The next morning brought unexpected relief.
Magnus was breaking his fast in the great hall when shouting from the courtyard caught his attention. He rose immediately, his hand going to his sword, expecting trouble.
Instead, he saw ships docking at the harbor. Four of them, sails marked with familiar sigils.
The other jarls. They'd come.
Magnus's chest loosened slightly as he watched Harald disembark first, followed by Ragnar, then Ivar. And finally?—
"Erik." Magnus clasped his friend's arm in greeting. "I didnae expect ye fer days yet."
"Yer letter made it sound urgent. We sailed through the night." Erik's expression was grim. "Tell me what's happenin'."
Within the hour, all the jarls were gathered in the war room along with Magnus's council. Ada stood near the back, listeningas Magnus explained everything—the poisoned wells, the fire, the attack on Ada, discovering Conall's camp in the woods.
"And now Ada's convinced Donnan she wants to escape," Magnus finished. "He's arranged fer her tae meet with her faither in two days. Beyond the eastern wall."
"And ye're lettin' her go?" Harald's eyebrows rose. "That's madness."
"I ken that." Magnus's jaw tightened. "But it's our best chance tae catch them off guard. Tae end this before it becomes a full battle."
"Or it's a trap." Ragnar's voice was calm but concerned. "MacTavish isnae a fool. He might suspect somethin'."
"Which is why we'll have men followin' her," Torvald explained. "Hidden. Ready to strike the moment she signals."
"What signal?" Ivar asked.
Ada spoke up from the back. "I'll cause some kind of distraction—knock over a lantern, maybe, like last time. Somethin' that'll create chaos and give ye time to attack while they're confused."
The jarls exchanged glances.
"It could work," Erik said finally. "If the timin's right. If everythin' goes exactly as planned."
"A lot of 'ifs,'" Harald pointed out.
"Aye. But we're runnin' out of options." Magnus moved to the map, indicated where they'd seen the camp. "MacTavish has maybe fifteen men we've seen. But there could be more. Our own forces are weakened from the poisoned wells and the fire. Even with yer reinforcements, a direct assault would be costly."
"But a surprise attack, while they're distracted?" Ragnar nodded slowly. "That gives us better odds."
"What about the king?" Ivar leaned forward. "If we attack first, even if it's on our own land, MacTavish could claim we started it."
"Already thought of that." Magnus pulled out a sealed letter. "I'm sendin' word tae the king today. Explainin' that we've discovered hostile forces on Barra, that we're defendin' our own territory. If MacTavish tries tae claim otherwise, the king will already have our version of events."
"Smart." Erik's expression showed approval.
"Two days from now, just after sunset," Magnus's gaze found Ada across the room, "Ada will leave the keep as though goin' fer a walk. Donnan will meet her, take her to the camp. We'll follow at a distance, spread out so they dinnae spot us all at once."
"And if somethin' goes wrong?" Harald asked. "If MacTavish suspects the trap?"
"Then we attack anyway. Full force. Whatever it takes tae get Ada out safely." Magnus's voice was iron. "That's nae negotiable."
The jarls nodded their agreement.
"All right," Erik said. "Then we have two days tae prepare. Tae position men, tae plan our approach. Torvald, show us the terrain. We need tae ken every rock, every tree, every possible escape route."
As the men bent over the maps, discussing strategy and logistics, Ada caught Magnus's eye. She smiled slightly, trying to be reassuring.
But Magnus couldn't return it. Because despite all the planning, despite having his closest allies here to help, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.
