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His uncle advised caution He encouraged the laird to bide his time, size up his enemy, enlist reinforcements if it seemed prudent They numbered less than two score of Ca the sun rise on that early spring , Ewen knew in his heart that he could not squander the element of surprise Besides, Crohlands and they’d still be no match for the warriors of Clan Caest incentive of all was that his Lily waited for hiht of her alone at the keep, with just Robert, John, and a few servants at her back More importantly, Ewen noith certainty that he would make Lily his, and that conviction drove him He would have his people safe and his land under his control, and not loiter overlong fretting about theon a cloudless

Highland h feere braw and ready, and he would heed his instinct and attack on the heels of daybreak

"Hear h their makeshift camp and the laird was at once surrounded by his clanserness for the battle ahead warring on their faces

"We will strike this very h overhead" Ewen silenced the muffled cheers of his land and her troops But we are not thosethrough the ca, "S oht of Cromwell’s coin But a Cameron man sees different A Cameron man sees only anotherill see that nawing at his belly Abannock still in his throat Just a man "

Ewen let the sentiment resonate and resumed, his voice loith subdued intensity, "But you are not just men You’re Cameron men And today we bear the words of our clan The words that formed us ere but knots in our mothers’ bellies They were our lullaby ere wrinkled bairns wrapped tight in bunting The words that drove us as we cut our second teeth on cattle raids and wooden swords The words that made each and every one of us a ibh a so ’s gheibh sibh feoil! " he roared His men cheered wildly, then were silenced as their laird continued in a dangerously quiet voice

"These are the same words that we declare today, they are the lullaby we ’ll sing to Monk as we send his soldiers to their own very long sleep

"Sons of the hounds … coet flesh "

Although prudence dictated the h the woods on their way to engage the eneer to rid their land of its unwanted vermin in red coats

The laird could tell by the sound of thethat it wasn’t one of his side "Ew–… Ewen! "

Dread knotted his stomach as the laird turned to see Robert, face reddened and chest heaving, standing by his side

"We rest here, " Ewen barked, as he grabbed his foster brother’s ar, fool? I gave you but one task, and it wasn ’t to co after us like a wounded pup " Robert did look wounded but stood tall, despite his wheezing "Are you so hasty to judge, Lochiel? I a a bit of the wounded coh, Robert announced, "I gave my oath that I would protect Lily and John, and I am bound by my word, sir Meuht upon horseback, forced to seek your counsel forthwith, and finally have I found you I’ve grave tidings to deliver about the state of Tor Castle and the threat espied within its confines "

Impatient to return to his attack, Ewen snapped, " Stop your prattling, lad, and spit out the news "

Robert proceeded with his report "A MacKintosh is within the castle walls, spied in the apartments of none other than the mistress Rowena--I never have trusted that woer the smile, the sharper the knife But that is--"

"You what?! " Ewen growled "Are you daft? You spied a threat and instead of fighting you capered down to findLily and John to , Robbie? "

"I … Lochiel " … , Robert stammered

"Losh, man! " Ewen exclaimed "The MacKintosh is an ill-bred skelluht he could claiain " Ewen rubbed his forehead "But a Cameron, och, he ’d slit a Ca "

"There is no need to jump to such an ill -informed conclusion Lily and I have formulated a plan She and John have snuck out of the castle to spirit themselves out of harm’s way in a boat concealed in a cove off Loch Linnhe "