Page 2 of Highland Queen

Banquo nodded then turned to Thora. “Thora, we need horses. Quickly.”

Thora sniffed the wind then turned and raced across the field. Banquo and I followed quickly behind her.

So many bodies littered the field. Men from the south. Men from the north. They lay atop one another. So many lives lost.

There was glory in battle, but so much loss. Too much. For what? So one king could topple another? So one disgusting madman could rule in another’s place? No. No more. I would put an end to it.

Thora soon found a small herd of horses prancing nervously near the forest. Two of them bolted when we drew near. Sheathing his sword, Banquo lifted his hands and began whispering in a low tone. My eyes, still lit up with the raven’s magic, saw green light glimmer all around Banquo. A moment later, the horses calmed. Moving slowly, Banquo grabbed the reins of two of the mounts. The horses came along behind him.

He handed one of the leads to me then took the other horse. Both of us mounted.

Fog still covered the battlefield. It was hard to even see where we were.

“Thora, you must lead us until the mist clears,” I told her.

She turned, put her nose to the ground, then began running.

“Handy to have a magical dog,” Banquo said, giving me a slight smile.

We rode into the night. As we did so, we spied men in the shadows, retreating through the woods. We let them pass and rode on.

As we rode, my mind cleared.

I would need to send dispatches. Macbeth and Thorfinn… What had happened on their fronts?

Macbeth and I would need to move south to settle the matter of the crown before England got ideas. And we would need to deal with the southern lords. Thorfinn and Magnus had their own issues in the north. And then there was Duncan’s legacy—his wife, his sons. Something must be done, and quickly.

Luckily for me, the horse under me was as sure-footed as Kelpie. The young stallion, blood bay in color with a black mane and tail, raced behind Thora as we made our way back to Cawdor.

The sun had started to rise, the fog clearing when the spires of the castle finally came into view. The grounds around the castle were encamped.

“Lord Banquo! Lord Banquo,” the men called in excited cheer when Banquo passed by.

I kept my head low and rode on.

The castle gates were open, and many of the Moray chieftains were inside waiting.

“Lord Banquo,” they called when they saw him.

Banquo and I rode to a stop.

“I’ll go inside,” I told Banquo. “I’ll return as soon as I can.”

I turned to dismount only to find Standish there, his hand outstretched to help me down. Our eyes met through the visor. He knew.

“I’d know that helmet anywhere,” he whispered. “Are you unharmed?”

“I’m all right.”

“I almost turned the castle inside out looking for you. But then I saw…”

“Saw what?”

Standish shifted nervously then eyed the ramparts. “The Red Lady,” he said in a whisper. “I told the maids not to worry, but you best go inside and let them tend to you before anyone else realizes.”

“Thank you, Standish.”

“And if I ever see you try to sneak off like that again, my lady, I’ll tan your hide—Red Lady or no. My poor heart can’t take it.”

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