Highland Queen

Chapter 1

I shuddered. All at once, my conscious mind rushed back. My heartbeat was wild, my breath heavy, and my hands trembled. Knees weak, I pitched sideways, only catching myself the moment before I tumbled to the ground. Blood ran down my arms, dripping from my fingers.

I looked down at the corpse at my feet. The empty shell that had been Duncan lay with his mouth open wide. His eyes bulged as he stared into the night’s sky.

Slowly, I became conscious of the splatters of blood all over me. I smelled death. Lifting my hands, I stared at them. They were deep ruby red, covered in chunks of pulp, shredded armor, and blood.

I gazed at Duncan once more.

It was over.

It was done.

The dark presence which had guided my steps receded. My rage settled. Once again, the world around me came into focus. I could smell the mud and the mist. Bodies littered the ground. In the distance, I heard the sounds of men.

“Banquo,” I whispered, peering into the fog.

Pausing to grab Gillacoemgain’s helmet, I retraced my steps toward the field, following the sounds of the dying battle. Ahead of me, I spotted a small band of men standing perfectly still. When I neared them, they turned and looked at me.

It was the Moray men I had woken from their eternal slumber. Their eyes had taken on the white glaze of death, and they held their broken bodies at weird angles. They turned to face me as if awaiting further instructions.

Andraste, what wizardry have you taught me?

“Thank you, my brothers,” I told the men. “Thank you. The deed is done.”

I raised a blood-covered finger, pointed it upward, drawing magic from the air.

Blue light crackled around my blood-soaked digit.

“Sleep,” I told them, leveling my finger on them. In the air, I made the arcane rune that Andraste had taught me. “Sleep,” I said again, releasing the magic back into the ground.

The men tumbled down like rag dolls.

“Cerridwen? Cerridwen!” Banquo called from a distance. “Cerridwen, where are you?”

A moment later, Thora appeared, her nose to the ground. When she spotted me, she turned and barked. Jogging through the mist, Banquo raced to join her. When he saw me, he stopped and stared.

“Cerridwen,” he whispered. “Are you… Are you hurt?”

No, not anymore.

“No,” I replied.

“It’s just… It’s so much blood.”

I shrugged. “Who knew the young man would have so much blood in him.”

Banquo’s brow furrowed. He looked toward the field behind me. “Duncan?”

I nodded.

“We need to get you off the battlefield. The day is done, and we are victorious. But no one must see you.”

I nodded then pulled on Gillacoemgain’s helmet once more.

“Where is Kelpie?” Banquo asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know. Alive, I hope.”

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.”

I smiled softly. “I’m sorry,” I said, and I honestly was. I had hoped he wouldn’t realize I was gone.

He nodded then turned to the blood bay. “Where is Kelpie?”

I shook my head and forced back my tears. “I don’t know. Let’s pray he finds his way home.”

Standish sighed. “He’s a strong horse and a smart one. He’ll find his way. In the meantime, I’ll take this young man off your hands. What a bloody brute he is,” he said, glancing at the bay whose coat sparkled red in the morning sunlight.

I patted the horse on the nose, nodded to Standish, then headed into the castle.

Trying to go unseen, I moved quickly through the crowd and headed to my chambers. Inside, I heard Tira and Rhona arguing.

When I opened the door, both women stopped.

Tira scowled. “Get away, you. Lady Gruoch is not within, and you have no business here.”

Rhona’s eyes widened. “Tira. Look. The sword,” she said, pointing to Uald’s Gift. She grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, shutting and bolting the door behind me.

I slipped off Gillacoemgain’s helmet.

“My lady!” Tira exclaimed. “Oh, by the Great Mother, look at you. Are you hurt?”

“No, but I need to get cleaned up. There is much to do.”

Rhona shook her head. I couldn’t help but notice her cheeks had turned red. “Part of me wants to slap you, my lady. I’m doing my best to hold myself back.”

“I wouldn’t risk it,” Tira warned her companion. “From the looks of our lady, she just murdered the entire southern army on her own.”

“Not the whole army, just the king.”

Tira tittered nervously, but Rhona met my eyes.

I inclined my head to her.

She returned the gesture.

Tira blew air through her lips, tossed her hands in the air, then turned and pulled out the washbasin. “No sense arguing about it. It’s done now. We need to get her cleaned up before anyone else realizes our lady is mad enough to ride out onto the battlefield like she’s Boudicca.”

“Ah, but there you’re wrong,” I told her.

“Wrong?”

“Boudicca did not survive. I have won the day.”