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marched!"
"Have a seat! Cameron, pour the man some whiskey. What do ye mean, the forest has marched? Have
ye lost your wits?"
"No indeed, Your Highness. I saw it with my own eyes. The forest marched on Glenmorven, where we
had laid siege to Renshaw the Ruthless and his Red Guards. I have never seen such a sight! They made a
sound like the ocean, or like thunder. I have heard tales o' walking trees, Your Highness, but never did I
think I would see it happen!"
"Lilanthe has roused the tree-changers," Meghan said softly. "What wonderful news indeed!"
"We would have tried to fight them if we had no' seen Niall the Bear riding at their head, carrying the
Mac-Cuinn stag. Seeing him and the tree-faery, Laird Finlay ordered us to lay down our arms and so we
did, though I am no' ashamed to admit my legs were trembling wi' fear. Then we were surrounded on all
sides with the trees, as if in the midst o' a great forest. Running all through the trees were wolves and
bears and strange creatures with horns and claws and gnashing teeth and hair like snakes and tiny winged
creatures that stung like bees ..."
"So what happened?" Lachlan cried, his dark face alight. "Meghan, do ye think it means the faeries have
thrown their lot in with us?"
The old sorceress nodded and smiled, as the soldier went on to describe the battle. "The Red Guards
had the gates shut tight against us, Your Highness, but the trees cracked them open as if they were made
o' matchwood and no' the stoutest o' oaks. They all swarmed into the town—there were dogs wi' flaming
green eyes, Your Highness, as did tear out the throats o' the guards, and faeries wi' horns that stabbed
them and rent them. It was magnificent!"
"What o' Renshaw?" Lachlan demanded. "Was he taken?"
The soldier shook his head. "Nay, I be sorry, Your Highness. Once it was clear Glenmorven would fall,
he and a company o' his men hacked their way through with axes and flaming torches. The tree-faeries
would no' face the flame, and so he won clear. Most o' his supporters were killed or taken prisoner,
though. We have them under our charge, awaiting your instructions. Lilanthe o' the Forest said the army
o' tree-faeries would now sweep through all o' Aslinn and make sure there were no camps o' Bright
Soldiers hidden within."
"It would be a wonderful thing if we could plug that hole," Duncan Ironfist said with satisfaction. "All
summer long they've been falling on our backs like ravening wolves, and we havena been able to throw
them off. If they canna cross the Great Divide and come in through Aslinn, that means we have only to

guard against Arran and the sea."
"Renshaw fled south, Your Highness, and we fear he has sought sanctuary in Arran."
They all exclaimed in surprise. Lachlan. said, "Are ye sure?" and Meghan asked urgently, "What o' my
apprentice Isabeau the Red, any news o' her or the babe?"
"Laird Finlay chased the ruthless one all the way to the borders o' Arran, but turned aside at the edge o'
the marsh. Renshaw had the babe with him, there's no doubt o' that, for Laird Finlay saw her wi' his own
eyes. He saw no sign o' the lady Isabeau though, but that does no' mean she was no' with them, for Laird
Finlay said Renshaw had gathered together over two hundred supporters and Isabeau the Red could
easily be among such a large party without being seen."