"No sign of Douglas," Aharn said, "or my beloved sister."
"Or Loarn," Melcorka added.
"Or Loarn." Aharn sounded grim. "I"ll deal with them later. We"ll defeat the Norse first." He checked his men. "Set the fire," he ordered.
They watched as flames flicked up the sides of their tent, rising orange and yellow to the night sky as a signal the Norse could see miles away.
The first of their scouts panted in within a few moments. "They"re coming from the slopes of Ben y-Vrackie, my Lord."
"Where Douglas should have scouted," Aharn said grimly. "How many?"
"Thousands, I think," the scout said. "I can"t tell in the dark."
A second scout arrived within a few moments. "They"re fording the river, my Lord."
Only when she touched Defender could Melcorka hear the subdued thumping of thousands of
