Page 102 of Fang & Fury

“Perhaps … he should be back by now.” He cast his eye over the ranks of warriors they passed. Leather-clad with iron helmets upon their heads, they marched east, iron blades gleaming dully. His gaze flicked then up ahead to where the vanguard briefly crested a hill. The army had appeared an unruly rabble back at Duncrag, but as soon as they’d left the fort behind, it had slid into organized columns. Every warrior seemed to know their role, their place.

Captain Tae knew what he was about.

The captain rode ahead now with the vanguard and would send word back if he spied anything amiss.

Nearing the front of the main army, where Duncrag’s wolf-head banner fluttered in the breeze, Darach approached the queen.

Cailean and Bree rode directly behind her. Nodding to them as he passed, Darach then reined his stallion in next to where Lara rode alone.

No, Alar still hadn’t returned.

“My Queen,” he greeted her.

“Darach.” Her gaze then slid right. “Ailsa.” She paused then. “We’ll be stopping soon.”

He nodded. They’d all agreed that they’d be the ones to choose the battlefield, not the enemy. Tae had told him there was a stretch of road ahead, with thick woodland to one side and marshland on the other—a bottleneck that would force Niall’s army into a narrow column rather than a broad line.

“Before we do, I wanted to have a quiet word,” Lara went on. “About you … both.”

Darach glanced over his shoulder at where Cailean and Bree were watching him intently. Ailsa had told him about her conversation with Bree—and that the queen’s bodyguard and her brother Gil had both once been Shee. It was quite a revelation.

Seeing the direction of his gaze, Lara cleared her throat. “Aye, they both know about you now.” She paused then. “Don’t worry … I’ve told no one else. However—”

“You can, if you want.” Ailsa interrupted her gently. “It’s not a secret.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “Neither of us is hiding.”

All the same, uneasiness settled under his ribs. No, he wasn’t hiding, but he had a few followers now, warriors from Braewall who had been overjoyed to discover he was still alive. How would they look at him once they knew what slept beneath his skin? Would they still call him prince after this?

Lara inclined her head. “So, I can inform Captain Tae?”

He nodded. “It’s worth warning him that the clag-doo can be … unruly. I won’t shift unless I have no choice.”

“Can you tell friend from foe once you’re the beast?” The chief-enforcer spoke up then, and Darach cut him a look over his shoulder. Cailean’s blue eyes were narrowed.

“Aye,” he replied. “I’ve got better control over it than I used to … but it’s best to stay out of my way, all the same.”

Cailean’s lips pursed.

Meanwhile, Lara’s attention flicked behind Darach. “What about you, Ailsa?”

“Unlike Darach, it’s not something I can leash,” she replied. “When my life is in danger, the bavaan takes over. Don’t worry … I’ll be aware who the enemy is.”

Lara took this in, her features relaxing slightly. “Right … we’ll spread the word so everyone’s prepared.” She looked ahead then, her gaze scanning the column that snaked into the distance. Darach wondered if she was searching for her husband. She was likely starting to worry about him now, although she didn’t let on.

They rode silently for a short while, the thud of hooves and booted feet, the creak of leather, and the jangling of bits intruding.

Finally, Lara cut Darach a veiled look. “What would you say Niall’s greatest weakness is?”

He smiled. “That’s easy … me.”

Behind him, Ailsa gave a soft snort.

“It’s true,” he went on. “He hates me … but there’s always been a part of him that wanted me to respect him, to follow him. It’s why I’m still alive.”

“So, he wants admiration?”

“Aye, he demands obedience … but what he really desires is approval.”