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"But I heard the Carabbed Iain’s free hand and hauled him to his feet "Now off with us, lad You’re the one who’ll guide us to our triumph"

Iain seem as buoyed by the newfound hope as by the shared sustenance Ja behind him to make sure the bard kept up "Make haste, lad With the MacColla cutting our trail, I fear we’ll all end up in Ireland"

They finally arrived after dark on the night of February first His men were mostly quiet now, ordered to rest a few hours until their dawn attack

Jao ahead of the others To strike Ca the young laird’s death warrant Jao alone, before dawn, and retrieve the Ca the dead stumps rotted beneath It appeared that a snarled roots still clinging tenaciously to the hostilehis position Although the Highlanders clai the snow as a pillow, Ja hi weather, the run had soaked his shirt through with sweat, and he felt the chill creeping into his h above Inverlochy that the smoke wouldn’t betray their locations, and he’d do hi the ice that had hardened the wool of his trews into a frozen crust

Will Rollo hadn’t been physically able to march into the mountains, and James was in mind of him now His friend’s severity always had the ironic effect of putting Jaood spirits But Rollo had been ainto battle with men who’d become like his brothers Rollo had felt the loss of that fellowship keenly, and he had James’s sympathy because of it

MacColla, with his boisterous brand of courage and hearty goodwill, had been great solace to hih After weeks on the road, MacColla’s black beard had grown full, and with his height and broad shoulders, he seeh the snow It was MacColla who’d lead the charge that day, Irishmen, Camerons, MacDonalds, Stewarts, MacLeans, and more at his back James hoped to join them all, Ewen Cameron at his side, by the tiain and saw the fuel he needed He had fashioned a hearth easily enough by loosely arranging stones atop the snow, and collected dead branches enough for kindling Giving the fire its heart, however, was a probleian dubh from the cuff of his boot, James scraped into the hardened stuold shone dully in the h the night

He da’s wee red fire starter she called a lighter It had simply died one day, and she’d insisted there was to be no reviving it

Hands chapped and frozen, he set to work lighting the fire He’d had to be creative with tinder, but some woolen lint fro a small snuffbox from his sporran, he retrieved a piece of char cloth, one of many squares of scorched black silk that had proven miraculously flaliht sky ers on its sharp edges A few strikes of his blade and sparks showered onto the char cloth, which set to glowing and lit the tinder at once Blowing steady encouragement on the tiny fla, and then stacked a careful pyramid of wood on top

He dropped in the slivers of pine sap and a burst of black s his hands over a fire set to last for hours

"That’s a bonny wee blaze you have there"

Ja room for MacColla by the fire

"You’re off for the Caood s"

"If he’s still alive"

"Aye, if he’s still alive" Ja I’ he lives still The Campbell would think to use hiht hang

"I’d have you lead the lowed eerily, his dark features otherwise i you do, James Not many would stroll into the Ca laird"

"Which is why I’ll let none see er of his task

"And James?"

"Aye?"