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can teach us shall be a boon indeed."
    "And what shall ye do with my people once ye have conquered them?" Elfrida asked, color rising again in her pale cheeks.
    "We shall rebuild the witches' tower in Bride and bring Tirsoilleir back into the fold o' the Coven," Meghan said calmly, stroking the soft brown fur of her donbeag. "If Ea permits that we prevail."
    "And who shall rule?" Elfrida asked, back straight as a ramrod, hands folded over the swell of the child she carried within.
    "Ye shall," Meghan responded, her voice drowning Lachlan's. "Ye are the last o' your line, the direct descendant o' Berhtilde herself. We shall restore the monarchy in Tirsoilleir and ye shall swear fealty to Lachlan MacCu-inn in return for our support and sign the Pact o' Peace on behalf o' your people." Lachlan relaxed and nodded his head as Elfrida inclined hers. "Then I shall do what I can to help ye. Ye know nothing about the Bright Soldiers or why they follow the berhtildes. I shall tell ye what ye need to know, if ye swear to restore my throne to me."
    "I shall do my best," Lachlan promised with a relieved smile. "But first we must drive them from my land and the lands o' my people, and that shall no' be easy to do. They occupy most o' Blessem and Clachan and have access to all their storehouses o' grain and meat while we live off nuts and porridge. They bombard the walls o' our cities with their foul-smelling balls o' iron and fire, while we are lucky to have a sword in the hand o' half our soldiers. Worst o' all, the only trained soldiers were all in the pay o' the Ensorcellor and many remain faithful to her, while the Bright Soldiers are taught the craft o' war with their mother's milk. How are we to stand against them?"
    "I ken ye only have a small troop, and that badly equipped and poorly trained," Elfrida said slowly, "but canna ye trick them into thinking ye have greater forces at your command? And they are afraid o' the powers o' witchcraft, thinking them the works o' the Archfiend. If ye use magic against them, it will throw them into superstitious terror."
    "Both Iain and Gwilym have the power o' illusion," Dide cried eagerly. "With a little trickery, we could conjure an army from thin air!"
    "And surely we could turn this foul weather to our advantage?" Iseult suggested. Excited murmurs ran around the room, with suggestions thrown from every corner. Lachlan's yellow eyes blazed with excitement. "They need no' know we have only a handful o' fully trained witches," he cried.
    "If we can just relieve Rhyssmadill, then we shall have the royal treasury back in our hands and all its food and weapon stores. Our contacts in the blue city say the palace has no' yet fallen, though fighting has been fierce on all sides. Once we have Rhyssmadill back in our hands, then we can march on the rest o' Blessem and free Dun Eidean and the other towns."
    The Prionnsa of Blessem, Alasdair MacThanach, cheered. He and his family had been caught at Rhyssmadill when the Bright Soldiers had attacked and had fled to Lucescere with Jaspar. A practical man, he had quickly thrown his lot in with Lachlan and the rebels after Jaspar's death, despite his long-held views against witchcraft. Better a strong Righ with a few witch tricks up his sleeve than a bawling babe, he had decided.
    "If we are to have the Bright Soldiers in flight before the Fairgean return with the spring tides, we are going to have to move fast," Iseult said, frowning.
    "Let us start planning a strike against them now, then." Lachlan stretched out his wings, flexing them so the candles danced in the breeze he created. "They shall no' expect us to strike through the snow storms, and if we are canny, we may be able to steal some o' then-supply wagons and have ourselves a real feast for the New Year!"
    THE THREADS DIVIDE
    Hogmanay
    Iseult stood before the tall mirror, frowning ferociously at her reflection. The light of many candles bathed her naked body in a warm, golden glow. Her skin was white