvald finished. "And install someone more 'trustworthy' as laird of Barra."
"Someone like Conall himself." Magnus's voice was flat. "That's been his plan all along. Use the Pact, use Ada, tae get control of the Isles."
Silence fell over the room again, heavier this time. The men exchanged glances, worry clear on their faces.
Finally, Bjorn spoke. "So we attack first. Now. While we ken where his camp is. We take our men and we wipe them out before they can move against us."
"With what men?" Magnus asked, his tone sharp. "Half our fighters are still recoverin'. The poisoned well affected nearly thirty people, and some of them are still too weak tae lift a sword. The fire injured another dozen. We have maybe forty men at full strength right now. Against MacTavish's fifteen, aye, we'd probably win. But what if there are more? What if that camp we saw is only part of his forces?"
"Then what dae ye propose?" Hamish leaned forward. "We just sit here and wait fer him tae attack?"
"Nay." Magnus straightened, his decision made. "We send fer reinforcements. Fer allies we can trust."
"The other jarls," Torvald said immediately. "Erik. Harald. Ragnar. Ivar."
"Aye." Magnus nodded. "They're part of the Pact same as me. If MacTavish is willin' tae move against one of us, he's a threat tae all of us. They'll come."
"Will they?" Aldric asked. "Barra's far from Skye and Lewis. And with winter approachin', the seas will be rough. They might decide their own keeps are more important."
"They'll come." Magnus's voice was certain. "Because we're nae just jarls bound by the king's decree. We're braithers. We stood taegether at each other's weddin's. Fought taegether tae make this Pact work despite everyone expectin' it tae fail. They'll come."
"How long will it take?" Fergus asked. "Fer them tae gather their men and sail here?"
