Page 114 of The Crown of Moonlight
She’s sensed a group of men positioned strategically where anyone crossing this side of the island could be spotted.They melt into the gorse and heather, even when we know they’re on the hill above us.
We dismount and wait while Ronan shimmies his way closer and comes back to report there are two pairs of redcoats together with enough Cymbeul militiamen to make a dozen, all of them hidden in a thicket.One of the men is watching for movement through a spyglass, but the rest are either sleeping or playing dice.
“I’d say it’s a safe bet Vheara anticipated we’d be coming,” Sean comments sourly.“We’ll need to assume we’ll be fighting through a force at the loch, so we should avoid distractions.This patrol is easy to detour—and we’re not coming back this way.”
Flora shoots him a measuring glance, then looks away.Her expression is unreadable, but I can imagine what she’s thinking.
If we can reach the doorway, and I manage to open it, they’ll all expect us to go through together—except for the Rider Flora chooses.If she chooses.Even then, they’ll expect Chulainn’s oaths will force me to kill her.
As if she feels me watching her, Flora glances over, then takes a step towards me.But it isn’t time yet.I can’t give her too much time to think about what I’m going to ask her to do.She’ll hate it, but I have to make her see that it’s her only option.
I order Lorcan to leave the men alone.With silence and attention-deflection in place, we give them a wide berth.
Once past that ambush, we stop to let the horses and the Shadehounds drink at a stream choked with birch roots.Then we find a ford downstream a short distance, and emerge with the horses dripping and our own legs wet.Ronan whistles for Rua and drapes her across his shoulders when she comes back to him.
A storm is rolling in, the clouds thickening high above us.That makes it easier for Flora to pull them around to cloak us.We hunch into our clothes as the rain begins.I’m luckier than the other Riders in my thick plaid and the leather buff coat, and I’m starting to appreciate the clothes, and that’s only one of the many reasons I’ve come to appreciate the Highlands.It’s a loyal, fierce culture.The men are warriors, and the women—well, there’s Flora.She is a warrior and so much more.
Darkness comes earlier with the rain.We jog the horses along the field margins where rushes hide the line of our passage.A sharp two-note whistle brings our heads up and draws low growls from Shadow and Shade.But the sound has carried across a nearby loch.
“Could be no more than a man calling in his dogs,” Cathal says.
Ronan snorts derisively and shakes his head.Flora pulls up the pale dun mare she’s riding.Rain beads on her lashes; she blinks it away before she answers: “There’s another group on the far side of the loch, and more at the end where we’ll have trouble going around them.They’re too far away yet for me to have a good sense of how many are there, but it feels…there could be a Grey with them.”
We ignore the group along the loch, and use cloud and darkness and rune magic to move us closer to the group at the far end.But Flora gets more tense as we get closer.
“There are three Greys,” she says, “and a large group of men.I can’t tell if they’re soldiers or militia.”
“I hate fucking Greys,” Lorcan says.
Sean glares at him.“Not helpful, idiot.Why are the Greys here?”
Regardless of the runes, we bring the horses together into a circle to keep our voices low.
“The end of the loch is nearly the island’s narrowest point, based on the maps I studied,” Flora says.“The altar and the doorway at the Loch of Rebirth are no more than ten miles beyond that, and if we’d crossed the Sound, the likeliest landing site is just there—off to the left of those Greys.There’s also a deep sea loch on the opposite side that nearly cuts the island in two, with a river that empties into it from the Loch of Rebirth.”
“So from where they are, the Greys can choke off almost every point of access.”Niall scrubs a hand over the ash-pale growth of stubble along his chin.
“It only leaves the southeast route, and that’s harder through the mountains.”Flora bends forward to scratch Eira’s neck as the mare stomps her foot impatiently.“With luck, this means Vheara isn’t taking any chances because she wasn’t able to seal the doorway.If we can battle past whatever she has waiting for us, that might be good news.”
Daire gives her one of the grins that never fails to get him what he wants.“We’ll need to work on your definition ofgood.”
Ronan cuffs the back of his head.“Can we focus, please?Chyr, what do you want to do?”
“I’d say we need to kill the Greys.No point trying to go around them.Whatever is waiting for us at the doorway and the altar, it’s close enough that this group can ride in behind us and make the situation worse.Flora, what do you think?”
“Why do you keep asking for her opinion?”Cathal snaps.“She knows nothing.”
“She’s the Maiden, and she’s proven she’s damned good at strategy and tactics,” Lorcan says.
“Which is more than you’ve contributed lately,” Fergal growls.“So show her some respect.”
Cathal pins him with an ice-blue stare.“She really has given you all delusions of power, hasn’t she?Picturing yourself wearing a crown, are you, Fergal?You, too, Lorcan?”
“Shut it, all of you.”I don’t raise my voice, but when I use this tone, the Riders would rather have me shouting.It takes all of my focus to keep my hands from wrapping around Cathal’s throat and squeezing him unconscious.“Unless we get past whatever Vheara has waiting for us, Flora won’t have a chance to choose anyone, and the rest of you won’t be going home.”
Cathal is too sure he’s right ever to let me think I’ve backed him down.I smile at him coldly until he nods.
“Flora?”I turn back to her.
