She then flung down her bow and unsheathed her dagger again, somersaulting down to fight her way
through the mayhem on the ground. Dead or dying Graycloaks were everywhere. Taken completely by
surprise, many had not even had time to draw their swords or remove their shields.
Crouching behind a dead horse, Iseult tried to locate her husband with her mind. To her relief, she felt
him nearby and she ran in that direction, killing six or seven Bright Soldiers on the way.
Lachlan was backed against the rocks, his bow discarded at his feet, his great claymore whistling all
around him as he fought like a demon.
Stormwing fought with him, plummeting from the sky to strike with his clenched talons, then using his
powerful hooked beak to tear at any unprotected flesh. As the Bright Soldiers were heavily armored, it
was the force of his blow which was most effective and he soared away and plunged down again so
swiftly that none of the archers were able to shoot him out of the sky.
Meghan was crouched beside him, her hair falling from its plait, the donbeag shrieking in rage from her
shoulder. Piles of dead Tirsoilleirean lay on either side, but ten more were fighting to reach them and
Lachlan was only just managing to keep them off. Intent on their prey, they did not notice Iseult running
up behind them. She killed two before they heard her, and the distraction of her arrival was enough to
allow Lachlan to slice through two more. For a few seconds there was hard fighting, then all were dead.
Lachlan leaned on his sword, panting harshly, blood pouring from a cut to his brow and shoulder.
"Where is Duncan?" he cried. "And Iain? Are they well?"
Iseult shrugged, trying to catch her breath.
"We've been betrayed," Lachlan raged. "Somehow they knew we were planning to ride down this road.
We have a spy in our camp!"
Iseult nodded. "Without a doubt," she replied, then ducked so that an arrow which would have caught
her in the throat flew overhead and embedded itself in the rock.
Another group of Bright Soldiers had swung down out of the trees and was advancing on them. Lachlan
fought them off with a snarl. When all had fallen, he flew effortlessly and unexpectedly into the branches,
the gyrfalcon leading the way. There were screams and then the thud of falling bodies. One almost fell on
Iseult and Meghan, and the Banrigh helped the old sorceress to her feet.
"Meghan, are ye all right? Ye're no' hurt?"
The old sorceress nodded, her face grim. "We are hard pressed," she said.
"Can ye help us in any way? They are slaughtering us! We are so confined among all these trees, we
canna see where they are or how many o' them there are."

"I have already called for help, but we are so close to the fields here, there will be no woolly bears or
timber wolves nearby, only squirrels and donbeags. Calling fire would only hurt our men as much as
theirs." The old sorceress suddenly turned and flung up her hand, catching an arrow in mid-air.
"Come, auld mother, ye are no' safe here!" Iseult said. "Let me take ye to safety!"
They ducked down among the bracken as a mob of Bright Soldiers ran past, shouting triumphantly.
"Who could have betrayed us?" Iseult cried. "Only a few kent our plans and I canna believe any o' our
men would have led us into such a trap. The Bright Soldiers no' only kent where we would ride but
when."