Fortunately, it wasn't falling fast enough to blanket them completely. They were obviously heading for Macindaw, as this track led to the castle and nowhere else. The woods they were in were relatively new growth, nothing like the thick, impenetrable tangles that marked Grimsdell Wood, which lay to the east. In Grimsdell, if you found a path to follow, it would be half the width of this relatively clear track. And it would twist and turn and wind upon itself like a demented serpent so that after a few minutes, you had no sense of where you were heading.
They were approaching the end of the trees now, and Will moved more slowly, motioning for Horace to remain where he was for a few minutes while Will scouted ahead.
As the trees thinned out, he could see the small party of Scotti warriors more clearly. They were still moving at that slow jog, crossing the open ground, where the gorse and bracken grew only knee high. They were almost up to the castle, whose main entrance was on the southern side. As he watched, the Scotti detoured toward the main entrance.
Even from this distance, Will could see the flurry of movement on the ramparts of the castle as the small party approached. But there were no sounds of alarm. No gongs, no shouts. The Scotti were obviously not regarded as a threat.
Turning, he trotted back through the forest to the spot where he had left Horace.
" They're going to Macindaw, all right," he said. "And they're expected. Let's go."
He led the way to the southeast, angling through the forest to the spot where it gradually merged into the thicker growth that was Grimsdell. There was no way he and Horace could move across open ground to follow the Scotti. They would have to stay under cover of the tree line. That meant covering two long sides of a triangle while the Scotti took the shorter, more direct route.
By the time they reached a point where they could keep the south wall in sight, the castle gates had opened, admitted the Scotti general and his men, and closed again.
The two friends lay belly down in the shadow of the trees, staring at the castle.
"What do you think they're up to?" Horace asked.
Will shrugged. "MacHaddish is a general, and generals usually command more than a handful of men. My guess is he has a larger force waiting across the border and he's making final arrangements with Keren to bring them south – discussing numbers of men, how much they're going to pay Keren. That sort of thing."
"So it's a raiding party?" Horace asked, and Will nodded thoughtfully.
"At least. Maybe something bigger. Whatever it is, I don't like the look of it."
Horace wriggled uncomfortably. Unlike Will, he could never lie unmoving in one place for long.
"We need to know what they're up to," he said.
Will smiled at him."I'm sure Malcolm will be able to find out for us when we capture our friend MacHaddish."
Horace nodded thoughtfully."We've got to manage that first," he pointed out.
"True. How many men did you count?" Will asked. He thought he knew himself but it never hurt to make sure. "Counting the general? Nine."
"That's what I thought. So I figure you, me and ten of the Skandians should be able to do the job."
Horace looked skeptical. "Twelve of us? Do we really need that many? After all, we'll be taking them by surprise."
"I know," Will told him. "But we want to take him alive, re member?"
" That's true. When d'you think we'll do it?"
Will shrugged. "I can't see them spending more than a day here. The castle guards were expecting them. I'd say they've been planning this for some time and now they're settling last-minute details. We'd better be in position before dark. Back at the spot where we camped."
"That's as good a place as any," Horace agreed. "So do you want me to go and collect Gundar and some of his men while you keep an eye on things here?"
Will rolled on his side to study him. " You're sure you can find your way back to Malcolm's clearing?" he asked, and Horace grinned at him.
"I
They were approaching the end of the trees now, and Will moved more slowly, motioning for Horace to remain where he was for a few minutes while Will scouted ahead.
As the trees thinned out, he could see the small party of Scotti warriors more clearly. They were still moving at that slow jog, crossing the open ground, where the gorse and bracken grew only knee high. They were almost up to the castle, whose main entrance was on the southern side. As he watched, the Scotti detoured toward the main entrance.
Even from this distance, Will could see the flurry of movement on the ramparts of the castle as the small party approached. But there were no sounds of alarm. No gongs, no shouts. The Scotti were obviously not regarded as a threat.
Turning, he trotted back through the forest to the spot where he had left Horace.
" They're going to Macindaw, all right," he said. "And they're expected. Let's go."
He led the way to the southeast, angling through the forest to the spot where it gradually merged into the thicker growth that was Grimsdell. There was no way he and Horace could move across open ground to follow the Scotti. They would have to stay under cover of the tree line. That meant covering two long sides of a triangle while the Scotti took the shorter, more direct route.
By the time they reached a point where they could keep the south wall in sight, the castle gates had opened, admitted the Scotti general and his men, and closed again.
The two friends lay belly down in the shadow of the trees, staring at the castle.
"What do you think they're up to?" Horace asked.
Will shrugged. "MacHaddish is a general, and generals usually command more than a handful of men. My guess is he has a larger force waiting across the border and he's making final arrangements with Keren to bring them south – discussing numbers of men, how much they're going to pay Keren. That sort of thing."
"So it's a raiding party?" Horace asked, and Will nodded thoughtfully.
"At least. Maybe something bigger. Whatever it is, I don't like the look of it."
Horace wriggled uncomfortably. Unlike Will, he could never lie unmoving in one place for long.
"We need to know what they're up to," he said.
Will smiled at him."I'm sure Malcolm will be able to find out for us when we capture our friend MacHaddish."
Horace nodded thoughtfully."We've got to manage that first," he pointed out.
"True. How many men did you count?" Will asked. He thought he knew himself but it never hurt to make sure. "Counting the general? Nine."
"That's what I thought. So I figure you, me and ten of the Skandians should be able to do the job."
Horace looked skeptical. "Twelve of us? Do we really need that many? After all, we'll be taking them by surprise."
"I know," Will told him. "But we want to take him alive, re member?"
" That's true. When d'you think we'll do it?"
Will shrugged. "I can't see them spending more than a day here. The castle guards were expecting them. I'd say they've been planning this for some time and now they're settling last-minute details. We'd better be in position before dark. Back at the spot where we camped."
"That's as good a place as any," Horace agreed. "So do you want me to go and collect Gundar and some of his men while you keep an eye on things here?"
Will rolled on his side to study him. " You're sure you can find your way back to Malcolm's clearing?" he asked, and Horace grinned at him.
"I
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